This 12 months, KNK is celebrating its tenth anniversary within the North American market, and to mark this milestone, the corporate is giving again to the trade that has been integral to its success. By way of the KNK Scholarship Program, the corporate is providing small- and medium-sized publishers a transformative alternative: free implementation of KNK’s award-winning software program platform, valued at as much as $100,000.
“The KNK Scholarship was born out of our dedication to fostering innovation and supporting smaller publishers, who usually face important challenges in adopting new applied sciences,” says Sebastian Mayeres, CEO of KNK Software program (U.S.). “We all know that restricted sources can maintain publishers again from modernizing their operations, and this scholarship is designed to bridge that hole.”
The KNK Scholarship goes past providing software program: it empowers publishers to boost their operational effectivity, competitiveness, and talent to thrive in a quickly evolving market. Mayeres emphasizes the broader influence of this system: “We’re not simply investing in know-how. We’re investing within the goals of passionate publishers who’ve essential tales to inform. By offering them with the instruments they want, we hope to assist them share their voices with the world and protect the crucial custom of free speech.”
What units the KNK Scholarship aside is the extent of assist recipients obtain. This system consists of not solely the preliminary software program setup but additionally ongoing help all through the implementation part. The KNK staff will work intently with scholarship recipients, providing employees coaching, troubleshooting assist, and knowledgeable steering to make sure a easy transition to the brand new system. “It’s a collaborative effort,” Mayeres says. “We’re with them each step of the way in which.”
Purposes for the 2024 scholarship stay open till October 25, with one writer chosen this 12 months. Over the subsequent 5 years, KNK will award a complete of ten scholarships, serving to to form the way forward for publishing by empowering smaller gamers within the trade.
Lately, KNK has additionally overhauled its platform, KNKMedia, streamlining it to be quicker, simpler, and fewer complicated to implement by means of a standardized, cloud-based strategy. This platform helps each facet of publishing and media operations, from editorial planning and manufacturing to order processing, rights administration, distribution, and monetary administration. Extra importantly, these enhancements have made the answer extra accessible and reasonably priced, enabling even smaller publishers to learn from enterprise-level performance with out the historically excessive prices related to such implementations.
“One of many standout options of our new implementation course of is its give attention to requirements over customization,” Mayeres says. “By counting on confirmed trade requirements, we will considerably cut back complexity and implementation time, making certain publishers can rise up and operating rather more rapidly. This standardized strategy additionally brings with it the next diploma of predictability, decreasing the danger of delays or surprising prices.”
A key a part of this revamped course of is the information migration instrument set, which simplifies the switch of legacy knowledge. “We all know how difficult it may be for publishers to maneuver from older techniques,” Mayeres says. “Our new instruments assist automate and streamline this course of, making certain knowledge accuracy and a smoother transition.”
Regardless of its simplified implementation, KNKMedia stays extremely versatile. Publishers can begin with important modules and develop as their enterprise grows. Whether or not a writer wants instruments for editorial administration or a complete suite for financials, advertising automation, and knowledge layers, KNKMedia adapts to suit their wants.
Constructed on the newest Microsoft know-how, KNKMedia leverages the ability of Microsoft Co-Pilot, integrating AI-driven instruments that automate workflows, improve decision-making, and supply predictive insights. This ensures that publishers not solely streamline their operations but additionally achieve precious data-driven insights to drive future progress.
KNKMedia’s flexibility and scalability enable publishers to select and select what they want. “This strategy ensures they’ve the precise instruments at each stage of progress, with out overwhelming them with pointless complexity,” Mayeres says. “Our platform is designed to develop with you. Publishers can begin with what they want right now and simply scale up as their operations develop. With KNKMedia, you aren’t simply getting a bit of software program—you might be getting a whole resolution.”
Sebastian Mayeres and gross sales director Alan Hirsch will host a KNK Scholarship Meet-and-Greet on Wednesday, October 16, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at sales space E1 in Corridor 4.0. Extra about KNK options is accessible from the sales space or at knkscholarship.com.
A model of this text appeared within the 10/14/2024 challenge of Publishers Weekly underneath the headline: Altering the Recreation for Publishers Huge and Small at KNK Software program