When I walk into a publisher, the most frequent question is what production management tools are available for publishers.
The book publishing specific tools - such as those offered by Klopotek for publishers with sales over $30M USD, Vista or Quality Solutions are often too expensive or hard to customize.
The one tool that small and mid-sized publishers use most often is FileMaker. FileMaker is an affordable database program designed for ease of use and the software that we recommend to small and mid-sized publishers looking for a solution that they can customize to meet their needs.
At http://www.filemaker.com/solutions/customers/industry/printing_publishing.html you can find stories about publishers that use FileMaker.
These include; Harvard University Press (a scholarly and trade publisher), Rebus (a medical publisher), and Holt, Rinehart and Winston (a text book publisher) .
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
IT Security - External Threats #2
One of the biggest threats to security occurs when managers access their corporate systems from remote PCs, which may or may not be secure.
Currently, we are recommeding that employees of our larger clients use an IRONKEY usb flashdrive with hardware security and 128 digit encryption to initiate all remote accesses.
Why?
"It starts with the onboard IronKey Password Manager. As you visit your online sites, the Password Manager will ask you if you want it to remember your usernames and passwords. These are then stored with hardware encryption on the IronKey drive.
When you wish to log back into one of your accounts, the Password Manager compares the website that you are visiting with the website where you originally entered your password. If they match, the Password Manager enters your password for you without you having to type it in. If they do not match, then you may be on a phishing site, and the Password Manager will not enter the password for you.
This gives you simple but effective protection against phishing attacks and spyware that tracks your keystrokes."
Currently, we are recommeding that employees of our larger clients use an IRONKEY usb flashdrive with hardware security and 128 digit encryption to initiate all remote accesses.
Why?
"It starts with the onboard IronKey Password Manager. As you visit your online sites, the Password Manager will ask you if you want it to remember your usernames and passwords. These are then stored with hardware encryption on the IronKey drive.
When you wish to log back into one of your accounts, the Password Manager compares the website that you are visiting with the website where you originally entered your password. If they match, the Password Manager enters your password for you without you having to type it in. If they do not match, then you may be on a phishing site, and the Password Manager will not enter the password for you.
This gives you simple but effective protection against phishing attacks and spyware that tracks your keystrokes."
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
IT Security - External Threats #1
Recently we reviewed the IT security systems for a publisher, who shall remain nameless, that had just undergone an audit by a CPA firm. The CPA firm overlooked a major hole in the publisher's management information system (MIS) security.
In our experience, 95% of security threats are internal (employees of the company) and 5% are external (hackers, viruses and worms).
ERP solutions, that store data in encrypted files are relatively secure against external threats provided that the external threat (i.e. hacker) can't gain access to a user id and password that allows access to the system and the user id that allows access to the ERP software.
At this publisher, we found that although the internal systems were secure managers who accessed the system's web site interface remotely were often doing so via systems that had expired internet security and firewall software or in two cases had turned off the security software on their laptop (as they said that it slowed their internet access).
With the security software on the external laptop turned off or expired, it would have been relatively easy for a hacker - perhaps using keyboard logging software - to obtain a copy of the user's userid and password as he entered it.
IT managers need to review and secure external internet access with an integrated set of policies, procedures, software and hardware designed to protect the company's property and customers.
In our experience, 95% of security threats are internal (employees of the company) and 5% are external (hackers, viruses and worms).
ERP solutions, that store data in encrypted files are relatively secure against external threats provided that the external threat (i.e. hacker) can't gain access to a user id and password that allows access to the system and the user id that allows access to the ERP software.
At this publisher, we found that although the internal systems were secure managers who accessed the system's web site interface remotely were often doing so via systems that had expired internet security and firewall software or in two cases had turned off the security software on their laptop (as they said that it slowed their internet access).
With the security software on the external laptop turned off or expired, it would have been relatively easy for a hacker - perhaps using keyboard logging software - to obtain a copy of the user's userid and password as he entered it.
IT managers need to review and secure external internet access with an integrated set of policies, procedures, software and hardware designed to protect the company's property and customers.
Friday, August 24, 2007
New Software Vendors - Risks and Benefits
Looking at a new software vendor, a vendor with a small but growing customer base?
At Kensai International, Ltd. we tend to prefer established vendors with a customer base of 100 or more publishers, that said solutions from new vendors usually offer unique advantages over that of more established vendors.
These advantages include;
a. Features not offered by their larger competitors.
Example, iPub ( http://www.ipubtech.com/ ) and HiPoint ( http://www.hisoftwareinc.com/ )solutions offer integrated EDI processing, a feature for which some competitors charge $15 to $25K.
b. Newer Technology
New vendors are more likely to have software built using the latest software development tools.
c. Lower Pricing
With newer solutions that have a small customer base there is a risk that they will be here today and gone tomorrow.
To evaluate this risk we recommend that a publisher consider three factors;
At Kensai International, Ltd. we tend to prefer established vendors with a customer base of 100 or more publishers, that said solutions from new vendors usually offer unique advantages over that of more established vendors.
These advantages include;
a. Features not offered by their larger competitors.
Example, iPub ( http://www.ipubtech.com/ ) and HiPoint ( http://www.hisoftwareinc.com/ )solutions offer integrated EDI processing, a feature for which some competitors charge $15 to $25K.
b. Newer Technology
New vendors are more likely to have software built using the latest software development tools.
c. Lower Pricing
With newer solutions that have a small customer base there is a risk that they will be here today and gone tomorrow.
