Visual Century, a technology company based in Barcelona, has released the new 2.0 version of its rich media asset management software ViA2 Platform. Among other new features, ViA2 Platform version 2.0 provides content-based searches of images and video keyframes using advanced shape, color and texture recognition tools as opposed to traditional textual metadata such as descriptors or keywords. Content-based image retrieval features allow the user to load images into the system and search the database for images or video keyframes similar in shape, color and texture. ViA2 Platform offers the possibility to complement content-based searches with traditional textual metadata tools (keywords, descriptions and descriptors) or filters (by date, status, type of document, etc). Equally advanced features of prior versions include asynchronous video analysis, much faster than video reproduction, which can analyze a 50 minute MPEG1 file in just 10 minutes. ViA2 Platform is distributed worldwide by Software AG and will be available from December 2003. www.visualcentury.com

Virage, Inc. announced the latest release of VS News Monitoring, a real-time monitoring and content management solution to automatically track content for time sensitive, strategically significant events. VS News Monitoring helps organizations and government agencies to automatically digitize, categorize, centrally manage, alert and distribute vast collections of news content. With this solution, organizations can process large volumes of content and provide users or analysts up-to-the-minute access and information right at the desktop. In addition, the solution automates the processing and categorizing of the original footage. The solution now manages all forms of unstructured content from the point of ingestion through real-time content access. Powered by Autonomy’s Intelligent Data Operating Layer (IDOL), video and rich media are now integrated at the center of other content types and compatible with existing systems. IDOL Server capabilities include automated retrieval, hyperlinking, categorization, alerting, profiling, clustering and personalization. www.virage.com, www.autonomy.com

Snapbridge Software unveiled Snapbridge FDX, a technology for integrating large amounts of different kinds of data in real-time. Snapbridge FDX fuses multiple data sources such as account detail from relational databases, flat file mainframe data, email correspondence, digital images from content repositories, feeds from third party resources, other information from the Internet, etc., to create composite objects that can be viewed, or updated as part of a transaction–regardless of where the data is stored, how it is formatted or when it was created. Snapbridge FDX capitalizes on XML for structuring and expressing information, allowing the system to operate on structured data and semi-structured content (documents and images) at the same time. Snapbridge FDX information integration software combines technologies for indexing, normalization, aggregation, correlation and “semantic” data delivery, resulting in a comprehensive information integration solution. www.snapbridge.com

Docucorp International announced the availability of Policy Xpress for the insurance industry. Policy Xpress provides insurers with a complete library of fully implemented ISO industry standard forms for the property and casualty (P&C) marketplace. Docucorp’s Policy Xpress offering includes: a standard data dictionary, which includes field definitions for all known P&C data elements (used for tagging forms); standard XML schema; ISO forms; pre-defined data mappings for all forms; pre-defined forms triggering; and default systems configuration. Since most P&C insurers utilize industry standard forms, Docucorp used ISO forms as a standard for developing Policy Xpress. As this service offering grows, Docucorp plans to include other industry standard forms for both the P&C and Life insurance industries. www.docucorp.com

Idiom Technologies, Inc. announced WorldServer 6, the latest release of its globalization technology. WorldServer 6 features new asset integration capabilities, server-based translation memory enhancements, and a series of workflow improvements that make it easier for global companies to translate and localize the content. WorldServer 6 includes new management and reporting features that help Idiom customers reduce the costs associated with outsourcing translation work to third parties. WorldServer 6 includes support for the latest products from Documentum, Interwoven, Rational/IBM, Oracle, as well as support for emerging XML repositories and standards. A newly enhanced translator workbench allows users to launch external applications, including Word or FrontPage, from within WorldServer. WorldServer 6 adds several new filters, including SGML, XML, XSL, and filters for native Microsoft .DOC, and .PPT formats. New Asset Segmentation capabilities enable customers to segment their translation memory database for specific translation projects. WorldServer 6.0 provides support for XLIFF, the emerging XML standard for sharing translation assets, in addition to the TMX and MTW standards for exchanging different translation memory systems. www.idiominc.com

Sirsi Corporation and Northern Light Group LLC announced an agreement to use the Northern Light Enterprise Search Engine as part of Sirsi Rooms. The Northern Light Enterprise Search Engine will be used to search hand-selected Web resources and return context-specific results, assisting library professionals in finding, evaluating, and indexing the “best of the Web” for each “virtual room” included in the Sirsi Rooms solution. www.northernlight.com, www.sirsi.com

Fast Search & Transfer (FAST) and Contraco Consulting & Software Ltd. announced a value-added reseller (VAR) agreement, providing Contraco with FAST Reseller status with a primary focus in Germany, Austria, and Italy. With this agreement FAST Data Search, FAST’s enterprise search platform, will be marketed and resold by Contraco to its wide variety of customers either as a stand-alone search solution, or as integrated with other technologies, such as the BRISBANETM technology developed by Contraco. www.intranetsuche.de, www.fastsearch.com

FileNet Corporation announced a global strategic alliance agreement with Network Appliance, Inc. FileNet and NetApp will coordinate marketing and development activities to integrate and optimize FileNet ECM solutions with NetApp unified storage and information lifecycle management (ILM) solutions. Both companies are working to ensure tight product integration, validation, and support for NetApp fabric-attached storage (FAS) systems, NearStore storage systems, and SnapLock data permanence storage solution within the FileNet P8 product line, including FileNet Image Manager, FileNet Content Manager, and FileNet Records Manager suites. Customers can add the SnapLock functionality to existing NetApp NearStore and FAS systems and deploy it with FileNet’s Image Services Connector for SnapLock (ISCS) available in late December 2003. FileNet and NetApp also will develop a plan to test NetApp SnapMirror disaster recovery and high availability software for FileNet P8. FileNet will participate in the NetApp Manage ONTAP partner program. www.filenet.com, www.netapp.com