Chaos abounds as BYOD costs prompt confusion

Cost confusion and chaos in BYOD (Photo: s_falkow)

Fiercely divided opinion on BYOD despite ‘hype’

By ECM Plus staff

ECM Plus /London/ +++ A new survey has revealed that fears are rising around the hidden costs of BYOD deployment - as well as ‘class divides’ and evidence that company managers are using BYOD to ‘pacify’  staff.

Moreover, some IT managers are even asking ‘is it worth surrendering control just to raise staff morale?’

Opinion is still divided when it comes to implementing ‘Bring Your Own Device’ strategies within businesses, with many at the top suggesting that such deployments create more problems than they solve.

REVIEWS: Just Wicked Earsay: Musical Fidelity EB-50 In-ear monitors

By ECM Plus Review Labs

MUSICAL FIDELITY EB-50 In Ear Monitors / Headphones

ECM Plus +++ /Reviews/: Musical Fidelity EB-50 In-Ear Monitors

Better known perhaps around the world for their hign-end audio separates, Musical Fidelity’s first foray into headphones and in-ear monitoring is a bold adventure given the market is so heavily penetrated by big names such as Sennheiser, AKG, Grado, Beyer Dynamic and the usual morass of hi-fi manufacturers.

Alfresco unveils Records Management 2.0

Open source Alfresco launches Records Management 2.0

Open source doyen Alfresco takes wraps off latest Records Management 2.0 for enterprise file capabilities

By ECM Plus staff

ECM Plus /London/ +++ Alfresco’s newest Records Management 2.0 is now available for serving enterprise organisations and government departments for management of governance and compliance processes.

According to the open source content software specialist, RM 2.0 boasts open source records management and retention tools.

Belgian DAM doyen bolsters SDL links in CXM move

Belgians bolster DAM efforts

Retail client content project spurs firms in joint operations for customer satisfaction

By ECM Plus staff

ECM Plus /London/ +++ Ghent-based ADAM Software and SDL have just reaffirmed their partnership to offer customer experience to companies with large-scale e-commerce operations.

According to the two firms, the move builds on a national retail chain where SDL and ADAM Software carried out a seamless deployment of an online store containing hundreds of thousands of pieces of content.

Anti-Apple campaign grows over Dickensian iPad workhouse shame

Apple: Working practices rotten to the core?

Apple factory abuses spark viral online campaign

By ECM Plus

ECM Plus +++ 140,000 people have joined up against Apple Corporation’s abuse of its outsourced workers in China, with user Mark Shields’ campaign on Change.org asking Apple to stop ongoing abuse of workers at iPod and iPad sweat-shop factory conditions in China.

The 140,000 people across the world have joined an explosive campaign on Change.org calling on Apple to protect workers who assemble Apple products from abuse, injury, and death.

‘Collaborate’ event to showcase business risk and info protection

Event to showcase issues in business risk and information protecction

Former intelligence officer to discuss additional means to protect sensitive corporate data against risk

By ECM Plus staff

ECM Plus +++ John A. Nolan, III, a retired U.S. Army intelligence officer, author and expert in the field of business intelligence, will be the keynote speaker at document and workflow specialist Cabinet NG’s annual ‘Collaborate’ conference taking place from October 13-14 at The Westin in Huntsville, Alabama.

While Cabinet NG’s software offer storage, protection and compliance, much else is ‘obtainable’ from the people in and around an organisation that could put its sensitive information at risk, the company said, including proprietary information and intellectual property.

REVIEWS: Scanners – Plustek SmartOffice PS286 Plus

Even as the Internet has made online viewing and transferring of documents more commonplace, the rise and rise of document capture continues unabated.

Driven in no small part by increasing levels of compliance and red tape bureaucratic processes imposed by the burgeoning ‘jobsworth’ industry of central state ‘regulations’ and nannying ‘procedures’, a good scanner is your best friend in the home or office these days, with the need for nifty scanners for personal document capture continuing at breakneck speed.

REVIEWS: Software – Diskeeper Professional 11

Defragging: esssential digital content maintenance

As storage and content volumes surge, the need to manage content and keep it in tip-top condition from a search and retrieval perspective rises commensurately.

BY ECM PLUS STAFF

Consequently, disk drive performance becomes vital to enterprise and workflow productivity. Enter then the disk defragementation software tools, that help to tidy up the big mess that normal day-to-day use engenders.

Media Express’ metadata move does wonders for workflow

Added 3D support, metadata, 4K support, cross-platform

By ECM Plus staff

ECM Plus +++ Blackmagic Design has released Media Express 3, an new update for advanced capture and playback using Blackmagic Design DeckLink,

According to the company, the updated version mow boasts Multibridge, Intensity and UltraStudio Pro products that supports Windows 7, Mac OSX and Linux platforms.

