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Leading printing executives into the future

Between September 23 and October 21, our exclusive reports will include interviews, special takes and articles by contributing columnists. These contributors will make sure you do not miss any important aspect of the show. Special reports and exclusive writings are usually for Premium Access Members only. However, our sponsors have made it possible to deliver four weeks of exclusive content free. We thank them and hope you will too.

E-Business at Graph Expo
- The Internet is NOT a business model by Gail Nickel-Kailing

Just a few years ago, the world turned upside down and the Internet was a new business model. Never mind that no one knew where the money was going to come from. The Internet was going to be the technology that revolutionized the way people bought, sold, produced, and delivered printed products. The graphic arts industry would never be the same. So much for irrational exuberance! MORE

Reflections on Digital Printing at GraphExpo
- It may look like a duck by Carole Alexander

The most important element of a digital printing business has always been, and still is, a well-defined business model. If a printer tries to add a digital business as if it were just another press, they will not be successful. It may look like a duck and quack like a duck, but sorry-- it's not a duck. MORE

PrePress Wrap Up: You have 34 minutes
- By Paul White

So, with an average of 75% of all files submitted by customers requiring rework of 34 minutes (CAP Ventures) or so, it’s no wonder this year’s attendees were swarming over prepress vendor booths. Ayah, prepress. One prepress vendor informed me that prepress was really a business previously occupied by six distinct (and now defunct) market segments. MORE

Ghilad Dziesietnik, VP, Advanced Workflow and Core Software Technologies, EFI
- An interview conducted by Paul White

Marketing, creative and data mining people need to think about what can be printed. Web workflow captures customer information, companies like Amazon.com know how to mine captured information. The Web has solved this problem, but this capability is not so easily accomplished with printed communications. MORE

The Writing on the Wall
- Heidelberg phrases, SAP & Unitinc., Hemera, Xeikon, Xerox, Oce tease, Scitex Digital... by Noel Ward

AROUND ONE SIDE AND THE BACK of Heidelberg’s booth at GraphExpo there were blue signs with two-line statements in white print tied to the printing giant’s theme of passion for printing. Yet as I read the signs, I saw some as an interesting statement on the printing industry today, with printers fighting against the encroachment of alternative media and striving to keep print relevant in a world where speed and information are increasingly vital criteria for communications tools. MORE

Graph Expo, One Week Later: What, So What, and Why
- Bibles, JDF & assorted terms, show sales and a case for more affordable educational materials for printers and print buyers - by Patrick Henry

At the booth of a prepress systems vendor, for example, we learned that a printer had strolled in, announced that he had $1 million to invest in CTP, and asked the delighted vendor to help him spend it. MORE

Educating the Print Customer, Also IBM and HP Plans
- by Carole Alexander

Although IBM, Xerox and HP all have connections in the enterprise, only IBM and HP have the depth of consulting services. Therefore it is not surprising that both are choosing to use these talents, although in different ways. HP is working with the print customer directly and involving the necessary marketing and print companies. MORE

Wonders and Ponders: Graph Expo Meanderings with Noel
- by Noel Ward

The crowds were thinner on Wednesday, and Tuesday too, for that matter, so it will be interesting to see what the total attendance numbers were for the four days of GraphExpo 2002. Still it seemed like many of the attendees were decision-makers or key influencers, getting a first-hand look at equipment so they could make some educated decisions. MORE

Ramblings and Prepress Observations
- Buyers Are More Serious This Year by Paul White

According to many economic pundits, since interest rates are at all-time decade lows, now is the time to make those capital expenditures that you have been putting off. I thoroughly agree with this and think if we were all to make capital investments, our economy would quickly begin to revive. MORE

Integrated e-business solutions come to the forefront
- by John McKeon

True end-to-end electronic connectivity—a seamless process that links every function from taking the customer’s order to payment collection—has long been just a vision. The question was when would it become reality. The answer has been muddled by economic pressures and internal industry upheavals. MORE

Print Management Systems
- Grabbing the CEO's While Wandering the Aisles (Virtually) by Gail Nickel-Kailing

For those of you who are joining me virtually, here’s the "up close and personal" with executives from a number of print management systems companies. Aided by Starbucks coffee cards, we had "virtual coffee breaks" and talked about their impressions of the Expo. Here are some of their comments. MORE

Tuesdays with Graph Expo
- Benny is not Retired; Canon is Fine Without Variable Data, Thank You by Carole Alexander

Bill McGlynn, VP and GM of HP Digital Publishing Solutions, and Benny Landa, Founder of Indigo, announced yesterday that Benny is not retired but still active in HP Indigo Division business. MORE

Writing Business: Exhibitors Seem Well Pleased
- Flint Ink, KPG, Presstek and Xerox leaders comment on traffic by Patrick Henry

After more than a year of struggle toward recovery, there are encouraging signs all across the show floor that the industry has regained its equilibrium and has refocused its attention on reequipping for a future that will not wait for the backward-looking. MORE

