Agreement with Value Labs (India) : ADAM Software expands its global partnership network

- Press Release -

ADAM Software has continued to expand its global partnership network following an agreement with ValueLabs, a worldwide IT services company offering technology consulting, software product development, testing and knowledge process outsourcing services. In a recent countrywide survey, ValueLabs was ranked amongst the top 50 best companies to work for in India.

 "A growing proportion of ADAM Software's customers are major corporations operating on a global basis and we are increasingly working with partners around the world that provide resources on a scale to match the needs of our largest clients," said Pieter Casneuf, ADAM Software's Chief Executive Officer. "ValueLabs will help us expand our end-to-end digital asset management services and in particular it will concentrate on developing additional functionality for search, audio and video applications, with both agencies and other customer experience management (CXM) solutions." 

 ValueLabs was formed in 1997 with a philosophy of forging strategic relationships by building "extended teams" for its clients. Combining this Extended Team Model (ETM), focus on innovation and industry expertise, ValueLabs help their clients improve business performance, accelerate time-to-market, increase productivity and enhance customer service. The new agreement will help ADAM Software to expand its client base into new geographical markets while also benefiting from ValueLabs' extensive IT services experience. Ram Manjeri, SVP, Sales and Marketing, at ValueLabs said, "Digital asset management has become an integral part of business in every industry. Companies are looking to optimize workflows and streamline collaboration between teams to improve efficiency and reduce costs. We are delighted to partner with ADAM Software to help our clients effectively create, manage and distribute media assets."

Source : Press release

Vjoon integrate with Adobe Folio Producer API

- Press Release -
Jenkintown, PA (July 27, 2012) — Managing Editor Inc. (MEI) today announced that the vjoon K4 Cross-Media Publishing Platform now supports the new interface to Adobe® Digital Publishing Suite™ Folio Producer services. This constitutes an unprecedented level of integration that boosts efficiency by enabling tablet publishers to upload their folio files after planning, managing and organizing digital content in vjoon K4.

This integration also allows publishers to fully exploit the Adobe Folio Producer’s extensive feature set and eliminates the need to use Adobe Content Bundler. vjoon K4 is a product of vjoon GmbH of Hamburg, Germany, and MEI is the exclusive distributor of the software in the Americas.

How to create an effective augmented reality campaign with Layar Creator

Layar has just released a slideshow explaining very efficiently how to set up a campaign with augmented reality print material. Nice slideshow, very inspiring !

How to Create an Effective Campaign with Layar Creator from Layar

vjoon K4 is the First Publishing System to Support Full Integration With Adobe Digital Publishing Suite's New API

- Press Release -
HAMBURG, Germany, July 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- - The integration of vjoon K4 via the Adobe Folio Producer API raises the bar for efficiency in tablet publishing workflows

Vjoon, a leading provider of cross-media publishing platforms and a global Adobe Digital Publishing Suite (DPS) reseller, announced today that vjoon K4 now supports the new interface to Adobe DPS Folio Producer services. This constitutes an unprecedented level of integration that boosts efficiency by enabling tablet publishers to upload their Folio files after planning, managing and organizing digital content in vjoon K4. This allows publishers to fully exploit the Adobe Folio Producer's extensive feature set and eliminates the need for using Adobe Content Bundler, along with all its limitations.

Better translation processes in Indesign with CopyFlow Gold and One2Edit

In a multilingual world, it becomes harder to manage easily translation process in DTP files.
Some people just send their native files to their translation agency. Others try to export manually every story in a Word file, copying and pasting boxes.
Some are more smarter by using Incopy as a translation workflow, but it's not the best way…

There are some really nice tools that may help you face your translation problems. One of them is CopyFlow Gold from Napsys.

Compatible with Indesign, Illustrator and Quark Xpress

The first advantage of CopyFlow Gold is that it is compliant with most of the DTP currently in use : Indesign and Quark Xpress for marketing purpose, Illustrator for packaging. You don't have to change your processes depending on the software you use.

CopyFlow generate a single output file featuring all the text embedded in the Indesign file

CopyFlow process is quite simple : it generates a single output file with all the text embedded in your Indesign document, no matter if text is splitted in multiple boxes. You can set manually a hierarchy of boxes…
CopyFlow is able to generate various export formats, from classic RTF file to XLIFF or CFG XML, better suited for translation process. These formats are for example fully compliant with softwares like SGL Trados or DéjaVu.

Export, translate, reimport…

Translation process of an Indesign document is as following : from the CFG Tool panel in Indesign, select an output format and click on "Export". It generates the output file.

Original Indesign document (in english), with CFG palette on the right

The designer sends to the translation agency the XLIFF file. The translator just has to open the file in his own translation software (for example, SDL Trados) to translate it in french.

