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More Campaign Integration from MindFireInc: This Time with Google - Interview with Dave Rosendahl
MindFireInc’s Dave Rosendahl Speaks Out
Following my recent discussion of Kodak’s Insite Campaign Manager, MindFireInc, known for its ability to generate personalized URLs and web microsites for use with integrated marketing campaigns, reached out to WhatTheyThink to let us know about the evolution of their business strategy and the integration with Google Website Optimizer that is currently being tested with customers.
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What Happens Once It’s Printed?
DocuLynx President & CEO Terry Wieczorek Talks About the Importance of Archiving
The ability to archive and quickly retrieve documents has gained increasing importance in recent years, due to both a desire on the part of organizations for a more productive and streamlined workflow as well as increasingly stringent regulatory requirements. What opportunity does this offer for printing firms as they work to expand their portfolios of value-added services? We asked DocuLynx President & CEO this question when we spoke to him recently.
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| Konica Minolta Completes Acquisition of Danka Office Imaging
On April 8th of this year, Konica Minolta announced that it would acquire long-struggling Danka Office Imaging, ending literally years of speculation about what would happen to the company. That acquisition was finalized June 27th, and on July 1st, Konica Minolta hosted a web session for press and analysts to talk about the future of the combined organization.
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| Cool Stuff I Saw at drupa
As the world’s largest printing trade show, drupa is as much about trends as it is about products. With that in mind, I was able to find the time to cruise some of the halls, and there was some cool stuff to be seen. Not that I claim to have seen it all, mind you, but I wanted to share some of it with our readers. Where to start?
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| Inkjet Technologies Moving Forward
The recent drupa highlighted the fact that inkjet technology is moving forward at a substantial pace and that the manufacturers of inkjet printers and presses are making good use of this new technology to bring new products to market.
What was interesting at drupa was that it was not just one inkjet technology that was moving forward but all of the technologies. By this I mean new developments in continuous ink jet (CIJ), in drop on demand (DOD) piezo and thermal inkjet, and in other technologies of DOD thermal and piezo inkjet using new types of inks such as Latex and gel inks. The following article summarises some of these developments and what they possibly may mean for the future of inkjet developments.
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| Applications Everywhere: Not a Drop of Boredom to Spare
For the longest time, printers have been harangued about adding “value-added services” to the mix in order to survive. What does that mean, exactly? Mailing, maybe, or fulfillment? Variable data printing? Cross-media? Web-to-print?
These are all value-added services, of course, and they are important enablers for success in today’s highly competitive and often difficult marketplace. But in and of themselves, they are relatively useless. They only really add value if they are solving a particular customer business problem and are used within the context of specific business applications; otherwise, it doesn’t seem that they are much different than hanging out a sign that says “We Do Print.”
Over the last several years, many of the suppliers to the industry have gotten much better at positioning these value-added services in the context of specific applications. More...
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Fujifilm Graphic Systems USA: Masahiro “Sam” Ota
With the recent reorganization of Fujifilm Graphic Systems USA, WhatTheyThink took the opportunity to catch up with Sam Ota, the new President & CEO of the company to find out how things are going for the company and what plans he has for the future of the organization.
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The drupa Difference
“A print business that is alive...” |
| Every four years, the global print community gathers in Dusseldorf for the world's largest printing trade show, and suppliers to the industry make significant investments in the run-up to the show in order to optimize their time at this global event. More than any other printing trade show, drupa is a place for companies to launch not only new products but also their strategic vision for the future. During the show, I had the opportunity to speak with Rich Lowe, President of franchise print network Sir Speedy, who was at drupa with a contingent of colleagues from Sir Speedy’s parent company, Franchise Services, including the General Manager of Netherlands-based MultiCopy, Gerard Slot and Franchise Services CEO Don Lowe. Since an organization the size of Franchise Services has plenty of access to suppliers outside of the show environment, I was interested to learn what they were here to see.
Lowe’s perspective is that drupa is about both short-term and long-term trends. He says, “We come here to see the future. Most U.S. shows are product based.”
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For Frank Steenburgh, Retirement is Not an Option!
Appointed to Board of Directors of Presstek
Industry veteran Frank Steenburgh, who is often called DocuFrank because of his role in launching the Xerox DocuTech to the world, retired from Xerox at the end of 2005. We expected that he might spend more time on the golf course, run his boat around Keuka Lake in the Rochester, New York area, and perhaps do a little consulting. But this was not to be. First, Frank started a consulting business, then he joined Rochester’s ColorCentric as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), and recently, he was appointed to serve on the Board of Directors of Presstek. WhatTheyThink caught up with Frank recently to learn more.
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Free Video: Cary Sherburne: WhatTheyThink Team Looks Forward to
"Exciting Inkjet drupa"!
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EFI/PostNet Deal: The Inside Scope
Plus: Market Perspectives from EFI and PostNet
EFI recently announced a deal with franchisor PostNet that will make its Digital Storefront e-commerce and web-to-print solution available to PostNet franchisees. EFI’s Digital Storefront is also in use at office products superstore Staples, and, according to EFI, has been deployed in 2,500 total locations worldwide, making it one of the most widely deployed web-to-print solutions.
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Web-to-print is one of the fastest growing value-added services in the printing industry, bringing the benefits of both increased customer convenience and improved producer productivity when properly deployed. Recent InfoTrends research reflects that Web-enabled services have entered the mainstream among the print service provider community in the United States. Nearly 50% of providers offer Web-to-print services today, according to the firm, with 32% planning to add them within 24 months. This would bring penetration rates to 82% in two years’ time.
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WhatTheyThink spoke with Marc Olin, Senior Vice President and General Manager of EFI’s APPS business, and Brian Spindel, President & Chief Operating Officer of Colorado-based PostNet, to gain additional insight into the deal and an overall market perspective.
