First South African Customer to go LIVE on Escenic
Sept 15, 2009: Avusa Media launches Times LIVE on Escenic platform / The new digital home of the Sunday Times and The Times
Escenic is pleased to announce that Avusa Ltd, one of South Africa’s leading media and entertainment organisations has gone live with their first publication on the Escenic platform. Their newly revamped and rebranded online website Times LIVE, www.timeslive.co.za and mobile website, m.timeslive.co.za carry improved major news sections, new special interest subsections, sleekly redesigned multimedia and blog sections offering better functionality.
“We recognise that there are several news services out there offering breaking news and information. We know our readers depend on us to provide this but we also have a rich heritage of journalism and a daily supply of content from our newspapers that we can add to this mix, not to mention our cutting-edge multimedia content which provides a richer news experience for our audience,” says Elan Lohmann, GM Avusa Media Digital.
“By revamping and rebranding The Times website to Times LIVE, we are laying the groundwork to become the number one digital destination for South African and African news.”
“From a base of just over 240 000 unique users in September 2007, our audience has grown 180% to 691,571 unique users, according to July’s Nielsen Market Intelligence results. We’re currently SA’s third biggest news site and our next milestone is to surpass 1-million unique monthly users. With our new look site, a stand-alone digital brand and a world-class web publishing platform; we feel this is firmly within our grasp,” explains Lohmann.
Times LIVE is built on the Escenic Content Engine, used by over 600 news media websites worldwide, including some of the most advanced and most visited news sites. It will enable better editorial management of the site; allow for better content integration, referencing and archiving as well as facilitating the integration of the print and online content on the website, a further step in the already successful newsroom convergence at The Times.
Other Avusa titles will roll out on the Escenic platform, signalling the intent of the group to continue to invest and innovate in the digital space.
About Avusa:
Avusa Limited was officially unveiled on the 20th November 2007 as the new name for what was Johnnic Communications Limited (Johncom). The company has evolved and grown remarkably over the years, to become one of the preeminent media and entertainment organisations in South Africa and the continent.
About Escenic: www.escenic.com
Escenic is strategic content management software for digital media publishing. Escenic technologies drive over 600 of the most dynamic and exciting news media websites in the world. Escenic has been closely tied to the media industry since 1997. Today we are proud to be considered industry leaders in our sector.
With Escenic, competitive commercial enterprises gain access to the same robust technologies that professional publishers have preferred for years. In July 2008, Escenic was acquired by Vizrt.
About Vizrt: www.vizrt.com
Vizrt creates leading-edge content production tools for the digital media industry - from award-winning 3D graphics & maps through integrated video workflow solutions and online publishing tools.
We propose a new vision for content creation, management and delivery with an end-to-end solution from conception to multi-format distribution. Through constant innovation and a good measure of fun, we create software and services that push creative boundaries and develop new ways of telling stories.
Vizrt's product suite is used by the world's leading broadcasters and publishing houses, including: CNN, CBS, Fox, BBC, Sky, ITN, ZDF, Star TV, Network 18, TV Today, CCTV, NHK, The Globe and Mail, The Telegraph, and Welt Online. Furthermore, many world-class production houses and corporate institutions, including both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, utilize Vizrt solutions.
Vizrt is a public company traded on the Oslo Main List: VIZ, ISIN: IL0010838154.
For more information:
Knut I. Skeid, Managing Director, Escenic, +47 9222 0352, knut.skeid@escenic.com
Tom Skolbekken, VP Sales & Marketing, Escenic, +47 95135687, tom.skolbekken@escenic.com
