MOLINE, IL — Nov. 5, 2018 — More than 550 unique titles are now produced using TownNews' BLOX Total CMS, and eight years post-launch, the integrated digital publishing platform is still undergoing explosive growth.
"BLOX Total CMS has really been embraced by the publishing industry," said Brad Ward, CEO of TownNews. "Our first customer, The Northwest Indiana Times, launched in June of 2010, and it’s been off to the races since. In the past year alone, we've seen 76 percent year-over-year growth in new customers deciding to launch their operations on BLOX Total CMS."
BLOX Total CMS enables newspaper and magazine publishers to produce their print, web, mobile, and print replica editions in an unified, economical workflow. Group publishers can establish production hubs, centralizing pagination for a collection of geographically dispersed publications, and achieving economies of scale.
BLOX Total CMS integrates with Adobe InDesign for print pagination. The Page Tracker feature allows editors, writers, and designers to monitor the progress of editions without printing hard copies.
"It is no surprise to me that that TownNews has grown to provide the breadth of services that help newspapers transform not only our audience's online experience, but also our print production workflow," said David Alltop, regional pagination director at Adams Publishing Group. "They provide an excellent product whether you only publish a couple of titles, or are at the enterprise level."
TownNews has continued to innovate, introducing enhanced social media integration, new storytelling tools, and other advanced features for reporters, editors, and designers. In December 2017, they added an installation option that does not require onsite hardware appliances, making BLOX Total CMS more accessible for newsrooms of all sizes.
"There are almost as many workflow models as there are publishers," said James McKee, senior project manager for BLOX Total CMS. "The addition of the appliance-free option allows us to support pretty much any workflow you can throw at us—digital-first, print-first, or a hybrid.
"And we can do so in an extremely cost-effective manner."
About TownNews
TownNews equips local media organizations with the digital services and guidance to transform their business models and flourish in the digital age. Our tools and expertise in print, digital, video, OTT, and advertising enable forward-thinking media organizations in dynamic markets to efficiently engage their audiences, increase security and grow revenue.
Fueled by a passion for local media and a 30-year proven track record of success, more than 1,700 news organizations have benefited from the platform and tools we've built specifically for the media industry to thrive.