XLIFF file opened in SDL Trados

Once the translation process is done, the new XLIFF file is sent to the designer. From the CFG tool palette, he just has to import the new file. After a few seconds, a new translated Indesign file is created, with the translated boxes at the right place, in the right style sheet.

The designer just has to check the layout and correct overflow. He doesn't care about the content itself.

A new Indesign document is created from the translated XLIFF file. 

At a 495$ price, CopyFlow is a great productivity tool in my opinion.

One2Edit for sophisticated translation workflows

When you need more complex workflows, with validation and collaboration capability, tools like CopyFlow are not enough. You must have to deploy a true TMS software.
One of my favourite is called One2Edit. It enables Indesign file editing within a web browser, with very rich capabilities, such as translation memory tool, validation process, multichannel output…
In the following videoclip, you'll find an overview of this solution :

Links :

• Napsys CopyFlow
• One2Edit

Entreprise Marketing Management : an overview of ContentServ capabilities

Entreprise Marketing Management is a major trend in our industry, at the conjunction of Brand Management, Marketing Asset Management and Marketing Resource Management.
EMM is focused on helping customers deal with brand consistency, localization in a "glocal" configuration, marketing automation and better reactivity…

ContentServ is a german editor specialized in EMM. I talked about this company frequently in my blog as I feel they have the right product for such a market.
In the following video clip, Armin Dressler, CTO at ContentServ, explain some of the most recent features of his product :

• marketing campaign manager, featuring a nice calendar connected to the PIM, enabling targeting, collaboration and budget management
• campaign analytics, for a detailed feedback on your multichannel campaigns
• flatplan manager for catalogs

Instagram + Twitter + Draw Something = Stiktu

Smartphones and tablets are the best tools to use augmented reality applications… Touchscreen, GPS, internet connection, hi-res cameras, everything needed is available to have fun.

But… for instance, augmented reality is not so fun. It's used to help people in the street, or to give a new dimension to magazines. But it still miss this "funky" touch that would help convert A/R to something really fun.

The guys from Layar have designed something pretty cool : it's an app available for both Android and iOS they call Stiktu. Their baseline ? "Remix the real world".

The idea is to let you shoot anything in the street or around you, and then draw, annotate or colorize the picture. Instead of the reality, it becomes your reality… and you can share it with your friends.

Stiktu is really easy to use : something between Instagram, Twitter and Draw Something…
Personaly, I think it's the "next big thing" in social media, as it's a brand new way to publish your opinions or your toughts. And not only by just typing 140 signs…
And it could be very very funny… Imagine what George Clooney and Brad Pitt could publish on their Stiktu account during the Oscar ceremony… or Paris Hilton about how her friends are dressed in a party ;-)

Stiktu is also a very good entry point to other social medias : your "graffitis" could be published on Google Maps, like a signature left somewhere you've been… They could be displayed on a Pinterest board, like a hall of fame. And of course, you can share them with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.
Nice app… with quite no limits except your imagination. It could be even used in professional fields to share ideas.

Links :

• Stiktu for iOS on iTunes
• Stiktu for Android on Google Play

Need to edit Arabic, Thai or Vietnamese language in Indesign ? Try Scribedoor plugin

Adobe have been deeply improving multilingual capability in Indesign since the CS3. But it's still hard to edit complex languages such as Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi, Thaï or Vietnamese.
A french company, Winsoft International, has been releasing plugins dedicated to multilingual management for many years. Their latest plugin, ScribeDoor, is compliant with the latest versions of Adobe Indesign.

Scribe Door offers a dedicated text composition tool, as shown in the following video clip :

Scribedoor is also able to manage story direction, binding options, tables… A must-have to people who have to translate their document in complex languages.

Link : ScribeDoor on WinSoft website

PIM : ContentServ and e-Pro enter strategic partnership to ease the way catalogs will be distributed in all channels

- Press release -

CONTENTSERV GmbH, the manufacturer of web-based Enterprise Marketing Management Software solutions (EMMS), and e-pro solutions GmbH, which specializes in PIM and multichannel needs, will be pursuing mutual strategic paths in the future. e-pro solutions GmbH is among the leading providers of standard software for Product Information Management (PIM), e-business and multichannel commerce.

e-pro is co-founder of BMEcat, certification partner of eCl@ss and delivers the certification software for ETIM. e-pro has access to in-depth knowledge relating to the provision of standardized electronic product data catalogs.

CONTENTSERV, the manufacturer of web-based Enterprise Marketing Management Software solutions enables their customers to map customer, marketing, print and media processes via a central platform. This facilitates the transparent and simple coordination of processes across all systems and departments. Complex marketing needs can also be supported efficiently.

As the new technology and implementation partner of CONTENTSERV, e-pro will add the allround, modular EMMS software solution of CONTENTSERV to their product portfolio. Thus e-pro can provide their existing and new customers with decisive added value in the area of print and marketing process optimization. Whereas up to now their focus generally has been on technical branches of industry and technical business, e-pro now has access to a broader market.

