What to Look for at drupa 2008; Part 2
Pre-drupa Media Week provides some insight
By Cary Sherburne
February 14 2008 - 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 Two of this series provides individual vendor highlights shared during the conference. Read Part One
In addition to the real-time postings on WhatTheyThink during the conference (links included below for easy reference), key highlights from the vendor presentations are included here. Overall, it is clear that inkjet and workflow will be the hot areas of focus.
Creo PODS
Creo PODS, the independent Kodak business unit that provides digital front ends for a wide range of digital press manufacturers, emphasized its ability to drive a unified offset/digital workflow, driving multiple print devices without having to change workflow, indicating that Kodak would be standardizing on the Creo front end. The company continues to enhance features/functionality on its servers and will be showing those at drupa. This includes offering Kodak’s Unified Workflow Solutions, including Prinergy and InSite software, to its OEM partners. At drupa, Creo PODS will also be showing a new high-end color server system for the graphic arts industry, which is based on Nuevo Technology. The company indicates that Nuevo will deliver ten times performance improvement over the current generation of server, positioning this new server technology to drive even the high speed VersaMark presses. It is also designed with connectivity to Kodak’s Unified Workflow Solutions.
DALiM
DALiM reported that the company has doubled in size since last drupa. The company has made significant investments in bringing easy-to-use yet powerful solutions to the market for workflow and content management. Key developments to be shown at drupa include DALiM MiSTRAL 3, with real-time Dialogue integration to present all relevant project information in one look. It uses AJAX technology, which means that as information changes on the web page, only the changed portion is instantly refreshed. DALiM Virtual Library, a very cool 3D application that uses the Adobe PDF Print Engine technology and was shown as a technology demonstration at Graph Expo, will be available as a product. It allows publishers to bind publication pages digitally before the magazine actually exists, including display of gatefolds. Libraries can be locally resident or located on a MiSTRAL server elsewhere. The application uses a gaming engine for graphics and includes full text search and a reading tool that allows easy navigation. A partnership with UPM, the biggest paper manufacturer in the world, enables inclusion of paper weights as part of the metadata that can be included in the library and rendering of all of the physical characteristics of the paper. Initial deployments are likely to be used during the production process, but could open up new business opportunities for publishers in terms of electronic distribution of publications to maintain a community of readers who have a variety of different preferences for information delivery. The application is touch screen ready, and company representatives indicated they were close to being able to show the application running on the iPhone and/or other PDAs.
Domino
Domino announced a number of new developments for drupa in the inkjet arena. The company counts about 11% of its business in commercial printing and 64% in primary packaging applications. Both direct mail and gaming are specific areas of success for Domino. Domino claims to have the widest range of inkjet technologies in the marketplace and discussed five product announcements during their briefing, including:
- A new L-Series thermal printing product (L400) using water-based inks and printing at 600 dpi, modified for the industrial environment. This product was developed in collaboration with Lexmark as Lexmark’s first entry into the industrial printing market. Domino positions this as a brand-new thermal print head as compared to other thermal print heads which have been in the market for 10 to 12 years. Its water based inks are available in five spot colors.
- A completely new product for drupa in the K-Series, the K150, which is drop on demand technology using Spectra heads. It is primarily designed for direct mail applications but can also be used for label applications. The K150 comes in either UV or Solvent configurations and prints at 300 dpi. Focused on addressing applications, it prints at 180 dpi at up to 1.65 meters per second. Its entry level pricing is expected to be about $21,000, and in addition to addressing applications, it is suitable for bar coding and numbering for plastic card applications.
- Bitjet v. 4.5, a step change for the Bitjet product. The Bitjet solvent ink can print on almost any substrate. One application Domino alluded to is the ability to print breaking news on newspapers using inkjet technology. Resolution is increased from 120 to 180 dpi, with a new approach to resolution that uses a rotating print head. Print speed has increased from 4 to 13.5 meters per second even with the better print quality.
- Baseline, the first Domino offline handling solution for offline personalization, printing at 600 dpi. Currently black & white, there is ongoing development to bring color to this solution.
EFI
Guy Gecht, EFI’s CEO, indicated the company would have Jetrion announcements for drupa but that it was too early to make them at this time. He indicated that one growth area EFI will be pursuing with its VUTEk business is textiles, and we should expect more announcements about that at drupa as well. As he said, “It will be a while before we wear PDFs to the beach,” referring to the pressure on print being applied by alternative media use. EFI’s strategy, Gecht indicated, is driven by what he categorized as The Big Five:
- Consolidation—fewer players providing more services
- The power of information and the Internet—companies need to have access to the right information and the right time to make the right business decisions; they need to automate and they need to connect bidirectionally with customers. They also can take advantage of the Internet to expand geographic reach.
- Digital printing—allowing service providers to leverage demand for shorter runs, faster turn times and one-to-one communications
- Industrial printing—taking digital printing to the next level with out-of-home advertising, packaging, labels & tags and textiles
- Going Green—not an option anymore, but a necessity.
He stated, “Expect us to talk about things beyond paper, including Jetrion, a unique next generation Fiery with capabilities that no one has on digital workflow management, MIS, and new applications. I can’t be specific today, but we want surprise at drupa, and will have new things on every front.”
