In The Press
MadCap Launches Latest Version of MadPak Suite Featuring New Releases of MadCap Flare, Contributor, Analyzer and Capture
MadPak Technical Communication Suite Expands Publishing, Editing and Multimedia Functionality; Offers New Microsoft-Like Ribbon UI for Easier, More Intuitive Access to the Suite's Rich Features
La Jolla, CA, USA March 1, 2012 – MadCap Software, Inc. the leader in multi-channel content authoring and a showcase company for Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Visual Studio and Microsoft XPS, today announced that the newest release of MadPak is now available.
MadPak is the industry's most comprehensive authoring suite, featuring integrated, XML-based products for complete end-to-end technical communication. The latest release of the suite offers four new product versions: MadCap Flare 8.0 for single-source, multi-channel publishing; MadCap Contributor 4.0 for editing, reviewing and contributing to Flare content; MadCap Analyzer 5.0 for analyzing Flare-based content; and MadCap Capture 6.0 for image capture and graphics editing. Additional MadPak products include MadCap Mimic 6.0 for publishing software simulation movies, video and audio, and MadCap Lingo 5.0 for facilitating and streamlining the translation process.
The newest releases of MadCap Flare, Contributor, Analyzer and Capture all provide a new Microsoft-style ribbon user interface (UI) that captures the look and feel of modern applications, such as Microsoft Office 2010. The intuitive UI helps to reduce the learning curve and facilitate access to the broad range of powerful features available with each product. Flare 8.0 continues to expand its innovation in single-source publishing to print and online channels with the addition of HTML5 Web output, EPUB eBook output, and enhanced PDF print functionality. Contributor 4.0 now offers free review and annotation. Analyzer 4.0 offers new features for viewing and analyzing content created in Flare. Capture 6.0 enhances image capture and manipulation.
MadPak is only technical communication suite in which all products are highly integrated to create a seamless experience for documentation professionals, translators, and other content authors. For example:
- Enable subject matter experts (SMEs) and managers to provide the author with content and feedback on drafts using Contributor.
- Author and publish technical documentation, knowledge bases, policy and procedures, and more, using Flare-in print, on the Web, on desktops, or even on mobile devices.
- Provide screenshots with callouts using Capture.
- Create interactive software simulation movies and video tutorials with Mimic.
- Scan, identify and fix any content issues in advance of publishing with Analyzer.
- Use MadCap Lingo with full translation memory support to translate content without requiring any file transfers, preserving both the content and formatting. Also use MadCap Lingo to provide content statistics, such as word count and translation estimates to facilitate project and budget planning.
"The newest release of our MadPak technical communication suite significantly advances our commitment to creating a superior experience for the users of our software," Anthony Olivier, MadCap founder and CEO. "We've taken a design cue from the popular Microsoft Office application suite to create a modern, intuitive UI that makes it faster and easier than ever for users to take advantage of the deep bench of functionality our MadPak suite offers. Additionally, our decision to make the review functionality in Contributor free and to enhance the TOC functionality in both Contributor and MadCap significantly streamlines the review process."
Olivier added, "At the same time, we're expanding on the ability of our customers to create a single project and then directly publish to it in print, on the Web, on desktops, or on their mobile devices. Flare 8.0 is now the only publishing application to offer modern HTML5 Web output, a choice between mobile Web and eBook formats for their mobile devices, and rich PDF print functionality."
MadCap Flare 8.0
Flare is MadCap's flagship software for single-source, multi-channel authoring and publishing. With Version 8.0, Flare expands its output options for the Web, mobile and print.
- A new HTML5 Web output format supports provides significant enhancements in appearance, usability and searchability. Because HTML5 output is completely frameless, it allows search engines to crawl through the content and index topic pages. This represents a major advance over other vendors' traditional "framed" content in WebHelp where the Help content is essentially invisible to search engines.
- The new EPUB output allows authors to deliver manuals and other types of linear documents as eBooks that, once downloaded, can be accessed at any time, regardless of whether there is an Internet connection. The format is available on many portable devices, including the Amazon Kindle; Barnes & Noble Nook; and Apple iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. EPUB output also can be read on a typical notebook or desktop computer by downloading any of the popular free EPUB readers.
- Expanded PDF print document functionality in Flare 8.0 includes customizable PDF settings, such as the ability to . Flare 8.0 also offers several table of contents (TOC) enhancements for PDF output.
For more information on these new output features and other usability enhancements, see the Flare 8.0 press release also dated March 5, 2012.
MadCap Contributor 4.0
MadCap Contributor makes it easy for a company's SMEs and managers to provide authors with edits and contributed content without having to learn the advanced features of Flare. Additionally, it enables documentation professionals to pre-define templates, so that content from casual contributors is automatically placed into the correct format.
Contributor 4.0 now allows Flare users to take advantage of the review feature for free, including the ability to annotate content. Users simply sign up for the trial version, and once the trial expires, they will continue to have perpetual access to the review and annotation functionality. However, those users who also want to content contribution features will need to purchase a standard Contributor license.
Additionally with Contributor 4.0 and Flare 8.0, a new TOC View feature facilitates the collaborative review process. Now an author can send a review package from the TOC in a Flare project. When a user opens the review package in Contributor using the TOC View, it shows where the topic under review fits within the TOC, providing better context for how the subject fits within the entire project.
