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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Guide Weather Subscribe Contact Us December 21, 2004 Tidings set for upcoming Internet initiative Staff reports As part of Ottaway Newspapers Inc. Internet initiative, the Ashland Daily Tidings confirmed today that it would soon outfit its newsroom with the latest in computer technology. "Our readers have trusted us to deliver news that matters to their front doors for seven decades," said John N. Wilcox, president and chief operating officer of Ottaway. "Now, people expect to get the news on their desktops, laptops and cell phones not only once a day but whenever it breaks." Ottaway recently signed contracts with Harris & Baseview to install the Jazbox content management system at its 15 daily and associated weekly newspapers in nine states. At the same time, Ottaway has signed a contract with Saxotech to install its Publicus Web publishing system at all the locations. These two investments will enable the newspapers to increase efficiency in print production while automating the process to move news along the increasing number of paths that reach today's customers. The move was particularly welcome in Ashland, said Editor Andrew Scot Bolsinger. "With Ashland Fiber Network and the computer sophistication of our readership, these state-of-the-art tools will give us a significant boost to reach readers 24 hours a day," Bolsinger said. "This is the first of several steps we will take as an organization during the next 18 months that will strengthen our place as Ashland's primary local news source." Corporate commitment Leading the Internet effort is Andrew Langhoff, who joined Ottaway as general counsel in January 2003 and took on the added responsibility as Internet vice president in August 2004. "We believe now is the time to invest in strong Internet products for our local markets," Langhoff said. "After careful consideration, we have chosen Saxotech's software as the centerpiece of our web publishing platform. Saxotech provides us with a broad range of new tools for working in this still-evolving medium." The choice also fit Ottaway's technology needs. "We wanted to license a product which could serve as the foundation of our evolving Web platform and Publicus has proven to be such a product," said Ron Regan, Ottaway vice president of information services. "Saxotech is clearly ahead in meeting the needs of local operations like our own. We look forward to a long and rewarding relationship with the company." To advance development of Internet efforts, Ottaway is adding specialists in marketing, revenue, applications development and technology at the company headquarters. To enhance the company's core mission of publishing comprehensive community newspapers, Ottaway centered this quest for new technology in the newsrooms. "We started with a meeting of editors in the fall of 2002 and over the next two years included dozens of staff members from all our papers to help define our needs and select the best vendors," said Ken Hall, Ottaway vice president for news. Ottaway's long-term information systems strategy starts with improved infrastructure and a realignment in the information services department. Installation of the content management system will continue through summer 2006. By then, the company plans to be well on the way to replacing the circulation and advertising systems at all papers as well. Coming soon Implementation of the new system is slated to begin in 2005 for both the Tidings, and its sister publication, the Mail Tribune in Medford. The entire system should be fully operational by 2006. But changes in the Tidings online content will be evidenced much sooner, Bolsinger said. "In order to maximize the benefits of this system when its installed," he said, "we are starting now with new ways of reaching our readers. I expect that readers will begin seeing changes on our Web site and exciting additions to our daily coverage very soon." Ottaway Newspapers Inc. is the community newspaper subsidiary of Dow Jones & Company. Ottaway publishes 15 daily newspapers, 12 Sunday newspapers, 18 weeklies and numerous specialty publications and Web sites in nine states. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Slippers Women's & Men's Slippers Ceramic Piggy Banks heloc libor rate Calenders 2005 Calender 2005 Accelerate Weightloss Products Memory Foam Mattress afsa studentloans home equity loans teleconferencing fasa student loans Matchmaking & Dating Scripts African Safari Conference Calls - $50/Month Security Systems student loan consolidation wholesale diamonds Currancy Exchange web conferencing Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams