COLE'S NEWSWIRE, July 26, 2000

July 26, 2000
Vol. 6, No. 24

COLE'S NEWSWIRE is a weekly distribution of information about the sales and installations of publishing technology and the latest news on new products developed by suppliers to the industry.

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ADSTAR.COM INC.
The Marina del Rey, Calif.-based on-line classified advertising placement service has announced a distribution agreement with KnowledgePoint, a developer of human resource management solutions. KnowledgePoint will integrate co-branded versions of AdStar.com's classified ad portal, Advertise123.com, into its Descriptions Now software and two human resources web sites, JobDescription.com and HRTools.com.

Scheduled for release in October, the Advertise123.com integrated version of Descriptions Now will provide a button in the software interface that will launch a split screen with Descriptions Now on one side and a browser window with access to a co-branded version of Advertise123.com on the other. Advertise123.com offers advertisers the ability place classified ads in newspapers from the top 50 U.S. markets.

In addition, AdStar has announced that more than $2 million in classified advertisements have been sold to date through Advertise123.com. While the first million dollars in on-line ad transactions took the company more than nine months to reach, the $2 million milestone was reached in less than a third of that time.

Lastly, AdStar announced that it has signed affiliate and distribution relationships with more than a dozen classified-related web sites, which will reach millions of potential advertisers.

AdStar is on the Web at http://www.adstar.com/.

CREOSCITEX
The Bedford, Mass.-based supplier of pre-press equipment and software announced the release of the CFX (Content File eXchange) job file format, which automates information exchange between pre-press systems and e-commerce or supply-chain automation systems. The file format of CFX includes Adobe PJTF (Portable Job Ticket Format) and XML (eXtensible Markup Language) components that link PDF (Portable Document Format) pages with their related job data within a single zip file.

CFX capabilities will be incorporated into Prinergy 2.0, which was launched t DRUPA 2000. CreoScitex said it intends to publish the CFX specification this fall.

CreoScitex also announced a collection of proofing solutions, including iPROOF, Lotem Proof, Trendsetter Spectrum and the IrisWIDE series. Iris iPROOF offers optional resolutions up to 1200-by-600 dots-per-inch, IrisSCREEN, simultaneous image processing and printing, and connectivity to CreoScitex professional workflows. The Lotem Proof and Trendsetter Spectrum use the same input, resolution, screen parameters and spot function to image both plates and proofs. With the IrisWIDE Series format, signatures can be printed without image rotation, reducing processing time and helping to ensure image data integrity.

In addition, CreoScitex announced the latest version of Profile Wizard Suite has been announced, which will support the building and editing of ICC input and output profiles for scanners and digital cameras.

CreoScitex is on the Web at http://www.creoscitex.com/.

DESKNET INC.
The New York-based developer of workflow automation tools has announced a partnership with Morcor Solutions Inc. of Napanee, Ontario, Canada, developers of Xpance, an integrated pre-press production-ad tracking system for newspaper, magazine and directory publishers.

Morcor will bundle DeskNetAPS with its Xpance solution, which is currently installed at newspapers nation-wide including the BOSTON HERALD, the TIMES-TRIBUNE of Scranton, Pa. and THE INTELLIGENCER of Lancaster, Pa., expanding the feature set to enable on-line proofing and approval capabilities for print advertisers. The DeskNetAPS/Xpance bundle will automatically convert files to HTML or XML, offering the ability to archive ads for repurposing.

DeskNet is on the Web at http://www.desknetinc.com/, while Morcor is at http://www.morcor.com/.

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
The Springville, Utah-based publishing system maker has announced that Morris Communications Corp. of Augusta, Ga., intends to implement advertising and editorial systems based on DTI's AdSpeed and NewsSpeed -- which use InDesign from Adobe Systems Inc. of San Jose -- at several of its 31 daily newspapers, including the FLORIDA TIMES-UNION of Jacksonville, ATHENS (Ga.) DAILY NEWS, SAVANNAH (Ga.) MORNING NEWS and AMARILLO (Texas) DAILY NEWS. The company said the system will provide an integrated, end-to-end solution for managing, assembling, distributing and printing display and classified ads.