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Free Video: Cary Sherburne on How Printers Can Specialize to Compete
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Kodak Graphic Users Association Sees 50% Growth in
Attendance Over 2007
Independent User Association Draws 314 Member Attendees at the Wynn in Las Vegas
Last month, I attended the Kodak Graphic Users Association at the Wynn in Las Vegas on behalf of WhatTheyThink.
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This is one of the oldest independent users groups in our industry. Although it has undergone a few name changes, and there was some trepidation on the part of the members when Kodak acquired Creo, the group has not lost any of its vitality. This is the first year the media has been invited to attend, and I was joined by four other journalists from the United States and Canada. The meeting was well organized, and the Wynn, of course, is an outstanding venue. Members of the media were free to attend any of the sessions, except the elections and Executive Bullpen, a frank exchange between members and the Kodak executive team. More...
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JDF: Where Are We Now?
A Conversation with Muller Martini’s Peter Doyle
It has been some time since I have written anything specific about JDF. Perhaps that is because, as CIP4 CEO Margaret Motammed predicted several years ago, it has become such a common part of the printing industry infrastructure that it is like plumbing or USB ports. In the run-up to drupa, I took the opportunity to speak with Peter Doyle, Muller Martini’s Corporate Integration and Workflow Manager and also a member of CIP4’s Finishing Committee, to get his perspective on our progress.
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WhatTheyThink Green Week '08
During the week of April 21, 2008, WhatTheyThink will feature a week-long series of articles and videos on the environment and sustainability. In publishing this series, WhatTheyThink is honoring the 38th annual Earth Day on April 22, 2008 and highlighting the role of "green" printing practices and sustainable industry practices.
Below are Cary's contributions to this series:
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PrintingForLess Adds FSC Certification to Its Environmental Accomplishments
Last week’s PrintingForLess (PFL) press release about its recent FSC certification caught my eye as Earth Day approached. This is the icing on the cake for this environmentally conscious web-based printing company located in Livingston, Montana. In 2006, the company moved into a brand-new building that was designed according to its business model, culture, the needs of its employees, its community, and the environment.
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| WhatTheyThink spoke with Wyeth Windham, the company’s Production Manager, an articulate and very knowledgeable individual who has heavily involved in many of the company’s environmental initiatives. Wyeth indicates that with the proper planning and consideration, the building was not any more expensive than an environmentally-insensitive building would have been. Here’s more from Wyeth. |
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Will the Next Generation of Graphic Communications Professionals Drive a Greener Industry?
A Conversation with Tina Rardin
In a recent conversation with Hans Kellogg, Assistant Professor at Ball State University’s Graphic Arts Management Program, he shared with me the University’s environmental sustainability statement, which reads in part:
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“The University's practices reduce both the consumption of materials and energy and the emission of pollutants to their lowest levels possible, without decreases in the level of education, scholarly work, and services provided.”
Kellogg introduced me to a Sophomore in the program and recent recipient of the Henry A. Loats Scholarship, Tina Rardin, who shared with me her thoughts about the importance of environmental sustainability in the graphic communications industry. |
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Second Annual XMPie Users Group Conference Draws Crowd to Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas
Attendees Learn How to “Rocket to Success” with Cross Media Solution
The XMPie Users Group held its second annual users group conference at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas in early February. Nearly 200 users from more than 80 companies attended this year’s conference, which was sponsored by key industry vendors, including Adobe, EFI, HP, Kodak, PB Systems, Press-sense, Tecra, Xerox and XMPie.
Read more about this exciting conference...
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Amos Michelson: Life After Creo
WhatTheyThink recently had the opportunity to speak with Creo’s former CEO, Amos Michelson, to see what he is up to since the acquisition of the company by Kodak. Michelson shared some interesting Creo history as well as his perspective on the industry in general.
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Video: Cary Sherburne talks about the importance of Print MIS
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| X-Rite and Pantone Launch ColorMunki, WTT Analysis
X-Rite, the world leader in color management and measurement technologies, along with recently acquired Pantone, Inc., the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, today introduced ColorMunki, a breakthrough in both price and performance.
Based on X-Rite and Pantone's deep understanding of the photo and design communities, ColorMunki solutions are the industry's first easy-to-use, convergent technologies developed specifically to feed the artistic imagination of creative professionals – at an affordable price. Designed to meet the requirements of creatives working in a digital environment across industries, the revolutionary ColorMunki family ensures accurate color from inspiration to final output in ways never before possible. More...
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Red States/Blue States: Where Is the Convergence?
My initial perceptions of the On Demand show may have been unduly influenced by all of the election coverage on CNN, but my first thought when walking onto the show floor was that we had a Red State/Blue State thing going on here. As most of you are aware, AIIM and On Demand shared the show floor.
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The AIIM side of the show had blue carpet and the On Demand side had a red carpet. There was a distinct line down the middle in more ways than one. As much as we talk about convergence in our industry, the show still reflects a distinct demarcation. More...
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Kodak’s New CMO for GCG Speaks About the Business of Marketing
In January, Kevin Joyce took over the reins as the Chief Marketing Officer for Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group in the wake of Jeff Hayzlett’s move to the corporate office. Earlier he had been named as a corporate vice president for Kodak. WhatTheyThink spoke with Joyce in the run-up to On Demand to learn what, if any, different strategies we might see from Kodak during his tenure and to get a view of what Kodak is planning for On Demand and beyond.
