North Plains Release Xinet 17.6

One of our featured DAM Vendors, North Plains have released an updated edition of Xinet 17.6.  The new features are somewhat light:

• Archive aware API that will enable integration between Xinet and third party archival solutions
• Xinet Pilot “which enhances and expands asset browsing functionality so designers and artists can access production files from their desktops” – or a desktop client to the rest of us
• Instructional videos

The quote from Kevin Tureski, VP of Product Development reflects the brevity of the update description:

“We are excited to debut Xinet 17.6 at Ngage; the new Xinet release radically improves the ability for creative teams to quickly locate assets needed for production.” [Read More]

That seems to me to be a re-statement of the central problem that nearly all DAM systems ever invented have needed to solve.  I suppose Kevin might argue this was North Plains “focussing on core user functionality”.  Which begs the question, if this is “radically” better now, what was it like before?

A good proportion of the press is about the North Plains “Ngage” – which I believe is their partner summit.  One  suspects this is another marketing directed release where they need to have something to say during this event.  Are ‘instructional videos’ really newsworthy?  If you are in need of three bullet points for the PR (rather than just two) then perhaps they are.

I remain convinced that Xinet has already started the long drawn out journey towards becoming a ‘mature product’ as software vendors euphemistically refer to applications they would prefer to brush under the carpet, if only it weren’t for those pesky existing users who won’t move to a shiny new product that is getting all the development budget thrown at it.  Not all my DAM News co-contributors share my opinion about North Plains’ intentions, but I believe the passage of time will prove me to be correct.

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