QueManager News
Press Releases:
HOWARD KIRSCH JOINS DIAQUEST AS MARKET DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
June 28, 2011
WTHR INTEGRATES QUEMANAGER WITH ENPS NEWSROOM
SYSTEM FOR EASY GRAPHICS ORDER MANAGEMENT
April 26, 2011
DIAQUEST DEBUTS QUEMANAGER AT 2011 NAB SHOW
March 29, 2011
COX MEDIA GROUP COUNTS ON DIAQUEST QUEMANAGER FOR EFFICIENT GRAPHICS ORDER SYSTEM IN NEWSROOMS
November 3, 2010
DIAQUEST UNVEILS QUEMANAGER SOFTWARE FOR APPLE FINAL CUT SERVER 1.5 NEWSROOM SYSTEMS
September 28, 2010
HOWARD KIRSCH JOINS DIAQUEST AS MARKET DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
EMERYVILLE, CALIF., June 28, 2011 – Diaquest Products, a software development firm with a focus on the video and film industries, has hired Howard Kirsch as its new market development manager, effective June 13. He will be promoting sales of QueManager, an affordable graphics order management system (OMS) for newsroom applications, as well as developing relationships with vendors and customers.
Kirsch has extensive experience in the television broadcast industry, including engineering and technical positions with ABC and NBC News in New York, as well as KRON in San Francisco. He also served as a sales manager for ParkerVision and district sales manager for JVC Professional Products Company. Most recently, he was director of sales for E-N-G Mobile Systems in Concord, Calif.
“We are very proud to welcome Howard to the Diaquest team,” said Dave Van Hoy, president of Diaquest Products. “As a veteran of the broadcast industry, he truly understands the importance of workflow efficiencies that can be attained by broadcasters through QueManager and other Diaquest services. Plus, his experience in engineering and sales makes him a very valuable resource for our company.”
Kirsch will be based at the company’s Emeryville office and can be contacted at (510) 547-4544 or via e-mail at howard@diaquest.com.
About Diaquest:
Based in Emeryville, Calif., Diaquest Products LLC has been developing mission critical software for the video, film, and broadcast industries since 1982. The company develops software as an OEM for several manufacturers, as well as custom software tools for a variety of clients. In addition to software development, Diaquest provides professional-level support of related software and hardware products. Find out more at www.diaquest.com or call (510) 547-4544.
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WTHR INTEGRATES QUEMANAGER WITH ENPS NEWSROOM
SYSTEM FOR EASY GRAPHICS ORDER MANAGEMENT
EMERYVILLE, CALIF., April 26, 2011 – Diaquest Products, a software development firm with a focus on the video and film industries, announced today that WTHR, the NBC affiliate serving Indianapolis (DMA #27), has integrated its QueManager Web-based graphics order management system (OMS) with an ENPS newsroom computer system. The station, which is owned by Dispatch Broadcast Group in Columbus, Ohio, went online with QueManager in February.
QueManager is an affordable OMS software add-on for Apple Final Cut Server 1.5 that can be integrated with ENPS or iNEWS via plug-ins. Through a simple GUI, it provides an easy way to search and browse assets, generate orders, assign projects, and deliver finished graphics for broadcast. It can installed as a direct (yet more robust) replacement for Proximity Artbox or used instead of proprietary asset management systems in other newsrooms.
Randy White, WTHR operations manager, said the station needed to replace its aging Proximity Artbox software, which was having operating issues and was no longer supported by the manufacturer. During the installation, Diaquest was able to extract all of WTHR's Artbox environments and metadata and incorporate them into QueManager without disrupting station operations.
At WTHR, QueManager is used almost exclusively by about 10 producers to produce over-the-shoulder news graphics. Producers access the software through ENPS and use it to find graphics that can be used for specific stories. If no graphics are appropriate, they can request the design of a new one. When the graphic is complete, a producer can add or update CG text through QueManager so it is ready for air.
The QueManager interface is almost identical to Artbox, so WTHR producers did not need to be retrained. White said each of them adapted to the new system very well. In fact, he said the move to QueManager from Artbox was almost entirely transparent to the producers – except the system now worked reliably. "It's working perfectly for what we wanted it to do," he added.
About Diaquest:
Based in Emeryville, Calif., Diaquest Products LLC has been developing mission critical software for the video, film, and broadcast industries since 1982. The company develops software as an OEM for several manufacturers, as well as custom software tools for a variety of clients. In addition to software development, Diaquest provides professional-level support of related software and hardware products. Find out more at www.diaquest.com or call (510) 547-4544.
