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The Universal Publication Archive. presented by Rande Simpson Merlin One , Inc. MerlinOne: backgrounder. Founded in 1988, MIT engineering & AP news photo heritage Evolved from satellite image transmission to image archives in 1993
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The Universal Publication Archive • presented by Rande Simpson • MerlinOne, Inc.
MerlinOne: backgrounder • Founded in 1988, MIT engineering & AP news photo heritage • Evolved from satellite image transmission to image archives in 1993 • Remained experts in news content gathering and distribution applications • Private, profitable, growing • Mature, feature-rich products • Merlin in 4.2 release • Largest DBs in our markets: millions and millions of objects with thousands of users
MerlinOne: users and applications • Newspapers, Magazines • New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Time-Life Archives, Time Magazine, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, Kansas City Star • Electronic publishing • Corbis, MSNBC, Bloomberg, Landov Photos, Washington Post/Newsweek Interactive • Corporate & institutional publishing • Executive Office of the President (White House), Pfizer, Marvel Comics, Harvard University, Habitat For Humanity, World Vision
Publishing archives to date.... • Unique workflows for text, photo, line art, pages... • Evolved into separate archives for text, photos, art, pages...
Digital Archives • Initial Digital Archives automated existing analog workflows • 80-90s vintage computing & storage added other constrains • Resulted in Individual systems for texts, photos, advertising... • Individual department focus
Today’s computing environment removes tech barriers • Desktop publishing unifies text, photo, ad, pagination workflows into integrated digital process • Cheap storage, CPUs, big displays • Widespread access to the networks, the web, e-mail • Most of the 1980-90s technical restrictions eliminated
Today’s business environment changes archive needs • Newspapers change • More pictures, color, ads, sections, zones, niche titles • Newspaper web site, web-specific content • Departmental organizations evolve, importance of IT • More freelancing = more rights issues • Publishers change • More and bigger chains • Combination with broadcast • Greater demand for content to feed new channels • Even greater requirements for efficiency and to do more with less
Publishers have been asking about: • One place for all content created at the paper (non-print too) • One point to access and share content internally • One point to share content across the chain • One place to find company content as source to repackage and generate new revenue • A Universal publishing archive
What to archive for the newspaper? • All production PDF pages • Represents “digital publication master” of what was actually printed • Full resolution: to allow highest quality reproduction later • “Real PDF” retains text & internal structures • All related source content used to create page • Photos, text, graphics in their source file formats • In source resolution (often higher than page) • Unretouched, uncropped images (page or history shows that)
What else to archive? • Related content that helps reuse and adds value • Related photo outtakes • Unique web content too: HTML, Flash, MP3.. • “Card catalogue” records of physical content (video, objects, film) with thumbnail, video/sound clip previews • Ad files too, as art and for ad pickup/reruns • Production formats (to make changes easier) • Keep fonts (needed by production apps to recreate older pages)
Capture & input content at the source • Interfaces with editorial & production systems automates capture of key metadata • Publication/section/page/zone, Content ID#, page location • Extract metadata using industry standards-XML, XMP • Link content to assignment, rights, freelancer & agency DB • Links content objects to pages Universal Archive
Enhance Content • Must be easier as more content is stored with tools like: • Type-aheads • Stored text strings • Easy linking of various object types • Search and replace • Auto-keywording • Joining stories
Linked pages • Run search • Find page • Displays contents • Click to see source objects of text, graphics, photos • Download for use
Sharing • Peer to peer, across systems City 1 City 2 City 3 Central System Local access
Webmaster Server Merlin Client Server Merlin Input/Output Merlin Server SQL Server File Server (can be MS2k or Unix) Webmaster Server Merlin Client Server Merlin Input/Output Merlin Server SQL Server File Server System scaling • Support large system, millions of objects, thousands of users • Fault tolerant configurations • Streamline systems to minimize IT impact
Automated distribution • Must be able to setup exports • Online resale vendors • Web versions • Automatic delivery through e-mail • Redistill PDFs for Electronic Tearsheets • Other resale and revenue outlets
In practice • Tampa Tribune (convergence) • Tribune Publishing (content sharing) • Storing “everything” • Traditional image archives adding text • Many sites now store text, photos, graphics, PDF pages • CCI sites automating linking of all publication content
Thank You • Rande Simpson • MerlinOne, Inc