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PreAct FAQs
Partners Program FAQs
PreAct® FAQs
Where will you get the algorithms to make my Associate System work?
The core reasoning algorithms that are used to manipulate knowledge are standard components of ASI’s PreAct® Software libraries, which can be reused in any domain. The knowledge necessary for a specific domain or organization will be gathered through knowledge elicitation from recognized experts in the field or organization. The domain-specific algorithms are maintained independently of the PreAct® libraries and may be upgraded as necessary, even after deployment of the application.
How do I know it will work? How will you test the system?
The Pre-Act® plan-goal graph, concept graph, and situated script representations are all designed to capture the assessment, planning, and execution processes that a human carries out; in fact, part of their purpose is to allow a human to understand the system’s behaviors. These graph structures and their explicit representations of constraints, relationships, and alternatives lend themselves readily to evaluation and verification by domain experts. This evaluation would be followed by a test of the prototype using simulated data, if possible, and field tests of the solution prototype. Even during field testing, the domain experts can continue to monitor the system to understand the reasons for each agent’s actions; this is a natural consequence of the fact that the knowledge structures reflect the decision making process of an expert human.
How much domain experts’ time do you need while building an Associate?
We need more information to answer to this question. The amount of time needed with domain experts depends on your functional requirements, both number and difficulty, and the written documentation on the knowledge that is already available.
Who owns the IP, is it proprietary, is it protected?
The customer owns the IP that is developed for its particular application. The IP contained in PreAct® is owned by ASI, just as MicroSoft owns the IP for its Excel application. Customers can license PreAct® and embed their knowledge in the PreAct® Software; the result is their intellectual property. The customer’s IP is protected by ASI through Proprietary Information Exchange Agreements and Contracts. It is ASI Policy not to disclose any proprietary information of past or present customers. ASI uses state-of-the-art network security to insure that our software and any customer IP are protected. Internet-based Associates are designed to send and receive data using industry-accepted data transfer protocols while at the same time shielding access to knowledge bases behind strong network security.
How can I use it in other instances, divisions; can it be replicated without much additional cost?
The cost of developing Associate Systems comes from gathering and embedding the knowledge. You can easily modify a system to create another version as long as the knowledge changes are not excessive. For example, a production management system for an oil field will be similar to a production management system for a gas field and will only require minor modifications to the application’s knowledge. If you wanted to change a production management system to a reservoir management system, extensive changes to the knowledge base would be required since the functions of the systems are different. The farther you go from the original Associate application the more new knowledge will be required, which will impact cost. As you put the applications in more places, more licenses will be required.
What operating systems does PreAct® run on?
PreAct® is platform independent. It runs on all forms of MS Windows, UNIX, Solaris, Linux, and SGI.
How much data can an Associate System handle? Can it scale up to very large problem spaces?
Associate Systems are built to rapidly contend with high volumes of data. The very nature of a complex problem demanding an associate is that an extremely high volume of unorganized, unsorted data must be received and processed. Associates are designed specifically to be scaled in complex problem spaces. The knowledge bases used to drive an Associate may be easily modified.
What language is PreAct written in?
PreAct itself is written in C++ and can be used in a straight C++ application or embedded into a JAVA system via a DLL or shared object. Additional knowledge development tools used for knowledge engineering are written in JAVA.
How big a footprint does an Associate have?
This depends on both the size of the knowledge base and the number of data points in the particular environment in which it is run. For example, a small knowledge base designed to handle congestion in the airspace around an airport would probably have a fairly small footprint. Such a system might run on a mid-range Pentium machine with 256Mbytes of RAM. On the other hand, an inventory management Associate for a Fortune 500 company would probably need to run on a mid-or high-class Sun or Linux server equipped with several gigabytes of RAM.
Can Associates run in real-time?
Yes. PreAct evolved from aviation applications that required real-time operation in the military air combat domain. Those speed requirements benefit numerous other, less demanding Associate applications.
Partner Program FAQs
What types of Partner Programs does ASI offer?
We have three types of Partner Programs, as follows:
- Developer Partners Program – This program is for software companies who wish to develop and sell applications with our PreAct® cognitive engine embedded.
- Reseller Partners Program – This program is for software companies who are higher volume sellers of applications that include our PreAct® technology.
- Channel Marketing Program – This program is for consulting firms and software companies who wish to resell ASI’s applications as additions to the portfolio of products and services they currently offer to their clients.
How does the Developer Partners Program work?
The Developer Partners Program provides software companies with the technology, training, and consulting services they need to incorporate PreAct® into their application(s). We provide a standard Software Developers Kit, which includes the PreAct® software itself plus related libraries that allow you to develop, compile, and test PreAct®-enabled applications. Developer Partners Program members receive a discount on ASI Training Classes. Developer Partners Program members also receive ASI marketing support.
How does the Reseller Partners Program work?
For software companies who have developed PreAct® enabled applications and are actively marketing them, the Reseller Partners Program provides additional discounts on the purchase of PreAct® licenses and well as additional marketing support from ASI.
What about the Channel Marketing Partner Program?
The Channel Marketing Partner Program offers those companies who wish to resell such ASI applications as Claims Analyst’s Associate™, CRO Associate™, and eValue® commissioned incentives in the form of a substantial share of the revenues they generate from selling these applications. Typically, our Channel Marketing Partners will further grow their revenues through related consulting, implementation, and/or systems integration services they offer.
How do I find out more about ASI’s Partner Programs?
Contact Jack Shaw, Vice President - Commercial Systems, by phone at 678-942-1175 or email jshaw@asinc.com.
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