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9 Tips for Choosing the Right Service Provider

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:47:29 EST

You need your equipment to be operational 24/7. You are watching the bottom line. You need convenience and expertise. How do you go about choosing a service provider that works best for your business?

Evaluate potential service providers using these criteria. If you can find one company that does it all, go for it!

1. Save time and money with one call

You can reduce cost and save time if you can find a single service provider. Evaluate how much of your equipment can be maintained by a single vendor. Do you have scanners, printers, storage devices, digital signs? Check your vendor's ability to support your total operation.

2. Evaluate geographical coverage and response time capabilities

Do you need global support, or support in particular regions?
Do you need 24/7 support?
How quickly will you need service – next day or immediately?

3. Assess online capabilities

Is online chat available?
Is self-service support available to help you solve problems without a service call?
Can you view service history, check the status of a service call, and request service online?

4. Evaluate product expertise

For best results, make sure the field staff is ISO 9001-certified.
Is there dedicated staff for Level 2 tech support and Level 3 engineering?
Are field engineers certified on other vendors' products? What is their level of training?

5. Understand the escalation process

Does the vendor have a clearly defined process in place.
Ask to see a history of how quickly problems are resolved at various levels.

6. Evaluate help desk and call center support

Make sure the help desk and call centers can support you in the languages you need.
Check the availability or remote diagnostics. You will save time and money if your service provider can solve your problem without a service call.

7. Evaluate the parts replacement process

You don't want a slow parts replacement system to derail your operation. Check to make sure that parts are sourced close enough to your location to enable maximum uptime.
Some vendors offer service agreements that enable you to specify which parts will be available locally. If you need this service, verify that your vendor can provide it.

8. Price

Check what it is you are getting for the price: compare prices for on-site service and Advanced Unit Replacement (AUR), and if there are different price options depending on the hours of service you need.
If you need AUR, make sure it is available in your location.

9. What do other customers say?

Check customers in your area and see if they are happy with the vendor's performance.
Do others rank service as excellent, very good, or good?
Are problems usually fixed on the first visit?

What other qualities do you look for in a service provider? Have you had any experience with one-call-gets-it-all service?

Share your comments here.

What other people are saying about Kodak

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:46:00 EST

With our recent Chapter 11 announcement there has been a lot written and said about the state of our business and our future.

I thought it would be helpful to pull together some recent videos of customers and industry experts and show what they are saying:

Tom Clifford(@tommytrc):

Dr. Joe Webb of WhatTheyThink.com:

John Henderson of TheBureau:

Andy Tribute, industry analyst:

UK Road Shows prove to be a great success

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:35:18 EST

In the last two weeks the Antalis McNaughton and Kodak road shows have been touring throughout the UK. Highlights were the events at Brands Hatch, the prestigious motor racing circuit in Kent, Wembley Stadium, and Leeds United FC, a historic venue in the heart of a manufacturing city.

I particularly enjoyed Brands Hatch where the show opened with over 300 people having pre-registered to attend. Situated just off the M25 both this venue and Wembley Stadium always looked likely to draw the crowds and once again we weren't disappointed.

The stand was manned by Paul Duffin, Paul Fitch and Dominic Dolan, all of whom knew many of the customers around that area who had registered to attend.

The seminars were well attended with presentations tailored to the interests of the visiting customers. There was only one distraction – the incredible view over the racing circuit at Brands Hatch. Fortunately for us there was no racing on during the show day.

Overall, the seminars proved to be a major attraction for people to attend. They were not just promotional but also educational making the time spent at the show extremely worthwhile.

Visitors enjoyed the ease of access to the companies exhibiting and the halls were busy most of the times. The message of 'lean and automated manufacturing' seemed to be a popular topic for all of the customers in such tough times and one customer praised all the companies present for 'Bringing the show' to them so that they could conveniently fit it into their working day.

The show in Wembley stadium attracted 400 guests – that was a great result!

Last Thursday the road show visited Leeds United FC a historic venue in the heart of a manufacturing city. Once again, the location was key to attracting over 150 visitors.

The audience here was once again attracted to the Kodak stand because of the Digital Print information available. Despite what have been quite gloomy headlines for Kodak over the past week customers were very positive in their outlook for the Commercial division. They believe Kodak is a good partner who has a lead in most of the technologies within the printing industry.

Sam Nicholson, John Fordyce, Richard Lambert and Danny Rowe, manned the stand at the Northern events and reported a succession of customers enquiring about digital technology. Sam Nicholson presented seminars and promoted the versatility of workflow integrated with digital print.

With only two more venues still to go this week (Manchester United and Celtic Manor, Wales) the events are already being hailed as a great success by all of the companies that participated.

GUA 2012: Chapter 11 Amongst Friends

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:10:00 EST

As I'm sure you're aware, last week was a pretty significant week for Kodak. Almost 200 of our best North American customers gathered together in New Orleans, Louisiana for the Kodak Graphic Users Association meeting. Oh yes - also, in the middle of this event we filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It was certainly a very interesting way to spend a week!

