MediaBin, Inc. announced the availability of the MediaBin Deployment Agent, a new option for managing and automating the production and accelerated delivery of correctly formatted images directly to web sites, or via general-purpose Web Content Management offerings from companies such as Interwoven, Vignette and others. The Deployment Agent combined with the MediaBin platform extends the functionality of web content management systems to include the aggregation, production, management, and tracking of product photography and brand images. eCommerce sites and B2B exchanges that work with thousands of images can use the MediaBin Deployment Agent to automate the production and delivery of new and updated content to their sites on a scheduled basis (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly). The MediaBin Deployment Agent can also be used to automatically regenerate all affected web images whenever a page template is changed, a task that would take hours or even days using manual processes. The Deployment Agent can also be used to generate images based on database criteria. For example, if a product line or group of products is going to be put on sale, MediaBin can regenerate all affected product images to include an appropriate sale label, such as “25% off! Today only” in an artistically-rendered translucent type face. The Deployment Agent is available for purchase as an add-on to the MediaBin platform. www.mediabin.com
Day: March 20, 2001
IntraNet Solutions and Corechange, Inc. announced a strategic alliance to offer content management and portal solutions worldwide. Under the alliance, the companies will integrate and market IntraNet Solutions’ Xpedio Content Management system with the Corechange Coreport 3g access framework. Coreport 3g provides customers with a customizable portal interface through which they can access critical business information and applications. The integration of Xpedio enables portal users to contribute content to Web sites in a variety of formats, such as word processing documents, spreadsheets or graphics. Xpedio also automatically publishes this content to a variety of Web formats, such as HTML, XML, PDF or WML. In addition, users can access content stored in the Xpedio Content Server through Coreport 3g. The integrated product also includes Xpedio’s version control feature that allows users to track and save previous versions of business files, as well as a workflow function that enables users to route content for review and approval. Through the Coreport and Xpedio technology, users can also access the corporate portal and its content from a wide array of wireless devices to get information from the portal and to transact business. www.intranetsolutions.com, www.corechange.com
Nokia is now demonstrating an XHTML microbrowser on a standard mobile phone. The new browser is shown running on the modified Nokia 6210 and Nokia 7190 handsets. The demonstration is meant to show that important advances in consumer services can be made very quickly and implemented in real-world phone designs. Nokia plans to start incorporating the browser in its handsets by the end of this year. Nokia’s WAP service delivery platforms are already designed to enable access to XML-based languages such as XHTML. The server infrastructure will be ready for testing with XHTML-handset later this year, and future releases of service delivery platforms will be deployed in time for commercial roll-outs of XHTML-based services. As is the case with Nokia’s current WAP browser, Nokia will license the browser source code to other handset manufacturers, mobile phone operators, service providers, and others. Licensing information is available from www.forum.nokia.com. The new software will support current WAP content, WML, as well as the new XHTML standard, ensuring both backward compatibility and next generation services. In addition, the software is designed to be extendable, so that its functionality can grow along with the capabilities coming in GPRS networks and new phone hardware designs. The demonstration also shows the use of cascading style sheets and a new rendering engine, which together enable a GUI for content delivery. This GUI, a standard feature in the wired world, will significantly improve usability for consumers and convenience for operators. The style sheets themselves are a major advantage, as they will make it possible to easily tailor content specifically to different handsets. Nokia will collaborate with a number of companies on XHTML application technology and content creation tools. The first XHTML developer’s kit from Nokia will be available this summer. An online version of the XHTML browser demonstration is available at www.nokia.com/xhtmldemo. www.nokia.com