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New CGS CEO Shares Strategic Vision
Trevor Haworth Discusses Hybrid Proofing, the Environment and a Xerox Alliance
Last November, Trevor Haworth was elected to the board of directors and appointed Chief Executive Officer of CGS Publishing Technologies International GmbH, Hainburg, Germany. His appointment is part of an organizational restructuring combining the strengths of leadership of both companies in the United States and Germany. Haworth founded CGS LLC in the U.S. in January of 1999 to act as a dealer for the German company, and this most recent appointment was based on the success he has achieved with the North American operation.
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| CGS employs 65 people worldwide, including 17 in the U.S. and Canada and six in Mexico managing the Latin American operation. The company earned more than $25 million in revenues worldwide in 2007. |
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What to Look for at drupa 2008
Pre-drupa Media Week provides some insight
During January, about 150 media representatives from around the world gathered at Messe Dusseldorf to hear from a range of suppliers to the industry about their plans for drupa, as well as to get a peek and what the show company has been doing since drupa 2004 and what is in store for us in 2008.
Part One Part Two
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Screen's Tim Taylor Explains Screen's New Print-On-Demand Strategy
Company refocuses business on inkjet technologies for the future
In mid-January, about 150 journalists from around the world gathered in Düsseldorf, Germany, to hear from suppliers to the industry about their drupa 2008 plans. One of the more interesting announcements was Screen's repositioning of its graphic arts business to focus on the print on demand market. Following this announcement, I had the opportunity to speak with Tim Taylor, Screen's European Marketing Manager, who shared a little more detail on the company's POD strategy. Read the interview.
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Agfa’s Peter Wilkens: Bringing Sales and Marketing Together
I recently spoke with Peter Wilkens, Agfa’s Vice President of the Prepress Solutions Segment, who is responsible for sales and marketing for Agfa’s commercial, corporate, and newspaper segments. ,. Prior to taking on this role in 2007, Peter was director of Agfa’s newspaper segment for North America. He joined Agfa in 2005 after many years with ECRM, where he held senior management positions with global responsibility for Sales, Marketing and Customer Service. In this conversation, we spoke to Wilkens to get his perspective on Agfa, the industry and what we might expect to see from Agfa at drupa 2008.
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PrintFest and DMA Join Forces
Walking the Talk: Bringing Printers, Customers and Suppliers Together in Southern California
PrintFest 2008 will be held at the Anaheim Conference Center in California, March 27th to 29th, 2008. As many of our readers will remember, the predecessor of this show was the Gutenberg Festival which was founded in 1973 and sold to GASC in 1999. Following the final year of the Gutenberg Festival in 2005, Chris Jacobson, whose father founded the Gutenberg Festival and Horsetrader Magazine, resurrected the Southern California show in 2006 as PrintFest and has gradually been rebuilding attendance and exhibitor levels.
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PrintFest 2008 is particularly interesting because Jacobson is collaborating with the Direct Marketing Association of Southern California (DMAsc) to host PrintFest and the Southern California Direct Marketing Expo under one roof, bringing print and marketing together, with an event that is targeted equally at printers, marketers, designers and other creative professionals.
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Screen Previews drupa, WTT Analysis
The printing industry is under considerable pressure from electronic media and to improve its environmental profile. Screen is responding to the changing needs of the printing industry by undergoing tremendous change and developing products that will help the industry thrive. The company’s theme for 2008 and beyond is ‘Creating a Future in Print’ - a future not only for Screen and its customers but for the industry as a whole.
Here we provide an insight into the POD and CTP technologies that Screen will announce over the next few months and that will be launched and demonstrated at Drupa 2008 in May. In addition to these, the company plans to announce further significant developments in the lead up to and at the show.
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| Xerox to Broaden Continuous Feed Portfolio, WTT Analysis
As it prepares for the world's largest printing exhibition later this year, Xerox Corporation launched its fastest yet continuous feed printing system that helps print providers capitalize on the high-speed, high-volume monochrome printing market. The new high-speed system makes it easier to produce books, manuals and trans-promotional applications.
At a media pre-briefing here today for drupa 2008, Xerox took the wraps off the Xerox 650/1300 Continuous Feed Printing System, which combines speed, ease-of-use and workflow productivity into a powerful device for service bureaus, data centers, and commercial print providers.
The company also highlighted new printing technologies, workflow solutions, business development services and applications that fortify Xerox's leadership position in offering the industry's broadest portfolio of systems and solutions.
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Ricoh's New Production Printing Strategy, WTT Analysis
Global printing manufacturer Ricoh, predicts that the production printing market will grow to €12.8 billion by 2013 . It is Ricoh’s vision to expand its presence in this market and become a leading force by 2010. Drupa 2008 is the platform for Ricoh to introduce the Ricoh Pro C900 and C900s a new colour digital printer and multi-function device offering heavy production capacity. Also launching is the Ricoh ‘Pro’ brand, for easy identification of its production printer portfolio. Ricoh demonstrates a history of innovation within the printing market.
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New Kodak Workflow Solutions at drupa, WTT Analysis
Kodak’s Print On Demand Solutions (PODS) Group will present a new workflow initiative for its OEM partners at drupa 2008. The new workflow offering addresses the needs of digital print providers for advanced and automated workflows supporting the growth of the digital production printing market. This growth presents new challenges such as increasing numbers of short runs and web-generated print jobs and the need to eliminate manual re-entry of job info, as well as to reduce error rates and turnaround time. In order to tackle these challenges and increase profitability, digital production print environments must invest in deploying automated workflows.
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Xerox Changes Logo, Sherburne Comments
Xerox today unveiled the most sweeping transformation of its corporate identity in the company's history. The new brand is designed to reflect today's Xerox, a customer-centric company built on a continuing history of innovative ideas, products and services that meet the needs of businesses small to large.
