Greenspun Chooses Snapbridge Cross Media

By: E&P Staff Three-year-old San Diego-based Snapbridge Software today introduced FDX Cross Media Server and announced its first customer, Nevada publisher Greenspun Media Group (GMG).

The multi-platform (Linux, Windows, Mac OSX), XML-based information-integration solution facilitates content creation, archiving, searching, publishing and repurposing in different formats. With Cross Media Server, Greenspun created a central repository for a decade of text and images from the Las Vegas Sun while also automating Web publishing for its numerous magazines. Greenspun also plans to integrate Adobe In-Design and In-Copy with Cross Media Server.

The FDX Cross Media Server application family was designed to improve workflow among writers, editors and production groups while reducing the cost and complexity of archiving and repurposing content. It integrates disparate data sources and different content formats to simplify information assembly and delivery across print, broadcast, web and wireless media.

FDX Cross Media Server's Federated Data eXchange (FDX) uses open XML standards and Java technology to shrink software development time. Browser-based Cross Media Server allows desktop applications to link different types of content --text, images, PDF-- and offers native support for all XML formats, including Adobe's XMP standard, DocBook and NITF.

"FDX Cross Media Server, in addition to our XML and XSLT development tools, can automate nearly all editing and publishing processes so projects that once took months or years now can be completed in days," Snapbridge Chairman and Chief Technology Officer Benjamin Chen said in a statement.

The first product available and the one used to create and archive editorial content, FDX Search and Archive Engine allows an unlimited number of users to work with content and images from otherwise incompatible systems, applications and formats. The real-time, unified view of an organization's information assets contributes to content repurposing and syndication. It features WebDAV for Web-based collaboration, full-text Boolean searches with advanced filtering, and support for news-industry text formats and popular editing and production tools.

Snapbridge calls FDX Cross Media Server a foundation on which GMG can "increase editorial collaboration while slashing production costs." The publisher and operator of Vegas.com and all-news cable channel Las Vegas One sought to replace an aging, unreliable archive system. Vegas.com Chief Information Officer Greg Gamsky said Snapbridge enabled deployment of a central content archive in under three months.

Besides "substantially" boosting Web-site productivity, he said, production costs were cut by more than 30 percent and further improvement is expected upon completing Adobe editorial workflow integration.

GMG's publisher wanted simple, cost-effective content management to link isolated content "silos" and proprietary publishing systems --an integrated solution that aligns GMG archiving, Web publishing and editorial workflow needs without requiring major customization or installation and management of stand-alone applications.

All Snapbridge products, including downloadable developers' tools, are based on the XML standard for information structure and expression. FDX Search and Archive Engine may be downloaded in standard edition ($499 per CPU, bundled with pre-installed database and MySQL support) and enterprise edition ($4,999 per CPU, offering a range of database support, including Microsoft SQL, Oracle, MySQL and supporting J2EE application servers, LDAP security, load-balancing and fail-over).

Snapbridge said Web publishing and editorial workflow engines available in the third quarter will enable publishing from PDF to plate, HTML or any other format.

Other Snapbridge products include FDX XML Server, XStudio Pro and XStudio Stylemaker development environment, as well as information integration and management. The privately held company's investors include JP Morgan Partners and Mission Ventures.