Neo is a multi-channel media content design and management system created by Anygraaf. It is an excellent tool for designing and implementing editorial work and much more extensive and versatile than an ordinary editorial system.

Neo offers advanced tools for communication, efficient ways of routing material to different publishing channels, excellent tools for both internal and external information retrieval, various classifying options and the possibility to add geographic information to content items.

• With Neo, content can be examined and used in a comprehensive manner.
• All content elements (articles, images and videos) are managed and routed to different channels using the same system.
• Online and mobile publishing has been implemented so that it can be performed in parallel with print publishing. All publishing channels are administered through one console and new channels can be added as necessary.
• Neo makes publishing truly device-neutral.
• Neo can be used to manage both personnel resources and content provisioning.
• The system is flexible and scalable for various publishing needs and environments and therefore suitable for local papers, newspapers and magazines alike.

User- and role-specific workspaces
Neo can be personalised for each user. A user can have several roles (e.g. editor, subeditor) as well as a desktop environment associated with each role. By choosing the appropriate desktop related to their current role, users can control and manage content elements, related metadata, plans and projects. For instance, the view of a managing editor could consist of a list of events and article ideas, a calendar, a list of contributors to the current issue and the tasks assigned to them, and the wire feeds of press agencies.

Extensive, well classified and organised metadata enables new strategies and products

It is worth classifying material intended for different channels in order to facilitate future use. Filling in metadata fields can be time-consuming, so making this phase easier and more efficient has been taken into consideration in Neo. Methods used include inheritable accompanying information and an easy way of adding IPTC classification data and geographic information.

Preview option for all publishing channels

Neo provides you with the option to preview print, web and tablet articles prior to publishing. Versatile text editor enhances information retrieval.

The text editor in Neo contains a workspace for managing various types of articles. Searching for background information and managing it is simple: you highlight a word and the text editor searches for information from predefined sources (e.g. your company’s archive, Wikipedia, Google). Coding different parts of an article is easy and the allowed section-specific styles can be predefined.

Elements can be organised and bundled into packages for output to multiple channels

Once a data item has been imported into the system, it is available to all users. Well classified and bundled information enables the provision of tailored services. The different elements of a content bundle can contain various attachments including video, provided that the publishing channel supports video format.

Import data (also through hotfolders) into the database

• XML export & IMPORT
• EMail Integration
• Directly Import through the web from remote users
• Send Receive Files from various locations
• Utility that manages automated or timed functions.
• Module for automatically sending out messages to staff, readers. Also used to monitor system health

Full integrated ePaper Solution (NEO ePaper)

Often newspapers want to provide their readers a digital replica of the printed paper. Anygraaf’s ePaper tools give publishing organizations additional features to augment their traditional Internet publishing workflows, as well as provide readers with another way to read the paper.

With an electronic edition, Internet readers get an exact replica of the printed publication with the ability to browse the issue page-by-page. Readers can click on page elements to view any article, image, graphic or ad directly. Users can also perform a keyword text search to find articles, and a PDF of each page can also be made available for quick viewing or download.

Effective Website and Mobile Content Management (NEO DIRECT)

Systems such as Anygraaf’s NeoDirect module for the Neo Content Management System offer a universal solution for publishing content to any digital channel direct from the CMS without needing secondary or specialized systems. Content should seamlessly flow from the newsroom to the web and mobile device without conversion, synchronization with other systems or user intervention.

As a true multichannel system, NeoDirect allows users to work together to seamlessly deliver content to web and mobile sites. As soon as content is ready for publication it can be delivered to the reader. Quickly. NeoDirect inserts content into its intelligent rapid memory cache for immediate delivery to the browser. Since the websites are rendered from the same system where editing happens, updates and changes are immediately delivered as well. Nobody needs to worry about additional synchronizations or exports to make sure the correct content is always available.

In NeoDirect content is stored in a format neutral way, with layout and appearance formed in the browser, it is very easy to deliver the same content to different products with different looks without needing multiple copies or special workflows.

Bridging the gap between advertising and editorial production (Planner)

With Planner, you can give your advertising department the means to plan each edition, manually or automatically placing display and classified advertising material; your editorial department staff members the means to reserve editorial space and track the status of articles and images as they move through the editing process; and your production department the ability to monitor the overall production status of the publication.

Managing your publications with Planner starts with edition creation, the physical makeup of the paper or magazine based on press capabilities, color locations, section layout and ad volume.

Once the edition is built, ads can be placed automatically or manually based on predefined ad-placement rules. Read ad bookings from our ad system, AProfit, or integrate with third-party systems.

As part of the edition creation process, Planner automatically creates in the Doris asset management and publishing production system all of the QuarkXPress or InDesign documents necessary to produce the edition. If advance pages exist, Planner can look for them and attach them to their proper position based on the specified press configuration.

Automatic Pagination (ACDC – Anygraaf Content Design Controller)

Many sections of a newspaper work on a fixed layout. ACDC (Anygraaf Content and Design Control) allows fast and efficient layout possible through the use of pre-defined templates and patterns. This allows editors to make their pages themselves, without the intervention of a layout department. Colleagues from the layout department are only involved at the beginning of the process, namely during the design of the templates.

Automatic Color Correction Workflow (ImageEd)

ImageEd provides automatic color correction of images for publication via site-defined parameters. Once images have been color corrected, they are then converted to either CMYK or grayscale, depending upon the desired channel chosen for that image. This allows for a more streamlined & organized color correction process as well as consistency in the tonality of published images.

Color adjustments within ImageEd are done in three-dimensional color space, allowing for colors to be adjusted and maintained accurately. The automatic adjustment process optimizes colors so that details are not lost within fully saturated areas of images; it analyzes sharpness and noise levels within an image then adjusts details accordingly. ImageEd also offers a manual mode which provides an easy-to-use color adjustment interface from which users may fine-tune images by hand.

Advanced remote working properties (WEB NEO)

Special attention has been paid to remote access in order for it to be as functional as possible. Neo minimizes the amount of data transferred between the server and remote users in order to provide a faster broadband experience. Neo also works smoothly in situations where remote access is not required. Neo also provides a web version that handles all the major features required for handling textual content.

This is our pilot year with Anygraaf’ Neo Editorial. Everything running smoothly, we expect to make even more use of the system in the future. Neo will help keep up with the rapidly changing media environment and the requirements for future journalism and journalists.

Panu Uotila
Project Manager University of Jyväskylä