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Effective Education: Blending Academia with Real-World Experience
As part of WhatTheyThink’s Education Week coverage I spoke with Jeanne Mowlds and Brenda Kai from EDSF, as well as the new U.S. Public Printer, Bob Tapella, about the role of education in ensuring the future viability of our industry. Both discussions reflected the value of blending real-world experiences with academic learning for a more meaningful student experience.
I checked in with two of the leading schools who have graphic communications programs to find out what they are doing in this regard:
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| Ryerson University in Toronto, and University of Wisconsin-Stout. Both programs are working hard to deliver the most current and relevant experience possible for their graduates. More... |
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WTT Special Report: Kodak's New Digital Plate Manufacturing Plant in China
This week, Kodak opened a new digital plate manufacturing plant in Xiamen, China. Doug Edwards (BIO), General Manager and Vice President, Prepress Solutions, Kodak's Graphic Communications Group (GCG), and Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company, offered representatives of the media a virtual tour of the plant via the web, providing background on the plant and the company's strategy. More...
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First Interview with Public Printer Bob Tapella: Discusses education, the death of offset, and more
Today, November 6, 2007, Robert C. Tapella will be sworn in by Congress as the nation’s 25th Public Printer and will lead more than 2,200 employees at the U.S. Government Printing Office. Tapella chose to make WhatTheyThink the venue for his press debut with this exclusive interview. Among other things, Tapella shares with WhatTheyThink his own educational background, his entry into the printing and publishing industry at a very early age, and his thoughts about the need for education, both for young people entering the industry, and for ongoing training once employed. Tapella brings a refreshing perspective relative to the role of the Public Printer, the GPO, and the future of the printing industry. More...
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Video: Education Week: Cary Sherburne on what you can do and why it's important
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New Executive Director for EDSF: A Discussion with Jeanne Mowlds and Brenda Kai
Focus remains on building the next generation of graphic communications professionals
Last month, EDSF announced that long-time Executive Director Jeanne Mowlds will be retiring at the end of 2007 and that
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Brenda Kai is taking over the reins of this international, non-profit organization focused on building the next generation of graphic communications professionals. Mowlds has been Executive Director since the Foundation began its work in 1996. Mowlds, who is relocating from Southern California to Idaho, will be transitioning responsibilities to Kai as 2007 winds down.
As part of our Education Week coverage, WhatTheyThink spoke with both Mowlds and Kai to gain insight into EDSF’s past and future initiatives and strategies, as well as to wish Mowlds well and introduce Kai in her new role. More...
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Video: Todd Chambers of Presstek talks to Cary Sherburne at Graph Expo
about industry trends |
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Second Life: What is the Buzz About?
Brian Regan of Semper LLC Explains
Have you been paying attention to what’s happening with the next generation of the Web? We were caught off guard when we were hit with the force of the Internet in the ‘90s, and according to Brian Regan, President of staffing firm Semper International LLC, if we don’t pay attention this time, we will be caught again as new virtual worlds like Second Life begin to catch fire.
The other day, I saw a report in AdWeek that advertising monolith Omnicom purchased a stake in Millions of Us, a firm founded in 2006 that has built presences in Second Life for brands like 20th Century Fox, Toyota and Pontiac.
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This quote caught my eye: “We are entering an era known as the 'Avatar Age' in which people connect face to face online," Reuben Steiger, CEO of Millions of Us, said in a statement. "Because people today trust the recommendations of friends much more than advertising, companies can now seize the opportunity to support online communities and connect more deeply with their customers through social networks rather than through traditional online advertising."
I hate to admit that I was not all that sure what they were talking about. What is an Avatar, anyway? But by the time I finished my very informative conversation with Regan, I had a much better idea. I am sharing part of our conversation here in the hopes that it might help some of you not feel as clueless as yours truly, and maybe set you on the road to your own Second Life.
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Video: Chuck Rothstein of Carleton Communications talks about Government print jobs
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Heidelberg's Jim Dunn Reports on State of the Business, drupa Expectations
Stable Workflow Leads the List of Priorities for Printers
Following what most are categorizing as one of the most positive Graph Expo's in recent years, WhatTheyThink spoke with Heidelberg's USA President, Jim Dunn, to get his take on the show, key success factors for the industry, and what we can expect to see from Heidelberg in the run-up to drupa 2008. More...
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RR Donnelley CEO Tom Quinlan Speaks with WhatTheyThink
Putting the Customer First
In a rare exclusive interview, RR Donnelley President and CEO Tom Quinlan spoke with WhatTheyThink recently about the state of the company and its rebranding, the state of the industry and RR Donnelley’s strategies moving forward. More...
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Video: Elly Perets with Press-sense talks about success at Graph Expo
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Video: Steve Horton of DDI talks to Cary Sherburne about attending Graph Expo '07
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Video: Cary Sherburne talks to Frank Romano about Pantone GOE at Graph Expo
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Kodak's CEO Antonio Perez Speaks Out from Graph Expo
Antonio Perez, CEO of Eastman Kodak, took time out of a very busy Graph Expo to speak with WhatTheyThink about the company's digital transformation, future potential, and the state of the industry.
Read the interview here...
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Video: Joachim Schafer of Messe Dusseldorf talks with Cary Sherburne about drupa
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What's New in the World of JDF?
A Conversation with Industry Expert David Zwang
David Zwang is currently the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Ghent PDF Workgroup. The Ghent PDF Workgroup (GWG) is an international organization made up of graphic arts users, associations and developers building best practices for publishing workflows and has led the charge in ensuring a viable set of standards for PDF workflows for a variety of different industry segments. Also, since 1991 Zwang has operated an independent consultancy specializing in process analysis and strategic development for firms in the fields of electronic publishing, design, prepress, and printing across the globe. He is recognized as one of the leading workflow experts in our industry.