DTI is on the Web at http://www.dtintl.com/, while Adobe is at http://www.adobe.com/.

GDT-NOVA
The recently announced partnership between Global Digital Technologies Inc. of Pleasanton, Calif., and Nova Publishing Products Inc. of Auburn, Calif., has introduced iMisc.com, an on-line auction site designed to help newspapers gain new ad revenues. iMisc.comÕs SuperSearch capabilities, along with the live HaggleChat feature, allows publications to offer their classified customers on-line up-sell, enabling the increase of branding and the building of new e-commerce opportunities.

Also announced was the Nova Connex XML Server, which enables publishers to integrate business systems or web servers with classified advertising or editorial front-end systems using the eXtensible Markup Language. The aggregation of classified advertising from participating newspapers globally leverages the GDT-Nova Connex XML technology for capturing data from almost any classified system. The Connex XML Server has the ability to work with any database and also with any XML DTD (Document Type Definition), ensuring compatibility in the future as new XML standards are assumed for other on-line business uses.

Another recent announcement was the launch of an Internet program combining GDT's Connex XML Transaction Server with the cross-media publishing solutions of Pentawave Inc. of Scottsdale, Ariz. The application service provider (ASP) program offers full on-line publishing for newspapers of all sizes. The partnership will increase PentawaveÕs ability to provide solutions to automate the writing and production of advertising material for any publishing destination, to help media companies increase advertising income and build new revenue streams.

GDT-Nova is on the Web at http://www.gdtnova.com/, while Pentawave is at http://www.pentawave.com/.

IBM
The information technology company's Networked Interactive Content Access (NICA) publishing system has been selected by the New York-based Associated Press as the upgrade path for AP-member newspapers currently using the AP Preserver image archiving system.

NICA -- a digital print media archiving system that enables users to digitize, store and retrieve their photos, graphics and text -- includes features similar to the AP Preserver and as well as offering additional functions.

IBM will also organize its recently announced relationship with CCI Europe of Kennesaw, Ga., providing additional value to AP Preserver users wishing to upgrade with a complete digital media management and production system for newspapers and publishers.

IBM is on the Web at http://www.ibm.com/, while the AP is at http://www.ap.org/ and CCI is at http://www.ccieurope.com/.

THOMAS TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS INC.
Formerly Reed Technology, Commercial Division, the Horsham, Pa.-based company has completed a content management system for Congressional Quarterly Inc. (CQ), a non-partisan news and legislative tracking service based in Washington, D.C.

The system, which is now live, allows CQ to create, maintain and publish information from a central repository, streamlining CQ's editorial and production processes and speeding time to print and the Web.

Built on an Oracle database, it includes the capability to import and convert data automatically, a custom editorial interface, custom searching and reporting modules, workflow and versioning capabilities, and automatic data extraction and release mechanisms.

The system also allows for the remote transmission and editing of stories, allowing CQ to publish virtually real-time information to their web sites.

Thomas Technology Solutions Inc. is on the Web at http://www.thomastechsolutions.com/.

X-RITE INC.
The Grandville, Mich.-based provider of instrumentation and software solutions introduced Auto Tracking Densitometer (ATD) for News, which automates and speeds the process of evaluating and adjusting gray balance in newspaper production. In seconds, the system automatically measures and reports density levels from continuous-color rules as small as 1.6mm in height.

ATD News, designed specifically for newspaper presses, delivers speed, accuracy and process control advantages to press operators still relying on manual densitometers or visual reference for low quality monitoring. It works by relying on concrete targets and tolerances for newspaper production, centered on the use of continuous CMYK gray balance bars.

X-Rite is on the Web at http://www.x-rite.com/.

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COLE'S NEWSWIRE is compiled by Aimee Beck and distributed by The Cole Group, publishers of THE COLE PAPERS, COLE'S NOTES and NEWSINC., and consultants to newspapers and magazines worldwide. To receive more information about The Cole Group, send e-mail to: info@colegroup.com.

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