GOVERNMENT

GridIron Software, a leading developer of grid computing solutions, today announced the availability of GridIron X-Factor 1.5 for Adobe After Effects Professional 6.5 software. New features include grid rendering for faster processing of the Adobe After Effects render queue, use of large, high-resolution digital video files from network drives and Storage Area Networks (SANs), and enhanced security with Microsoft Windows XP SP2. GridIron X-Factor is an extension for Adobe After Effects that provides faster preview processing and rendering of motion graphics and effects for film, video, DVD and the Web. The new X-Factor capabilities were developed for digital professionals working in high-resolution formats for film and high definition (HD) broadcast. GridIron X-Factor uses the power of grid computing technology to significantly improve productivity and streamline the creative workflow by distributing the work ordinarily performed on a single workstation computer over several computers in a network. "GridIron X-Factor adds tremendous value to After Effects, particularly as broadcast production houses and professionals migrate rapidly to high-definition standards," said Steve Kilisky, group product manager, Adobe Digital Video and Audio products. "X-Factor makes it easy and affordable for Adobe After Effects users to realize productivity gains and respond to the exploding demand for HD." Sonalysts Inc. is one of New England's largest and most experienced e-Business consultancies, the region's largest multimedia production facility and leaders in training, software development, systems engineering and research and development. Sonalysts uses GridIron X-Factor for large-scale production projects, and benefits from the product's ability to rapidly speed digital rendering and editing. "Now that we've used X-Factor, we cannot imagine working without it," said, Kattie Konno Leonffu, Art Director at Sonalysts, Inc. "X-Factor lets us quickly meet client demand for long and intensive graphic projects and will allow us to easily work within HD environments. X-Factor's ability to increase preview and rendering speed will be essential as we take on more and more projects, allowing us to expand our business and generate additional services for our clients." GridIron X-Factor 1.5 New Features: - The ability to process the Adobe After Effects render queue: While preview processing speeds the creative process, many broadcast professionals use the After Effects render queue and render options to generate final renders of HD projects. GridIron X-Factor 1.5 delivers performance improvement for processing of the render queue using the same grid computing technology that provides faster preview processing. - New X-Factor support for network drives: Given the large size of data used for film projects, often in the range of several terabytes or more, film professionals typically store footage centrally on large network drives or SANs. GridIron X-Factor 1.5 accommodates network storage configurations and allows the benefit of faster processing and rendering to be realized without requiring compute nodes to have high-capacity disc drives. - Optimized for Microsoft Windows XP SP2: GridIron X-Factor allows you to take full advantage of new security and network features included in the Microsoft Windows XP SP2 (Service Pack 2) without requiring any special configuration of the built-in firewall. Steve Forde, president and CEO of GridIron Software, said, "X-Factor brings tremendous productivity benefits and workflow improvements to digital professionals working with intensive projects and within HD environments. With the latest version of X-Factor, GridIron continues to bring the power of traditional grid computing to the digital content market, allowing professionals to use this technology to create and render projects never before possible due to time and technology constraints." Pricing and Availability With X-Factor 1.5, GridIron introduces simplified pricing and increased value. While the X-Factor Basic edition continues to be offered free of charge, version 1.5 now provides all of the features previously restricted to a purchased license upgrade. It now allows selection of grid computers, auditing of grid computers for fonts and plug-ins, and transferring and deletion of source data to and from grid computers. X-Factor Basic Edition will also allow users to completely experience the full functionality of the X-Factor Workstation license upgrade, except frames will be watermarked if X-Factor Basic edition is used to process a preview using more than two CPUs or to process compositions in the After Effects render queue. The Basic edition of X-Factor 1.5 can be downloaded at no charge at http://www.gridironxfactor.com/download . GridIron has simplified licensing for customers by eliminating the need to calculate their processor requirements to purchase a per-CPU license. Instead, the GridIron X-Factor Workstation license provides complete functionality and allows a single After Effects Workstation computer to use every available CPU on a network to fully maximize the speed of preview processing and rendering. The X-Factor Workstation license is $1,995 and is available for purchase at http://www.gridirionxfactor.com/purchase . Current users of X-Factor can upgrade from version 1.0 to 1.5 at no charge simply by downloading and installing the new version of X-Factor over their existing installation. X-Factor will continue using the same number of CPUs permitted under the previous version 1.0 license. GridIron X-Factor 1.5 is available for both Windows and Macintosh OS X.