Product Description - Agency Edition

Agency Edition Component Overview

Agency Edition gives news organizations all the tools necessary to streamline the news editing and distribution process.

Modular Environment

The new modular environment allows organizations a flexible and open architecture, for customized installations and future expandability. The system is cross platform compliant operating in both Windows and MAC environments. The system is Multilingual, and based on known and accepted international standards (IPTC, ANPA, NITF, XMLNews, NewsML).

Finally, the Agency Edition is available in multiple user interfaces for ease of use, Client Edition for Windows, and Web Editions for access from anywhere in the world or MAC users internally, and Internet Portal Access for customers.

Standard Modules

The standard system includes the core modules required to cover the basic day-to-day operations and activities of most news agencies. Through the addition of the optional modules, news agencies can expand their functionality as their operations, and business needs grow.

Archive Module

The Archive Module includes powerful functionality for storing, searching and managing the valuable digital assets of news agencies. Through the simple to use interface the users can quickly search and access all agency news items, all subscribed wire services as well as custom or personalized search results. Features include:

· A comprehensive module for the complete management of editorial content
· Support of various content formats (text, photos, graphics, audio, video, PDF, etc)
· Create advanced keywords based thesaurus
· Classify all assets according to IPTC standards
· Perform unlimited concurrent full text, advanced search queries
· Save complex search queries for future use
· Support various external data storage options (HSM, DVD Libraries etc.)
· Export content in various storage media (CD-Rom, DVD, DLT, etc)

Exchange Manager

News Asset Exchange Manger improves and enhances distribution and reception through automated distribution services to multiple media, through internal administration and customer portal modules. The Exchange Manager allows Press Agencies to automate and streamline the distribution process, empowering customers and agents alike, integrating with back office accounting systems, report generators and all modules of the system. The Exchange Manager supports all the required functionality for sending and/ or receiving news assets from the following sources:

· Wire Services: Reuters, AP, AFP, ANA, TASS, DPA, EPA, KYPE etc.
· Email, Fax and FTP Servers
· Directory Services
· Mobile Gateways, SMS and WAP
· Auto-Logging and Reports for all items sent and received
· News items are sent by three means: Automatic, Semi-Automatic or Manual
· Alert Based P2P Messaging

Fig. 1.0 The Agency Edition - Agency Portal Interface (Customer)

News Room Module

The News Room module provides the core functionality to the journalists and other contributors of the agency for the writing, editing, approval and management of individual news files and document folders. The News Room includes the following features:

· Virtual role-based work areas managed by customized workflow processes and permissions
· Advanced text processing using a system built-in WYSIWYG text editor, spell checker
· Enter unlimited publication elements for each article (e.g. captions, headlines, bylines, etc)
· Link photos/graphics with an article
· Version tracking for every article
· Monitoring the scheduled daily assignments, Audit Trail, On-line messaging

Fig. 2.0 The Agency Edition - Windows Client Interface

System Administrator

· Integrated Security Mechanism

· Role Based Access Control (RBAC)
· Users and Permissions Management
· Users login history tracking
· Monitor active users

· System Parameters
· Enter details for Agents and Agent Groups
· Enter and modify customers, subscriptions, costs and billing parameters
· Build internal Workflow environment for journalists and contributors
· Advanced System Setup Parameters for all functions of the system

Go to Optional Modules>>