Global digital imaging company plugs Australian thinking" document

DNAML announces the commencement of a distribution deal with world-leading digital imaging company ACD Systems International Inc. (ACD) to coincide with the release of version 3 of its flagship DeskTopAuthor package.

Distribution deal

DNAML is capturing increasing attention abroad with its innovative electronic publishing solution DeskTopAuthor. A deal struck with ACD has resulted in DeskTopAuthor being incorporated as a plug-in to the award winning package ACDSee, through the use of ACDs Software Development Kit (SDK).

Other participants in ACDs SDK Partner Program include HP, Canon, Sanyo, Kodaks Ofoto and RealView 3D. ACD Systems imaging software is used by millions of consumers and over 33,000 corporate customers, including many Fortune 500 companies. This agreement with ACD signifies a major boost to the development of DeskTopAuthors market and to the global adoption of the DigitalWebBook format.

DeskTopAuthor is seen as a cost effective solution for sales and marketing managers, publishers, advertising agencies, print shops, web designers, small business owners and individuals who need to create high quality marketing materials to support online retail efforts.

According to a recent study by eMarketer, U.S. online retail sales of products and services grew from $27.3 billion in 2000 to $44.1 billion in 2002. Projections by Forrester Research indicate that the popularity of online purchasing is not limited to the U.S. as e-commerce in Europe is identified as growing at an annual rate of more than 100 percent.

It is for this reason that DeskTopAuthor is an ideal complement to ACDs existing suite of products.
Chair & CEO of ACD Systems, Doug Vandekerkhove said, As the number of online purchases continues to grow around the world, more and more businesses are recognizing the value of online marketing and looking for ways to effectively present their products on the Web. DeskTopAuthor 3.0 is an excellent program that adds to our growing list of third-party applications for businesses and professionals who require digital imaging software to enhance their online marketing strategies."

Practical, intuitive innovation

The inexpensive and easy-to-use DeskTopAuthor produces documents of small file size called DigitalWebBooks (DWBs) that may be easily emailed, made downloadable from a website or distributed on CD (or floppy disk).

Users viewing DWBs, navigate between pages rather like a physical book, using a simple point and click method. Index links enable quick access to others pages within the documents, while links to email and to websites, encourage further viewer interactivity.

Zero programming ability is assumed and authors with little PC experience can get started quickly with in-built templates and buttons. Fast production of professional looking documents is assisted by intuitive editing tools within the software.

Any type of document can be created to suit requirement - eBooks, eBrochures, photo albums, presentations, corporate profiles, manuals and more...

Brains Inside!

The newly released forms feature acts like a "brain" within a document. Authors can embed direct response items within their DWBs by either requesting users to enter information (using input fields) or select from a number of set responses (from drop-down menus, tick boxes and multi-selection boxes).

This information may be evaluated from within the document, providing the user with a "result" that may be reviewed and sent to the author via email or to a database at the click of a button.

The unique part is that a company can engage a customer from their inbox or desktop rather than via a website; it's like traditional direct marketing but with the benefit of electronic delivery.

Some applications that we have thought of are as follows:

•   Questionnaires, tests, quizzes
•   Entry forms
•   Application forms
•   Enquiry forms
•   Booking forms
•   Customer feedback forms
•   Subscription forms
•   Membership forms
•   Surveys
•   Competitions

Other new features

Apart from the introduction of Eazy-Forms, DeskTopAuthor now has:

•   New User Interface -- simplified, easy navigation
•   In-built templates -- to get the author started quickly
•   In-built buttons -- to help with simple page construction
•   Multi-selection feature -- to assist with efficient page layout and manipulation
•   Disable feature for Print and SendMail facilities -- helps further protect content

Savings and revenue generation?

Savings are made on print and distribution costs associated with traditional media and publishers may choose to allow the documents to circulate freely (and be simply passed on by users with no expenditure on advertising) or to restrict distribution using a Digital Rights Management (DRM) solution called eBookWrap (visit www.eBook.com for further information). The latter also has the benefit of enabling publishers to charge users for the delivery of content, hence enabling revenue-generation.

Product price and availability

DeskTopAuthor 3.0 is available as from the DNAML website and costs Australian$195.00 per single machine license. For more information or to download a Trial version of DeskTopAuthor, please visit www.desktopauthor.com.

Recommended system requirements for DeskTop Author include: Windows 98/2000/ME/XP, 32 MB RAM, Pentium class processor, and 4 MB free hard drive space.

About DNAML Pty Limited
In operation since 1999 and based in Fox Studios Sydney, Australia, DNAML Pty Limited, continues to lead innovation in the field of electronic publishing with its flagship DeskTop Author package based on the DigitalWebBook format. Building on exponential growth in its customer base and widespread acceptance of the 3D page-turning document format in 2002, DNAML is releasing the next generation of the software that incorporates major new features together with improved performance. For further information please visit www.desktopauthor.com.

About ACD Systems International Inc.
Headquartered in British Columbia since 1993, ACD Systems International (TSX:ASA) is one of the world's leading developers and marketers of digital imaging software. ACD has penetrated the global marketplace through advanced Internet distribution and strategic partnerships with manufacturers and developers. ACD has millions of consumer users and over 33,000 corporate customers including many Fortune 500 companies. The company has a history of solid revenue growth. For further details, please visit us at our corporate web site www.ACDSYSTEMS.com.

Contact for Investors   Contact for Media

Adam Schmidt   Richard Springhall
Fox Studios Australia   Fox Studios Australia
Moore Park,   Moore Park,
NSW 1363   NSW 1363

adam@dnaml.com   richard@dnaml.com

Tel: +61 2 8353 3681   Tel: +61 2 8353 3680
Fax: +61 2 8353 3683   Fax: +61 2 8353 3683