As we head into Graph Expo, WhatTheyThink spoke with Zwang to get an update on the latest activities at the GWG, status of the State Department project which Zwang has spearheaded—the first truly global implementation of JDF—and to gain his perspective on the show and the industry in general. Read the interview here.
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| X-Rite and Pantone: What Does It Mean? |
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Last Thursday, X-Rite, a leading provider of color solutions for measuring, formulating, matching, and simulating color, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Pantone, Inc. for $180 million.
The deal is expected to close in the fall of 2007 and will result in Pantone becoming a new business unit within X-Rite. Current Pantone leaders will continue to play key roles in the organization, according to the press release. One of the objectives of the deal was to deepen X-Rite's range of offerings by adding Pantone's color standards to its leadership position in hardware, software and services solutions.
"Pantone, Inc. and X-Rite have a long established relationship as successful, strategic business partners," said Richard Herbert, president of Pantone. "Pantone is known for the PANTONE Brand and our commitment to innovation and quality in developing and marketing color communication standards, inspirational design tools and color management solutions. These values and core competencies will be enhanced by X-Rite’s research and development expertise, engineering strength and global distribution infrastructure. As a combined company, we look forward to creating exciting new products and business solutions, providing greater value for our customers worldwide."
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Newest Member of The Print Council Executive Committee Brings Print Buyer Perspective
A Conversation with Leo Burnett's Jim Mikol
In July, The Print Council announced the appointment of Jim Mikol, EVP and Director of Print Management at Leo Burnett, to the Executive Committee of The Print Council. This is a landmark event for the council, since it is the first time there has been print buyer representation on the Executive Committee. The nine-member Executive Committee governs the actions of The Print Council.
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Mikol directed all creative services for Kraft Foods for nearly 20 years before joining Leo Burnett in his present position. In this role, he manages a group of 85 print professionals producing $250 million in print media. He was a member of the SWOP Advisory Committee and is a past co-chair of Primex. Ben Cooper, Executive Director of The Print Council, has described Mikol as one of the leading advocates of print in the world.
WhatTheyThink spoke with Mikol to get his perspective. Mikol attended one of the early Print Council press conferences, and also has been a speaker at the IPA Technical Conference in the past, where he has shared great ideas about how production and creative can better work together. More...
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In-Plant Implications of Embedded Online Printing Commands
Following Adobe’s much-welcomed announcement that it would be removing the “Print to FedEx Kinko’s” button from Acrobat and Reader, WhatTheyThink spoke with Ray Chambers, CEO of Chambers Management Group and former in-plant executive, who subsequently spearheaded the creation of a press release outlining the position of The Association of College and University Printers (ACUP), the National Government Publishing Association (NGPA), and the International Printing and Mailing Association (IPMA), as well as in-plant print operations all over the country, specifically with respect to concerns that the Adobe/FedEx Kinko’s deal, and other like solutions Adobe may consider in the future, highlight relative to their operations. More...
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| Graph Expo 2007 Sold Out, WhatTheyThink Exclusive Talk with Ralph Nappi
This early sell-out of Graph Expo space is good news for the industry. It is especially good news for GASC in a pre-drupa show year that could have suffered from that competition. Also there are well-known players who waited too long to commit to the show and now can’t get booth space.
WhatTheyThink spoke with Ralph Nappi, who is in his second year of GASC leadership, to learn what attendees can expect to see at McCormick Place this year. More...
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The Esko/Artworks Systems Deal: The Inside Scoop
Last week, key industry players Esko Graphics and Artwork Systems announced that they had reached an agreement to combine their businesses.
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| The resulting new entity, with estimated 2007 revenues in excess of EUR 180 million and a combined workforce of close to 1,000 professionals, consolidates the market leadership of both companies in packaging and printing pre-production products and services in Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific.
The target date for completion of the purchase is August 9, 2007. WhatTheyThink spoke with Carsten Knudsen, who is currently the CEO of Esko-Graphics A/S and will become the CEO of the combined group; and Guido Van der Schueren, who is currently the chairman of the board of directors of Artwork Systems Group NV, and will become the Chief Commercial Officer leading the new group's integrated marketing and sales operations, to get the inside scoop on the deal. More...
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Brand Management System iBrams Simplifies Template Creation for Designers
One of Germany's leading branding agencies, the Peter Schmidt Group, has been making some noise in North America through its independent sister company of implementation experts, the Brand Implementation Group, and its distribution partner, Network PDF, with the release of Version 4.0 of iBrams, a template-based brand management solution.
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Now also supporting Adobe’s InDesign Server CS3, iBrams is a tool for the automatic production of documents and advertising media of all kinds using templates that guarantee adherence to corporate design guidelines. It also functions as a Web to Print solution.
WhatTheyThink spoke with Andreas Michalski, Executive Director of the Brand Implementation Group and Klaus Messlinger, Product Manager of iBrams to learn more about this interesting offering. More...
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Adobe Hosts Forum to Discuss FedEx Kinko’s Deal
“Our Position Hasn’t Wavered,” says NAPL
On Tuesday, July 17th, Adobe hosted a “Print Advisory Forum” in San Francisco to “address concerns raised within the printing industry” over its deal with FedEx Kinko’s that places a “send to FedEx Kinko’s” button in every copy of Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader 8.1. As reported by WhatTheyThink and as has been discussed in great detail in the PrintCEOblog and in the PrintPlanet discussion groups, this move by Adobe has created a firestorm in the print community, and Adobe’s forum was an effort on their part to explain their position and to hear feedback firsthand. More...
