COLE'S NEWSWIRE, Jan. 3, 2001

Jan. 3, 2001
Vol. 7, No. 1

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.
Based in Marina Del Rey, Calif., this company has signed an agreement with GovernmentJobs.com of El Segundo, Calif., a human resources application service provider (ASP) for the e-government market, to deliver its on-line classified-ad placement services to GovernmentJobs.com's user-base of public employers.

As part of the agreement, AdStar.com will develop a co-branded version of Advertise123.com that will be accessible via www.governmentjobs.com, and GovernmentJobs.com will integrate Advertise123.com into its Web-based recruiting, hiring and decision management software, HRCelerity, which will allow employers to place recruitment ads in newspapers across the country.

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

BASEVIEW PRODUCTS INC.
Based in Ann Arbor, Mich., this company has had 17 sites installed or upgraded with its advertising systems. Baseview also installed CirculationPro for Southern Newspapers, completing five of the 16 sites that signed on in September.

The five Southern Newspapers sites that installed Subscription Handler, Distribution Handler and Preprint Handler were: TEXAS CITY SUN (10k), ANGELTON TIMES (4k) DAILY TRIBUNE (6k) BAYTOWN SUN (16k) and BRAZOSPORT FACTS (20k). These sites were among 37 working with Baseview this last September.

Baseview is on the Web at http://www.baseview.com/.

COLD NORTH WIND
Torstar Corp. of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has signed a letter of intent with this Ottawa, Ontario-based company under which Torstar will invest C$24 million (US$16 million) for a 10 percent equity position in the company.

The letter of intent also allows Torstar to enter into a two-year, C$5.25-million (US$3.25 million) services agreement with Cold North Wind, who will digitize the TORONTO STAR's (460k) microfilm archives back to the paper's beginning in 1892.

Cold North Wind is on the Web at http://www.coldnorthwind.com/.

ECRM IMAGING SYSTEMS
A new family of high-throughput platesetters designed for the newspaper and publishing marketplace has been introduced by this Tewksbury, Mass.-based supplier. ECRM's new WildCat XL devices are designed to facilitate shorter lead times and enhance color quality, and provide new format flexibility and unparalleled throughput.

They are capable of imaging the full width of half web presses, up to 36 inches and come in three models (WildCat XL, WildCat XL180, WildCat XL240) to suit a variety of throughput requirements. The launch of the XL family coincides with the recent announcement of the high-speed Bluefin imagesetter.

ECRM is on the Web at http://www.ecrm.com/.

FREEDOM SYSTEM INTEGRATORS INC.
Recently introduced by this Wichita, Kan.-based company is Ad.Perks Classified 5.0 for Windows and Macintosh. Freedom System Integrators Inc.'s Ad.Perks has been written in Java, allowing newspapers to choose the software that is right for its operation. The software is designed to manage ads using minimum keystrokes and includes graphical user interface, allowing access to almost every function from the main screen.

Additionally, the company has introduced Ad.Perks Classified Pagination, also for both Windows and Macintosh. The system conquers liners, legals and display ads. With Preferences dialog, the software virtually eliminates user tweaking by adding auto filler where needed and vertical justification with in custom parameters.

Lastly at Freedom System Integrators, several new publishsers have been added to its customer base, including CORTLAND (N.Y.) STANDARD (12k) and SNYDER DAILY NEWS (11k), which have installed the METS PC Editorial and Pagination plus Advance Sales PC Classified and Pagination.

Freedom System Integrators is on the Web at http://www.fsi-ipa.com/.

GRAPHIC ENTERPRISES INC.
This North Canton, Ohio-based company has announced that several national newspapers have recently purchased its GUSS output management system. Graphic Enterprises Inc.'s (GEI) non-proprietary GUSS system is a Windows NT-based output management package for use in pre-press production environments. The system features several customized modules to meet specific production needs such as Print Spooling, OPI, multiplexing and Page Transmission.

Additionally, GEI has announced that several national newspapers and companies have recently purchased its BlackMagic for their color management needs. BlackMagic addresses the automated proofing of high-resolution screened bitmaps, prior to imaging to film or direct-to-plate. Features of the system include remote proofing with ICC profiles, Real Dot Technology, which reproduces the actual dot from the proof, plate changes for different editions and cross-platform access.

GEI is on the Web at http://www.geiworldwide.com/prepress/.

GDT-NOVA
The SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE (376k) has chosen AdEZ remote classified entry product from this Rocklin, Calif.-based company, offering the paper's customers the ability to place classified ads in print or on-line using the Web with real-time pricing and proofing.

AdEZ is a private-party and commercial ad-entry application that allows individuals and businesses to place classified orders (including photos and logos) through a standard Internet browser. The ad is created using the newspaper's existing classified front-end system, and reduces the work generated by placing an ad with the traditional phone call or e-mail. The UNION-TRIBUNE is scheduled to go live with AdEZ in early 2001, covering classified categories such as Recruitment, Transportation, Real Estate, Merchandise, Announcements, Legals and Obituaries.

GDT-Nova is on the Web at http://www.gdtnova.com/.

OPENPAGES INC.
This Westford, Mass.-based provider of content management software for e-business has completed a nationwide seminar series for e-business executives in six cities across the U.S. Openpages developed this seminar series to educate professionals on the benefits of automating the creation, management, exchange, syndication and deployment of content to the Web, as well as leveraging these same digital assets across wireless, e-mail, print and broadband.

OpenPages is on the Web at http://www.openpages.com/.

REALLY STRATEGIES INC.
Headquartered in Lansdale, Pa., this publishing consulting firm recently oversaw of the update of the content management system at Washington D.C.'s CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY (CQ), a magazine, governmental news and information company. CQ has changed its content management system, the Universal Data Repository (UDR), to allow its editorial staff to simultaneously manage data from two Congresses in response to the recent elections.

The update team was led by Really Strategies, with key development support from Wingspan Technology Inc. of Blue Bell, Pa.

Really Strategies is on the Web at http://www.reallysi.com/, Wingspan is at http://wingspantech.com/, while CQ is at http://www.cq.com/.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
The News Design Foundation and the Harte Chair for Innovation at the University of Missouri is sponsoring the third annual Tomrrow's Newspaper Design Content. The best of show prize is $1000.

The contest asks entrants to create a prototype of their idea; the concept must be unpublished but may incorporate already-published content and art.

There are no entry fees and people may enter as often as they wish; team entries are also accepted. A $500 prize is offered in both professional and student categories, in addition to the $1000 best of show.

The deadline is Feb. 12, 2001.

The contest is on the Web at http://digmo.com/tnc/.

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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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