DENVER and MUNICH, Germany - Quark Inc. and Vision GmbH today announced the release of the QuarkDMS Archive module, an XTensions(tm) module for Quark Digital Media System(tm) (QuarkDMS(tm)), the most comprehensive digital asset management system for publishers. The QuarkDMS Archive module, developed jointly by Quark(tm) and Vision(tm), provides near-line archival storage for valuable digital media elements such as text, graphics, and documents of all kinds. "Archiving is critical for organizations where the number of assets are rapidly and continually increasing, such as magazine and newspaper publishers," said Scott Moore, QuarkDMS product manager. "The QuarkDMS Archive module lets you take advantage of the cost savings of a tape archiving system without sacrificing quick and easy access to your existing content." The QuarkDMS Archive module uses saved QuarkDMS queries to determine which assets should be archived or restored at a particular time. The files are then moved from QuarkDMS managed file systems to near-line digital linear tape (DLT), but all asset metadata and thumbnails are left online. Users can find, preview, and even place archived assets into QuarkXPress(tm) layouts. Archive operations can be initiated manually by privileged users or automatically started according to a schedule or when the hard drive reaches a certain level of its capacity. The software supports archiving to multiple tapes to create simultaneous on-site and off-site copies. Supported digital linear tape (DLT) libraries include devices manufactured by StorageTek, Overland, ADIC, and ATL (Sun). The QuarkDMS Archive module automatically uses information stored in QuarkDMS attributes to determine when to unload data from the QuarkDMS file system. The data is then automatically stored on DLT. Metadata for the files remains in the QuarkDMS database, so users can search for and preview archived files even after they have been removed from the server. "The QuarkDMS Archive module fits perfectly with the high-performance demands of QuarkDMS customers," said Dieter Reichert, CEO of Vision. "With the QuarkDMS Archive module, you can perform queries and full text searches of archived data and retrieve the files from tape in minutes. It scales to support the needs of your enterprise, so no matter what size your company is, you can keep your storage costs down but still have all your media at your fingertips." The QuarkDMS Archive module is easy to configure and maintain. Appropriate archiving and restoring plans can be established to fit the needs of any business. The QuarkDMS Archive module is available in English and German. QuarkDMS is a key component of the Quark suite of media-independent publishing software. QuarkDMS is a powerful enterprise-wide solution that lets customers manage a virtually unlimited number of text files, images, and other digital resources. It combines the speed and reliability of an Oracle8(tm) database with a scalable three-tiered architecture capable of serving hundreds of concurrent users. The powerful XTensions interface allows developers to extend functionality and integrate QuarkDMS with business systems such as e-commerce, inventory, or accounting.