(formerly Ziff-Davis Education)

Rochester, NY-based Element K creates training and support resources to help businesses meet technology challenges head-on by becoming more productive with computers. Element K delivers consistent, up-to-date, instructionally sound technology education through online training, education services, training materials and journals. Element K content is seen everyday through partners such as Headlight.com, FutureLink, SmartPlanet and ZDNet. It provides training solutions to more than 6,000,000 people and 8,000 organizations worldwide. Element K is on the web at www.elementk.com.

Managing the vast content of the many varieties of Element K’s documents and efficiently repurposing information into the different versions is a daunting task. Two years ago Element K determined that managing information as XML fragments in a central repository would be the most efficient means of dealing with the problem. An XML-based publishing system would enable them to use the same content in printed course books, computer-based training CD-ROMs, and in their online university. The system would also help them create various versions, such as an instructor and student version of a particular course book.

Element K turned to DMSi in August 1999 to help evaluate the various XML editing, composition, and content management tools available, and to guide them through the selection process. DMSi then worked with Element K to select and integrate these products (Arbortext ADEPT Editor, Chrystal Astoria, and Xyvision Production Publisher) into a smoothly running XML content management and publishing system.

DMSi added many custom features to the composition solution, such as automating production of instructor and student courseware manuals. Special instructions and answers would appear in the instructor version but not in the student version. Glossaries, indexes and other elements were automatically generated, and both versions were produced automatically from the same master content. By the end of December, Element K had successfully produced its first printed courseware manual.

According to Kress Riley, VP of Content at Element K, “DMSi is very experienced with the XML-based publishing tools available and because of this Element K was able to create a fully integrated system in a short period of time. Without DMSi, we couldn’t have gotten the project as far along as we did in the short time frame in which we were working.”