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DIAQUEST DEBUTS QUEMANAGER AT 2011 NAB SHOW
New Software Add-On for Apple Final Cut Server Provides Seamless Transition for Proximity Artbox Installations
EMERYVILLE, CALIF., March 29, 2011 – Diaquest Products, a software development firm with a focus on the video and film industries, will showcase QueManager, its affordable graphics order management system (OMS), for the first time at the 2011 NAB Show, which runs April 11-14 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev. The software add-on, which can be integrated via plug-ins with Avid® iNEWS® newsroom computer systems, will be demonstrated in the Integrated News area in Avid’s booth (South Hall, Booth SU902).
Designed for Apple Final Cut Server 1.5 in newsroom applications, QueManager provides a Web-based order system that can be integrated with iNEWS or ENPS. Through a simple GUI, it offers easy access to the most needed tools for asset searches and browsing, as well as order requests, job assignment, review and approval, and publishing. The system can be set to operate based on deadlines or a broadcast schedule, coordinate multiple stations within one system, and automatically deliver approved graphics.
Built as a robust replacement for Proximity Artbox software, which is no longer available, QueManager can be setup to directly import Artbox databases and assets for a seamless transition. It also offers new workflows that utilize Final Cut Server, including integration with Apple Xsan and other centralized storage systems, as well as support for image sequences, editorial applications, and a wide range of CODECs.
QueManager has already been successfully integrated into several broadcast facilities. Last year, Cox Media Group (CMG) adopted QueManager to replace its Proximity Artbox installations in seven stations and duopolies, and is expected to implement the software in some of its smaller stations this year. The software can be integrated with the station group’s iNEWS and Deko® graphics systems, providing an efficient workflow for managing over-the-shoulder and other broadcast graphics. QueManager also offers support for other broadcast CG systems, including Chyron and Pixel Power.
“We are excited to demonstrate QueManager for NAB attendees for the first time,” said Dave Van Hoy, president of Diaquest Products. “With simplified searches and order requests, as well as delivery of approved assets for broadcast, QueManager adds the OMS that makes Final Cut Server an indispensible tool for newsroom graphics. We are very excited to be in Avid’s booth as their partner.”
Bill Hadsell, product manager for Avid On-Air Graphics, said, ”This is the solution that our customers have been waiting for ever since the Artbox end of life was announced. We look forward to working with Diaquest and the QueManager product to support specific needs in the market around graphics asset and order management.”
Avid, iNEWS, Deko, Interplay, Media Composer, Pro Tools, ISIS, Sibelius and Pinnacle Studio are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries.
About Diaquest:
Based in Emeryville, Calif., Diaquest Products LLC has been developing mission critical software for the video, film, and broadcast industries since 1982. The company develops software as an OEM for several manufacturers, as well as custom software tools for a variety of clients. In addition to software development, Diaquest provides professional-level support of related software and hardware products. Find out more at www.diaquest.com or call (510) 547-4544.
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COX MEDIA GROUP COUNTS ON DIAQUEST QUEMANAGER FOR EFFICIENT GRAPHICS ORDER SYSTEM IN NEWSROOMS
EMERYVILLE, CALIF., November 3, 2010 – Diaquest Products, a software development firm with a focus on the video and film industries, today announced that Cox Media Group (CMG) has adopted QueManager, a new graphics order management system (OMS) for Apple Final Cut Server 1.5 newsroom systems, to replace its Proximity Artbox installations. The new software add-on, which can be integrated with the station group’s Avid iNews newsroom computer systems and Deko graphics systems, provides an efficient workflow for managing over-the-shoulder and other broadcast graphics.
QueManager has been or will be installed in seven CMG stations and duopolies by the end of November: KTVU, San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose (DMA #6); WSB, Atlanta (DMA #8); KIRO, Seattle/Tacoma (DMA #13); WFTV/WRDQ, Orlando, Fla. (DMA #19); WPXI, Pittsburgh (DMA #23); WSOC/WAXN, Charlotte, N.C. (DMA #24); and WHIO, Dayton, Ohio (DMA #65). According to Chip Reif, engineering manager for WFTV/WRDQ, CMG plans to implement QueManager in some of its smaller stations in 2011.
With development stalled on the Artbox product years ago, CMG stations needed a new way to search its graphics library for images that would enhance its news stories. “Artbox was a product that plugged in and it worked,” said Reif. “What we really wanted was a product that would give us that same degree of reliability. As we changed from the workflow of Artbox to QueManager, no one noticed. It was that seamless.”
