California’s second largest newspaper selected Atex for its ability to provide an integrated, single-database system to handle the entire workflow from content gathering to pagination to online delivery. It is expected that using the Atex Content Management system will reduce internal costs and improve efficiencies by eliminating unnecessary steps in the pagination process.
The Union-Tribune’s current method of page assembly and production is highly labour-intensive, where one task has to finish before another can begin. With six or seven unique workflows in the Union-Tribune newsroom, achieving optimum efficiency is a major requirement. The Atex Content Management system will enable newsroom and production tasks to occur simultaneously, cutting the expense and manual effort associated with meeting newspaper production deadlines.
“With Atex’s help, we are reducing the amount of time we take to paginate because we can do several things at one time instead of having to wait to perform one function after another after another,” said Robert York, senior editor at the Union-Tribune. “And that was a key benefit we saw with the Atex system, which allows for a parallel workflow that is crucial for us to save time and money.”
The contract for the Atex Content Management system includes licenses for 250 journalists, contributors, editors, designers, and paginators, with implementation scheduled to begin immediately. The Atex system offers enough standard functionality that the Union-Tribune required limited customization, which will decrease the time needed for implementation. Atex project managers will begin working with the newspaper’s team in the coming weeks and it is expected that entire project will take less than four months to complete.
“Atex was the best selection for us for a variety of reasons,” Mr York continued. “Part of it had to do with the in-depth knowledge about newspaper workflow Atex demonstrated during the vetting process. Some of it had to do with the fact that the Atex products included features and functions that were already validated. We knew we were not going to be in a situation where we would be waiting for months or years for someone to build critical functionalities for us.”
“We are proud of our relationship with the Union-Tribune, which began with our AdBase advertising system and is now moving into Atex Content Management,” said Scott Roessler, Atex America CEO. “Part of our Atex DNA strategy is to enable customers like the Union-Tribune to integrate news and advertising content in ways that are increasingly more valuable, relevant, personalized, and available on demand. Newspaper executives have already noted the clean integration between Atex print and web content management, and we hope to extend the partnership with the Union-Tribune to include new digital initiatives as well.”
About Atex
Atex says: “Atex is a leading provider of software solutions and services to the global media industry. With a 35-year history of continuous innovation and commitment to quality, Atex has created the largest digital advertising and editorial content management and multimedia software delivery capability in the world. The company has nearly $1 billion USD worth of software installed worldwide and supports in excess of 800 customers in more than 40 countries, directly and via its established managed services offering. In addition to its significant R&D investment, Atex partners with world-leading complementary solutions providers to enhance integration and Web services development. Providing professional, long-term support through a global network of strategically located regional offices, Atex is headquartered in Reading, UK.”
