New workflow product speeds, organizes, and=20
automates the proof approval process
IOWA CITY, Iowa – September 12, 2006 – Today=20
MetaCommunications, a leading developer of=20
software management solutions for the graphic=20
arts industry, announced the immediate=20
availability of Approval Manager 1.0, a new cross=20
platform workflow product for managing proof=20
approvals in marketing, creative, and production=20
environments.
Approval Manager is a unique new software=20
solution designed to provide approval workflow=20
management for leading digital proofing=20
technologies, including Adobe Acrobat=20
(Professional, Standard, and Reader versions),=20
Kodak RealTimeProof Partner, Microsoft Word, and=20
others. Inspired by customer demand and designed=20
with the recommendations of an industry advisory=20
panel, Approval Manager masters the inherent=20
difficulty of managing, tracking and scheduling=20
the approval processes within and across=20
organizations or departments. Although digital=20
proofing technologies have been available for=20
several years, the workflow management necessary=20
to drive a digital proof through an often complex=20
approval process has been notably absent -=20
causing many organizations to struggle in=20
obtaining the efficiency gains thought possible=20
with digital proofing. With Approval Manager,=20
traditional difficulties involved with keeping an=20
approval process consisting of multiple rounds,=20
multiple reviewers, and tight deadlines on track=20
are simplified and automated.
Approval Manager provides a user friendly web=20
based interface (Mac OS X and Windows) for=20
setting up and planning proofing stages, and for=20
managing proofing rounds, reviewers, and=20
schedules. Approval Manager manages the complex=20
cyclical workflows involved in the creative=20
process chain. These workflows may include=20
proofing iterations between designers, creative=20
directors, legal teams, brand & product managers,=20
merchandisers, marketing, prepress and external=20
customers.
“Approval Manager adds workflow to today’s=20
digital proofing technologies, providing=20
customers with the means to leverage that=20
technology and bring about unprecedented savings=20
in time and improved process control throughout=20
an entire organization,” says Robert Long,=20
Executive Vice President of MetaCommunications.
KEY FEATURES
Planning and Scheduling
– Support for stage plans and digital proof rounds
– Proof planning and templating
– Proof, stage, and round scheduling
Workflow
– Linear, parallel and cyclic workflow support
– Event driven email notifications and reminders
Interface
– Dashboard view based on manager, production, and reviewer roles
– File comments, round comments, and annotations stored in database
– Visual queues for status, schedule prediction, and management
– User groups/teams supported for internal and external users
– Web browser based interface
Technology
– Built on .Net technologies with Microsoft SQL Server support
– Integrates Adobe Acrobat, Kodak RealTimeProof=20
Partner, Microsoft Word, and other native=20
proofing technologies.
– Integration with Workgroups 2006 suite
WORKGROUPS 2006 SUITE
Approval Manager 1.0 is being released=20
simultaneously with the MetaCommunications=20
Workgroups 2006 suite (see press release at=20
http://www.meta-comm.com/news/releases/060912/workgroups.htm=20
). Approval Manager is fully integrated with the=20
Workgroups 2006 suite and may be used as a=20
standalone system or in conjunction with=20
Workgroups 2006. All information is universally=20
available and a standalone Approval Manager=20
solution may be converted to the Workgroups 2006=20
suite at anytime.
ADVISORY PANEL
Approval Manager was developed with the=20
recommendations of industry experts from leading=20
organizations. Many of these panelists=20
participated by contributing their expertise in=20
shaping this new technology to fulfill an unmet=20
need in the industry. Panelists include=20
participants from the following organizations:
* American College of Physicians
* Allstate Insurance
* Canon Communications
* Carson Pirie Scott
* Corporate Express
* Federated Design Group
* H&S Graphics
* Montage Media
* NEC 360
* Paramount Graphics
* Southern Graphic Systems
* Time, Inc.
* Tru Art Color Graphics
* Wellington Management
PRICING & AVAILABILITY
Approval Manager 1.0 is available immediately and=20
is priced affordably with complete systems=20
starting at $3995. MetaCommunications products=20
are available from authorized resellers, system=20
integrators, distributors and OEM partners.=20
MetaCommunications will be providing the first=20
public exhibition and demonstrations of Approval=20
Manager and the Workgroups 2006 suite at Graph=20
Expo =9206. For more information, call 319-337-8599=20
or e-mail sales@meta-comm.com.
About MetaCommunications
MetaCommunications (http://www.meta-comm.com) is=20
a leading software developer of cross-platform=20
management and process management and=20
productivity solutions for the graphic arts=20
industry, including the award-winning Job=20
Manager, Virtual Ticket, Approval Manager and=20
Digital Storage Manager applications. These=20
products are customizable and scalable from=20
two-user workgroups to hundreds of users in a=20
multi-site enterprise environment.=20
MetaCommunications has thousands of users of its=20
software worldwide, helping some of the world’s=20
top creative agencies, corporate marketing=20
groups, printing and prepress firms, and=20
publishers work more efficiently and profitably.=20
MetaCommunications was founded in 1991 and is=20
headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa. For more=20
information, please visit=20
http://www.meta-comm.com.