Conversely, CONTENTSERV is integrating the market-leading tool developed by e-pro, e-proCAT, in their product portfolio. Electronic catalogs can be generated, edited and checked in accordance with the BMEcat and eCl@ss standards in order to distribute them in a uniform standard in all channels. A large amount of product data can be quickly cleaned up and standardized, as well as be classified automatically. Now CONTENTSERV can provide their customers with yet another powerful solution.

 „The reasons for the expansion of our partner network are obvious. The customer is king and wants to be served as such. Product communication is changing, so that many companies are faced with great challenges. With CONTENTSERV we’re serving the demands of a broad market“, the Managing Director of e-pro Stefan-Maria Creutz comments. He adds, „We can provide services relating to the topics of comprehensive business consulting for marketing and data management processes, as well as central and media independent product data maintenance and web developments. This enables us to coordinate the change and offer our best-of-breed solutions.“

Source : ContentServ website

Harlequin RIP 9.0 accelerates VDP jobs for digital production presses

Harlequin have just released version 9.0 of their RIP solution. Among a wide list of new features (for example, a better support of transparency in unflattened PDF files), I've been interested by the PDF Retained Raster module that ease VDP management :

"Variable data print : A new external mode for PDF retained Raster that accelerates VDP jobs for digital production presses. It allows the RIP to deliver page foregrounds and backgrounds as rasters for management and aggregation outside the RIP to give additional speed increase."

This module is able to scan PDF files to detect static and dynamic areas, in order to speed the file processing.

I think this technology is based on PDF/VT standard. This initiative is a new proof that VDP is a major trend as customers are asking for more and more one-to-one customization

Sources :

• Harlequin RIP website
• Digital Printer

Adobe ready to launch a marketplace to help developers promote their extensions for Creative Suite

iTunes have opened a new way to sell software. Small revenues, but frequent revenues…
A smarter way to share developments.
For instance, Adobe didn't seem to be interested by such a market place. But times are changing… After launching their Creative Cloud, Adobe is at the point to launch a market place dedicated to promote plugins and extensions developed for Creative Suite users.

Centralize Creative Suite extensions in a single repository

There is a lot of extensions already available for Indesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. But the hardest part is to find them. There's no library of extensions on the web. Currently, you have to browse the web to locate the right extension matching the problem you're facing.
With Adobe Exchange Producer Portal, all extensions will be centralized in a single repository. There will be organized by topics, and rated by users. It will be a great improvement to help end-users locate the extension they're looking for.

Ease extension browsing thanks to dedicated panel

To help end-users browse extensions without leaving their Adobe CS app, a dedicated panel will be provided freely. A smart way to browse, find and buy extension at the right moment… when you need it !

An opportunity for developpers

Many developpers are currently offering their own plugins, scripts and extensions for Adobe CS. But it's really hard for them to monetize their works. As hard to sell as it's hard for customers to find them…
Thanks to this marketplace, developpers will have the capability to create smart and tiny extensions they could sell for a few dollars. A nice way to monetize their work and help them reach new customers, for tailor-made jobs why not.
I think that it will also help to create a dynamic ecosystem around the Creative Suite, with small but smart apps that will extend CS capabilities, focused on end-users problems.


Links :

• Adobe Exchange Panel Preview
• Adobe Exchange Producer Portal
• Original post on CreativePro

XMPie innovates with graphic marketing campaign configurator and a web-to-print plugin for Facebook

Innovating in web-to-print is still possible : XMPie has just delivered two brand new products, really revolutionnary :

• Circle, still in Beta, is a visual configurator for marketing campaigns : like for workflows in Vjoon K4 or for prepress automation processes in Enfocus Switch, Circle enables funny setting of a marketing campaign by drag&drop of items and use of connectors. It's smart, customer-centric and effective… Marketers will love it !

• Facebook Connect : as more and more SME, shops and retailers are using Facebook to promote their activity with better flexibility than traditional websites, it became urgent to enable the capability to integrate customization solutions within a fanpage. XMPie has just released Facebook Connect, an easy way to embed a tiny w2p storefront in your Facebook page. It's a smart way to combine Facebook social media capabilities and eCommerce in a same tool. I'm sure this module should interest many small companies… as well as the largest ones !

Links :

• XMPie Circle
• XMPie Facebook Connect

Aleyant's Pressero + Palmart : when Web-to-Print meets MIS

 

Aleyant today announced a strategic partnership with spanish MIS editor Palmart. This technological partnership enable synchronization between Pressero web-to-print storefront and Palmart MIS system, in order to transmit any order received in Presso to the MIS processing workflow.

This is really useful to reduce human intervention in order processing, but also to ease RFP / RFQ processes. A partnership showing how much web-to-print and MIS integration will be an increasing trend in the next months.


Links :

• Pressero blog
• Palmart website