Every news story has its own life cycle. A local accident might have a life cycle of one day, for example, while a national disaster can have a life cycle of a week or more. “What you want to do is take an image and use it throughout the life cycle of the news story,” Reif explained, “and yet change the words to update what is occurring. Anytime the audience sees that graphic image, they know what the story will be about.”
QueManager helps make that process more efficient by allowing CMG producers to search thumbnails of existing graphics and attach the finished graphics to stories in Avid iNews. When used with the Deko ActiveX plug-in, producers can also add titles to a graphic, which can be updated throughout the story’s life cycle without requesting new graphics each time from the graphics department.
Producers can also place an order for a new graphic through QueManager if they cannot find an image in the archives that works for the story. While Artbox required support materials to be e-mailed to the graphic artist, QueManager allows existing graphics, notes, and other materials to be attached directly to the order.
Reif said CMG will be able to measure its return on investment (ROI) through efficiency and accuracy. He said QueManager reduces the labor required for the people who have to interact with graphics, which frees up station personnel to perform other tasks. As a result, it also has reduced spelling and other human errors.
QueManager provides a Web-based order system that can be integrated with ENPS or iNews newsroom computer systems via plug-ins. The software add-on offers easy access to the most needed tools for asset searches and browsing, as well as order requests, job assignment, review and approval, and publishing. Not only does Que Manager provide a robust replacement for existing Artbox applications, it offers new workflows that utilize Final Cut Server, including integration with Apple Xsan and other centralized storage systems, as well as support for image sequences, editorial applications, and a wide range of CODECs.
About Diaquest:
Based in Emeryville, Calif., Diaquest Products LLC has been developing mission critical software for the video, film, and broadcast industries since 1982. The company develops software as an OEM for several manufacturers, as well as custom software tools for a variety of clients. In addition to software development, Diaquest provides professional-level support of related software and hardware products. Find out more at www.diaquest.com or call (510) 547-4544.
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DIAQUEST UNVEILS QUEMANAGER SOFTWARE FOR APPLE FINAL CUT SERVER 1.5 NEWSROOM SYSTEMS
New Add-On Serves as Replacement for Proximity Artbox Installations
EMERYVILLE, CALIF., September 28, 2010 – Diaquest Products, a software development firm with a focus on the video and film industries, today announced the introduction of QueManager, an affordable software add-on that provides a graphics order management system (OMS) for Apple Final Cut Server 1.5 in newsroom applications. It offers easy access to the most needed tools for asset searches and browsing, as well as order requests, job assignment, review and approval, and publishing.
Built in the tradition of Proximity Artbox, QueManager provides a Web-based order system that can be integrated with iNews or ENPS newsroom computer systems via plug-ins. Asset searches and order requests are done from a simple GUI in the QueManager plug-in or a Web browser. The system can be set to operate based on deadlines or a broadcast schedule, coordinate multiple stations within one system, and automatically deliver approved graphics.
Once reviewed and approved, assets are automatically transcoded (if necessary) and delivered to a variety of output devices. QueManager offers support for several broadcast CG systems, including Avid TitleDeko HD, Pixel Power, Chyron, and others.
Not only does QueManager provide a robust replacement for existing Artbox applications, it can be setup to directly import Artbox databases and assets for a seamless transition. QueManager also offers new workflows that utilize Final Cut Server, including integration with Apple Xsan and other centralized storage systems, as well as support for image sequences, editorial applications, and a wide range of CODECS. In a broadcast environment that primarily uses Mac or Windows-based artist tools, QueManager with Final Cut Server can replace proprietary asset management systems. The system also provides cross platform support, so it can manage any mix of desktop clients in the newsroom and creative areas.
“Final Cut Server offers digital asset management with workflow management for broadcast at an attractive price point for broadcasters,” said Dave Van Hoy, president of Diaquest Products. “Our new QueManager adds the OMS to make Final Cut Server an indispensible tool for newsroom graphics. QueManager simplifies searches and order requests, allows you to prioritize those requests, and then delivers approved assets to the CG for broadcast automatically.”
QueManager, which has already been successfully integrated into several broadcast facilities, is available for $20,000, including installation, plus $5,000 for Avid iNews or ENPS integration.
About Diaquest:
Based in Emeryville, Calif., Diaquest Products LLC has been developing mission critical software for the video, film, and broadcast industries since 1982. The company develops software as an OEM for several manufacturers, as well as custom software tools for a variety of clients. In addition to software development, Diaquest provides professional-level support of related software and hardware products. Find out more at www.diaquest.com or call (510) 547-4544.
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