To evaluate this risk we recommend that a publisher consider three factors;
- Is their customer base growing?
- Can they cover their operating expenses?
- Do they have "glowing" references?
Monday, May 28, 2007
SAP Book Publishing Software
SAP's book publishing software offers two unique advantages when compared to other solutions.
First, it offers the most highly customizable software solution available for book publishers that want a customized solution. When Random House realized they a customized rights solution for their unique needs they were able to construct a customized solution in SAP. Standardized software for larger publishers; such as IBS Bookmaster or Klopotek, does not offer this flexibility.
Second, SAP is multilingual. Workstations in Japan, Germany, United States, Russia and France can access a centralized database in their own language. This feature allows a multinational publishing company to standardize their operations around a single solution that provides management with real time information on their global operations.
That said, in our experience, SAP is best suited for large book publishing companies with sales or $100M+ USD. Why? In the past we have suggested that multilnational publishers with sales of $30M to $75M contact SAP. SAP was not interested in dealing with them, and recommended that they seek other solution providers.
First, it offers the most highly customizable software solution available for book publishers that want a customized solution. When Random House realized they a customized rights solution for their unique needs they were able to construct a customized solution in SAP. Standardized software for larger publishers; such as IBS Bookmaster or Klopotek, does not offer this flexibility.
Second, SAP is multilingual. Workstations in Japan, Germany, United States, Russia and France can access a centralized database in their own language. This feature allows a multinational publishing company to standardize their operations around a single solution that provides management with real time information on their global operations.
That said, in our experience, SAP is best suited for large book publishing companies with sales or $100M+ USD. Why? In the past we have suggested that multilnational publishers with sales of $30M to $75M contact SAP. SAP was not interested in dealing with them, and recommended that they seek other solution providers.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Cats Pajamas Signs 4 New Contracts
Four publishers selected the Cats Pajamas software offered by the Media Services Group.
The publishers are:
New York Botanical Gardens Press, the largest publishing program of any independent botanical garden in the world.
Smithsonian Books which will use Cat's Pajamas to calculate and process rights and royalties.
Kumon Publishing North America, a subsidiary of Kumon Publishing Corporation, an educational publisher founded in Japan in 1988.
Eastern Washington University Press
The publishers are:
New York Botanical Gardens Press, the largest publishing program of any independent botanical garden in the world.
Smithsonian Books which will use Cat's Pajamas to calculate and process rights and royalties.
Kumon Publishing North America, a subsidiary of Kumon Publishing Corporation, an educational publisher founded in Japan in 1988.
Eastern Washington University Press
Bookmaster Selected by EMC Paradigm Publishing
PRESS RELEASE
EMC Paradigm Publishing signs a software license agreement for IBS Bookmaster software.
EMC Paradigm Publishing, which recently celebrated fifty years in the publishing industry, has signed a software and services agreement with IBS to install the world-leading software suite for publishers – IBS Bookmaster. The new system will include financials, book production, inventory control, warehouse management, subscription management, royalties and retail management.
“The IBS Bookmaster software suite will help take our publishing business to the next level, while making us more competitive and more efficient,” states Pat McKeown, Director of Information Systems, EMC Paradigm Publishing. “We are especially looking forward to the Book Production Module that will be able to track our process from inception to final printing. Throughout the evaluation process, we felt that the IBS Bookmaster software was the most comprehensive of all the software applications we looked at.”
About EMC/Paradigm Publishing
For more than 50 years, EMC Paradigm Publishing has been committed to developing quality educational materials and providing personalized service to educators. Their School Division offers textbook programs in World Languages, Business Education, Literature, and Language Arts with supplementary and multimedia materials. The College Division offers textbook programs in Computer Technology, Allied Health, Accounting, Office Technology, Distance Learning, Staff Development and Biotechnology with supplementary and multimedia materials. EMC has customers throughout the US and Canada.
IBS North America, March 15, 2007
EMC Paradigm Publishing signs a software license agreement for IBS Bookmaster software.
EMC Paradigm Publishing, which recently celebrated fifty years in the publishing industry, has signed a software and services agreement with IBS to install the world-leading software suite for publishers – IBS Bookmaster. The new system will include financials, book production, inventory control, warehouse management, subscription management, royalties and retail management.
“The IBS Bookmaster software suite will help take our publishing business to the next level, while making us more competitive and more efficient,” states Pat McKeown, Director of Information Systems, EMC Paradigm Publishing. “We are especially looking forward to the Book Production Module that will be able to track our process from inception to final printing. Throughout the evaluation process, we felt that the IBS Bookmaster software was the most comprehensive of all the software applications we looked at.”
About EMC/Paradigm Publishing
For more than 50 years, EMC Paradigm Publishing has been committed to developing quality educational materials and providing personalized service to educators. Their School Division offers textbook programs in World Languages, Business Education, Literature, and Language Arts with supplementary and multimedia materials. The College Division offers textbook programs in Computer Technology, Allied Health, Accounting, Office Technology, Distance Learning, Staff Development and Biotechnology with supplementary and multimedia materials. EMC has customers throughout the US and Canada.
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