In a two-part series, WhatTheyThink.com visits with the management team at Que-Net Media, the pre-media division of Quebecor World Group. In part one, CEO Chris Rudge and Jack Schuh, President and Chief Operating Officer, discussed Que-Net Media's recent re-positioning as an industry leader in pre-media, including creative services, technology solutions and digital information management. They also announce the launch of Que-Net Media's new Technology Solutions Centers and other company strategies to serve catalogers, retailers and publishers.

Part Two brings Nicky Milner and Marie Poppy to discuss the specific solutions for Que-Net Media clients. Nicky Milner is Que-Net Media's Chief Technology Officer. Marie Poppy is the company's Vice President of Marketing.

What new technologies are available to our subscribers?

Nicky Milner, Chief Technology Officer
Earlier this year, we surveyed the marketplace to learn more about our clients' needs. Overwhelmingly, clients requested improved application services and training to manage their digital assets. In addition, they were seeking improved collaboration tools and greater convenience in our working relationships.

I'm really quite proud of what we've been able to accomplish for our clients. In answer to their needs, Que-Net Media laid the foundation for a premiere technology platform to link traditional and new media. We designed a portfolio of application services emphasizing collaborative workflows, and built four state-of-the-art training facilities. As a result, Que-Net Media delivers technology solutions that work, improving business performance in the catalog, magazine, retail, book and commercial markets.

How has being from the print world affected the services you offer?

Nicky Milner, Chief Technology Officer
Que-Net Media's heritage in print production has helped define our strategic role in technology. For years, our clients have depended on us to efficiently and cost-effectively enable their content creation and production processes, under tight deadlines. As a specialized form of application service provider, we've developed technology for content management, management systems and customized workflows that link all stages of the production cycle. We even share our high-speed private network with our clients so they can have access through a password-secured portal over the Intranet, or through the Internet.

Is the collaboration real-time?

Nicky Milner, Chief Technology Officer
The first product in our CoFicio workflow suite is I-Ficient. This service streamlines and automates production processes by making images and files available to a desktop and providing real-time access to work in progress. Files can be uploaded and downloaded directly from our server, creating a truly collaborative work environment.

What about asset management and handling true page production integration?

Nicky Milner, Chief Technology Officer
Our asset management systems are custom designed to serve specific market verticals. One example, for our retail clients – SKUCentric – supports multi-lingual, multi-version text as well as images, logos and page templates in multiple digital file formats

To deliver true page production integration, we provide differing levels of efficiency and automation. There's SKUCaster, our entry-level database publishing system for automated content updates or Catalog Magician with campaign management functionality.

The Technology Solutions Centers appear to be the educational link between all this technology and your clients. What role will they play?

Nicky Milner, Chief Technology Officer
We provide education and training for our application services. Through surveys, our clients told us training is a critical component when considering a service provider. Our Technology Solutions Centers fulfill this need. The Centers are a unique concept we believe stands alone in the marketplace, enhancing customer and staff skills through seminars, demonstrations and hands-on learning.

Located in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Toronto, these Centers are client-focused facilities that help customers explore content management and automated publishing technologies. At the Centers, clients can see digital technology performing at its peak – in real time on real jobs. Clients can test circumstances and scenarios pushing our system limits before they invest. Plus, with the power of high-bandwidth internetworking, all of the technology applications they see in the Centers can be applied in any location, across multiple sites.

Where can print buyers find out more about Que-Net Media and your services?

Marie Poppy, Vice President, Marketing
Our greatest resource for Que-Net Media is still our team of sales professionals. They are committed to improving our clients' business performance and are trained to understand the latest industry trends and technology.

Next to a Que-Net Media sales rep, the best resource for information is our new Web site at www.quenetmedia.com. Launched in May, this state-of-the-art Web site enhances digital information management and creates a rich online environment for our customers to explore our business.

A brand-focused initiative, the site is designed to help educate customers and visitors about our products and services. Its content complements our marketing strategies by targeting the catalog, retail, magazine, book and commercial markets.

Most in our community would probably examine your web site first. Specifically, what will they find there?

Marie Poppy, Vice President, Marketing
The site is arranged in three sections. The first section, "About Que-Net Media," describes our distinct competitive differences and business advantages. Section two, "Market Solutions," recognizes the needs and issues of the industries we serve and promotes our new content management and automated publishing products. This is where visitors can learn more about many of our service offerings, such as I-Ficient, SKUCaster, Catalog Magician, SKUCentric, CatalogValet, PubValet and ImageValet.

The third section, "Products and Services," lists our capabilities, including creative, photography and pre-media. Our photography services are featured in our electronic photo gallery. The gallery displays some of the best digital and conventional photography from five Que-Net Media photo studios, including our daylight fashion studio and samples of 3D photography and iPIX‚ immersive imaging.

What can we expect in the future from your site?

Marie Poppy, Vice President, Marketing
Throughout the coming months, we will continue to add product information, demonstrations and client conveniences to our site, expanding the site to serve as a production and job management portal. It's our goal to use the Web site as a tool to improve our clients' business performance, supplying the latest technological advancements.