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Silicon Publishing Makes Publishing Workflows Easier And More Powerful

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Silicon Publishing is one of the few companies investing heavily in making database publishing easier and more powerful than ever before. Silicon Publishing automates online editing and page composition processes. Below is our interview with Max Dunn, CEO of Silicon Publishing:

Max Dunn

Q: Who are the primary users of Silicon Publishing software products and what are some of the key challenges you are helping them solve?

A: We have an extremely broad user base because we automate InDesign and InDesign Server, so it really boils down to “whoever uses InDesign” which includes anyone making documents that print these days: magazines, catalogs, greeting cards, books, you name it!

We started out solving database publishing challenges. When InDesign Server came out, we expanded to web to print solutions, building online editing systems for large companies such as Hallmark and Amazon, but also for small printers and franchises branding their own collateral.

With our Silicon Connector product, we’ve gone to an even broader user base, as Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems are on the rise, and our technology connects InDesign to DAMs far better than any alternative out there. But beyond InDesign, we also solve that same connectivity challenge for Photoshop and Illustrator users as well.


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Q: You’ve recently announced the newest version of your Silicon Connector series; tell us something more?

A: There are actually 18 different products coming out: yes, we have Connectors for 18 different DAMs now. The thing we’re releasing for all of our Connectors (most of them this month) is support for the latest Adobe Creative Cloud version, CC 2017. With this upgraded release, many of the DAMs have enhancements. For example, our Silicon Connector for Box now lets users relink folders, which is a huge help in migration for those starting to use Box to manage graphics and other digital assets in the cloud.

Silicon Publishing Cloud Connector
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Q: Could you explain the function and advantages of Silicon Connector for Adobe CC 2017?

A: All Connectors provide a true URL-based link from Adobe InDesign. That is the very core feature: we have a unique and powerful plugin that makes DAM-based assets easy to work with: the assets stay in the DAM and InDesign points to them directly. This can save hours every week of a designer’s life. Links sound like they’re very simple, but making true URL-based links work from within InDesign is a challenge nobody else has solved. That is why Connector is becoming a de facto standard in the DAM space.

Beyond the connectivity, it really varies from DAM to DAM. Most Connectors have the ability to search and navigate the DAM without leaving the Creative Cloud apps, while some support advanced features such as revision management and workflow triggers. Each Connector has a feature set driven by the DAM partner and their users, and it’s fun to see the different ways they evolve.

Two of the new ones coming out that we’re quite proud of are the Silicon Connectors for MediaValet and DALIM. MediaValet has a very unique and beautiful user interface, consistent with their DAM, while DALIM has many refined features we’ve honed over months based on intensive user feedback and testing.

Silicon Publishing Featured
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Q: What are your plans for 2017?

A: We are going to complete some more Connectors for a few more DAMs, but there really aren’t that many left. We also look forward to enhancing the Connectors we’ve already built. With thousands of users, we have plenty of feedback and some great ideas for new features. We have substantially grown our team of developers for Connector, and we have enhanced our processes for updates and support. Plus, we’re now starting to connect our Silicon Designer product specifically to each of the DAMs that have Connector, so DAM users can edit their InDesign documents online.

Q: What do you find most interesting and rewarding in terms of running Silicon Publishing?

A: I am honored to work with software engineers of this caliber. People like Olav Martin Kvern used to be distant idols I hoped to meet some day, now he’s been here five years and has taken our software to new heights. Our DAM partners, too, have been wonderful and the collaboration has brought the Connector product family to a place where it’s really making thousands of users happy. Ultimately that’s our goal: to make publishing workflows easier and more powerful; and together with our partners it feels like we’re attaining this, though there are always plenty of new things to do.

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