SyndiGate is focused on providing its customers with high-quality content. In its decision to license, SyndiGate also considers the reputation and quality of a publication, the importance to the industries and vertical markets of Al Bawaba's customers, the demand for the title, and the coverage.

Interested in delivering your content to SyndiGate's customers? Follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Contact SyndiGate

Send an email to Mark Gatty Saunt, Director, Content Sales and Licensing () with your interest and any questions.

An Al Bawaba representative for SyndiGate will contact you to discuss the possibility of licensing your content. If you and your publisher relations manager decide that your content would be valuable to SyndiGate's customers, you will be asked to supply additional details about your content and send sample data.

 

 Step 2: Content Evaluation

SyndiGate's Content Operations group will evaluate your content to ensure it meets the necessary technical requirements and editorial considerations. Data evaluation is an important step in determining the amount of work required to take on new content.

SyndiGate will request that you provide the full contact details of a technical person to initiate the feeds and be the main point of contact for any technical matters, such as delivery, formatting etc.

There are two primary technical requirements:

1. The technical format of the content - content can be received in a wide variety of formats with Ascii data being preferred (e.g. HTML; XML; TXT etc.). PDF documents are also acceptable along the following guidelines:

Resolution Setting: 300 dpi or lower; screen optimized, low resolution files; 

Security: None; files should be created without security restrictions; 

Adobe Version Compatibility: Readable in Adobe 4.0 or above;  

Fonts: Embedded; 

File Size: Reducing the size of your files before sending may be helpful. This is particularly true if you plan on sending files as email attachments. Using a compression program, such as WinZip for Windows or Stuffit for the Mac can accomplish this goal.

Any indexing (a.k.a. tagging, coding, metadata, or taxonomy) you can provide is extremely helpful and is used by SyndiGate to ensure that new content is updated in the most timely fashion possible and presented in products in the best possible way.

2. The method of delivery - Again, many routes are possible, but FTP is the recommended standard method to send content to Al Bawaba. We can also work with full text RSS feeds.

FTP- (File Transfer Protocol) – This is the best method of data delivery. SyndiGate will provide you with a link to an FTP directory, and if you use Internet Explorer as your web browser you just need to copy and paste the link into the address line. Then just drag and drop your files onto the blank screen. Please note, if you use an alternate web browser you need ftp instructions for that particular browser; a username/ password will be provided. 

E-Mail Attachment – Data files can be sent as an email attachment directly to our edata department at . We can accept email attachments up to 10MB in size. Typically, we cannot receive zipped files as attachments due to our email filters. We receive hundreds of emails, so please be specific when referencing your title (no abbreviations). 

Publisher’s FTP Site/Website Retrieval - We are happy to download from your FTP site or Website if you are willing to provide access for us to do so.

 

Step 3: Contract Signature

Once SyndiGate's Content Operations group have approved the data, you and your publisher relations manager will reach agreement on business terms and a contract will be signed.

 

Step 4: Loading and Indexing of New Content

At this point, SyndiGate Content Operations will begin the work to add your content to the Syndigate system, which includes writing a computer program that will automatically convert your content into a suitable format for distribution to customers. Please note that the large aggregator and subscription database customers generally take between 4 - 10 weeks to launch a new source via their services.

 

Step 5: Content Monitoring & Quality

Once live, the new content now becomes part of SyndiGate's Content Monitoring system. This comprises a collection of processes designed to ensure that the data flows quickly, accurately, according to schedule, and that any discrepancies are quickly identified and corrected.

Publishers should notify SyndiGate if there are any changes to the agreed data format, delivery schedule, non-publishing days, increase/decrease in scheduled content volumes etc.