Quark Dynamic Publishing Solution
Page 2

The workflow exposed

Create the Content

Content is at the heart of all communications — the publisher has something to say. The key to a content-driven system is customization of the delivery. The publisher can decide what information is sent to whom, how it's sent, and what it looks like. The end result is that consumers receive relevant information delivered via the media they prefer.

"What is unique to Quark," emphasizes Howard, "is that you benefit from the rich layout and design of QuarkXPress. We can develop systems with incredibly high-fidelity to that original design. We can marry relevant information with a good appearance like never before."

The general manager of QuarkXPress, Tim Banister, agrees: "QuarkXPress underlies all of this with its focus on design. QuarkXPress is alive and well and my team is definitively on board with development plans for the future."

The solution, however, will not be limited to content created in QuarkXPress. Quark Dynamic Publishing Solution can work with content created from a broad variety of sources, including Quark products such as QuarkXPress and QuarkCopyDesk®, Adobe® products such as InDesign® and InCopy®, Microsoft Word, XML editors, web-design programs, and more. Images in all standard formats can be managed as well.

Manage the Content

Once the content is created, it goes into a content-management system, that generally provides a database for storage. The workflow component of the content manager will then store the content, track it, and handle the review and revision processes. Customers can manage their content however they want; with any system they want. They can take the opportunity to completely revamp their workflow or simply integrate Quark Dynamic Publishing Solutions with their current systems and processes. 

"As long as we can see it, we can talk to it," says Quark's Howard, as he describes Quark Dynamic Publishing Solution working with QPS and content-management systems from big-name vendors such as Documentum®, Artesia®, Oracle®, and IBM® as well as smaller companies such as Extensis®. "We're not married to any particular content management or source," emphasizes Howard.

When the content is managed, Quark Dynamic Publishing Solution automatically converts it to SXML, using Alfresco as the open-source provider. (For publishers using Microsoft Word, a Plug-in is available for SXML conversion as well.) "An open standard such as SXML allows us to reuse content in multiple, different ways," says Duhl. By maintaining content in a standard format throughout the publishing life cycle — rather than a proprietary format — the system produces reusable components that can be combined, formatted, and delivered as necessary.

Publish the Content

Once the content is final, it's time to prepare it for publication. This means gathering the relevant content for the various audiences, then formatting it properly for their media; and here is the company's self-described "big new feature": the Quark Transformation Engine.

With the Quark Transformation Engine, customers can set "rules" so that content is automatically transformed into formats appropriate for the various output channel. Users can profile content and publish only what they want. For example, publishing only the headline and lead paragraph for an email blast but the entire story for the print publication, or, using QuarkXPress Server, templates might be customized and output to both print and web. "Customization is still at the heart of this," says Howard. "Customers can protect their brand identity through customizable templates, using different information with the same look."

This system is ideal for publishers who use some of the same content, but then localize it for specific area. "What if you're publishing Birds of America, and then you later publish Birds of Colorado?" says Banister. "You can use the relevant content from the larger publication in the smaller publication — and you can be sure it's right since you're pulling the content from a single source. The content is not trapped in a single, static, print format."

"Dynamic publishing automates the page-formatting process allowing for the production of print, web, and electronic content from a single source of information. Basically, we're putting the relevant content into the format the creator expects," says Howard.

Deliver

The final step in the publishing process is obviously getting the content out to the world where people can see it. At this point, Quark Dynamic Publishing Solution can be configured to automatically transmit relevant, attractive content to the web, printer, handheld devices, and email. Because the information is basically grabbed from a single source, customers can be sure it's the latest and greatest version as well.

In our Super Bowl scenario, imagine the writer made that small — but significant — change within a content-driven system? With a single source of information, the change is made and the "Super Upset" story is delivered in a two-page spread with pictures to the Monday morning sports section of the paper; with one large picture and several introductory paragraphs to the web site; and in summary to email subscribers. In every version, Eli gets the credit he deserved.

Benefits of Quark Dynamic Publishing Solution

Quark Dynamic Publishing Solution offers publishers potential to reap benefits such as:

• Increased accuracy, consistency, and relevance of information
• Single source of content that negates the need for revision and file tracking
• Automation to increase speed and slash costs
• Rich layout and design possibilities
• Reduced translation costs by translating only necessary components

Quark is marketing Quark Dynamic Publishing Solution to enterprise-level customers that produce magazines, books, documentation, and periodicals; publishers with both print and online titles; and marketing-communications departments and their agencies in manufacturing, retail, and other industries that produce data sheets, white papers, brochures, product labeling, and manuals, and other mar-comm materials.

For more information on Quark DPS, click here.

1 | 2

If you enjoy our articles, click here to subscribe.
Free JavaScripts provided by The JavaScript Source