Objective
This project aimed to transfer advanced tools for the production of Multimedia Titles in Series (MULTIS) from the Co-ordinator, the Computer Technology Institute of Greece (CTI), to four publishing companies. A Title Series is a set of multimedia titles with comparable content and structure: a series can consist of titles as similar as quarterly updates of a product catalogue or as diverse as presentations of different companies. All titles in each series come under the generic description of the Titles Series, given as a Model Title Specification. This technology allows software engineers to design systems, which will allow non-specialists to produce multimedia "titles" relatively simply. The Model Title Specification initially embodies just the ideas and creativity of its designer - normally the Series Director who is not a computer professional. It is then transformed by Software Engineers using the MULTIS tools, into a computer-based production environment - a title editor and database. In this MULTIS environment, less qualified personnel fill in the content, edit, test and produce the various titles in the series. As a result of the MULTIS methodology, both time and cost can be reduced, expensive and scarce personnel, namely the director and the computer engineers, are only employed where they are needed and the publisher can then set up low-cost high quality production lines for a multitude of titles.
The outputs of the project were four MULTIS systems in four publishers operating in the subject areas of foreign language training, web based company presentations, tourism and medical training. Each of these in turn had produced one or more multimedia series. The MULTIS system was shown to be transferrable and by the end of the project in early 1999, CTI intended to supply the software to other European software houses under the terms of licensing arrangements also developed within the project. The project finished with a dissemination strategy aimed at raising awareness of the possibilities afforded by this technology amongst software houses, publishers and ultimately end users.
There could be significant benefits to the EU a raising from the rapid uptake of this technology. First, there could be improvements in the codification and dissemination of information in a range of sectors. Second, if the technology proves acceptable to a variety of end users, EU practioners could possess a competitive advantage to the rest of the world in the area of electronic publishing. Third, it will contribute to the expansion and growth of the interactive multimedia market by reducing production costs and alleviating the need for computer skills at the publishers. Fourth, there will be an increase awareness of both the producers and consumers of interactive multimedia products and build confidence in the usage of multimedia applications in day-to-day operations. Last, it will help to identify user needs for interactive multimedia applications in European countries and application areas and match their requirements with the MUTIS environment.
Fields of science
Keywords
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
26110 Patras
Greece