CHICAGO - Cox Newspapers Inc. said it will roll out Digital Technology International’s newly introduced WebSpeed content management app at all of its 17 daily newspapers.

Installation of the software will be handled through a partnership between DTI and CoxNet. While the first Cox newspaper to install WebSpeed hasn’t been announced, DTI said several papers are expected to deploy the new software by the end of the year.

Left to right, Ed Hubbard, vice president of sales for Digital Technology International; Oyvind Orbaek, chief executive officer for Escenic; Rajiv Pant, chief technical officer for CoxNet; John Reetz, general manager for CoxNet; and Tonya D. Echols, director of business operations for CoxNet.
Photo: DTI
 

WebSpeed combines DTI’s Liquid Media integration platform with a Web publishing toolset from Escenic of Oslo, Norway. It enables papers to create dynamic Web page templates and manage the presentation of the content, according to Don Oldham, DTI’s chief executive officer.

DTI’s  Liquid Media platform, encompasses WebSpeed, AdSpeed, NewsSpeed and ClassSpeed and enables customers to post content for multiple media, ranging from print to mobile devices, without requiring format modifications, Oldham said.

 “The thirst for news is not declining, it is changing,” he said. “The need for advertisers to reach customers is not declining - it is changing. And it is changing in ways that do not favor print-only media.”

Cox is trying to expand its reach into multiple distribution channels, said John Reetz, general manager of CoxNet.

“The scalability of the system and experience in handling large volumes of newspaper content and feeds, the adaptability in handling other types of content, as well as the ability to feed multiple devices - PDAs, cell phones, etc. - are key reasons it was selected,” he said.

Cox already employs DTI’s advertising and editorial apps, and by standardizing on WebSpeed, the publisher will be able to capitalize on the common architecture for greater synergy between print and online content, DTI said.