Swiss photography agency Kursiv has released KIM Keywording, a new software package designed to speed up metadata entry for large image volumes. The application supports up to 10 languages and makes use of contextual keywording.
In Kursiv's description, contextual keywording is a way of relating a single word to its larger context. For example, KIM links an entry of "showing" to the related keywords of "nature," "phenomena," "weather," "snow" and "snowflake." Each keyword entered receives this contextual treatment, along with the additions of plurals and synonyms.
Most important, according to the company, is the ability to keyword once and create varying outputs based on future needs--accounting, for instance, for different keywording preferences of various stock agencies. KIM allows for keyword-catalog adjustments, such as deactivating plurals or expanding synonyms, among other functions.
The launch version supports 10 non-Latin languages, useful for companies that deal with international distribution partners. This feature allows batch processing of entire collections, converting them from one language to another with a click of a mouse.
KIM Keywording reads and writes IPTC data from TIFF and JPEG files and can export it in all the commonly used formats (e.g., comma-delimited, Excel). The software is cross-platform, compatible with both Macintosh and PC environments.
Kursiv is the largest Swiss image agency, offering the local market access to over 9 million images from 80 collections. It is also the exclusive local representative of many globally recognized brands, such as Alamy, Blend and EyeCandy. In addition to single-image licensing, Kursiv markets image CDs and, since 2005, an online subscription product.
The company also develops its own and markets third-party software, focusing on production tools for creatives. KIM Keywording retails alongside post-production applications and Photoshop plugins that help improve image quality.
In addition, Kursiv provides customized services to large companies. For example, it has created an image database for global financial services provider UBS. The database -- a pre-screened library of Kursiv-represented images -- is hosted by the image agency, available to USB employees worldwide and administered by UBS staff. Once an image is selected, Kursiv handles licensing and invoicing.