Heidelberg at the Post
- Larry Tanowitz is Senior Vice President, Post Press, Heidelberg USA. An interview by Molly Joss

"Our vision, which can be seen in our theme and our demonstrations, is to seamlessly connect all components of the printing process and make postpress as an efficient and technologically superior a process for our customers as possible." MORE

CIM Technology Is Keynote from the BIG THREE at Graph Expo
- by Patrick Henry

Digital workflows and the new methodologies of CIM (computer integrated manufacturing) are central to presentations by the leading press manufacturers at Graph Expo, where the "big three"—Heidelberg, Komori, and MAN Roland—are all promoting solutions for further automating the print manufacturing process. MORE

Digital Print Council, IBM, CNN, and I am "HP Agency Executive of the Year"*
- by Carole Alexander

Topics in Carole's coverage include: Variable Data Education for Designers; IBM and CAP Research; The Xerox Town Hall Meeting; and *Just for Fun with HP Indigo. MORE

Speaking to Printers on the Floor, Plus a Snapshot of the Town Hall Meeting
- by Noel Ward

There's much more going on at the show on this first weekday. One of the more interesting ways to look at a show like this is to talk to the people on the floor. I've taken to accosting printers and asking about their take on the show and why they got on a plane to come here. MORE

Digital Print at Graph Expo: A Quick Sunday Tour
- by Noel Ward

Once past the “clerks” at the entrance who insist on scanning your badge as if you're groceries at a supermarket, opening day at GraphExpo 2002 had steady crowds at most of the major vendors' booths. MORE

Good Start for the Show
- by Carole Alexander

Heidelberg expanded on its theme, Connect/The Passion, at its morning press conference. The speakers, Niels M.Winther, Heidelberg, Mark Weber, NexPress and Dr.Klaus Spiegel, Heidelberg, all agreed that the company passion was for printing, for their customers and for the connectivity that customers need to be successful. MORE

Inside iGen3 with an engineer's engineer.
Tony Federico, Senior VP, Xerox - by Noel Ward

Tony Federico is an engineer’s engineer. Get him started talking about the nuances, intricacies and advanced technology of the new DocuColor iGen3 and his enthusiasm for the machine he’s responsible for is hard--make that impossible--to cap. MORE

Your First Look
Up Close and Personal with the Heidelberg 9150i - by Carole Alexander

The Digimaster 9150i will compete head-on in the heart of Xerox' b/w market and against the DocuTech 6180. Together with the Digimaster 9110, Heidelberg has taken aim at the entire line of Xerox DocuTechs and DocuPrints. MORE

Print Management Focus
Definition of terms - Interface vs. Integration - by Gail Nickel-Kailing

In order to be fully prepared to discuss those management systems and how they work, now is a good time to look at the difference between application integration and application interfaces. They are indeed two different things. MORE

All Over Prepress
Susan Wittner and Robert Stabler of Agfa - conducted in part by Molly Joss

Agfa’s theme this year is the Graphic Enterprise and they will be showing graphic professionals the immense benefit of this concept. The Graphic Enterprise encompasses the entire operations of a printer. It breaks down traditional walls between customer service, prepress, pressroom and bindery. MORE

Web Presses
Mark Levin is Senior Vice President, Web Presses, Heidelberg - By Molly Joss

"On the top of the must-see list would have to be the Sunday 2000 press with Autoplate. This new automatic plate changing system allows one operator to change all the plates, or any combination of plates, in less than two minutes." MORE

KPG's #1 product will be "partnership".
Andrew Copley is President of KPG Americas - conducted in part by Molly Joss

KPG will formally enter the digital waterless plate market with two new thermal digital waterless products, Scorpion X54 and Scorpion X54 Plus. The company will also show a technology demonstration of a write-the-image, switchable polymer, no-process thermal CtP product that eliminates the need for pre- and post-baking. MORE

"First Impressions" of the Roland 500
Dr. Anthimos Giapoulis, MAN Roland - By Patrick Henry

Learn about the 500 before Graph Expo. This interview is a good deal more than trade show patrons customarily are told about an emerging machine’s design, development, and pre-launch testing. This is because Dr. Anthimos Giapoulis has agreed to tell the story in this special pre-show report. MORE

A three-layer strategy
Bob Bierwagen, Senior VP Product Management, Printcafe - By Gail Nickel-Kailing

Recently, Printcafe Software charged Bob Bierwagen, Senior VP Product Management with responsibility for orchestrating its complete product portfolio. In his new role Bierwagen will coordinate product planning across all products. MORE

The xpedx.com net benefit
Jeff Higgins, Director of Marketing, xpedx - By Molly Joss

xpedx is the distribution arm of International Paper, and while it sells a lot of the parent company’s products, it also sells many other brands, as well. In addition, xpedx is the largest paper distributor in the world, but sells more than just paper. MORE

A digital context.
Soren Larsen, Senior VP, Sheetfed, Heidelberg USA - By Molly Joss

