Integration "possible" after Phase One acquires Expression Media
In an exclusive interview with BJP, Phase One's CEO talks of what's ahead for Microsoft's Expression Media, and its possible integration with the Capture One editing suite
Author: Olivier Laurent
Last week, Phase One announced it had acquired Expression Media, a Microsoft digital asset management application used to catalog and organise images, videos and music files. Now, in an interview with BJP Henrik O. Håkonsson, president and CEO of Phase One, says photographers and Capture One users could see benefits sooner than they think.
"We've used the Expression Media software for many years, both when it was not owned and owned by Microsoft," he says. "We could see that Microsoft was not so eager to expand in this particular field. We felt that if we took over, we could improve Expression Media and make it a super efficient tool."
However, Håkonsson tells BJP, Phase One has to be careful of what happens to Expression Media.
"There are two groups of customers for this software. You have the customers who want to pick and choose. They might be using Capture One along side a management platform developed by another company. They want to choose what they like. The other group of customer want oneworkflow software. They want to be able to do both editing and management tasks in the same software, both for stills and videos." And, Håkonsson says, Phase One has to cater to both groups.
As with the development of Capture One, Phase One will survey photographers about their wishes and needs. "Photographers will decide what components of Expression Media and Capture One we will put together. But, it's important to add that we don't want to lock people in one particular software. We develop the best tools we can, but if customers want to put it together with something else, they can."
Already, says Håkonsson, photographers can expect better asset management capabilities in the next version of Capture One. But, he adds, customers shouldn't be burden with things they don't need. "We will put some components together, but we won't cluter down one software or the other. We'll take the best of both applications. But we will carefully evaluate to see if it makes sense to build an integrated product. It's a fair assumption to say that we will, but it will depend on the dialogue we're having with photographers."
But, he says, the possible improvements that will come with the purchase of Expression Media could come quicker than anyone think. "One benefit of being smaller is that we can move faster with updates and upgrades," says Håkonsson. "We talk regularly with photographers and get instant feedback. This results in a faster release cycle."
Beyond images
Phase One has also moved to reassure existing Expression Media users, saying that support will not be discontinued. Under the terms of the agreement and "to ensure a smooth transition for Expression Media customers, Microsoft will continue to provide support to retail customers for 90 days. Phase One will begin offering support for the Expression Media product after the 90-day transition period."
Speaking to BJP, Håkonsson says that Phase One has pledged to continue providing support to all users of the software. However, "it would be unfair for me to say that we'll put more emphasis on films and music. We're an imaging company, so, of course, we will put more emphasis on still imagery. But our experience will bring new benefits for all users. The tagging capabilities of Expression Media could be improved, for example."
For more information, visit www.phaseone.com/expressionmedia2.
Comments
This is all very reassuring. Particularly, it's great to learn that the intention is to cater both for those who want an integrated workflow solution, AND for those who want to keep their DAM separate from their processing. Very positive.
I have been a long time customer (going back to" iView" days. I am about to switch to "Apeture" unless you can give me a good reason to stay.
I can tell you my BIGGEST problem with Microsoft was Expression Media customer service, it was nonexistent. So... I'm on the fence on your new take over.
I, too, have used Expression Media since before MS bought it. What it does is so useful for me, I have kept using it (daily) despite its maddingly-frustrating shortcomings and bugs.
I'm very happy that someone has bought it. I look forward to its next iteration.
New name fow "Expression Media"
just an anecdoctic comment:
please give the software a new efficient name.
A user from iView days.
another changing of the guards?
I too have been with this product since iView days. I have to say it was better back then. I wish Microsoft never got involved. I use Expressions for cataloging way more than just photographs. I hope that Phase One understands this.
I wish we could go back to calling it iView! After the Microsoft acquisition, this app lost a ton of clout. I'm a Mac user BTW.
I got my first copy of iView in 1998, and still use v 3.1.3 daily on my Mac despite my licensed EM copy that predictably got neglected by MS.
Bring back customer service and Please restore the iView name (and reputation)!
I'am also and old iView fan and use it on my Mac for a long time. For me there is no need to have the name iView back - but all possibilities iView had I want back. I changed the software since MS bought iView. But I have never been so fortunate like I have been since the old days. Bring it back and improve it to the capabilities we have nowadays.
Going back to the old name, iView, would be good and most welcome. If PhaseOne prefers to put their stamp on it somehow, "OneView" would be logical.
Hi folks, glad that iView/Expr.Media has moved. i bought iView years ago with its option to be a server based software. Unfortunately this never happens - but now its time to think it over - again. please phase one - iView/Expr.Media
Expression Update Long Overdue
Seems everyone is in agreement about Expression. Like so many, we too are original iView users which was fantastic software and service. MS was useless for the software development, PhaseOne, please listen to real pros about what is needed from DAM software and return Expression back to the path it was on before Microsoft.
