Proximity Adds Powerful New Search Features To Xenostore Asset Management Software.

Business/Technology Editors

NAB2000

LVCC North Hall Booth L3839

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 2000

Sophisticated Duplicate Image Detection Algorithm Streamlines Storage

Resources While Enhanced Search Engine Dramatically Speeds Searches

Proximity Corporation today unveiled powerful new search and efficiency features for Xenostore(TM), the company's industry-leading asset management solution for broadcast graphics. The enhancements provide sophisticated tools for streamlining storage usage and dramatically boosting search speed in large storage environments.

Proximity's new image recognition module for Xenostore allows an operator to efficiently locate and eliminate duplicate images across a facility's graphics database. This can greatly reduce wasted storage space, saving money and boosting manageability of graphics assets. The image duplicate detection algorithm employs a combination of techniques that allow matches to be found regardless of file format of the graphic being matched.

This new search feature will work on online graphics devices from all of Proximity's supported vendors including Accom, Aston, Chyron, Quantel, and SGI, as well as thumbnail and metadata information for offline graphics stored on media such as Quantel MO disks. The system even finds accurate matches when the image files are in different file including a compressed format such as JPEG 

By using statistical color usage analysis, this powerful new feature also allows the user to broaden the search criteria to enable retrieval of images similar to a chosen reference image. The amount of extra information stored for each image is very small, and the matching operation is extremely quick, even on large databases.

Proximity has also enhanced Xenostore's search features with powerful new algorithms that make searches on Xenostore databases with a large numbers of graphics extremely fast. Beta tests at one major broadcast network site in the U.S. have demonstrated search completions in less than 1.5 seconds on a database of 11,000 graphics.

"We're very pleased to introduce these important new content management tools to our products," said Tom Mander VP of Product Management for Proximity. "The duplicate search features provide significant hard cost savings for facilities by freeing storage that is currently tied up retaining unnecessary redundant duplicates. Early beta testing of these features has shown that organisations can reduce their storage costs significantly. Further savings are achieved by the enhanced productivity offered by reducing search times and in a greatly improved library management function."

The new enhanced search features will be on display together with the latest release of Xenostore at Proximity's booth L3839, near entrance N3, in the North Hall of the LVCC.

About Proximity

Proximity Pty Ltd. was formed in 1994 in Sydney, Australia to provide asset management software solutions for the TV, film and post-production industries. Today, offices in Europe and North America enable Proximity to serve a global customer base that includes many of the world major broadcast facilities. Proximity takes a holistic approach to designing its software. Every software product which Proximity releases must not only be reliable and fault free, but also must make a quantum change in the way people work with visual assets. Proximity delivers its solutions in small building blocks that provide working systems immediately. Proximity's Xenomax solution provides a standard asset management platform for the industry that lowers the cost of transferring, storing, viewing, converting and backing up visual assets, while radically improving the workflow and productivity of creative people in the industry.

Proximity, Xenomax Transfer, Xenostore and the Xenomax Warrior are trademarks of Proximity Pty. Ltd. Xenomax is a registered trademark of Proximity Corporation. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.