Quark delivers XML with avenue.quark

QMedia Distributors announced today the arrival of avenue.quark in Africa. This software will empower millions of QuarkXPress users to free their content for re-use everywhere. Avenue.quark is XTensions software that allows users to richly describe and export their content in industry-standard XML format, thereby maximizing the value of their editorial assets and facilitating re-use in multiple media.

Media-independent publishing

"Avenue.quark leverages the rich pool of content in QuarkXPress documents for re-use in multiple formats and delivery media. It allows publishers to separate valuable content from its formatting and delivery to facilitate media-independent publishing," said Mahomed Doola of QMedia Distributors. Independent publishing is the nucleus of Quark`s strategic vision, and avenue.quark is the first in a suite of tools that will allow publishers to deliver their content to multiple media as easily as to one.

"Avenue.quark is a perfect addition to our workflow," said Wendy Allen, associate vice president of publishing technology at Pearson Education. "XML is a critical part of our content strategy, and avenue.quark will allow us to streamline our book development process and re-use content in other media more efficiently."

"Avenue.quark lets users mine the design of QuarkXPress documents and automatically tag content as XML based on its formatting," said Kristin Rowley, product manager for XML tools at Quark. "Avenue.quark helps publishers maintain editorial control by dynamically linking the XML content to the QuarkXPress document."

avenue.quark is a two-way street

Avenue.quark also introduces the idea of content re-use to QuarkXPress by allowing users to create templates with formatted placeholders for XML content. Publishers can create a one-time deployment of the content or retain a dynamic link between the QuarkXPress template and the XML content.

Powerful customisation

Avenue.quark integrates with the growing suite of Quark products and other publishing systems via XTensions technology. Avenue.quark ships with the StreetPost QuarkXTensions module, which allows users to post XML documents directly to Vignette StoryServer 4 and other Web application servers.

Quark is also developing XTensions software for avenue.quark to check in content directly to Quark Digital Media System (QuarkDMS), and to troubleshoot document formatting and tagging rules. Quark plans to make these XTensions freely available to all avenue.quark customers as they are released.

Pricing and availability

Avenue.quark for Mac OS and Windows is available in the Africa via QMedia Disributors for R2808.00 (excluding VAT)
Phone 011 3145777, Fax 011 3145770. Email pgo@qmedia.co.za www.qmedia.co.za