Thanks
i've been using iView Media Pro long before it changed into a useless microsoft expression media. and I'm still using iView Media Pro 3.1.3 (the best and the last)
I'm really amazed with iView (i prefer to call it iView than expression media). I am really wondering how this application can run without consuming so much memory (it really consuming so little). The biggest knockout surprise for me from iView was when I upgraded my camera from EOS 30D into EOS 7D. My macbook didn't show any preview of my 7D raw files, because I haven't upgraded the raw update for Finder by that time. So did my photoshop. It couldn't open the raw files.
magically I could see the images and open it using iView Media Pro (which last updated in 2006)
this experience knocked me out and made me think "how could it happen?"
the change from iView into Expression Media for me was a disappointing message. No further improvements (only the look of those buttons and what they do with the sidebar (to me: useless). Of course, microsoft are not meant to do graphic (they better keep doing in to Microsoft Office and fighting holes in their operating systems...)
that's why i keep using iView Media Pro. it's powerfull and it has cost me not so much money (in comparations if I've bought Aperture or Lightroom)
i just hope, iView can be still so powerfull under the wing of Phase one. And i hope, if there are major improvements and the new iView proven to be powerfull, the old .ivc format can still be used somehow (because my library are based on that format).
EM2 does not recognize changes made to my Nikon D80 raw (NEF) files. I've experimented with the Media Rendering preferences and the Thumbnails and Previews settings but just can't make it happen. I'm running a late 2009 iMac with Mac OS 10.6.4. Phase One, if you read these comments, please look into this.
Have been with Expression back when it was iView 1.2, for a long time I use to give feedback to Simmon and I was on the affiliate program then after Microsoft bought I work with Jeff Green to add feed back to them on how to make the program better. The one thing that I could never get through there heads was that there needed to be a undo button. I still use EM2 but I would love to see a undo button and a raw converter like what is in capture one and have it all under one roof. Light room doesn't work for the busy photography studio that puts photos on a server and you need to access them from multiple computers.
Please allow the application to display embedded jpeg previews created in NEF files edited by Nikon Capture NX2.
This used to happen with iView, but Microsoft allowed it to stop working.
Also, change the name back to iView, "Expression Media" is an awful name. Microsoft didn't care,
I have used this product since 1998 and still use it daily too. Please continue to support this program!
I am a graphic designer / photographer, and the great thing about this program was that it not only supports any type of photo files, but it also used to support AI, EPS, PDF and QXD files. This was and continues to be iView’s Gold-Star advantage (It catalogs most everything). I can see everything in one place, and not have to dig with inferior programs like Bridge.
If you would please consider for the next version:
1) Bring back Illustrator support.
2) I would love to see a way to apply general white balance/temp/tint and exposure to the main catalog view while looking at RAW files.
Bravo PhaseONE for saving it from the clutches of MS. Thank you.
I, too, have been a user since iView days. Originally I switched to iView from iMatch because it was cross platform and I was thinking of switching to mac.
I just want a great database app that recognized and makes thumbnails (presently I cannot display a thumbnail from a DNG file from a Leica X1).
I need a DB that will work quickly with 120k files and let me search the way EM does and find that obscure image in my archives... the rest I would prefer to manage with separate apps (and I'm considering Phase One).
Please don't change the way thumbnails are created along the lines of Lightroom or Aperture... that would involve a increase of disk space on my laptops for the archive of about 25x.
Thanks for saving this great app... I'm actually in a small minority who think MS really did improve it on their watch but lost interest in more improvements and support as time went on.
cheers,
tom
I, too, have been a user since iView days. Originally I switched to iView from iMatch because it was cross platform and I was thinking of switching to mac.
I just want a great database app that recognized and makes thumbnails (presently I cannot display a thumbnail from a DNG file from a Leica X1).
I need a DB that will work quickly with 120k files and let me search the way EM does and find that obscure image in my archives... the rest I would prefer to manage with separate apps (and I'm considering Phase One).
Please don't change the way thumbnails are created along the lines of Lightroom or Aperture... that would involve a increase of disk space on my laptops for the archive of about 25x.
Thanks for saving this great app... I'm actually in a small minority who think MS really did improve it on their watch but lost interest in more improvements and support as time went on.
cheers,
tom
I, too, have been a user since iView days. Originally I switched to iView from iMatch because it was cross platform and I was thinking of switching to mac.
I just want a great database app that recognized and makes thumbnails (presently I cannot display a thumbnail from a DNG file from a Leica X1).
I need a DB that will work quickly with 120k files and let me search the way EM does and find that obscure image in my archives... the rest I would prefer to manage with separate apps (and I'm considering Phase One).
Please don't change the way thumbnails are created along the lines of Lightroom or Aperture... that would involve a increase of disk space on my laptops for the archive of about 25x.
Thanks for saving this great app... I'm actually in a small minority who think MS really did improve it on their watch but lost interest in more improvements and support as time went on.
cheers,
tom
I, too, have been a user since iView days. Originally I switched to iView from iMatch because it was cross platform and I was thinking of switching to mac.
I just want a great database app that recognized and makes thumbnails (presently I cannot display a thumbnail from a DNG file from a Leica X1).
I need a DB that will work quickly with 120k files and let me search the way EM does and find that obscure image in my archives... the rest I would prefer to manage with separate apps (and I'm considering Phase One).
Please don't change the way thumbnails are created along the lines of Lightroom or Aperture... that would involve a increase of disk space on my laptops for the archive of about 25x.
Thanks for saving this great app... I'm actually in a small minority who think MS really did improve it on their watch but lost interest in more improvements and support as time went on.
cheers,
tom
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