Background

Pongrass Publishing Systems of Sydney, NSW, Australia was founded in 1984 by Leslie Pongrass and John Armstrong - two programmers from the traditional computer industry interested in bringing the sophisticated functionality and flexibility of proprietary, high end newspaper systems software to users of networked, desktop computers. Their first product was a terminal emulator for DEC Classified and editorial systems. This allowed DEC newspaper software to run in a standard PC. This was followed by a classified advertisement pagination program for the Macintosh platform capable of outputting assembled pages to PostScript image setters. The classified pagination product included interfaces to equipment from traditional newspaper system front-end vendors such as SII and DTI allowing it to paginate ad files gathered and managed on these systems. From there, in 1991 the burgeoning company began to develop and market a comprehensive advertisement management system, based on networked DOS PCs and the Powerflex database.

This product has since been redesigned for Windows and is marketed as the current version 5 of Pongrass advertising software - composed of modular software modules that run on Windows XP Pro clients interacting with SQL database servers. A natural outgrowth this development was a series of companion products including the Juggler Display Ad tracking system and Editorial Tracking / Production Software. Additionally as a developer for both Quark & Adobe, Pongrass Ad Maker for Ad building, Ad Loader for loading Ad Dummy & Pongrass Editorial page layout for Editorial pagination were developed .

Working as a system integrator in Australia and New Zealand and with its channel partners around the world, Pongrass Publishing Systems can now offer a complete solution for all size daily and weekly newspapers, shoppers and related advertising based publications, directories and magazines. Pongrass advertising systems let publishers automate and efficiently manage ad taking/booking, Dummying, pagination, proofing and final output within a scaleable, open software environment that can easily be integrated with other operations including ad tracking, billing and scheduling

Corporate Headquarters

Pongrass Publishing Systems
5-11 Hollywood Ave
Bondi Junction 1355
Sydney NSW Australia
PH: +61 2 9369 6100
FAX +61 2 9369 6150
sales@pongrass.com.au

Key Personnel

Leslie Pongrass - Managing Director
John Armstrong - R&D Director
Shelley Hando - General Manager

Product Strategy

Since its inception in 1984, Pongrass has been a leader in the supply and integration of desktop software technology to newspapers, shoppers, advertising circulars, directories and magazines. The company has a large installed base of customers in Australia and New Zealand. Over the past few years it has expanded its marketing focus and distribution channels and now has a growing base of installations in South East Asia, Latin America, USA and Europe.

One key to the company's success has been its ability to recognize and quickly deploy the most significant and important industry standard technologies as they become available. Pongrass was an early adopter and innovator for PC software, Macintosh software, PostScript and distributed file services. 

At the present time, an important technology direction for Pongrass is the integration of standard relational database technology with all aspects of its advertising booking, billing and production software modules. Pongrass has built a relationship with Sybase that allows the company to integrate and distribute Sybase database products bundled with its own software applications. Using Sybase Enterprise Development tools - in particular PowerBuilder Enterprise - ensures that Pongrass publishing software can be integrated with a wide variety of popular database technologies including software from Microsoft and Sybase. Pongrass is also a licensed developer for both Quark and Adobe.

International Scope

Recognizing early on the limits to the scale of its local markets, Pongrass has developed its software with a worldwide focus. Its classified ad pagination software has been distributed worldwide since 1989; it is installed in the Middle East (Dubai, Israel) where ads flow in a reverse order from the West and a Chinese version of Classified Pagination has been developed for directory publications in Asia. Other international success stories include the Yellow and White Pages in Hong Kong, as well as Yellow Pages and directory publications in Shanghai. Pongrass has enhanced its composition engine, Pronto, for international language support, and has developed tools in-house to allow the simple localization of Pongrass application software. 

Pongrass' philosophy on international distribution is to recruit and support highly competent, technically oriented agents that in turn support Pongrass software in their home markets. Thus, while Pongrass is a full system provider and integrator in Australia and New Zealand, it provides software to its international distributors, which they then integrate for their own markets.

Customer and Reseller Support

Pongrass boasts a team of experienced support personnel available for on-site local support of its more than 200 customers in Australia and New Zealand. In the United States, South East Asia, Latin America and Europe, it supports both customers and international distributors using the latest technologies.

PO Box 890 Bondi Junction
NSW 1355 Sydney Australia

Telephone +61 2 9369 6100
Facsimile +61 2 9369 6150
sales@pongrass.com.au

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All rights reserved