CMS Vendors
InterRed
InterRed
InterRed is multi-channel CMS, offering print and digital publishing capabilities, with a focus on the German-speaking region.
- Unusually strong integration with Adobe InDesign helps support print-centric use cases, but a relatively outdated architecture and UX, as well as heavy reliance on self-hosting, limits the platform's flexibility.
- Best suited for mid-sized publishers in the DACH region requiring multi-channel output across print and digital.
Likely Fit
InterRed is best suited for mid-sized news organizations in the DACH region looking for a multi-channel CMS based on strong print capabilities. However, organizations seeking a cloud-first, more agile solution with rapid release capabilities might find its traditionally self-hosted nature and complex customizations rather limiting.
At a glace
Primary Customer Fit
Mid-sized chain of news organizations
Secondary Fit
Mid-sized independent news organizations
Most Active Geographies
EMEA
Official Support Hours
Standard support from 9 AM to 5 PM CET but can optionally offer 24/7/365 in German and English. Support is primarily via email, but phone is also supported.
Officially Supported Languages for User Interface
DE, EN
Third-party Language Support Available?
Yes
License Model
Licensed by concurrent seats and number of modules chosen
Scope Summary
InterRed provides content lifecycle management, print and digital publishing, and content synchronization. However, its modularity comes at the cost of complexity, especially in on-premise deployments.
Tech Base
Built on a proprietary Perl-based architecture
Cloud Model
Primary on-premise but can optionally provide managed cloud hosting.
Headquarters
Siegen, Germany
Head Count
60
What customers report
Pros:
- Provides a multi-channel publishing solution that allows content to be created once and published across print, online, app, and e-paper channels.
- Offers unusually strong integration with Adobe tools for print publishing workflows.
- Has a modular design that allows customers to choose the components they need, thus preventing overbuying.
- Provides a good level of partnership and communication with the vendor, especially for smaller or mid-sized news organizations.
- Legacy UX and GUI design require more clicks than necessary, with long editorial paths negatively affecting user experience.
- Self-hosting creates significant infrastructure demands and lacks the flexibility of modern cloud solutions.
- Lacks a quick, easy setup process for simple web pages, requiring more upfront configuration and templating work.
- Slow development cycles with a yearly major release often require small internal projects for updates.
- As a small vendor, it may have capacity constraints that can impact responsiveness for enhancements and customizations.
- The multi-channel capabilities add complexity, making it less suitable for users just needing a simple web publishing solution.
Background
- Founded in 1996 by Prof. Dr. André Klahold, and headquartered in Siegen, Germany, InterRed GmbH, with 60 employees, is a relatively smaller vendor, yet a key CMS provider for the German market, particularly in the print and publishing sector.
- InterRed's key strength is print workflows -- where it offers, for example, strong integration with Adobe InDesign. The platform’s evolution has been relatively slow compared to more modern systems. The company relies majorly on yearly release cycles. They do offer minor releases, but the Long Term Support release is once-a-year and several customers are are only on the Long Term Support release cycle. Although InterRed offers flexibility through modularity, customers often find that the on-premise nature of the platform requires significant customizations to keep pace with evolving digital needs.
- InterRed’s proprietary, Perl-based architecture, while mature and stable, has limitations compared to more modern, cloud-native platforms. Its strength lies in its tight integration between print and digital channels, making it an excellent fit for publishers who need robust multi-channel capabilities. However, the reliance on on-premise infrastructure and custom modules can lead to long deployment times and heavy maintenance burdens. InterRed has started offering private-cloud based SaaS and IaaS options, so you may want to explore those.
- The company focuses heavily on the German-speaking market, with a small European presence. It has resisted expanding globally. The company is privately owned by the Klahold family, with a 24.9% stake held by Axel Springer, one of its major customers.
- InterRed has developed innovative features, like SmartPaper, which automates the production of print layouts. However, customer feedback suggests that the system’s user interface and overall user experience have fallen behind compared to modern systems. The slow pace of updates and lack of flexibility in certain areas, such as quick webpage releases, are cited as drawbacks. On the plus side, licensees -- including smaller news organizations -- praise the vendor's close attention to their needs.
- The vendor’s roadmap heavily focuses on improving AI-based capabilities and enhancing automation. However, customer feedback indicates that these features are still in the early stages of real-world adoption. InterRed’s ability to evolve will depend mainly on how quickly it can adapt to the growing demands for cloud-based solutions and more frequent release cycles, where it currently lags behind competitors.
Package scope (as reported by vendor)
| Core platform - i.e., bundled in product (yes/no/beta) | Add-On (yes/custom/3rd party) | |
|---|---|---|
|
Content lifecycle: author / classify / edit / approve / publish / re-purpose / archive / dispose
|
Yes
|
|
|
Basic digital / voice / media asset management
|
Yes
|
|
|
Support print publishing
|
Yes
|
|
|
Simple social media re-publishing
|
Yes
|
|
|
Optional modules: forms / polls / social widgets / etc
|
Yes
|
|
|
Connector library (OOTB connectors, APIs, etc.)
|
Yes
|
Custom
|
|
Bundled CDN (with DDOS protection)
|
Yes
|
Custom
|
|
User registration
|
Yes
|
|
|
Subscription management and fulfillment - digital
|
Yes
|
|
|
Subscription or membership
|
Yes
|
|
|
Personalisation
|
Yes
|
|
|
Ad management - digital
|
Yes
|
|
|
Ad management - print
|
Yes
|
|
|
Content management
|
Yes
|
|
|
Research
|
Yes
|
|
|
Content management
|
Yes
|
|
|
Video management / OVP
|
Yes
|
|
|
Audio management / podcasting
|
Yes
|
|
|
Data journalism and visualisation
|
Yes
|
|
|
Classifieds
|
No
|
|
|
Commenting / community features/
|
Yes
|
|
|
Newsletter production and management
|
Yes
|
Custom
|
|
Notifications and alerts
|
Yes
|
|
|
A/B testing
|
Yes
|
|
|
SEO
|
Yes
|
|
|
Multi-title management with variable inheritance
|
Yes
|
|
|
Complex layout and subsite / subsection cloning
|
Yes
|
|
|
AR- / VR- enhanced services
|
Yes
|
|
|
Audience segmentation
|
No
|
|
|
Online user / partner forums
|
No
|
|
|
Regular user group meetings
|
Yes
|
|
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