FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MULTI-AD ANNOUNCES MULTI-AD CUMULUS,
A ROBUST MEDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
TAILORED FOR ADVERTISERS
The low cost solution that provides cross-platform support for
cataloging job-tracking and image files
Peoria, IL (June 22, 1999)Multi-Ad Services today introduced Multi-Ad
Cumulus, a fast, powerful and highly cost-effective cross-platform
Media Asset Management solution specifically tailored to manage
digital assets for newspapers, Yellow Page directory publishers,
advertising agencies, direct mail houses and other members of the
advertising, marketing and promotional communities.
Based on the technology of Canto Cumulus, the leading system of its
kind for book and catalog publishers, the new product has been
tailored to the advertising audience to offer a major upgrade to
Multi-Ad Search. Delivering key advantages over that single-user
Macintosh application, Multi-Ad Cumulus is available in both
single-user and network versions; offers unlimited scalability across
Macintosh, Windows and UNIX platforms; and enables users to easily
publish catalogs for search and download of content via the Internet
or corporate intranet.
It also features faster and easier searches, greater workflow
customizability, and tight integration with Multi-Ad’s Creator2 page
layout software as well as Multi-Ad’s Ad-Builder, SCAN, Food
Photography and FotoStop subscription services.
Both the single-user Multi-Ad Cumulus Desktop PLUS and the multi-user
Multi-Ad Cumulus Network build thumbnail catalogs of all advertising
images and layouts, staff photographs, daily newspaper wire photos or
other graphic materials for efficient searching and reuse. Assets can
be located on and easily retrieved from hard drives, network volumes,
CDs, CD jukeboxes, or Zip, Jaz or Syquest drives. A powerful database
engine allows users to quickly search file information such as file
type, resolution and descriptive data that is automatically captured
during cataloging.
Images in Creator2, PDF, EPS, TIFF, JPEG and other popular file
formats can be viewed without having to launch the original
application. Users can then quickly drag-and-drop the desired
high-resolution images to Creator2, Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress,
Macromedia Freehand, Corel Draw, Adobe Photoshop and most other
publishing and image editing applications. Images can also be copied,
moved and deleted within Cumulus; in the network version, these
functions require password authorization.
Key features include:
Web publishing capabilities. The network edition offers the
ability to publish image catalogs on the Internet or an intranet,
allowing users to access the database using a standard Web browser
and simplifying management for system administrators. This feature
can facilitate access to the catalog by both internal and off-site
employees, exchange of customer proofs of ads and images over the
Internet, or resale of graphic assets over the Internet. Newspaper
chains or other multi-office enterprises can also use the system’s
Web publishing capabilities to share ads and images corporate-wide.
The Cumulus Internet Media Server has a fully customizable interface
and integrates well with many third-party e-commerce solutions.
Tight integration and document tracking with Creator2. A
suite of AppleScripts that can be added as menu items to Multi-Ad’s
Creator2 page layout software ties Cumulus and Creator2 together for
streamlined workflow. Users can send files from a Cumulus catalog to
Creator2’s Files Palette and search Cumulus databases by file name or
category from Creator2 without switching applications. In addition,
Cumulus can automatically catalog Creator2 ads and linked images as
well as track document status, including number of ads or documents
created, number of images linked to those documents, stage of
completion and so on. This added functionality answers a critical
industry need for document management capabilities at very low cost.
Removable CD or DVD publishing. In addition to the Web,
customers image catalogs can be published on removable media such as
CD or DVD. The network version offers a royalty-free browser
application for read-only access to the database.
Easy automation of routine processes. 100% scriptability
allows complete automation using programming tools such as
AppleScript, Visual Basic and OLE. Creator2 and many other scripts
are included.
“Hot folder” capability. Both versions of Multi-Ad Cumulus
come with Vento, a script-driven folder-watching application that
automatically adds new files saved to designated folders to the
Cumulus catalog. The system can be configured to save either high- or
low-resolution files.
Complete customizability. Multi-Ad Cumulus can be integrated
with many third-party applications, including Multi-Ad Creator2,
other scriptable layout software, graphics programs, product
management databases, OPI systems and various scanning software.
Custom integration can be used to develop project tracking,
synchronize databases, integrate catalogs and databases, set up
Internet sites for downloads, and so on.
Support for over 110 file formats, including Creator2, PDF,
Photoshop, Illustrator, Freehand, TIFF, JPEG, GIF, EPS, DCS, Photo
CD, Digital Camera files, Scitex CT, WAV, AVI, Quicktime Movies and
MPEG files.
Fast cataloging of Multi-Ad’s digital asset products. Each
Multi-Ad Ad-Builder, SCAN, Food Photography and FotoStop CD now
includes a free Cumulus browser and a Cumulus catalog containing all
the content of that CD as well as cumulative catalogs dating back to
the beginning of the year. This not only enables users to efficiently
search pre-cataloged images on Multi-Ad CDs; it also makes it
possible for customers to copy the image catalog from a given CD and
instantly add it to their Cumulus database with no drag-and-drop or
other operations.
Multi-Ad Cumulus Desktop PLUS sells for $299. Multi-Ad Cumulus
Network is priced at $2,500 with 5 clients. Special upgrade pricing
is available for owners of Multi-Ad Search.
For more information, call Multi-Ad Services at (309) 692-1530,
e-mail cumulus_sales@multi-ad.com or visit www.multi-ad.cumulus.com.
Multi-Ad Services, Inc. located in Peoria, Illinois, has been in
business since 1945 and is a leading provider of advertising and
design services, as well as creative software products for various
advertising industries. Its comprehensive product line includes
Multi-Ad Creator2, Multi-Ad Creator, Ad-Builder, SCAN and the Kwikee
Illustration System. For more information, contact 800-245-9278, or
visit www.multi-ad.com.
Canto Software, founded in 1990, is a leading supplier of Media Asset
Management software applications. The company’s flagship product,
Cumulus, is a cross-platform Media Management System that lets users
manage and automate their digital media files in any workflow. Canto
has an installed base of 120,000 users and is distributed in 38
countries. Canto has offices in San Francisco, California and Berlin,
Germany. For more information, call +49 (30) 390 4850 for Europe or
+1 (415) 703-9800 for North America, or visit www.canto.com
PRESS CONTACTS:
Beth Manolopoulos
Cathleen Bleers
847.955.0700
beth@sspr.com
bleers@sspr.com