NEW YORK -- April 17, 2003 -- TrendWatch Graphic Arts today released a new report which analyzes the critical issues associated with cross-media publishing. According to the report, cross-media publishing has become a substantial portion of project work for ad agency (64%) and catalog publishers (72%). As a result, there's become increasing demand upon publishing vendors to provide production tools which simplify and accelerate cross-media production. The back bone of cross-media publishing rests upon two popular methodologies. They are Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF), which is now compatible with all popular computer workstations, and eXtensible Markup Language (XML), a document markup language that lets content creators "tag" content so that it can be dynamically repurposed in different media. With the popularity of cross-media publishing on the rise, the demand for greater awareness and understanding of these technologies, as well as alternatives is prominent among both user and vendor communities. The report is available for online purchase at the TWGA eStore in PDF format. For more information, about this report go to :http://www.trendwatchgraphicarts.com/reports_2003/makingworkflow.html For other TWGA research, go to the main TWGA website page :http://www.trendwatchgraphicarts.com Researcher's Quote... "Publishing software vendors have to contend with the fact that more and more publishing is moving downstream, and content creators will increasingly include people who are not of the typical design and creative community," observes Vince Naselli, Director, TrendWatch Graphic Arts. "This provides both opportunities and challenges for vendors -- opportunities in that there is now a wider market for publishing software, but challenges in that it is a less sophisticated user base than they are accustomed to. Marketers must develop publishing software that gives these new content creators the features they need while at the same time keeping the software easy to use." XML Facts from the Report... While PDF has become widely used throughout the business community, XML is less understood, but becoming more widely implemented -- especially among certain segments of Internet users. According to the report: -- 29% of Web design, development, and production firms see "incorporating XML into our workflow" as a top business challenge; -- 30% of Internet design and development firms say they use XML often, though 27% say they know XML, but don't use it often; -- 19% of catalog publishers currently use XML or other workflow automation for the cross-media projects; -- Only 1% of design and production firms currently use XML or other workflow automation for the cross-media projects. About the Report... This report aims to further educate industry service providers about the various workflow options available to them and to convey the sense that not all workflows are created equal, and that different needs call for different solutions. The report provides: -- An overview of cross media, designed to put the central issue of cross media in perspective; -- An analysis of PDF and how it is implemented in cross-media workflows by examining survey data to see what the opportunities for content creators are, and where the challenges are; -- A look at XML in the same vein -- how is it used in cross-media workflows and what do our survey data tell us about XML as an opportunity and as a challenge among content creators; -- An examination of the related issues of asset management and "enterprise publishing" -- the merging of content management and XML capabilities to drive cross-media publishing; -- A wrap-up analysis to tie it all together and provide a look into the future, determining the cross-media workflow of the future. Methodology... The foundation of this report is based upon data compiled from TrendWatch Graphic Arts' own proprietary historical databases (for design and production firms, publishers, and Internet design and development firms) as well as the TrendWatch Graphic Arts Design & Production 13 & 14, Publishing 13 & 14, and Internet Design & Development 5 & 6 survey reports. Information was also gleaned from various industry sources, including industry trade magazines, general news sources, and consultant expertise. Availability... The 100-page TWGA "Making Work Flow: PDF, XML, and the Cross-Media Challenge" report is available for purchase by visiting the secure TrendWatch Graphic Arts eStore online at www.trendwatchgraphicarts.com or by phone at 866-873-6310. The price for the report is $1595. TWGA is also offering a special discount package price for both Cross Media Reports issued this year ("Cross Media: Reformatting the Future" and "Making Work Flow: PDF, XML, and the Cross-Media Challenge") for $2600. This provides recipients with reports that explain both the impact of cross media as well as proper implementation and use. TrendWatch Graphic Arts eStore customers can download this report in PDF Acrobat format immediately after purchase.