ClassEdIT2 Application Review: A Zoning Expander

By Linda Botkin – February 16, 2011

The ClasEdIT2 Application by Mind Solutions Software is one of the most advanced classified pagination applications on the market today. The newly released application, an upgrade to the older Classified EdIT application, can now run on multiple platforms, eliminating dependency on the Sun Solaris operating system. The ability to further reduce operational costs exists through some of the new features that provide automation to existing manual efforts.

If you paginate classified print sections that require zoning, then ClassEdIT2 is an application worth considering. The ability to automatically place semi-display advertising within the column eliminates the need for manual intervention. Further improvements allow for reduction in manual effort with a new feature that automatically paginates multiple zones, of the same section and product, with a single mouse click. This provides opportunities for increased revenue with added zoned products. In addition, newsprint cost reductions are a potential because the application can generate only pages required for specific zones instead of the entire book for all products. This further reduces the pagination time required for multiple zones.

In this review, we’ll take a closer look at the application, some measurable returns on investment, and what’s required to bring this application on-line. We will focus primarily on the cost savings versus implementation cost and how to determine if this product is the right choice for your newspaper.

Since the ClassEdIT2 application has all the same look and feel of the previous Classified EdIT version the learning curve is very low. In our test environment, experienced staff members (2 years on the Classified EdIT application) were able to learn the nuances of this application in just two-days. The user manual is excellent, fully illustrated and comes with a CD recording that demonstrates all of the features. In addition, there is live technical support available Monday-Friday 9AM to 5PM. We called the support line five times and received an immediate response and excellent service. Therefore, training cost for this application is minimal. We tested the expanded zoning feature and true to its description you can paginate up to 40-zones with a single mouse click, in just under 30-minutes. Therefore, it is possible to expand your zoning revenue base without adding any operational cost related to the electronic pagination process. This is a huge benefit if your sales team is considering a zone expansion effort. If you already zone your classified product but are unable, as with many pagination products, to output just the zoned pages then ClassEdIT2 might be a good fit for your organization. The ability to produce classified zone sections of varying sizes can reduce the overall size of the classified book and the number of total pages. This results in reduced operational costs through Newsprint savings and consumable materials for individual page production.

Application setup cost: After testing this application on the existing Sun Solaris OS hardware and the newer UNIX AIX and LINUX hardware, we recommend that you also upgrade your hardware; if you are upgrading from Classified EdIT to ClassEdIT2. The older hardware just doesn’t have enough processor power to run the multiple zones. We recommend a 3GB Chip set on any UNIX compatible hardware. With the cost savings of the LINUX operating system, we found no reason not to use the cheaper LINUX environment. If you are upgrading from Classified EdIT the upgrade cost is approximately $50,000. The new, non-upgrade version will cost approximately $80,000. Installation is completed within about 2-weeks. If you desire to perform the upgrade yourself, a certified System Administrator should be able to perform this job, eliminating any vendor installation cost. If you do not have a System Administrator on-staff and you need the assistance of the Mind Solutions vendor then you should count on spending approximately $20,000 for setup.

Cost Benefit Analysis

Zoning Expansion – Revenue Opportunity

Zone Expansion Increase = Revenue Increase (dependent upon your site)

Operational Pagination Increase Cost to Add Zoning = $0.00

Newsprint Cost Savings

Approx. $50.00 per page/For each zoned product page reduction

Consumable Materials Cost Savings
Approx. $25.00 per page/For each zoned product page reduction

Automation Cost Savings

Approximately 10min. per page manual effort savings

Implementation Expense*
*All Implementation Cost are approximate
(Upgrade Version)

Application = $50,000

Hardware = Primary & Back Server $5,000 to $8,000 (X2)
Operating System (Dependent Upon Selection)

Installation Cost = Internal Cost or ($20,000 If vendor assistance required)

The ClassEdIT2 application continues to be a leader when it comes to zone products and automation of manual processes. However, it’s not all a bed of roses. The GUI has always been very busy, and the new version is no different. The multiple windows that must be monitored by the operator are still there in the ClassEdIT2 version. The reporting tools remain mediocre and we recommend using crystal reports and writing your own reports internally. However, overall we rate the ClassEdIT2 application as a 4.5 Star application as a classified pagination tool that can help your organization expand it’s zoning capability and reduce operational costs.