First of all, InDesign as a shrink-wrap page layout program is not really the main issue. Of much greater importance is the Adobe technology that is made available in this product. InDesign is a collection of Adobe technologies that are delivered in an extensible bundle of software objects. The objects include technology from Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop, Illustrator and Postscript, as well as new technologies such as a new multi-line H& amp;J text composer for high quality composition. Recognizing that these technologies could be specifically applied to solve various issues for newspaper publishing, DTI hasn‘t built a system that just includes InDesign as the layout program, it has instead integrated Adobe technologies into a complete publishing system where these technologies could be used to the greatest advantage.

DTI has integrated the InDesign objects into a unified relational database foundation, making InDesign a multi-user interface into a content and workflow management system. The relational database links tie all of the content together. For example, when a story is opened all the related photos or images are attached. Page planning, ads, page designs, stories, images, classifieds, anything that ends up being published, or anything controlling what is published, is brought together in a relational database foundation. To the user, this means that everything can be accessed from one place.

DTI has added full support for XML into this foundation, something Adobe did not do. The XML tags are internal to the data, and add considerable value to the content. One example is in enabling computer-automated pagination, since the computer can match tagged data to tagged layout formats, putting headlines, bylines, pull quotes, etc.. into the layout where they belong and where they assume their typographic presentation. Another example is enabling the content to be published to the Internet, assuming a completely different presentation, without any repurposing costs. The same XML tagged information can be used for publishing to WAP phones or PDA ‘s and for sharing content with TV and radio. The foundation of the DTI solution was designed from the beginning to support a convergent news gathering and dissemination model, that goes well beyond just page layout in InDesign.

This is much different than a system that is based upon saving an InDesign file with meta data and with one-way pointers to the location of content items. In this approach,the page layout file becomes the center of data management, and the exact location of content files is critical. (In DTI ‘s approach, a page is simply a view into the database.) The file passing approach to workflow limits computer automated productivity possibilities, and mandates that publishing to the Internet or other targets would require extracting data back out from the page layouts.

Another feature unique to DTI is an archive database which has been built into the system. Instead of exporting information to an archive, and changing data formats in the process, then researching information in a separate system and re-importing it into a production system for future use, DTI ‘s archive is simply part of the foundation. The archive is available to every user within their editing environment, using the exact same search engine and user interface. Exporting and importing is completely eliminated. The value of archived information is directly related to how accessible it is; in DTI ‘s foundation it is always at every user ‘s fingertips. And because this information is in an XML format, it is accessible via the Internet via a browser or other tools, also without repurposing. DTI indexes all of the content in its database foundation using the Retrievalware engine from Convera. This goes beyond full-text indexing and word-match searching to semantic indexing and searching on the meanings of words, not just their spelling.

For some examples of how DTI has incorporated Adobe technology into this database-centered architecture, that go beyond InDesign page layout, consider the following. DTI uses the multi-line H&J engine of InDesign in its WireSpeed product, to process incoming wire stories against a default column width and typography, so their exact length is known as they are loaded into the database. DTI uses the Photoshop modules of InDesign in its ImageSpeed product to process photos as they are loaded into the database to create JPEG images from them for Web publishing. DTI uses the Acrobat technology in InDesign to load PDF ads directly into the database, and to paginate them without conversion to EPSF or TIFF. It also uses this technology to create PDF ‘s of every page, that goes into the archive, without any external distilling or additional processing.

DTI even uses Adobe InDesign technology with its Internet based solutions. For example, DTI ‘s AdProof product - which enables proofing of ads in a Web browser using electronic sticky notes- uses InDesign ‘s Photoshop technology to create the Web images of the ads which display in the browser. DTI uses Acrobat technology found in InDesign to process ads received via the Internet from advertisers or agencies, in its AdReady product.

DTI has been working closely with Adobe to make InCopy into a newspaper-capable text editing environment that will support the demands of parallel workflow, multi-element tracking, and version control that extends beyond multiple printed editions to support versions for Internet and other publishing targets. DTI has incorporated full XML capability into SpeedWriter with InCopy. SpeedWriter supports NITF and NewsML formats. And of course, with the integration of InCopy into SpeedWriter, DTI has fully integrated InCopy into its unified database foundation.

Going into its fourth year of development with Adobe, DTI has a long lead over newcomers to the InDesign bandwagon. DTI has not diluted its efforts by also trying to support Quark or Word or any other alternative competing technologies. This total focus translates into a level of integration which others will not be able to offer, for years, if ever.

With this foundation in place, DTI is well on its way to building the news publishing system of the future, which will support the convergence of print, Internet, TV and radio including wireless and electronic paper dissemination. But it is not a leap off a cliff into the future as many recently failed ventures have been. Instead it builds upon the foundation of print publishing and will move into publishing anytime, anywhere from that foundation.

There is a major difference between bundling InDesign into a print publishing offering, and having a technology foundation that is designed to take a news organization into the future utilizing all the best technology.