Shipping next month, this platform enables developers and integrators to build enterprise publishing systems based on Adobe Creative Suite 2.Adobe Systems Inc. next month will release InDesign Server CS2, a new automated publishing platform that will make the design and typography features of InDesign available to enterprise publishing systems. Adobe described some of the features of InDesign Server CS2 at its Partners in Publishing Conference Tuesday in San Francisco.
"InDesign Server is the newest addition to the Adobe platform," said Gary Cosimini, development director of Adobe's Creative Pro Business Unit. "It shares the code base of InDesign and has most of the same capabilities."
Adobe will market InDesign Server CS2 through third-party OEMs, who will be able to create systems such as editorial workflow, collateral production and Web-based publishing. Adobe will not sell the server directly to customers.
InDesign Server CS2 will have the same kind of output capabilities as the user version of InDesign and will be able to create prepress-quality CMYK files. While the server runs jobs, it logs errors, such as those created by missing elements, while continuing to process the job. Cosimini said that InDesign Server could continue running and logging errors for over 30 days without stopping a job.
Cosimini said that InDesign Server CS2 will have no graphical user interface. Developers and system integrators could add a user interface, but the server is designed to be controlled by programming code. This includes JavaScript, AppleScript and VBScript, as well as C++. Adobe will provide an API for SOAP (Small Object Access Protocol), a standard based on XML that enables different types of software to interact.
Click here to read about recent enhancements Adobe has made to LiveCycle, its PDF workflow server.
Quark Inc. already uses SOAP to enable third-party applications to access items stored on a Quark Digital Media Server, which stores and manages digital assets. It does this through a programming interface called the Quark SOAP Integration Framework. The Quark Digital Media Server is based on the Oracle 9i database engine.
Quark's other major server product, the Quark Dynamic Document Server (Quark DDS), is closer to InDesign Server CS2, although it is sold directly to users. Quark DDS lets users create templates and pages using a Web interface.
InDesign Server CS2 does not include a database like the Quark Digital Media Server but can be integrated with one. Like Quark DDS, InDesign Server CS2 will enable Web-based production like Quark DDS. Unlike the Quark solutions, InDesign Server is not focused on any one user task. Adobe is leaving it up to the OEMs to come up with a broad range of solutions.
InDesign Server CS2 will run on Win 2000 Server, Windows Server 2003, and Mac OS X Server, version 10.3 and later. Cosimini also said that Adobe is investigating porting the server to the upcoming Intel-based Macs, and is currently testing Apple's Intel developer platform.
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