Media Express 3 is used by thousands of Blackmagic Design customers for managing a wide range of media types and for capture and playback of files to and from broadcast decks. Media Express is the perfect combination for software applications that do not support direct capture and playback to tape decks from within the software itself, the company said.

Kofax hits the road for data capture best practices

Customer success stories and new product advances for data capture to be highlighted on the road

By PAUL QUIGLEY

ECM Plus +++ Kofax plc (LSE:KFX) is hauling its asset down the pike in order to stage two multi-city seminar series during April and May.

According to the company, the ‘Kofax Express and VRS Elite’ Road Show and the ‘Kofax Connect Road Show’ series will feature real-world, best practice applications to show just how document capture is driving business process automation.

DigitalFilm Tree casts Xytech in lead role for Tinseltown media makeover

Tinsel Town in the Roaring Twenties

DigitalFilm Tree puts Xytech’s MediaPulse in place for post-production, takes a bow for an Encore

By PAUL QUIGLEY

ECM Plus +++ Hollywood-based post-production company DigitalFilm Tree has just invested in a new MediaPulse platform and extension, Encore, for its production, post and consulting operation.

DigitalFilm Tree specialises in workflow for file-based post-production while creating new ways of working that helps film-makers, broadcasters and studios to adapt to a changing technological landscape.

NAB SHOW: Digital media workflow receives boost with ADA archive integration

Digital archiving integrates into workflow with XML metadata

Company broadens digital media management and workflow apps, XML metadata integration

By ECM Plus staff

ECM Plus +++ Archiving specialist Atempo’s new digital archive file archiver now integrates with workflow apps across a range of platforms, streamlining digital workflows in data-intensive environments.

According to the company, for media and entertainment businesses, ADA cam integrate with creative applications to enable professionals to archive during the content creatio  process,  and to be able to pull information into and out of the archives at will.

NAB SHOW: Sorenson main squeeze wows ‘content in the cloud’

Squeeze packs a punch for Sorenson for cloud content workflow at NAB Show

NAB dem for Sorenson’s ‘Squeeze’ Solution pack, now powering Technicolor’s cloud-based ’ShareVUE’ service

By ECM Plus staff

ECM Plus +++ Technicolor has plumped for Sorenson’s Squeeze Solution Pack for its ShareVUE dailies cloud-based content management system for motion picture and TV studio clients.

NAB SHOW: Silver screen moguls mashed by fleet foxes of user generated content

Digital rebels mashing up content in low-budget movie-making

NAB Show to host Super Session on next-generation film-making

BY PAUL QUIGLEY

ECM Plus +++ NAB 2011 will this year be featuring a new theme of ‘Digital Rebels: The New Generation of Filmmakers and Storytellers’, a Super Session looking at the latest innovations in what they call ‘daring film productions’ and digital techniques they use.

Moderated by Adobe’s senior VP and GM John Loiacono, the session will take place on Tuesday, April 12 at the NAB Show in Las Vegas.

NAB SHOW: TV content session tackles mainstream media miasma

---

NAB Show in Las Vegas

Session to examine distribution of TV content across new platforms

By PAUL QUIGLEY

ECM Plus +++ This year’s NAB Show is to take on the challenging issues of the day in mass media, with a new super session given over to what it calls the ‘Connected TV’, which is set to feature industry pundits opining on their take on a ‘new Internet’ and the video devices that are impacting the maisntream media’s television fate.

2011′s  NAB Show promises quite a paradigm shift for content creators with the debut of a the Super Session examining the new ways in which content is delivered to people and the ramifications such developments have on the mainstream media TV’s future. 

Creatives get the picture with new media content workflow

Workflow optimisation for media enterprise content. Picture: Francis Storr

Telestream’s Vantage Enterprise proffes unified workflow, video content collaboration

By PAUL QUIGLEY

ECM Plus +++ At this week’s NAB event digital media workflow specialist vendor Telestream will be taking the wraps off its new Vantage Enterprise workflow offerings.

The company said this new version of Vantage server-based workflow software now automates content ingest, video file interoperability, multi-channel distribution, as well as other video production workflows for content owners and creators, broadcast and new media companies.

NEWS: Kofax does US$200,000 invoice processing deal with tech conglomerate

Invoice system automates processing of four million documents annually

BY PAUL QUIGLEY

ECM Plus +++ Kofax, the specialist in document-driven business process automation has announced a new contract to provide an enterprise capture solution to a leading global technology firm. The value of the contract to Kofax exceeds US$200,000, the company said.

The customer, a manufacturer of safety, security and energy products and services, will implement Kofax Capture and Kofax Transformation Modules to scan and capture four million invoices and related accounts payable documents it receives annually.

Skype unveils group video calling

Unlike Facebook, real faces on Skype Video Calls

Skype launches new premium package

ECM Plus – Skype has just launched group video calling for both private users and businesses. 