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| Hear what Cary Sherburne had to say on NPR Marketplace about the Adobe/FedEx Kinko's deal! |
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| Adobe/FedEx Kinko’s Deal Creates Firestorm
In early June, Adobe and FedEx Kinko’s announced a collaboration to extend the reach of FedEx Kinko’s Print Online application to users of Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat software. Both Adobe software applications will feature a connection to FedEx Kinko’s Print Online functionality, including a “Send to FedEx Kinko’s” command on the File menu and a “Send to FedEx Kinko’s” button in the toolbar featuring the FedEx Kinko’s Print Online “beacon.”
Adobe positioned this move as a convenience for FedEx Kinko’s customers, making it easier for them to access FedEx Kinko’s printing and shipping services. But while Adobe and FedEx Kinko’s were undoubtedly savoring a sense of victory, a printing industry firestorm was brewing. More...
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Industry Expert Charlie Corr Joins Mimeo
New Vice President of Corporate Strategy for Web-Based Printing Company Looks Forward to New Challenges
This week, Charlie Corr surprised the industry by announcing that he was leaving research firm InfoTrends, where he was a Group Director, to assume a position with web-based print service provider Mimeo as Vice President of Corporate Strategy. Corr is a leading industry expert, with 28 years of industry experience split between operational experience, consulting and research and is a popular speaker at industry events. WhatTheyThink spoke to Corr as he was departing research firm InfoTrends to pursue this new opportunity.
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Concord Litho: On the Scent of New Profits
A Conversation with Ali Westcott: “Anything That’s Printed Can Be Scented.”
Concord Litho, located in Concord, New Hampshire, has operated as an independent family business since 1958. The company has revenues of $42 million, 215 employees, 7 web and sheetfed presses, and a bindery. Its location in a historic New England town has not stopped the company from delivering innovation in the 21st century. A recent company press release caught my attention with its catchy title: Concord Litho Prints Interactive Scent Cards for 'Laugh 'n Sniff' Episode of 'My Name is Earl.' Billed as “Your ticket to ‘Must Smell TV,’” this first-of-its kind interactive promotion ties a scented insert (six fragrances, including Oreo cookie) to the May 3 script of the television sitcom and was available exclusively in the April 30th issue of TV Guide. During the May 3rd "Laugh 'n Sniff" episode, NBC prompted viewers via on-air graphics to rub one of six corresponding numbered boxes on TV Guide's scent card, which released aromas connected to the “My Name Is Earl” storyline, including the smell of “a brand-new car,” and the chocolatey-creamy signature scent of Oreo cookies, the sponsor of the “scent card.” The release prompted me to contact Ali Westcott, Director of Marketing & Communications for Concord Litho, to learn more about this promotion and what it might mean as a new application area for Concord Litho going forward. And smelling my way through the sample kit made me hungry! More...
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VistaPrint Ups the Ante - Enters Marketing Services Business
VistaPrint, one of the most efficient printing operations in North America—if not the most efficient—announced it has entered the marketing services business with two new offerings: Mailing Services and Creative Services. VistaPrint styles itself as the leading online supplier of high-quality graphic design services and customized printed products to small businesses and consumers. As a print service provider, if you haven’t taken the opportunity to order something from VistaPrint, you should. It always pays to know your competition, and with this latest move, VistaPrint is becoming even more of a force to be reckoned with. WhatTheyThink spoke with Trynka Shineman, Senior Vice President of North American Marketing, to get the skinny.
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| 42nd IPA Technical Conference in Chicago a Big Success
In his kickoff to the 42nd annual IPA Technical Conference, IPA Executive Director Steve Bonoff told the crowd of over 300 attendees that the IPA Board was well on its way to developing a model for the breakthrough graphic solutions provider of the future - its structure, who its customers and employees will be and what technologies and services were likely to comprise the business. For an industry that has had to reinvent itself numerous times since the first technical conference was held in 1965 - and even before that - this proactive, forward-looking initiative was one of the more important announcements at the event, although it met with little fanfare. Many of the attendees I spoke with were at the conference seeking guidance on the future of their businesses as the sands continue to shift around them, and it will be interesting to see the outcome of the Board’s work - how forward looking it is and how they see the “breakthrough” firm of the future. Although the work is not yet complete, Bonoff provided some insight into the blend of emerging services firms should be thinking about beyond those offered today by many member firms...
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| EFI Connect 2007 Shaping Up to be Biggest Ever
EFI Connect, one of the largest user groups in the industry, is fast approaching, and WhatTheyThink will be there, along with media colleagues from around the world, to report on this exciting event. Two years ago, EFI’s CEO Guy Gecht indicated he was aiming toward building a conference with 1,500 attendees, and it appears that the conference will be close to achieving that level this year. Being held at the nearly-new Wynn on the Las Vegas strip from June 10th through 13th, Connect is running with the theme “Discover. Innovate. Integrate.” Over the four day event, participants will have the opportunity to attend more than 160 educational sessions, test drive the latest EFI products, discuss industry trends, and network with peers. More...
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New Presstek CEO “Bullish On the Industry, Excited to Be at Presstek”
In an unexpected move on May 10th, Pressek announced that Edward J. Marino, its President & CEO for the past five years, would be leaving the company to “pursue other opportunities.” Replacing Marino is Jeff Jacobson, an industry veteran who ran Kodak Polychrome Graphics for many years prior to its acquisition by Kodak. Jacobson left Kodak effective April 30, 2007, where he was Chief Operating Officer of Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group prior to his departure. WhatTheyThink connected with Jacobson to learn what he has planned for Presstek in his new role there.
