MEI to Showcase Microsoft Word Integration, New Add-ons for K4 at NEXPO 2008

Jenkintown, PA (April 9, 2008) – Managing Editor Inc. (MEI), an Adobe premier development partner and leading provider of software for the publishing industry, today announced that it will showcase InWord™ at NEXPO 2008. InWord connects Microsoft Word 2007 users with the SoftCare K4 Publishing System just as Adobe® InCopy® does, allowing writers and editors who prefer Word to use the familiar software to create, edit and copyfit articles in the K4 database.

Within the Word 2007 interface, InWord adds a custom ribbon featuring K4-specific functions, including Check Out, New from Template and Check In. Its copyfit mode lets users write to fit against K4-managed InDesign documents with an updatable copyfit progress bar and customized overset indicators. InWord even offers a layout preview that shows articles in place on a page if they have been attached to InDesign layouts or built with templates.

“This progressive tool offers the benefits of a professional database publishing system based on industry-standard Adobe technology, while still maintaining the Word environment that staff might be used to,” said Steven Haught, vice president of sales for MEI. “InWord helps publishers get the most out of their existing production teams without requiring extensive training and a huge time investment.”

InWord is the first tool that lets Word users work on articles in K4 just as they would with InCopy. It is particularly useful for K4 workflows that rely on casual, part-time, freelance or other situational contributors and copy reviewers who lack InCopy training or experience. In most editorial systems, these Word users are excluded from the subsequent workflow once their copy is imported into the database. With InWord, they are in the loop from the beginning to the end of an article’s life cycle, with secure access to documents, revisions and production information.

Users get the same K4 benefits as InCopy users — file management, workflow information, overset indicators and more — all without having to leave the Word window. At the same time, they can continue working with familiar Word tools, including spell check, word count and the program’s convenient WYSIWYG display.

MEI has also announced it will demo three more K4 add-ons at NEXPO:

* JumpStory, a powerful new solution that manages articles spanning multiple InDesign pages or documents. JumpStory automatically ensures those stories stay linked, maintaining text flow, page-number references and jumpline text styles, even if the content or geometry changes in another file.
* InPorter™, a server-side product that brings all types of content, including XML, InCopy documents, and images with XMP, directly into a K4 workflow in an entirely automated and unattended process. InPorter provides an intuitive interface for integrating K4 with incoming content from multiple sources, from simple watched folders to direct SOAP connections with third-party CMS and DAM systems.
* InQuery™ RSS, which provides a window into live K4 workflows, presenting users with a clear overview via a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed. With this tool, busy K4 users on the go can utilize any Internet-enabled device to query K4 and see their layouts, images and story previews with metadata.

MEI will be showcasing InWord and its other new K4-related solutions at NEXPO, April 12-15, in Washington D.C. MEI representatives will be available for demos and discussions in Booth 2532. To schedule a demonstration, contact Steven Haught at shaught@maned.com, or visit MEI on the Web at http://www.maned.com.

About K4
The SoftCare K4 Publishing System, integrated with Adobe InDesign and InCopy, allows publishing professionals to manage design and editorial workflow and to control the entire production process. With its multi-level security controls, open SQL architecture and robust customization options, K4 supports a transparent and secure production workflow for individual workgroups or entire publishing enterprises. K4 is a product of SoftCare GmbH of Hamburg, Germany. With more than 260 systems installed in publishing houses, agencies and magazines worldwide, K4 has already revolutionized the editorial workflow for more than 14,400 users. MEI is the exclusive distributor of K4 in the Americas, with more than 120 installations managing more than 8,500 users.

Managing Editor Inc.
610 Old York Road, Suite 250
Jenkintown, PA 19046

Media Contact:
Paul Weinstein
215-886-5662, x278
pweinstein@maned.com

About MEI
Managing Editor Inc. is an industry leader in the development of quality, proven software solutions for the evolving publishing industry. The Page Director® Series of Advertising and Classified Layout Systems, K4 Publishing System, Integrated Production Suite (IPS), Wave2 self-serve advertising platform and IPS AdTrac deliver automated pagination, workflow, customer relations and digital asset management solutions to newspaper and magazine publishers, as well as to other print and electronic publishing markets. MEI is an Adobe Premier Development Partner and has twice been named a laureate of the Computerworld Smithsonian Collections. Additional information regarding MEI’s products and services can be found on the company’s Web site at http://www.maned.com.

This release was published on openPR.