AAP’s Pagemasters Launches Imaging Services

AAP’s Pagemasters Launches Imaging Services with Sir Stephen Tindall Backed New Zealand Company

SYDNEY, Australia, March 1, 2011 / Medianet International/ --

Pagemasters, Australia’s premier supplier of editorial production services, has entered into a strategic alliance with New Zealand-owned imaging and graphics company Velocity Made Good to provide imaging services for the print and online publishing industry.

The new service will enable newspaper and magazine companies to significantly reduce costs while maintaining quality and fast turnaround times. Pagemasters, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Australian Associated Press (AAP), will provide marketing and client liaison for the new service, and VMG will manage operations.

VMG, of which Sir Stephen Tindall is a major shareholder, currently supplies imaging production for Fairfax Media in New Zealand and for Hearst Magazines in the US, including titles such as Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Harpers Bazaar, Marie Claire and Good Housekeeping.

AAP Chief Executive Officer Bruce Davidson’s endorsement of the young Kiwi business was resounding. “It was important for Pagemasters to work with the leading provider in the market. VMG is not only that player but has already earned a deserved reputation of reliability with key clients such as Fairfax NZ and Hearst Magazines,” he said.

The imaging service – which will encompass clear-cutting, image enhancement, colour correction and 360-degree imaging for iPads – will use VMG’s operation in the Philippines to access a highly skilled, cost-effective workforce.

The service will be available for both advertising and editorial images.Mr Davidson said the move into imaging was a logical extension to Pagemasters’ suite of services for the publishing industry.

“Publishing, especially in newspapers, is now all about content. With the advance of technology and communication, the production functions, including imaging, can be outsourced effectively. This will have real benefits for publishers, and help them navigate the challenging times facing the industry,” Mr Davidson said.

VMG Sales & Marketing Director Doug Drury said the outsourcing of imaging by Hearst and Fairfax Media was completed smoothly and was now providing significant savings and quality improvements.

“The feedback from production managers has been extremely complimentary, and Hearst in particular is looking to increase its throughput to Manila in the coming months. With the support of Pagemasters and AAP, we are now looking forward to offering these services to a wide range of publishing groups in Australia and beyond,” Mr Drury said.

ABOUT PAGEMASTERS
Pagemasters is leading the world in the establishment and operation of centralised sub-editing centres for the newspaper and magazine industry. Its operations in Australia and New Zealand provide complete design, editing and production services for a range of metropolitan, regional and community newspapers and weekly and monthly magazines.

Pagemasters is also Australia's premier provider of pageready listings and other editorial pages. These services range from TV guides and cinema listings, to racing form guides, sharemarket data, weather information, crosswords and comics, as well as editorial and design services.

Formed in 1991, the company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Australian
Associated Press.

ABOUT VMG
VMG is the market leading provider of pre press imaging services, working with major publishing companies globally.

Specifically its services include image background removal, retouching, colour correction, and online/offline advertisement design. These services are fulfilled through a wholly owned production studio in the Philippines.VMG was founded in 2007 by now 27 year old Auckland entrepreneurs Jonathan Reid and Doug Drury, receiving seed capital from Sir Stephen Tindall through his investment vehicle K1W1, who remains a major shareholder today. The company now has operations in 4 countries and a growing staff of approximately 40.

SOURCE: Pagemasters

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