According to the company, video calling now accounts for some 41.5% of all intra-Skype usage during the latter half of 2010.

The company said that group video calling would now be available as part of a new ‘Premium’ offering with group video calling as well as access to live conversation as a day pass for $4.99 or as a monthly subscription for $8.99 a month.

Group video calling is also available in a new Business version of Skype, a desktop app for PCs, whereby organisations can control how Skype is used within the enterprise.

It has a capability to turn off or to configure a variety of Skype settings. Enterprises can also configure real-time, face-to-face meetings.

THQ taps MediaBox for digital media workflow

Improved workflow aids games developers

Licensing management systems help online product approvals, rich media flow

ECM Plus - Game developer THQ has just licensed Conecture’s Mediabox-PA product approvals and Mediabox-DAM digital asset management.

According to the company, it will be using the two systems for licensees and manufacturers to submit product design artwork as digital media to licensors via a central online system.

The Mediabox-PA system also enables licensors to review submitted artwork online, link comments with each artwork file and manage workflow’s order of projects and submissions between licensee-customers and their own staff.

The app can also be used by licensees to log in and review licensor comments and submit revised product designs online.

Analytics and metrics, such as data traffic, milestones, and activity are tracked and reported in real-time are also supported.

THQ said it will now be using Mediabox-DAM system to manage and deliver style guide assets related to their video games.

All products are available only as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and are pre-configured to work for specific industries.

Final Cut add-ons right on cue for newsrooms

Final Cut and Shake Boxes: Picture - camknows

DiaQuest cues up QueManager for Apple Final Cut Server 1.5 newsroom systems

ECM Plus – by Paul Quigley – Diaquest has introduced QueManager, an add-on that provides a graphics order management system for Apple Final Cut Server 1.5 in newsroom applications.

According to DiaQuest, the new version offers access to tools for asset searches and browsing, as well as order requests, job assignment, review and approval, and publishing.

 QueManager also provides a web-based order system that can be integrated with iNews or ENPS newsroom computer systems via plug-ins.

DiaQuest said that asset searches and order requests are also done from the QueManager plug-in or via a web browser. The system can also be set up to operate on deadlines or a broadcast schedule, as well as being able to coordinate multiple stations within one system. It is also able to automatically deliver approved graphics. Assets can also be automatically transcoded and delivered to a variety of output devices.

QueManager also supports several broadcast CG systems, including Avid TitleDeko HD, Pixel Power, Chyron and others.

QueManager can be setup to import Artbox databases and assets for a transition. and provides for new workflow that use Final Cut Server, as well as integration with XSAN and other centralised storage systems.

It also supports image sequences, editorial applications, and a wide range of codecs.

DiaQuest said that QueManager with Final Cut Server can replace proprietary asset management systems. The system also provides cross-platform support, so it can manage any mix of desktop clients in the newsroom and creative areas.

“Final Cut Server offers digital asset management with workflow management for broadcast at an attractive price point for broadcasters” commented David Van Hoy, President of Diaquest. “Our new QueManager adds the OMS to make Final Cut Server an indispensible tool for newsroom graphics. QueManager simplifies searches and order requests, allows you to prioritize those requests, and then delivers approved assets to the CG for broadcast automatically.”

QueManager is available for $20,000, including installation, plus $5,000 for Avid iNews or ENPS integration.

Going mobile: iCMS app punts wireless ECM market

Image via Wikipedia

CMIS-compliant connector included as ‘featured app’ in iPhone App briefing

ECM Plus – by Paul Quigley – System integrator Flatirons’ iCMS application is being featured in an Apple iPhone App newsletter this month.

iCMS, the free application that enables authorised iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch users to securely access CMIS-compliant enterprise content management platforms, such as EMC Documentum, Alfresco and others, can view assets and metadata, as well as participate in workflow and can view rich media on mobile devices.

But it’s not all completely free.

In addition to no-cost standard iCMS client and server modules, ‘optional components’ are also deployed as part of so-called ‘paid engagements’ as the company puts it, and are often extended to meet customer-specific requirements.

According to the company, iCMS currently supports the iOS, Android, and Blackberry OS mobile device platforms, whilst no support for Symbian or Windows Mobile is understood to be yet available.

Ents firm perceives need for document management

AMC taps Perceptive to improve workflow

AMC taps Perceptive to improve workflow with document management

ECM Plus - AMC Entertainment is to use Perceptive’s ImageNow document management in its accounts payable department.

The company said they would now complete ImageNow and Oracle integration that would enable creating reports for all invoices, enabling financial directors to review financial information without duplicating and distributing large paper files, particularly during audit processes.

“ImageNow will provide us with the opportunity to centralize and streamline the invoicing process” said Jennifer Regas, director of accounting systems and analysis. “ImageNow will also help reduce the amount of paper used during the invoice approval process in our Kansas City-based home office and throughout our circuit of theatres.”

