IMAGE SERVERS EMPOWER
NETWORK PUBLISHING

By Tony Henning

Rich (non-textual) content is an increasingly important component of all forms of publishing, but especially those that promote goods and services and provide entertainment. High-quality visual content is rapidly becoming more than a key competitive differentiator; it’s now a business imperative. At the same time, there is increasing pressure to develop systems that can publish that content anywhere, any time, to any device – a capability now referred to as Network Publishing, one of the most promising applications in the infoimaging market.

The downside is that creating and preparing images and other rich media for publishing in multiple channels is expensive, labor intensive, and generally a management nightmare. Estimates are that 12 to 15 percent of a typical corporation’s revenues is currently spent on various publishing activities, and the percentage is rising. Web sites in particular are becoming more complex and costlier to maintain because, despite the deflated bubble, Web pages continue to multiply, and publishers are finding it difficult to keep up with the growing appetite for better, more timely, more personal content. Network Publishing may be a business imperative, but it’s neither simple nor inexpensive.

Enter a new crop of tools that streamline the publishing process and deliver better, more consistent content. These tools – hardware, software and services – that prepare and serve up visual content are commonly known as image servers and are a vital component of any company’s overall publishing strategy. They are the only tools available today that will assist with serving up rich content across multiple access points and scale as required to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving marketplace.

The data gathered by Future Image reveals that the value propositions for image servers come under two broad headings:

1. In front of the firewall or Top Line

The ability to offer pictures on the Web, to offer higher-resolution pictures that let the user zoom and pan, to offer image editing features, easier content submission, or simply faster or more consistent image display – all contribute to a better user experience. Digital imaging allows the consumer to zoom in on a picture; pan around; experiment with different options, combinations, colors, and patterns; try it on a face or body model that can be made to resemble his/hers; spin an object or move around inside a space. These activities make the Web experience more tangible and more personal, more like shopping at a store or physically visiting a location. They also make it more interactive, creating a deeper and more lasting impression – the very essence of successful branding.

For online retailers in particular, delivering more compelling, interactive, and personalized content delivers a better shopping experience, which translates into a better top line for retailers. More shoppers become buyers, and those buyers are generally more satisfied with their purchases, which means fewer returns.

2. Behind the firewall or Bottom Line

Production efficiencies, asset repurposing, brand control, and the like – these are the benefits that accrue behind the firewall. A.T. Kearney estimates that workforce inefficiencies related to publishing cost organizations around the globe approximately $750 billion in 2001. Early adopters of image server technology are finding that they can increase the bottom line by reducing costs and making better use of resources. Image servers streamline workflow, shorten time to market, reduce storage requirements, and can either mitigate the effects of downsizing or make existing staff more productive. Creative personnel can spend their time being creative, not doing what image server vendor MediaBin calls “post-creative busywork.”

With the aid of these new tools, businesses can respond to changes in inventory, market conditions, and user preferences – not to mention a constantly changing ecosystem of delivery platforms – in real time. The possibilities for better, faster, more targeted visual communications are virtually unlimited. An Image Server is no longer a “nice-to-have,” it’s a “must-have.”

Future Image has produced a series of research reports that examine the particular strengths of the leading products on the market, “Image Servers – Vendor Competitive Evaluation Profiles,” and that describe the experiences of leading companies who have implemented them, “Early Adopter Case Studies.” For more information, please visit the Future Image Web site (www.futureimage.com) and click on “Imaging eServices.”