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Virtusales Unveils BiblioFlow at Frankfurt Book Fair
At the Frankfurt Book Fair, Virtusales Publishing Solutions is spotlighting BiblioFlow, a new initiative designed to optimize asset and metadata management via a user-friendly interface aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and overall user experience. This innovative addition to their established BiblioSuite publishing management system marks a shift from a modular structure to a more streamlined approach that simplifies workflows.
Kat Coveyduck, the director of marketing and communications, notes that publishers utilizing the digital asset management (DAM) module will experience significant improvements. “The integration of uploading and sharing digital assets into the workflow eliminates the need for navigating separate screens or modules, allowing users to handle their daily tasks more efficiently with fewer clicks,” she explains.
For example, Penn State University Press employs BiblioFlow to manage print-on-demand and e-book files, facilitating seamless distribution through ONIX. In the trade publishing sector, a large publisher has improved its jacket briefing process with BiblioFlow, moving away from previously scattered notes and images in various documents and emails to a centralized system, thereby enhancing collaboration. Similarly, SNR Audio has benefitted from BiblioFlow by effectively managing the storage and distribution of chapter-level audio files, which streamlines the distribution process and ensures timely availability of content to retailers.
Looking forward, Coveyduck predicts that BiblioFlow will enhance user experience with more advanced intelligent dashboards supported by artificial intelligence (AI). The Virtusales AI Lab is focused on integrating new AI tools aimed at further automating various stages of the publishing process. “These dashboards will span the entire BiblioSuite, beginning with marketing and publicity while simplifying rights management and permissions,” she adds.
CEO Philip Turner emphasizes that AI is instrumental in helping Virtusales to provide software that acts as a reliable partner for publishers, aiding in the decision-making process that optimizes workflows, ultimately saving both time and financial resources. Currently, their AI initiatives include features like image tagging, keyword generation, translation assistance, and marketing copy suggestions.
“Each of our AI tools is tailored to tackle specific challenges and boost efficiency within publishing operations,” Turner notes. The company has also developed an in-house AI prototype, called VirtusalesGPT, alongside other tools to accelerate the delivery of Biblio functionality.
User input remains a top priority as Virtusales advances its AI capabilities. Turner asserts, “BiblioSuite will involve users in every stage of the AI integration, reinforcing collaboration and human oversight. By embedding AI into existing workflows while prioritizing a user-focused approach, we ensure that these innovations enhance the publishing experience.”
An example of this user-centric application includes an academic publisher that utilized BiblioSuite AI to apply keywords to backlist titles, reviving interest and sales for previously overlooked books, showcasing a cost-effective method to enhance backlist visibility.
Currently, around 400 publishers, including notable names such as Penguin Random House, Disney, Elsevier, Macmillan, Oxford University Press, Bloomsbury, and Hachette, benefit from Virtusales’s solutions, frequently spanning multiple regions. Notably, Penguin Random House utilizes BiblioSuite to manage operations across 16 countries, enhancing support for its subsidiaries and imprints.
Turner describes BiblioSuite as embodying a “best-of-breed ethos.” The platform employs modern technologies from Microsoft and Google Angular to ensure a secure, robust, and adaptable solution. Additionally, it features AI and API-driven capabilities for publishing, including enhancements to metadata, audiobook conversion, dynamic pricing templates, and two innovative portals: one for royalty statements and another for third-party partnership improvements.
With a regular update schedule of every ten weeks, Virtusales is committed to constantly adapting and enhancing its publishing solutions to meet the evolving demands of the industry.
Visit booth F81 in Hall 4.1 for further insights on Virtusales, BiblioFlow, and BiblioSuite.
A version of this article appeared in the 10/14/2024 issue of Publishers Weekly under the headline: Empowering Publishers Through Innovation and Investment at Virtusales.
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