Managing Editor Inc. Releases vjoon K4 Version 6

By: E&P Staff Publishing Software developer Managing Editor Inc., Jenkintown, Pa., has released version 6 of the K4 cross-media publishing platform from vjoon, Hamburg, Germany.

Exclusive distributor of K4 in the Americas, MEI already has installed the latest version at several sites. K4 integrates Adobe InDesign and InCopy. Version 6 features increased support for cross-media input and output, task-based workflow, more options for remote users, and enhanced flexibility in its architecture.

Users can take greater advantage of K4's database and workflow-management capabilities with various input and output options. The latest version is designed to handle almost any content type in addition to InDesign CS4 layouts and InCopy CS4 articles, including Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, images, rich media, PDFs, XML files, Flash movies, podcasts, and PowerPoint presentations.

The system facilitates pushing content to as many channels as needed, such as print, Web, iPhone, eBook readers and other mobile devices, social networks, syndication and multiple languages. Version 6 easily manages all types of content, regardless of source or destination, and allows publishers to define unique workflows for each type of content.

K4's new workflow presents users with tasks, which, when accepted, show what users need to do, such as editing a text file or photo, work on a layout or fill in a metadata field. When all tasks associated with a stage in the workflow are complete, the associated files move forward in the pipeline. This model provides transparency, allowing users and supervisors to see what has been done and what still needs to be done.

In the latest version, more users can collaborate and complete tasks simultaneously. For example, one can edit body copy while another works on the same stories' headlines and pull-quotes, a Web editor adds keywords to its metadata, and a researcher approves the accompanying photo.

With the Web-based graphical workflow editor, administrative users can map the steps of their site's production processes. The efficient, configurable task-based workflows are then applied to different objects as they are brought into the system.

K4's expanded Web-based interactivity uses a built-in Web portal as a platform for remote connectivity (extensible with server-side plug-ins). The InCopy editor allows work on K4 articles with no InCopy client. The Web CMS editor provides WYSIWYG authoring and editing for native HTML content. And the K4 file manager affords Web access to tasks for a variety of content in the system, allowing files to be opened in native applications. The Web portal enables staff to stay connected anywhere using only a browser and Internet connection.

K4 Version 6 supports Oracle, Microsoft SQL and MySQL database platforms and runs on Mac OS X, Windows, Linux and SUN Solaris.