PMG Presse-Monitor acquires software developer X-CAGO

Berlin. PMG Presse-Monitor has acquired the software house X-CAGO. This company, originally from the Netherlands, is known the world over for converting and standardising a wide variety of content formats, as well as for its established digital archive solution, which many leading publishers also use as a content distribution platform.

A central data standard for format-independent distribution of content
“We are combining X-CAGO’s and PMG’s extensive expertise in converting and distributing high-quality digital content,” explains Ingo Kästner, Managing Director of PMG, about the acquisition of X-CAGO. “This has enabled us to create a centralised and higher-quality data standard for the publishing industry, one which is suitable for all future formats. We can offer publishers a fast and cost-effective data conversion and archiving solution that delivers maximum quality and ensures legally compliant use of the content. The new data standard enables format-independent distribution of content in its original layout, which will open up new marketing channels for publishers.”

With this acquisition, PMG is expanding its portfolio of content and rights marketing services for publishers and strengthening its position as a content management provider for media houses and monitoring companies.

Centralised data conversion offers publishers further growth from secondary marketing
“Converting print and online content into uniform, high-quality digital formats suitable for other digital products is far from easy, but is an absolute necessity for publishers,” explains Koos Hussem, CEO and founder of X-CAGO.

“Publishers distribute their content over a wide range of different channels, both internal and external. This makes data conversion complex, time consuming and error prone, which can negatively impact content quality and the commercial success of content marketing, in both the B2C and B2B sectors.”

By combining their expertise, X-CAGO and PMG will give publishers access to proven technologies and structures in order to unlock new growth opportunities from expanded content marketing. The benefit for publishers is twofold: First, they benefit from fast, cost-effective and high-quality conversion of their content, which facilitates broad secondary exploitation via digital channels. Second, they do not have to build and maintain an expensive infrastructure themselves.
Koos Hussem and Ingo Kästner will jointly manage X-CAGO B.V. going forwards.

About X-CAGO
Founded in 2000, X-CAGO B.V. is a leading software developer in the media industry, with headquarters in the Netherlands (Roermond) and offices in the United States and Australia.

X-CAGO supports online publications and content distribution systems for national and international newspaper and magazine publishers, including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Reed Business, Bauer, Axel Springer and Gruner + Jahr, among others.

Key services in X-CAGO’s portfolio include the conversion of PDF-based print content from newspapers, magazines and books into efficient and digital XML and/or JSON files, and its enterprise content management platform Archive ExPress™. The company captures, stores, researches, publishes, distributes and syndicates content from both print media (newspapers, magazines, books, catalogues, etc.) and digital media.

About PMG Presse-Monitor GmbH
With the largest up-to-date press database in the German-speaking area, PMG Presse-Monitor GmbH is a leading provider for digital media monitoring, press review creation and media evaluation.

PMG markets the content and rights of about 850 newspaper and magazine publishers with over 4,000 print and online sources. Around 2500 of these are available in the PMG press database in digital format. From its Berlin headquarters, the company delivers its services to over 5,000 customers from businesses, associations and public bodies, as well as media monitoring services and PR agencies.

Founded in 2001, PMG is a joint venture of various German newspaper and magazine publishers with the following shareholders: Axel Springer, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Gruner + Jahr, Handelsblatt Media Group, Hubert Burda Media, Spiegel-Verlag, Süddeutsche Zeitung, the German Newspaper Publishers and Digitalpublishers Association, and the Association of German Magazine Publishers.