(Weymouth, MA) October 12, 2005 -- InfoTrends/CAP Ventures announces today the launch of a benchmark study entitled Multi-Channel Communications: The Content Publishing Workflow Challenge. This study will analyze key trends with respect to document and content solutions as well as outline components involved in cross-media publishing initiatives. It will also describe how technology and process changes are being implemented to enable organizations to communicate more consistently and efficiently through multiple touchpoints. According to InfoTrends/CAP Ventures’ 2003 influential study on this topic, the average amount budgeted for improving multi-channel communications across organizations of all sizes was $397,344 in 2004. This represented a 17.8% increase over 2003, validating the increased importance of developing an effective multi-channel communication approach. "Many things have changed and progressed since our original research study was conducted, and this year’s update will investigate just how much progress has been made and how organizations are continuing to address multi-channel needs from a process and technology perspective," commented Michael Maziarka, a Director at InfoTrends/CAP Ventures. "Using our previous research as a benchmark, we will consider how the market is progressing and what challenges remain." The study will revisit crucial questions from the initial multi-channel research to see how viewpoints have changed, including: Who owns the problem, and who is making purchasing decisions? How much are companies budgeting towards multi-channel communication projects? Who are businesses turning to for solutions? Which features are most important to users? To what extent do standards such as XML and PDF play into the solutions? What factors are driving customer purchases? What role does a content strategy play in purchasing decisions? To what degree have workflows shifted from a print orientation to an electronic-first orientation? This study will also pose new questions to understand the necessary process changes and the benefits obtained from investing in multi-channel communication solutions, including: What types of cost savings have been realized from investing in technology? What benefits have been experienced from making these investments? To what degree has the quality and timeliness of information been improved? What are the next major hurdles that must be addressed? Research for this study will consist of structured primary market research and in-depth user case studies. InfoTrends/CAP Ventures will survey approximately 200 executives, IT employees, and line-of-business professionals from organizations of all sizes within various industries. An integral part of this special report will be case studies about organizations that are finding innovative ways to utilize technology in cross-media publishing projects. Case study sponsorships are available for vendors with customers that are willing to share details of interesting projects, implementations, successes, and lessons learned as a result of their multi-channel initiatives. To learn more about the report or to become a sponsor, please contact Keith LaVangie at (781) 616-2100, ext. 132 or via e-mail at [email protected]. Early subscriber benefits are available until November 11, 2005.