Animatrix Computer Arts Uses Madcap Flare To Cut Multi-channel Help Content Development By Nearly Half
San Diego, CA, USA – June 26, 2007 — MadCap Software, the leader in
multi-channel content authoring and a Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Visual Studio 2005 showcase
company, today announced that ANIMATRIX Computer Arts, Inc. has successfully deployed
MadCap Flare. ANIMATRIX Computer Arts, an award-winning provider of online training
development and design services, was able to cut development time nearly in half on its first
project completed using MadCap Flare. Based on its initial success with Flare, which replaced
Adobe RoboHelp, ANIMATRIX Computer Arts is looking at opportunities to use other integrated
software within the MadCap MadPak, such as Mimic for software simulation movies.
Based in Houston, TX, ANIMATRIX Computer Arts provides a range of services, including
computer-based training, Web-based training, computer-managed instruction, interactive kiosks,
corporate presentations, and website design. Its customers, many of them Fortune 500 companies,
represent a broad cross-section of businesses, including banking, oil and gas, computing,
education, and government.
“For nearly two decades, our customers have relied on us to provide creative, superior
online training,” said Debbie Richards, founder and president of ANIMATRIX Computer
Arts. “The increase in multi-channel publishing driven by greater adoption of the Web
means we need best-in-class authoring software designed to deliver training and Help content
consistently across the Internet, intranets, CD-ROMs, and a range of computer systems. We are
also thinking about Web 2.0 and looking down the road for software that can support us in the
future. For us, that software is MadCap Flare.”
Multi-channel publishing was a particularly critical requirement for a medical device company,
which turned to ANIMATRIX Computer Arts for online training that could be delivered on both
CD-ROM and the Web. The training would provide guidance on the usage and care of a new
device, helping to prevent accidental breakage by medical professionals unfamiliar with the new
design. ANIMATRIX Computer Arts used RoboHelp® to complete the first project in early 2006. The
training content that ANIMATRIX Computer Arts delivered met all functionality requirements;
however, RoboHelp® required several workarounds to correct the Web version’s inability to
recognize Flash-based content, problems handling PDF files, and other compatibility issues, which
caused the project to come in a month late.
When it was time to start developing the second phase of training, Ms. Richards knew that her
team at ANIMATRIX Computer Arts needed another Help authoring solution. In searching for
alternatives, she was attracted by MadCap Flare’s robust capabilities and Web-centric
native XML architecture. Because the ANIMATRIX Computer Arts team is comprised of
Microsoft-certified developers, trainers and system engineers, Ms. Richards also valued
MadCap’s strong support for the newest Microsoft standards, such as Microsoft Vista, XPS,
DOCX, and Office 2007. Although Flare 2.5 was not generally available at the time, she signed
ANIMATRIX Computer Arts as a beta customer, and used Flare to develop the medical device
company’s phase-two training. MadCap’s online training and intuitive interface
made it easy for her team to get up and running quickly.
“We could have just imported RoboHelp® content and all the formatting directly into MadCap
Flare, but once we had the raw content, we entirely rebuilt the Help system in Flare. In doing so, we
were able to take advantage of Flare’s broad format support and multi-channel publishing
capabilities to eliminate the previous workarounds,” Ms. Richards said. “Even
though it was our first time using
Flare, we completed the project in nearly half the time the first project took in RoboHelp®. Equally
important, our customer is very pleased with the look-and-feel and easy navigation of the new
Flare-based training.”
“As an award-winning designer of Web-based solutions, ANIMATRIX Computer Arts is at
the forefront in delivering online training and Help systems for some of the world’s leading
business and public institutions,” said Anthony Olivier, CEO of MadCap Software.
“We are proud to support ANIMATRIX Computer Arts in creating a new class of online
content that provides a consistent, interactive, experience. Our goal is to help customers save time
and money using our superior, XML-based capabilities, and we are pleased by the fast-growing
adoption among customers, like ANIMATRIX Computer Arts, who are recognizing the benefits of a
modern, future-proof tool.”
Based on ANIMATRIX Computer Arts’ success with Flare, Ms. Richards recently emailed
nearly 250 peers and customers when she heard about the MadCap seminar being held in
Houston on July 11, 2007, saying “When we see a product that helps us save time and
money, we want to be evangelists.”
About ANIMATRIX Computer Arts
Founded in 1989, ANIMATRIX Computer Arts, Inc. is a pioneer in the delivery of Web-based training, winning recognition as one of the top 25 Houston Web designers by Houston Business Journal. Headquartered in Houston, ANIMATRIX Computer Arts provides a range of services, including computer-based training, Web-based training, computer-managed instruction, interactive kiosks, corporate presentations, and website design. Today its customers, many of them Fortune 500 companies, represent a broad cross-section of businesses including banking, oil and gas, computing, education, and government. For more information, visit www.animatrix-arts.com.About MadCap Software
MadCap Software is a trusted resource for more than 20,000 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 project and content management, 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.
