Prepress
MEI Announces Wave2 Version 2.5 with Support for Adobe CS3
Wednesday 02. January 2008 - Latest release of self-serve publishing platform introduces new user interfaces and AdPortal
Managing Editor Inc. (MEI), an Adobe Systems portfolio company and a leading provider of software solutions for the publishing industry, today announced the immediate U.S. availability of the Wave2 Publishing Platform Version 2.5. This version marks the first full release of the new i-Publish suite of products, which includes EasyBuild, AdPortal and Studio System.
Wave2 is a Web-based self-service publishing platform that lets nontechnical users produce design-rich custom documents, such as targeted ads, signage or marketing collateral, on demand. Compatible with all popular Web platforms and a complement to digital asset collections, Wave2 uses Adobe InDesign Server as its composition engine. The system is currently in use at publishers, ad agencies and service providers in Europe and the United States. Customers include Passe Partout, Northcliffe Newspapers, the Boston Globe, and SignOrBanner.com. MEI is an authorized worldwide distributor of Wave2 software.
Version 2.5 updates the look and feel of the products built-in Web-to-print application, i-Publish EasyBuild (formerly known as Apollo). Publishers and service providers can easily rebrand EasyBuild via CSS style sheets. The new EasyBuild release features support for InDesign Server Creative Suite 3 as well as CS2, on both Macintosh and Windows platforms. The Wave2 Server as well as InDesign Server support Macintosh Intel and PowerPC hardware.
EasyBuild introduces a new layout mode for generating documents. It enables users to drag and drop inventory items, such as houses or cars for sale, onto a browser-based representation of an ads layout grid. In layout mode, InDesign libraries serve as mini-templates, and users can assign products to specific mini-templates as they drag and drop the items onto the ad. Layout mode is ideal for documents that promote multiple products on a single page, such as full-page real-estate or automotive display ads.
The release also includes a host of other refinements designed to improve the ease of use, reliability and performance of the Wave2 system.
Complementing EasyBuild, the new Wave2 AdPortal is a Web application that provides publishers with a complete set of tools for deploying an advertiser portal in conjunction with online ad building. Suitable for general advertising by both private and trade customers, the Wave2 AdPortal includes facilities for ordering, billing, connecting to commercial credit-card authorization systems and creating ad packages for different regions and publication combinations.
The Studio System introduces a new front end to the Wave2 Publishing Platform that is designed for in-house sales representatives. With a highly graphical interface built with Adobe Flex technology, Studio makes it easy to edit the text and graphics of any ad or piece of collateral using a Web browser. Instead of requiring predefined templates, the system ingests InDesign documents, without preprocess tagging, and allows them to be modified online.
The three components of the i-Publish suite are available separately or as a package. They are built with the same infrastructure and designed to complement each other throughout the publishing process.
Availability
Wave2 Version 2.5 is available now for Macintosh and Windows. For more details, contact an MEI sales representative at 215-886-5662, or an authorized MEI distributor. Additional information can be found on MEIs Web site at http://www.maned.com. MEI is an authorized distributor of Wave2 software to the U.S. and Canadian markets.