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Cary Sherburne talks with Shahar Bin-Nun of Press-sense and gets his reaction to Charlie Pesko's keynote speech at On Demand -- FREE Video
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Cary Sherburne talks with Patrick Bolan, President of avanti about their sweep of the Print/MIS category Best of Show at On Demand -- FREE Video
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Cary Sherburne talks with Ed Marino of Presstek about why they exhibited for the first time at On Demand -- FREE Video
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Where Will Your Company Be in Five Years?
Lessons from AIIM/On Demand
Although our official On Demand coverage has concluded, there was more I wanted to cover along the lines of workflow automation. First, as I reported in my earlier workflow article, Charlie Pesko stated in his keynote, "Every time a human touches a job, you lose profit." He added, "When you add value to documents in production, you increase profits," and pointed out that there is a growing digital divide among printers, stating that if you find yourself on the wrong side of the divide, you will be at a significant competitive disadvantage. More...
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Cary Sherburne talks with Patrick Bolan, President of Avanti, about why they exhibit at On Demand and how to go from offset to digital -- FREE Video
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AlphaGraphics and PrintThree Announce Strategic Partnership
With Two Complementary Franchise Networks, One Plus One Equals Three
The On Demand show is a great place to go to see the latest technology and learn about the latest trends. But it is also a great place to catch up with old friends and network with new ones.
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| Kevin Cushing, CEO of Salt Lake City based AlphaGraphics, and Andrew Hrywnak, President of Toronto-based Print Three, took advantage of the show to do just that. After months of discussions and due diligence, the two sealed a deal to build a strategic cross-border marketing alliance they believe will bring big benefits to their franchisees and their customers. WhatTheyThink spent time with Cushing and Hrywnak to get the story. More... |
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Cary Sherburne talks with Jeff Hayzlett at On Demand again, this time about Charlie Pesko's keynote address and postal rate changes -- FREE Video
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| Mohawk Papers: Playing the Environmental Card
Mohawk Fine Papers continues to play a leadership role in papers designed for both digital printing and environmental sustainability. At the recent On Demand show, the company was touting its new Beckett Concept and Expression papers and distributing a booklet called Sense and Sustainability, meant as an educational piece on environmental sustainability, specifically as it relates to paper manufacturing and use.
Mohawk defines sustainability as "assuring the long-term survival of our planet by conserving and caring for its resources rather than depleting or permanently damaging them," adding, "Our growing awareness of the effects of climate change and deforestation makes sustainability and environmental stewardship everyone’s concern today."
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Cary Sherburne talks with Dave Vanable of RSA about debuting their enterprise workflow system and about getting a best of show -- FREE Video
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Cary Sherburne interviews Shahar Bin-Nun of Press-sense who talks about their new ASP modeled launched at On Demand -- FREE Video
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| Workflow Automation at On Demand
It was terrific to see On Demand back in Boston after all these years, and the new convention center is marvelous. Not the least of its wonders is free wireless access throughout!
The recent show trend toward more emphasis on the business of printing and less emphasis on the printing equipment itself continued. As we mentioned earlier, Kodak chose not to bring a lot of its equipment, using 3D modeling on computer monitors to show the wonders of the VersaMark, as an example. Of course, there was still lots of equipment on the show floor, but it seemed that as with the last couple of shows the crowds tended to gather more around the monitors than around the boxes. A good sign that we are maturing as a digital industry, and by the time we hit drupa 2008, we should be seeing even more of that. More...
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Cary Sherburne interviews Deb Cantabene, VP of Workflow Marketing at Xerox and talks about their new server debuted at On Demand -- FREE Video!
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Cary Sherburne interviews Yves De Vlieger of Enfocus/Artwork Systems -- FREE Video!
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Cary Sherburne interviews Fred Rosenzweig, President of EFI who talks about their new tagline "Print To Win" -- FREE Video
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Kodak Shifts Trade Show Strategy: A Conversation with Kevin Joyce
Kevin Joyce is the Managing Director of the United States & Canada Region for Kodak's Graphic Communications Group. He took time out of busy preparations in the week preceding the On Demand Expo to speak with WhatTheyThink about Kodak's new approach to trade shows, and to generally update us on the state of affairs at Kodak. Joyce also shares his perspective on the changing graphic communications industry. More...
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Looking for Workflow at the OnDemand Show -- FREE Video!
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Fujifilm Graphic Systems USA: Tim Combs Speaks Out
WhatTheyThink checked in with Tim Combs, FUJIFILM Graphic Systems U.S.A., Inc. Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing, covering a wide range of topics from the latest company news to what to expect from FUJIFILM Graphic Systems U.S.A., Inc. at On Demand and Graph Expo, and the impact of Agfa's recent channel changes. Combs also weighs in on the thermal/violet debate. More...
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Total Workflow a Hot Topic at On Demand and IPA Technical Conference
Workflow will continue to be a hot topic at On Demand, and the IPA Technical Conference will be a great venue to follow up on workflow issues in more detail. In its 42nd year, the historically well-attended IPA Technical Conference is scheduled for June 5th through 7th, 2007, at the Westin O'Hare in Rosemont, Illinois. According to IPA Executive Director, Steve Bonoff, "We have some really exciting new additions to the program this year that will further our aim of helping attendees gain a comprehensive understanding of the production capabilities and efficiencies required to successfully operate a Total Workflow and build a profitable, global graphics solutions company."
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| What's Next for Presstek?
Presstek, like many other companies in our industry, has been undergoing a transformation over the last several years. And for Presstek, this transformation has several dimensions. Presstek started out as a digital company with its automated direct imaging (DI) presses and innovative chemistry-free approach to platemaking, both of which are categories that the company invented. In 2004 Presstek altered its model by acquiring two other companies with significant analog components: Precision Lithograph and ABDick. This gave the company more control over its plate manufacturing capabilities, some of which had been previously outsourced to Precision, and access to a direct sales and service force. More...
