Survey of Newspaper Production Flow for E-paper - Kungliga ...

Johan Danckwardt
Survey of newspaper production flow for e-paper 4 Results
and they are handled manually [Lidin, 2005]. Therefore no other external advertising system
must be taken in consideration when constructing a production flow for an e-paper edition.
4.3.4 PASSAD
PASSAD is the subscription and delivery system that Sundsvalls Tidning uses. The PASSAD
system is developed using a high-level programming tool called 4 th Dimension. The 4 th
Dimension system is supplied by 4D [Lind, 2005]. Today the system is prepared to handle
CRM information but it is not in use. This could be an interesting function to look at in the
future for creating personalized advertising. Though, it is necessary that some type of e-paper
subscription can be stated in the system when an e-paper edition is taken in use.
Because of several requests for CRM similar functionality to support the production flow,
questions have been sent to the supplier of PASSAD, PRESSsystem, regarding the possibility
to create a similar function handling different types of subscription.
In their reply, PRESSsystem stated that this would not be difficult to create and design. This
would make it possible for the customers to subscribe to a personalized e-paper edition. For
example someone only wants to subscribe on the domestic news and the sports would have
the opportunity to do this. This subscription function would also be able to handle
geographical editions, one edition for Sundsvall and one national edition. Sundsvalls Tidning
does not use different editions depending on where you are in Sweden so that part is not
important for now.
4.3.5 iPlay
The software iPlay can be seen as both an internal and external content source. The job of
feeding iPlay with sport results could take a lot of time depending on the activity in the world
of sports, therefore the system can be divided between several newspapers. The idea is that
each newspaper can feed the system with their local sport results and reduce the burden for all
the newspapers. The results are stored in a database with different tables. Both the editorial
department and the web department use iPlay to publish the sport results. Normally the iPlay
system generates Quark Xpress files or Adobe InDesign files but according to Anders Bjarby
at Infomaker Scandinavia AB it would not be any problem to generate XML files from the
iPlay system. It is my opinion that it is more suitable if you can get all content in similar file
types.
4.3.6 IPM Workflow Server
The IPM Workflow Server is used by Sundsvalls Tidning for automating the image workflow
from Newspilot to the Parallel Publishing Management System. The system is used because
of the differences in size and resolution between a printed image and an image displayed on a
screen. The system can handle file format conversions (JPG, EPS, and TIFF et cetera.),
geometrical operations and various corrections. Today Sundsvalls Tidning uses high
resolution JPG or EPS images for their printed newspaper and JPG to their website.
4.3.7 Xlibris
Sundsvalls Tidning uses the Xlibris archive to store the PDF of the printed newspaper among
other things. In the near future the Xlibris archive will be taken out of use, because of the
activation of the Multi Media Archive. Therefore the Xlibris archive will not be part of a
future e-paper production flow.
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