Other key features in Contributor 4.0 include the ability to:
- Insert multimedia elements into review topics.
- Use track changes in other Contributor file types, not just review files and packages.
- See changes and annotations sent from the author.
MadCap Analyzer 5.0
MadCap Analyzer starts by identifying issues within Flare projects, such as broken links, missing images, or inconsistent index keywords. Then it goes beyond to proactively recommend corrections and improvements, such as where to add a snippet for content re-use, consolidate styles, add an index keyword, and much more.
Analyzer 4.0 adds significant new window pane functionality in order to enhance usability.
- A new Cross-Reference Suggestions window pane lets users generate and convert a list links in a project into cross-references.
- Each window pane now has two different options for viewing content: view by pages of 100 items, or view all items at once.
- The Drag and Drop to TOC function means users can now drag topics from the "Topics Not In Selected TOC" window pane and drop them into an open TOC.
- CSV support lets users export the data from any window pane in Analyzer to a comma-separated value (CSV) file.
- New print features allow users to print data from any window pane in Analyzer, including print visible area, print preview of visible data, and print preview of selected data.
- The Named Destinations window pane enables users to view, delete or rename the named destinations in a project, which let users point to a specific place in one generated and published PDF to another,
- The Broken Links window pane allows users to fix links directly from this pane. Additionally, Analyzer can scan the project for files of the same name or open a dialog and browse for a topic that the user wants to link.
- The Unused window pane lets users clean up projects by scanning for empty project folders, topics that are not linked, or any unused content or images. Users can now add condition tags to items in these panes buy right-clicking and selecting properties.
MadCap Capture 6.0
MadCap Capture is the image capture and graphics editing software that lets users easily capture anything that is displayed on a computer screen, from window panels to entire screenshots, as an editable page. Advanced editing features allow users to further enhance captured images by adding text callouts, cursor arrows, special effects, and more.
With Version 6.0 Capture add three new features for capturing, editing and manipulating images.
- The Consecutive Capture function lets users capture multiple images without having to select the capture option each time. Additionally, between each consecutive capture, users can relocate and resize the region as well as manipulate the onscreen content they want to capture.
- The Capture Editor context menu has been enhanced for improved ease of use. Users can right-click in the Capture Editor and access the context menu, which now features shortcuts to all editing modes, such as hand mode, loop mode, and polygon mode, in addition to normal context menu options, such as cut, copy and paste.
- Image Grids help users to more accurately place images and objects on a frame. The grid does not display in the output; it is simply shown in the Capture Editor. By dragging and placing the edges of an object along the dots of the grid, users can ensure that an object is positioned more accurately and aligned with other objects and images in the frame.
Availability and Pricing: MadCap Adds New Licensing Models
MadCap Flare 8.0, MadCap Contributor 4.0, MadCap Analyzer 5.0, and Capture 6.0 are available today, separately and as part of MadPak. Standalone per-license pricing is $999 for Flare 8.0, $249 for Contributor, $299 for Analyzer 4.0, and $39 for Capture. MadPak, at $1,499 per license, includes MadCap Flare 8.0, MadCap Contributor 4.0, MadCap Analyzer 5.0, and MadCap Capture 6.0. MadCap Mimic 5.0, and MadCap Lingo 5.0. Maintenance (support and subscription) fees start at $199 per year for the Bronze Level, $299 for the Gold Level, and $499 for the Platinum Level. Discounts for multiyear maintenance contracts are also available.
With the latest releases of Flare and the MadPak, MadCap also is rolling out three new licensing models to support the needs of enterprises with multiple users.
- The Multi-User license allows companies to buy a single license key for as many dedicated users as they need, simplifying the installation and license management process. No registration is required; a single license key manages all users and activations.
- The Floating license is designed for organizations that standardize on MadPak, and it is based on concurrent users rather than dedicated users. Therefore, any number of users can activate the software under a single license key. The only limit is how many users can work in the software at the same time. MadCap's software can even be installed on a central server, such as Citrix, allowing for users to access it remotely. Floating licenses include access to all product upgrades and updates as they become available.
- A new subscription license is available for MadCap Contributor. Companies can purchase a MadCap Contributor subscription for as little as $8 per month per user. The license includes access to technical support and free product upgrades during the subscription period.
Licensing options include access to the highest levels of MadCap technical support. For more information call 1-888-MadCap1.
About MadCap Software
MadCap Software is a trusted resource for thousands of companies around the globe for single-source, multi-channel authoring and publishing solutions designed to streamline the process of developing and delivering training content, learning and development programs, technical documentation, online Help, knowledge bases, and more. From authoring, publishing and translation, to cloud-based content management system, to contribution and review in the cloud, you can streamline content delivery and manage the entire content development lifecycle with MadCap Software. MadCap Software’s services include product training, consulting services, translation and localization, and an advanced developer certification program. Headquartered in San Diego, California, with offices in Austin, TX, MadCap Software is home to some of the most experienced software architects and product experts in the content development industry.
PR Contact:
Rebecca Hurst
Kinetic.PR for MadCap Software
rebecca@kineticprllc.com
650-679-9282
