DGNOnline and Group Logic have announced a collaboration tool aimed at the graphic design market, TeamProof. TeamProof is an "Interactive Conferencing Service" allowing geographically separated members to view and edit projects simultaneously. According to DGNOnline:
Offered by DGNOnline and called TeamProof, the service allows art directors, marketing managers, and production personnel in different locations to use their web browsers to simultaneously view and annotate graphic arts documents while talking on the telephone. DGNOnline's TeamProof solution offers an easy-to-use, web-based solution that allows graphic arts professionals to communicate quickly and effectively while providing fast review and approval of ready-for-print materials. TeamProof also provides valuable assistance in meeting today's tight deadlines for printing projects.
The DGNOnline TeamProof solution provides a freely distributable desktop application to users. The desktop application is a modified version of Group Logic's award-winning Imagexpo softproofing software. When users wish to participate in an interactive conference, they use their web browser to log-in to DGNOnline's TeamProof solution.
Working through the DGNOnline line portal site, a users creates a virtual meeting room and invite others to join in. As the participants log onto the virtual meeting using their web browser, their local DGNOnline version of the Imagexpo application is launched and connected to other participants through the DGNOnline service. Any documents to be shared are automatically opened within the Imagexpo application on all users' desktops.
Once all users have joined the virtual meeting, they can all see the shared documents on screen and can review them simultaneously while talking on the phone. As they talk, users can scroll, zoom, pan and move between documents. All changes to the view of the document are reflected instantly on all users' screens. Each user can make annotations on top of the document using a sophisticated set of object-oriented drawing tools. Annotations are visible instantly on all users' screens. Each user also has a "pointer"-a cursor they control-which is visible on other users' screens. The pointer allows them to bring other users' attention to a specific detail of the document being shared through the TeamProof solution.
The DGNOnline TeamProof service provides graphic arts professionals with an extremely fast way to review and approve graphic arts documents, such as brochures, catalogs, advertisements, magazines, packaging and photographs. By allowing up to 16 people to convene online and review documents together, TeamProof eliminates the need to travel to the same location to conduct reviews and give feedback. In doing so, it gives art directors, marketing personnel, creative directors, photographers and their printing, prepress, and design suppliers, a powerful tool to speed review and approval processes. With TeamProof, a few minutes is all it takes for:
- an art director to provide detailed feedback for last minute changes to a printer,
- a marketing associate to comment on the composition of a digital photo with a photographer
- a designer to review and annotate a package design to communicate a line extension to a prepress provider.
Expected to ship in Q2 2000, the TeamProof client will be free. Pricing for the service will be based on usage, and exact details were not made available to The Mac Observer at this time. You can find more information at the DGNOnline web site.