---

Bit of awe anchor for new Vizrt IPad app

Look - no hands! Watch that media luvvy's cleavage dangling into the touchscreen and change captions

Norse Intro Viz Anchor App for the iPad

ECMPlus – by Paul Quigley +++ At IBC2010, taking place at RAI Amsterdam from September 9-13, Vizrt is to release the Viz Anchor App for the iPad.

The app runs natively on the iPad and enables control over newsroom playlists, including video and graphics directly from the handheld device.

And as if that isn’t enough to whet the appetites of old gadget farts, the gussets of media luvvies, then Viz Anchor App also integrates seamlessly with existing Vizrt workflows.

It can also do a subset of Vizrt’s control applications and makes that control available on the iPad.

Apparently, with Viz Anchor App, the presenter has an updated version of the playlist available locally and can control video clips and graphics scenes without a PC or queries to the control room. Awesome. No more gallery guffawing or pulling silly faces through the glass.

This results in a more dynamic presentation with a smooth and organic flow. Top notch or what.

The Anchor App also, features an intuitive interface that takes advantage of the iPad’s capabilities, such as support for high-res video and an intuitive, touch-based interface.

Through the device’s wireless connection, the Viz Anchor App can be updated whenever the playlist changes. Thus, the presenter always has all elements of the latest playlist at their fingertips.

Vizrt also offers real-time 3D graphics and asset management tools for the broadcast industry – from animations and maps to online publishing tools.

Now when will Windows get this kind of capability. Don’t hold yer breath.

---

Swiss TV takes the Escenic route

Swiss go for Vizrt in content conundrum

Radio Television Suisse opts for Escenic Content Engine as content management

ECM Plus – Radio Television Suisse has just chosen Vizrt’s Escenic Content Engine 5 as its sole content Management system.

Escenic Content Engine 5 is now being used by the Swiss to manage its expansive and growing media library, including over 2 million legacy assets residing on a Dalet media asset management system.

RTS has two main websites, http://www.tsr.ch and http://www.rsr.ch, to complement the programming on two of its broadcast stations: Television Suisse Romande (TSR) and Radio Suisse Romande (RSR). TSR and RSR both broadcast programming in French, which along with German, Italian and Romansch comprise the four official languages of Switzerland.

At http://www.tsr.ch and http://www.rsr.ch, visitors can find the latest news, live sport streams weather forecasts, and information about RTS’ TV and radio programming. Both sites offer streaming media on demand as well as interactive features, such as contests and discussion forums. Media content on the websites is streamed from a playout center hosted at the public broadcaster’s SWISSTXT facility.

Gilles Marchand, director of Radio Television Suisse commented: “As the digital revolution transforms broadcasting, RTS is committed to offering in-depth resources for our news, sports, entertainment, educational and cultural programming via our stations’ websites. In the near future, we plan to broaden the interactive capabilities of these websites to promote even more thriving online broadcast communities. We’re confident Vizrt’s Escenic Content Engine was a good solution for our needs now and in terms of our future growth.”

Escenic Content Engine 5 provides RTS with a user-friendly, high-capacity repository for all text, images, audio, video, and other digital assets. The content feeds a tapeless workflow for creating and publishing digital content on the sites. RTS’ Escenic upgrade, which replaced two legacy CMS systems, took over 18 month to complete, culminating in June of this year.

Legal eagles becoming paper tigers

Legal eagles becoming paper tigers

Open Text EDOCS pushes into law market

ECMPlus – by Paul Quigley — Open Text Corporation today said it was expanding further into the law market including new integration between its eDOCS Edition and its Social Workplace.

“Law firms are recognizing the benefit of collaborating with others on key projects and cases, and require the same type of secure environment that follows existing information governance rules and regulations,” said Todd Partridge at eDOCS and Legal Solutions for Open Text. “By integrating Open Text Social Workplace and eDOCS DM, law firms will have more options for collaborating on ideas, documents and matters with clients and employees that will be secured and stored within their eDOCS repository.”

The new integration, OT saidl, would enable law firm users to collaborate on documents and matters stored and governed within eDOCS, including microblogging and IM. It also claimed that law firms would be able to keep closer more productive attorney client relationships, and provide for more effective knowledge capture and sharing within the practice.

Open Text Document Management, eDOCS Edition 5.3 would further help manage document-based knowledge assets by enabling users to capture, organize, locate and share business content in a secure, integrated, and intuitive environment.

eDOCS DM 5.3 has Windows 7 and Office 2010 support and updated integration is available. 

Also added in 5.3 is new platform support for 32 and 64 Bit versions of Windows Server 2008,SQL Server 2008, and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) support, while deployment costs are lowered through native Windows Installer support.

The company also confirmed that eDOCS Edition can also be Integrated with Open Text Records Management.