Merlin Content Manager

Production, Archiving and
Picture Desk Management

   

Merlin is designed for today’s demanding publishing environments: one place to manage and archive all content for both print and multi-media, one place to share content across a department or enterprise and one source to repackage content for new uses and revenue.

With Merlin you can:

    • Manage millions of objects

    • Rely on fault-tolerant MSync systems

    • Build huge enterprise-scale configurations or
        focused departmental solutions

    • Use fast, precise industry-specific search tools

    • Create easy, flexible, drag & drop workflows

    • Link pages with the source objects that appear on it

    • Link objects to the original assignment,
        out-takes and rights information

    • Import RAW camera files   

    • Run content and system usage reports

    • And much more...

Merlin is configurable, flexible, and extensible, and will
let you handle both print & web file formats,

    • Photos: JPEG, TIFF, PSD, RAW and others

    • Graphics: TIFF, EPS or native formats like Illustrator(tm)

        or Freehand(tm)

    • PDF files with full-text indexing and searchable content

    • Multi-media files such as QuickTime(tm), .mp3, .wav, .avi

    • Text as ascii, XML, SGML, and HTML

.....and web & professional video formats with Merlin Video

Merlin supports other industry standards like IPTC and XMP. Merlin uses SQL databases running off-the-shelf operating systems and standard hardware platforms. Users can access content from any web browser, and power users creating and maintaining content can use the Merlin rich client application on a Macintosh(tm) or Windows(tm) computer. Merlin systems easily fit into almost any IT environment.

Merlin’s MSync software solves the need to have a highly fault tolerant system, even one which has geographically dispersed components. Using intelligent replication, all Merlin data between two or more hardware systems (independent CPU and disk storage on each) is completely redundant. It accommodates asymmetrical hardware selection and MSync does not require enterprise versions of database or operating system software, significantly reducing the total cost of ownership. MSync can be set up so if the primary server hardware fails, the secondary server takes over and users continue working as if nothing has happened. Once the primary server is back on-line, the secondary system syncs it up, and operation returns to normal.

Trax is the comprehensive solution for managing staff assignment requests, schedules, resale and usage rights. Create and manage assignments for photos, graphics, lab work and optionally, library research requests all within Trax.

Via a simple web browser, everyone has around-the-clock access to view or update any request. Integrated automated email makes it easy to reach photographers in the field with wireless PDAs or web-enabled cell phones. A built-in contact database stores names, numbers and addresses in one place for fast access to the right people for each project.

Scrounger Digital photo out-take management

By managing digital camera workflow and out-takes with Scrounger, publishers can preserve, manage and archive every frame shot on assignment ensuring that the original image content is quickly available for editors and production.

After each assignment, image files are “swept” from digital camera cards, CDs or photographer computers and redundantly stored to eliminate any single point of failure. Photographers can file RAW camera files or JPEGs. Photos are captioned, edited and sent to production from any web browser. Scrounger contact sheets are automatically linked to the Trax assignment and to the edited pictures in a Merlin Content Management System.

Different options. One Merlin workflow.

An integrated solution that saves time and speeds production

Merlin, Trax and Scrounger can be used independently, and with great benefit.

But together they combine to create a unique and completely integrated workflow.

Information is entered once and shared among the products, linking content and

related information. For example:

    • You search and find a story in Merlin

    • Click and see the page and all the photos and graphics for that assignment

    • Click again to see the original assignment contacts and rights information

    • Looking for a new angle? Click and see every photo from the shoot

    • As you find related items, drag & drop them into a project folder

    • When done, drag & drop the project folder to the editor's "in" folder

    • Then drag & drop the selected content to production for a follow-up