It was July 2013 when Hyphen-Group organized its very first workshop – an event that has since become a recurring and valuable tradition. For us, it’s a key opportunity to share what we’ve accomplished over the past year and our strategic direction, presenting updates on Chalco and Hyphen Shooting Line. But most importantly, it’s a trusted, informal space for dialogue and cross-pollination between brands and tech players in a constantly evolving market like fashion.
This year was no exception: we once again opened the doors of our headquarters in Affi. We chose the title Hyphen >> Forward for this new chapter to underscore our forward-looking vision. The central theme of the day was the presentation of Chalco NEXT!, the new generation of Chalco, designed to meet the growing demands of brand and product content production and distribution. Key areas of evolution included interface usability, the introduction of new services such as Chalco AI Gateway, and advanced dashboarding – made possible through strategic partnerships with Deda Stealth, Microsoft, Natzka, and NetApp, who are supporting us on this journey.
And of course, we couldn’t skip the hot topic of AI – a subject that continues to spark both excitement and terror, presenting ever-new challenges for brands.
Chalco NEXT!, the new generation of Chalco
A step change, a leap forward – that’s how we like to define Chalco NEXT!, the new generation of Chalco built to address the rising needs of brand and product content production and distribution. Five key drivers are guiding this transformation:
- UX > Design e Prestazioni
- KPI e dashboarding per monitorare il ciclo di vita del contenuto
- Compliance & Service Management
- Integrazione avanzata con sistemi e servizi
- Architettura API & AI Native
Chalco NEXT! is a three-year project (2025–2027) for a progressive rewrite of the platform’s core engine. This evolution is designed to coexist with the current system and is built around modularity: each area will be updated based on urgency, business value, and technological maturity.
The ongoing transformation with Chalco NEXT! involves changes in architecture, language, and development approach across the entire Chalco suite. We are moving toward a new platform logic that supports the brand’s application structure. An adaptive system, capable of evolving with the organization, providing an infrastructural layer that supports content, compliance, AI, governance, and distribution.
With Chalco NEXT!, Hyphen clients will benefit from new interfaces and optimized workflows – without disrupting their familiar habits. The result? Greater autonomy, less reliance on specialized support, improved visibility of KPIs and metrics to drive decision-making, reduced time and effort for configurations and customizations, and significant OPEX and CAPEX savings.
Chalco Digital Experience: smoother interfaces
Hyphen >> Forward also offered the opportunity to unveil two other major innovations for those using Hyphen-Group solutions: Chalco Digital Experience and Chalco Product Data Platform.
Chalco Digital Experience is a tangible first step in the technological evolution of our solutions – not just a simple UI refresh, but a fundamental leap forward.
Time was the central driver behind this redesign. We focused specifically on developing a new front-end for accessing data and content, designed to deliver:
- a new navigation and information architecture
- a modular, scalable, and shared design system
- smooth and responsive interfaces.
Chalco Product Data Platform: a new operational framework
Chalco Product Data Platform marks a major operational shift within the Chalco suite. It’s an advanced configuration designed to distribute content and product data in a single read, at scale, across B2B and B2C environments. It forms the foundation for the controlled distribution of Product Digital Identity, and is a key enabler for seamless system integration, scalable digital ecosystems, and compliance with new standards like the Digital Product Passport.
Built on Chalco Orchestra in HA, the Chalco Product Data Platform enables:
- scalable publication to internal and external channels;
- synchronization based on variables from ERP, PLM, CRM, etc.
- optimized distribution via public/private CDNs;
- add-ons for ERP, eCommerce, marketplaces, CRM, BI;
- advanced REST APIs and dedicated front-ends (Catalog, Showcases, etc.);
- publication of NoSQL views via API
- channels compatible with MCP (Model Context Protocol) standards.
Content is automatically updated based on scheduled plans, events triggered by Chalco (DAM or PIM), or input from external applications (via webhook, API, middleware, ESB). This ensures consistent, real-time replication of information – without compromising source data security. The Chalco Product Data Platform is an integral part of the Chalco NEXT! modernization program, with a dedicated three-year roadmap.
Sharing the journey: Hyphen-Group’s strategic partnerships
One of the distinctive traits of Hyphen-Group is that we don’t wait on the sidelines for others to set the course. Over more than 25 years, we’ve made tough choices, taken wrong turns, faced setbacks, and embraced discontinuity.
We never wanted to walk this path alone, and we’ve chosen to partner with strategic tech players. We fully recognize the (not only economic) value of synergy among different stakeholders in delivering an integrated approach that enhances the entire content lifecycle.
During Hyphen >> Forward, we were joined by several of these partners – teams with whom we share a vision and a constant drive toward innovation. Specifically:
- NetApp, for increasingly seamless integration between Chalco and enterprise file systems;
- Stealth, for a solid operational bridge between data and content;
- Natzka, for accurate ROI measurement of the Digital Content Factory.
These collaborations are already translating into new integrations within the Chalco suite, designed to generate a competitive edge for our clients.
AI in the Digital Content Factory: toward co-creation
In the new Chalco era, Artificial Intelligence is just one piece of the puzzle. But we know well how AI has become a red-hot topic and a business-critical factor for brands.
AI is not magic – it’s a valuable process resource, just like people or tools, capable of optimizing or replacing workflows currently managed manually. The challenge lies in integrating AI into production processes and managing it wisely.
When it comes to AI and content, co-creation – a dialogue between human and technology – takes center stage. During the event, we shared Hyphen-Group’s approach to AI co-creation for visual and textual assets. We explored new modes for engaging with shooting services and introduced a more structured prompting strategy to generate richer, multimodal, and personalized product texts.
We’re no longer talking about traditional processes but about evolved – and constantly evolving – processes. Not just AI, but co-creation, where artificial intelligence collaborates with the human component to:
- reduce time and effort in creating visual and textual assets;
- produce and manage increasingly structured content in real time.
This virtuous dialogue offers brands a powerful opportunity to stand out, stay relevant, and preserve quality and authority in the face of change.
