ROXEN

“In a fast evolving media landscape, time to market is a critical factor, so if new technology is already commercially available, inventing the wheel over again is probably not the best use of resources. We recognized that an efficient, sustainable strategy for our editorial process would be based on assembling modular, best-of-breed components glued together with as little bespoke development as possible, back it up by 24/7 vendor support and have it delivered as a service”, says Petter Irgens Gustafson, CTO of NHST Media Group.

Norwegian Media House NHST found themselves facing three main alternatives when considering replacing the editorial CMS of their publications: Upgrading their legacy system to a later version or to another monolithic solution available from one of the big players, developing their own solution in-house, or assembling modular components into a solution that could meet their future requirements and budget.

Having turned the first alternative down due to complex inherent legacy technology and lock-ins, and also having precluded in-house development, NHST opted for a new editorial CMS solution based on modern technology and modular, standard components.

A thorough investigation of possible technology partners led NHST to Swedish developer Roxen with Roxen Editorial Portal and to Norwegian Aptoma with Dr Publish. NHST also employed Norwegian editorial workflow consultants TikkTakk to ensure an efficient workflow optimized to components and processes.

The NHST team and TikkTakk worked side by side with requirements while developers from Roxen and Aptoma integrated their technology with NHST’s existing technology stack using API:s and common interfaces. The result is a solution design based on simplicity, ease of use, efficiency and modularity.

“NHST’s new editorial process now rests soundly on the state of the art technology provided by our technology partners Roxen and Aptoma. Throughout the project they provided valuable architectural and problem-solving input as well as development and integration services. The project has been very successful and going forward, NHST’s publications can continue focusing on the editorial content knowing that almost 200 users have access to a set of modern tools unique to this industry”, says Ståle Bjerke Senior Workflow Architect at TikkTakk.

For Roxen and Aptoma, teaming up was was critical in order to successfully provide an end-to-end solution based on COTS (commercial, off-the-shelf software).

"Collaborating with NHST and Roxen on this unique integrated platform gave us the opportunity to be part of a refreshed end-to-end experience for editors and journalists based on modern technologies. The results speak for themselves, and we are proud to have been part of project that has succeeded in streamlining the print and digital workflow needs of journalists and editors within NHST, and look forward to developing this partnership further in the future", says Geir Berset of Aptoma.

“Putting our technology to test and use in a high-profile case like this has kept us on our toes and I am pleased with the end result. In the process, we have gained important insights into the evolving needs of our customers. This has helped develop our products in terms of functionality and interface further, something that benefits all Roxen users. We have also had a great time as members of an easy-going and professional project team that has managed to create a solution that pushes the boundaries for what can be achieved in this industry today”, says Per Östlund of Roxen.

For more information, please contact: 

Per Östlund
CEO, Roxen AB 
M:+46732303013 per.ostlund@roxen.com

Geir Berset 
CEO, Aptoma AS
+47 917 75 704 geir@aptoma.com

Petter Irgens Gustafson 
CTO, NHST Media Group AS
+47 92606 545 petter.irgens.gustafson@nhst.no

Ståle Bjerke 
Senior Workflow Architect, TikkTakk AS
+47 924 16 898 staale@tikktakk.no

About TikkTakk
With their wide experience in CMS- and optimization projects in Scandinavia, workflow and template-driven production is the main focus of the company. Advisory to increase the competence within a media house, to reach their goal of efficient communication with the right tools based on experience and proven results, is the foundation of what TikkTakk provides.

About Aptoma
Oslo-based Aptoma AS has been at the forefront of the Scandinavian newsroom for over a decade, transforming the front pages of Norwegian media with the launch of DrFront in 2005 and continually encouraging media organisations to embrace new technologies and push the boundaries of their products in order to deliver the best results possible for journalist and readers alike.

About Roxen
Based on its own award-winning and powerful content management software, Roxen Enterprise CMS, Roxen develops web-based editorial and content management tools for multi-channel publishing and audience engagement for media and corporate applications. Customers include Shaw Media (US), TC Transcontinental Media (CA), Direktpress (SE), Metrojornal (BR), Metro International (Intl), NHST Media Group (NO), Pagemasters (AU), ADP (NL), Princeton University (US) and Verizon (US).

Roxen was established in 1994 and is named one of Europe's most innovative technology ventures. The head office and development center is located in Linköping, Sweden. Roxen also has offices in Stockholm, Amsterdam and New York. For more information, visit www.roxen.com.