FujiFilm
FujiFilm stated the company would be expanding into wide format and packaging with inkjet technology, including industrial inkjet, and working closely with Xerox to bring to market digital press solutions with FujiFilm workflow that integrates digital and offset production. The company also launched a new tagline: Digital Power at Your Control. drupa will mark the first showing in Europe of FujiFilm’s XMF next generation cross-medial workflow, launched 10 months ago, and the first product to market with the Adobe PDF Print Engine, including 3D proofing. FujiFilm will also be showing MIS support for its products with ten to twelve partners, including HyFlex and Optimus, and Acuity, a high resolution flatbed wide format printer using Sericol UV inks that carries a lower capital cost. This is a rebadged Océ Arizona engine using Inca Dimetrix print heads.
Heidelberg
Heidelberg did not have much to say, choosing to postpone potential announcements until its press event scheduled in Germany for early March. The company will still occupy Halls 1 and 2, and the smaller of the two (Hall 2) will be dedicated to packaging. In 2004, that hall had a digital focus. That’s where you will be able to see the new Very Large Format (VLF) press for the first time. The company will continue its HeiTech theme, unveiled at Graph Expo 2007. Visitors can schedule individual HEI-light tours, or can leave their drupa credentials in exchange for an iPOD for a self-guided tour. Five tour topics include an overview tour, packaging and commercial print, as well as one focused on technical details and another for print buyers and marketing managers. All print jobs being demonstrated were developed in conjunction with Adidas, the German sports apparel manufacturer which includes the Reebok brand. They will be designed to demonstrate what print is able to contribute to the brand, and will be the focus of seminars and lectures for print buyers. The company will have 800 sales reps and 200 hostesses at the show.
Several questions were asked of Heidelberg presenters about the role of digital in their exhibit, and the answer was that there will be a focus on offset, although the company does plan some Anicolor announcements related to digital printing. Although Heidelberg declined to provide specifics, the company did indicate it would be showing some third-party integration with Prinect.
Kodak
Kodak presented in a “talk show” format with video interspersed and no PowerPoints. This was welcome at the end of a long week of presentations! WhatTheyThink covered the Kodak session in real-time during the briefing. The company talked at length about its new STREAM technology for inkjet printing and reasserted that STREAM-based products would be shown at drupa.
Presstek
President & CEO Jeff Jacobson introduced his new management team at the media conference, and unveiled a new organizational structure that includes three Strategic Business Units. Previously, the company focused on chemistry-free CTP and DI. A third Traditional Business Unit has been added to capitalize on the significant revenue still represented by the conventional offset business and to leverage Presstek’s access to the community of small commercial, quick and in-plant printers, a target market that can be hard to reach. This could involve adding more partner products to the mix.
The new senior management team is impressive. Many of them have worked with Jacobson before, and have many years in the industry. Jacobson pointed out that the market for lithographic plates and hardware is about a $5 billion opportunity, and gaining a 10% share of that market would double the size of the company. He intimated there might be toner in their future through partners, and stated that a larger format DI press was being considered, as well as referencing next generation chemistry-free plates in development. But no specific new product announcements were revealed for drupa, although they were not ruled out. Jacobson also indicated that the company was looking at third-party web-to-print, workflow and MIS solutions to flesh out its product portfolio. Four key strategies were outlined:
- Improve profitability and cash flow
- Migrate all products, especially the DI, upmarket and globally
- Work with more partners to put products through the current channel\
- Become a significant player in CTP.
Ricoh
Ricoh told the group the company is determined to be a force in production printing by 2010. With the addition of the IBM joint venture, Infoprint Solutions Company, its new MFP, the Aficio MP C7500, the Infoprint 5000 production inkjet solution and the Kodak NexPress in its portfolio, the company is well on the way. During the briefing, Ricoh announced the new Ricoh Pro line, with the full color C900 and C900s. WhatTheyThink reported on these announcements during the briefing.
Screen
Screen’s big announcement was a refocusing of its business on print on demand, redefining CTP as computer-to-paper. Review the WhatTheyThink article and the interview with Screen’s Tim Taylor for more information. Screen certainly believes that drupa 2008 will be the inkjet drupa!
Xerox
Xerox talked about its new brand, and announced a new continuous feed printer. Read the story on WhatTheyThink. At drupa, Xerox will also be showing solutions around seamless integration of offset and digital into hybrid environments, workflow, and placing emphasis on producing new applications more easily and helping customers to reduce the environmental impact of printing, as well as new business development tools for customers, in addition to the new continuous feed printer. Examples include a JPEG plug-in for the FreeFlow print server that allows native printing of JPEG files, support for packaging applications, and the Xerox Picture Me Profitable Kit for use by photo retailers in driving more digitally printed photo applications.
Cary can be reached via email at cary@sherburneassociates.com, online at www.sherburneassociates.com and by telephone at 603-430-5463.
Cary Sherburne is available for speaking engagements and consulting projects. To get more information contact us here.
Please offer your feedback to Cary. She can be reached at cary@whattheythink.com.
Prior to launching her consulting practice, Ms. Cary Sherburne was the Vice President of Marketing Communications and Outsourcing Solutions at IKON Office Solutions. In that capacity, she developed and implemented a branding campaign to build brand awareness for IKON in the marketplace as well as enhance employee pride in the organization, and was responsible for all internal and external communications, including trade shows and events, corporate newsletters, and industry and press relations. In the outsourcing role, she set strategic objectives and priorities for IKON's product and services portfolio in its Outsourcing businesses, including development of programs and sales support materials for that environment.
Sherburne was a Director at CAP Ventures, an internationally known firm specializing in market research and strategic consulting for the digital document and print on demand industry, before joining IKON, where she launched and managed the company's Document Outsourcing Consulting Service.
Her tenure in the printing and publishing industry has also included sales and marketing positions at Xerox Corporation, Indigo America and Bitstream. She is a frequent speaker at industry events and a recognized author.
