EUROPUBLISHING

Objective

EUROPUBLISHING enables European publishers to apply new product and process technology exploiting advanced communications services (e.g. ISDN, VBN and ATM), by combining distributed systems for computer-integrated publishing and publication delivery systems with publishers' management and decision support systems. Using communications networks available in the near-future, project results will contribute to the transition from separate publishing islands to the sharing of flexible, distributed but integrated publishing systems in Europe.
The main objective of the research was to enable European publishers to apply new product and process technologyexploiting diverse advanced communications services. The approach was to combine distributed systems for computer integrated publishing and publication delivery systems with publisher's management and decision support systems. The availability of adequate communications networks, makes possible the transition from separate publishing islands to the sharing of flexible, distributed but integrated publishing systems in Europe.

As a result of the research the first prototypes have been developed for an electronic dictionary of art. These have been used to identify requirements as part of the user centred design and market research process. A graphical frame based editing tool has been developed and applied to restructure and enhance contents of the dictionary of art.

The research has also shown up the specific requirements of publishing as a business in a European wide market. Concepts for solutions were developed and a specification for a demonstrator has been completed. The connection of editorial and prepress offices makes possible the distributed generation and processing of magazine pages.

International services digital network (ISDN) connections have been installed and are in use for the distribution of text and images. The first broadband links, based on the vermittelts brietband netz (VBN) have been tested.
Technical Approach

The Project specifies, demonstrates and evaluates application solutions supporting open publishing. Three pilot applications - publication of multimedia reference works, management for mail-order catalogue publishing, and distributed pre-press for magazines - have been realised.

Requirements for technical and organisational solutions were analysed. A common functional and communications architecture and a cost-benefit methodology was developed and used. Applications work groups address pilot-specific issues, e.g. processing needs of remote content acquisition, MMI requirements of co-operative publication design and high bandwidth communications for distributed pre-press. Common tools e.g. image compression, will be developed together.

Key Issues

- Publishers' needs for distributed document management, image archive access, advanced retrieval, image compression, fast high quality pre-press, on-line delivery of multimedia publications, editorial and production tracking.
- An open publishing architecture, based on standards.
- Feasibility demonstration in three Application Pilots (APs): Dictionary of Art, and Financial Information Service, as new media products; distributed Archiving and Analysis of Catalogues; and distributed pre-press facilities for magazine production.

Expected Impact

The realisation of the three Application Pilots enables publishers to evaluate advanced authoring, production and distribution methods in an European environment.

One of EUROPUBLISHING's main results will be the demonstration and evaluation of advanced application scenarios and profiles which will lead to flexible distributed but integrated publishing systems available all over Europe.

Fields of science

• humanities › arts › modern and contemporary art › radio and television

Programme(s)

• FP3-RACE 2 - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of communication technologies, 1990-1994

Topic(s)

• T.710 - Concepts, interfaces and protocols for IBCN interworking with existing networks
• T.737 - Image communication open architecture
• T.870 - Resource package for multimedia information assembly, access and distribution
• T.940 - Advanced communications application experiments
• PL7 - Project line 7 - Advanced communication experiments

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

Data not available

Coordinator

DeTeBerkom GmbH

Address

Voltastraße 5
13355 Berlin
Germany

Participants (17)

ALCATEL SEL AG

Germany

Address

Colditzstraße 34-36
12099 Berlin

BURDA GMBH

Germany

Address

Hauptstraße 130
77652 Offenburg

CROSFIELD ELECTRONICS LTD.

United Kingdom

Address

Three Cherry Trees Lane
HP2 7RH Hemel Hempstead

Disclosure Ltd

United Kingdom

Address

Woodside Hinksey Hill
OX1 5AU Oxford

FAW LINZ-AUSTRIA

Austria

Address

Schloss Hagenberg
4232 Hagenberg

FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.

Germany

Address

Nobelstrasse 12
70569 Stuttgart

GMD-IPSI

Germany

Address

Dolivostraße 15
64293 Darmstadt

Grattan plc

United Kingdom

Address

Anchor House Ingleby Road
BD99 2XG Bradford

HASSELBLAD ELECTRONIC IMAGING AB

Sweden

Address

Klaedpressaregatan 4
40123 Goeteborg

LINOTYPE-HELL AG

Germany

Address

Siemenswall
24107 Kiel

Macmillan Publishers Ltd

United Kingdom

Address

4 Little Essex Street
WC2R 3LF London

OTTO VERSAND

Germany

Address

Wandsbeker Straße 3-7
22172 Hamburg

PIRA International

United Kingdom

Address

Randalls Road
KT22 7RU Leatherhead

ROYAL PTT NEDERLAND N.V., PTT RESEARCH

Netherlands

Address

Winschoterdiep Oz 46
9723 Ac Groningen

SOGITEC SA

France

Address

Immeuble Nobel 4 Rue Marcel Monge
92158 Suresnes

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI GENOVA

Italy

Address

Via Opera Pia 11 A
16145 Genova

WMD GMBH

Germany

Address

Vogt-cordes-damm 10
22453 Hamburg