For the Graph Expo coverage of Heidelberg USA, we decided it was appropriate to spend some time with the people behind the scenes who help manage this division. MORE

Ready for you at Graph Expo
Ed Marino, CEO of Presstek - by Molly Joss

Ed Marino has been President and CEO of Presstek since mid-April 2002, after serving on the company’s board of directors. MORE

Success in a tough year
David Taylor, President of Radius - by Gail Nickel-Kailing

In a year when many printing companies AND software application providers are stretching to keep their heads above water, Radius has been successful. MORE

Considering Komori?
Consider this interview with Stephan Carter, president, Komori America - By Patrick Henry

As a curtain-raiser to Komori America Corp.’s exhibit and presentations at Graph Expo, WhatTheyThink.com asked Stephan Carter, the company’s president and chief operating officer, to comment on the state of Komori’s business and on the outlook for the industry in general. MORE

Fast Q&A with Enovation
John Meyer is Director of Product Development at Enovation - by Molly Joss

"Our hopes are that manufacturers will continue to support important show events such as Graph Expo. We are continually seeking new strategic partners who support our goal to provide our customers with the best solutions." MORE

Graph Expo Spotlight On CTP:
Agfa and Creo Discuss Products and Philosophies - by Paul White

About to embark on the most important printing show in the U.S., WhatTheyThink.com thought it would be most interesting to have a dialog with two of the industry’s leading CTP vendors - Agfa and Creo. MORE

Graph Expo Preview: Digital Printing
In color and black and white, digital is gaining ground - by Carole Alexander and Noel Ward

FOR OVER A DECADE pundits, cynics, nitpickers, Luddites and assorted windbags have been saying--sometimes with ample justification--it would be a long time before digital color presses could compete with the big iron of traditional offset printing. Now that time has arrived. MORE

The Weekend with the CEO of MAN Roland: Yves Rogivue Offers the Big Picture
Conducted in part by Molly Joss

In his classic style, Yves Rogivue has again taken generous time with us to explain their plans for Graph Expo. MAN Roland’s booth will be one of the largest exhibits at the show. The company has taken a different approach to interacting with visitors this year. MORE

Graph Expo Preview: Paper and Toner and Ink, oh my!
by Patrick Henry, Noel Ward and Paul White

But the inks, toners, plates, paper, and other substrates used on these machines are every bit as important as big iron and the glamour of new technology, and are as essential to printing as the very ideas that ultimately generate print jobs. MORE

PART TWO: Meet the Market Maker: Regis J. Delmontagne, President of GASC and NPES
Conducted in part by Molly Joss

"Tradeshows are still the preferred method for businesses gathering information on new equipment to help them stay competitive. Tradeshows are the only place where you can see the equipment in operation, up close, and directly compare it side-by-side with similar equipment made by other manufacturers." MORE

Graph Expo Preview: Print Management Systems Vendors
By Gail Nickel-Kailing

We’ve defined "Print Management Systems" as solutions that provide estimating, invoicing, job scheduling, job tracking, workflow, shop floor data collection and management, accounts receivable, general ledger, accounts payable, purchasing, vendor and inventory management, reporting, and CRM functionality. MORE

PART ONE: Meet the Market Maker: Regis J. Delmontagne, President of GASC and NPES
Conducted in part by Molly Joss

"Wide format imaging came to our attention as an emerging market segment over the last 18 months, on the heels of an analysis of the results of an NPES-funded study on that portion of the industry." MORE

PART Three: Resurgence of Print e-business Rides on Standards, Systems Integration
By John McKeon

Two key factors have surfaced in the last several years that are facilitating this comeback. One is the wide adoption of the PrintTalk JDF file format implementation, which has brought true "end-to-end" connectivity to print. MORE

Graph Expo Press Preview: The Heart and Soul of Our Industry
By Patrick Henry

Litho presses just keep getting better, and that’s why we keep flocking to print trade shows like Graph Expo to see them. We know that wherever litho presses are on display, there always will be something new—maybe even something that fundamentally will change our understanding of lithographic printing and its place in 21st-century graphic communications. MORE

PART TWO: E- Management - From ordering to fulfillment, "e" is easing the way
By John McKeon

Three years after the dot.coms arrived in force at GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO 1999, and after many of them disappeared in the economic downturn of the subsequent two years, e-commerce is coming back to print in a big way. MORE

A Graph Expo Snapshot Of PrePress Vendors
It’s Big……… Plan Well - BY Paul White

In an effort to assist WTT readers concentrating on PrePress, we have prepared this preview of what you can expect to see. MORE

PART ONE: From the 1999 Rage to 2002 Reality
E-business for print ready to "bounce back" in Chicago - By John McKeon

E-business in printing, which made the biggest headlines at GRAPH EXPO® and CONVERTING EXPO® 1999 and then plunged into a period of turmoil, is primed to bounce back in a big way at the upcoming 2002 show in Chicago, October 6-9. MORE