Morris acquires BluMunKee Software

By: E&P Staff Morris Communications Co., of Augusta, Ga., has acquired BluMunKee Software from Avail Technologies.

BluMunKee ImageLightning and ImageThunder automatic image-correction software automates the process of correcting photos for print and Web publishing. It integrates into work flow, routes files, manages naming conventions, delivers appropriate file formats depending on use, and simultaneously delivers multiple versions of the same image for different media.

The acquisition "will not only streamline the production process at many Morris properties, but will also ensure that the company as a whole remains on the cutting edge of media technology," President William S. Morris IV said.

BluMunKee creator Russell W. Leseberg, now publishing technologies director at Morris, said the software's continued growth required a large parent company. BluMunKee, he said, "quickly outgrew Avail's ability to serve its customers, to the point that it now requires the support infrastructure an organization the size of Morris Communications can provide."

"This is just the beginning of the BluMunKee automation tools for the publishing industry and for us it is the next step in the evolution of automation solutions," said Morris Vice President and Chief Information Officer Steven B. Strout. "By combining the innovation, quality and operational efficiencies Avail customers have come to expect with the size and creative resources of Morris Communications, we are poised to bring even more tools and solutions to our industry, while also being able to serve a larger customer base."