Karl Fakhreddine
Company: Orange Logic
Position: CEO
Site: www.orangelogic.com
Describe Orange Logic in one sentence
We help picture libraries and photo agencies go one level higher than the canned licensing solutions.
When did you start Orange Logic?
In New York in 1998, then expanded the business in France in 2000.
What were you doing before that?
I loved to study so I spent a lot of time in school: I have two engineering degees and a medical degree. I also spent 4 years on Wall St.
Where are you based?
I am now back in New York.
How many staff do you employ worldwide?
12.
How many developers?
We have 2 project leaders and 4 developers.
Describe your Monday morning?
This morning, I was up at 4am to talk to the team in France and organize the daily workload. I actually spend a lot of time in product architecture because I love it.
Who was your first customer?
While in Med school in Rochester, my 'hobby' between two surgeries was to develop for Magnum Photos on a laptop in scrubs. One could argue that Orange Logic was born out of a cheap trick to impress the nurses.
Who are you running picture library systems for currently?
Photo agencies, news agencies, picture libraries and museums, including Reuters, Image Source, Art Resource, Artists Rights Society, Art and Commerce, George Eastman House, la Réunion des Musées Nationaux (60 French Museums) and others. We also work with well-known global non-profit organizations, it kills me that we can't name them because of their non-endorsement policy.
How are you dealing with customers wanting to add footage to their stills library? Some clients do incorporate videos into their library. Our products can handle various types of assets including HD videos, and audio tracks.
We are told the cost of digital storage is going up at the moment - why?
Hum, at least with us, it is going down.
What new photo library functions are you offering at the moment?
We realized in 2006 that our application had one of the widest functional covers in the industry and decided to focus on usability instead of functionality. The objective was for users to be able to use the application within 2 days of training. So we've rebuilt the application interface from scratch with intuitivity and improved productivity as main targets. This makes for a really enhanced user experience, both for those working with the application back-end and for those searching and licensing pictures on the front-end.
What one feature sets OL ahead of other DAM systems?
I would say the ability of our application to adapt itself to our clients' needs rather than the opposite. This gives our clients the confidence to quickly adapt their business model to the market as needed. We provide a service, not just a software, our clients don't have to buy anything from us and can stop using us any time (it has never happened yet).
If I am a UK based picture library who do I contact first?
You can get in touch with Chantal Muller (chantal.muller@orangelogic.com) or call her on +33 499 58 17 35.
What's the lead time to getting my picture library online?
It pretty much depends on what we're trying to build: a 2-story house or a 200-story skyscraper. The 2-story house requires a lead time of 2 weeks.
Can I design my own front end?
Sure, all our clients do. If you have a look at some of our customers' websites, you'll see they've got completely different front-ends (there is no comparison possible between www.pictures.reuters.com and www.imagesource.com for example). We've also integrated a CMS in the application so our customers have full control on their site's text, look and feel.
What do you do when you are not thinking about OL?
I cherish any moment I get to spend with my wife and 3 kids.
What magazines/newspapers do you subscribe to?
The Economist, Le Monde.
Which websites do you visit daily?
Flickr, Pandora and tech stuff.
Do you write a blog?
If only I had enough interesting things to say...
ENDS
About Orange Logic
Orange Logic story begins in New York in the 90s when the first version of Cortex was born and delivered to Magnum Photos, Art Resource, and the Artist Rights Society.
Our solutions now manage millions of images for photo agencies, picture libraries, media agencies, museums and galleries, NGOs, and other image-intensive organizations distributing and monetizing media assets on the internet.
Cortex3, our latest product, is the result of more than fifteen years of evolutionary solutions for managing photo archives.
By making use of latest technologies and constantly keeping ahead of new trends, we provide our customers with superior user experience, help them lower their operating costs, and increase utilization of their pictures.
www.orangelogic.com
Photo Archive News
9/10/2009
http://www.photoarchivenews.com/archives/2009_10.html#003048
Posts