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NEPS and APT: An Interview with Bill Lowe
As our readers may remember, NEPS, founded in the 1980s by industry veteran Denise Miano, was acquired by Moore Incorporated in 1996 and renamed The Moore Emerging Technologies Division. Subsequent to the Moore/Wallace acquisition by RR Donnelley, NEPS was spun out as an independent company. When NEPS announced the acquisition of Boston-based Art Plus Technology (APT) on March 7th of this year, it was one of the top three most read news stories on WhatTheyThink for the week. WhatTheyThink followed up with NEPS CEO, Bill Lowe, who many of you may know as the father of the IBM PC, to learn more about the future of NEPS.
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KODAK Print On Demand Solutions Gaining Momentum in DFE Business
At Graph Expo 2006, we spoke with Benny Shimshoni of Kodak's PODS group as part of our workflow coverage. Since that time, both HP and IKON have announced new digital front end (DFE) capabilities powered by the PODS CREO color server. This would seem to indicate that Kodak's plan to firewall the operation to product competitors' data and information is working to everyone's satisfaction. WhatTheyThink checked in with Shimshoni to get an update on how the group is doing.
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Hayzlett Clarifies Kodak’s Print eCommerce Network Strategy
Kodak’s announcement last week of the launch of a new online design and printing solution for the small office/home office market met with a lot of blogging and other commentary on PrintCEOblog, the PrintPlanet forums and more, as well as a clarification from Kodak about who would actually be doing the printing submitted through this network and what Kodak’s strategy was in launching this service. WhatTheyThink spoke with Jeff Hayzlett and his team at Kodak to get more detail on this and other Kodak announcements and programs, including the departure of industry veteran COO Jeff Jacobson.
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| Agfa DeMerger Details
On Wednesday, Agfa-Gevaert announced that its Board of Directors has completed its strategic review of the company and decided that it is in the best interest of the Group, the customers, the shareholders and the employees to split into three independent, listed companies—representing the activities of Agfa Graphics, Agfa HealthCare and Agfa Materials—by the end of 2007. Later the same day, the company announced its 4th Quarter 2006 results. Excluding currency effects, Group sales increased 3.9 percent, and Marc Olivié, Agfa's President and CEO, stated: "All our business groups are on track with the implementation of their growth strategies, but high raw material costs continued to have a major impact on our results. Graphics was able to improve its profitability thanks to its successful pricing strategy and the shift to more profitable digital prepress solutions.”
WhatTheyThink spoke with Tom Saggiomo, President of Agfa Graphics North America, to get his perspective on the Agfa split-up and any potential impacts on the North American market.
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PANTONE huey Grows Up
On February 26th, Pantone announced a new addition to its popular huey display calibration product family, hueyPRO. When huey was launched a year ago, Pantone’s Vice President of Marketing, Doris Brown, indicated that it would be the first in a family of products. One year later she says, “We learned so much by taking this product to market. We knew there was a need for monitor calibration that was affordable and easy to use for designers and amateur photographers. We wanted it to be simple, sexy and fun. Never in our wildest dreams did we think that the professional community would gravitate to this product like they have. They thought it was as good as what they were using, but asked us to add a few things to make it even better. That was the genesis of hueyPRO.” Brown states that within its first year, huey gained the largest market share in its category and clean swept every award in the category. Pantone markets huey through a variety of channels, including photography outlets, big box stores, online and more. Read more...
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Lightning Source Unveils Plans for Third Production Facility
At Graph Expo, Océ announced that leading on-demand book manufacturer Lightning Source was purchasing 15 of its VarioStream 9210 black and color-capable digital printers, along with Océ PRISMA production software to generate books on demand for some of the world's most prominent book publishers. Then more recently, Lightning Source announced that it would be opening a second manufacturing facility in the United States. WhatTheyThink checked in with Lightning Source CEO Kirby Best to get the scoop behind all of this activity and an update on Lightning Source's strategic vision for this exciting market segment. More...
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FedEx Kinko’s: An Update and Interview with Brian Phillips
Our interview with FedEx Kinko’s COO Brian Philips late last year ranked in the top ten articles for the year at WhatTheyThink in terms of number of reader accesses. With recent FedEx Kinko’s announcements and other press coverage, it appeared to be a good time to do a follow-up discussion with Philips to see how the company is progressing relative to its restructuring and expansion efforts and to learn more about what is new. Read the interview...
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FedEx Kinko’s Enhances Online Presence with New Print Online Web-to-Print Solution
After much industry chatter about which supplier(s) would provide web-to-print infrastructure to update the FedEx Kinko’s offering, the company ended up developing its own interface, launched last October as FedEx Kinko’s Print Online.
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| Prior to that, the company had four different online job submission options, including Print to a FedEx Kinko’s, Web Order, File, Print FedEx Kinko’s and DocStore. Print Online replaces the first two.
WhatTheyThink spent time at FedEx Kinko’s Print Online to see how the interface worked compared to previous versions. In previous generations, although it was not always clear which interface was best for which specific type of application, I had tried them all and found that they were fine for simple job submission, but fell short of expectations when a job became more complex, especially if you were trying to submit a job that consisted of multiple components. That is, with the exception of DocStore, which is a catalog-based storefront that is targeted at FedEx Kinko’s larger corporate customers. More...
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Bruce James Retires as GPO Public Printer after Four Years of Dynamic Change
Retiring GPO Public Printer Bruce James has an impressive array of accomplishments to his credit after his brief tenure of four years. James came into the position with a goal of bringing the Government Printing Office into the 21st Century, and he has done just that. James is credited with being the official most responsible for working with the library community on establishing an authentic digital collection of published Government information | |