Going into GUA there was no denying that there was an elephant in the room. Rumors of Kodak bankruptcy had been circulating for several months, gaining momentum through early January. Our VP of Marketing Chris Payne addressed this head-on in his opening speech, assuring everyone of our commitment to our Graphics business and our customers - no matter what would transpire in the coming days, weeks, or months. From talking to many of our customers one-on-one, the impression I got from them was more of a "get it over with, and move on with business" approach, which was extremely encouraging. For customers overseas this might not make sense, but here in the USA "Chapter 11" is not bankruptcy... it's bankruptcy protection. It's the opportunity to scale our historical obligations to a size that's sustainable in a company of our current size. It's a second chance. A new beginning.

So when the big press release went out there really was no surprise, no shock, no fear, and no anger. It was mostly relief. There is no doubt a lot of work ahead of us and some difficult decisions to make, but now at least there's clarity, and the urgency and latitude to make those decisions. Everyone I talked to at GUA was extremely supportive and positive. Their biggest questions were around continuity of their materials supply (yes), ongoing service and warranty support (yes), and our participation and new product introductions at Drupa (yes). They weren't lamenting the demise of consumer film as many of the mis-informed news articles were... that happened years ago and we've moved on! Our customers at GUA understand what Kodak truly is today. They see the strong future our business has once we're given the chance to restructure under Chapter 11.

So while the old saying goes "don't air your dirty laundry in public", I personally can't think of a better place to have been at such a pivotal moment in our company's future: with 200 of our best, most loyal, and most forward-thinking customers. Thank you GUA members for your support!

Mass Communication to Mass Customization—The Future of Commercial Print

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:42:00 EST

I am at the 2012 Lyra Symposium in Rancho Mirage, California and will be speaking about the exploration of the forces impacting the commercial print market and the paths a print service provider can follow to stay competitive.

The change in marketing from an approach based on mass communications to a new phenomenon called mass customization. In today's multimedia world, with more devices and media competing for the attention of hyper-connected consumers, breaking through the communications clutter to reach consumers is no easy task. Gone are the days when marketers could control the message and the medium, relying primarily on single mass media channels to deliver ads and commercials that consumers would pay attention to and act upon. Today, consumers really only care about just one channel: the channel of ME. In other words, marketing today is all about reaching consumers on their terms—when they want to be reached, how they want to be reached, and with messages that reach and engage them.

Here are the slides from my presentation:

Mass Communication to Mass Customization

View more presentations from KodakCommercial.

Here are the videos I shared as well:

Live from GUA 2012 - continuous updates

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:43:00 EST

This post will be updated all day today with some great quotes, pictures and videos from the Graphic Users Association conference being held in New Orleans(reload this page for the latest content):

A FREE Scanner to get you started

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:34:52 EST

If you have been waiting to start scanning into SharePoint because you couldn't decide on which scanner to start with Kodak has an offer for you. You can get a FREE scanner with a purchase of the Kodak Scan and View Bundle.

This is available to end users through CDW and to resellers through Tech Data and Ingram Micro.

The Kodak Scan and View Bundle

Kodak is making the Kodak i920 scanner available with a purchase of the Kodak Scan and View product. We are calling it the Kodak Scan and View Bundle. It's available for end users directly and for resellers (or end customers) that purchase through our distribution partners.

The Only Number You'll Need

The SKU for the Kodak Scan and View Bundle is 1017730

You can use this number whether you are an end user or reseller.

To make it easy for end users here is a link for CDW – Scan and View Bundle. If you purchase products from Tech Data or Ingram Micro you can use the same SKU (1017730) when you login.

Scan and View Sandbox

If you already have a Kodak scanner or any other TWAIN compliant scanner and just want to evaluate the Kodak Scan and View software we have made that very easy too. Kodak has a 30 day evaluation plan for you. One option is to use the sandbox Kodak created for you. It's a fully functional SharePoint 2010 environment where you can scan, edit and test the features and functions of Kodak Scan and View. There is nothing to install and your IT team doesn't need to spend their time configuring anything. However, there is another option. if you do want to run Scan and View on your SharePoint Servers you can optionally download the bits.

Where to get Started?

Click on the links above for specifics on the Scan and View Bundle. Also, please contact your local partner or Kodak representative for more details. If you don't know where to start click here: www.kodak.com/go/sharepoint – you can download a free 30 day trial or use the SharePoint sandbox Kodak created for evaluation purposes.

As mentioned above for a limited time you can get a FREE Kodak i920 scanner when you purchase Kodak Scan-and-View. Details are here (see image below): Click on either Document Viewer or Scan and View – then click on Product Specials. Review the details on the claim form to get started with your Kodak i920 desktop scanner. Note: This offer is available in the United States & Canada.

Preview of the Graphic User Association Conference 2012

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST

From Janurary 16th-20th there will be a gathering of some great minds in the print industry in New Orleans LA. What will be discussed there? Here is just a taste of some of the sessions:

Tuesday Jan 17th

High Speed Inkjet Opportunities Deliver Greater Value to Your Clients – Are you Ready?

Learn about where are the profitable applications for high speed inkjet. Why is high speed inkjet volume expected to more than double this year? What market segments are quickly embracing high speed inkjet and how high speed inkjet solutions can impact profitability, quality, and productivity of your business? Are you ready for this revolution?

Print & Social Media – Roundtable Session: Are you Maximizing your Company's Social Media Marketing Potential & Monetization?

Successful cross media communications have not only employed smart technologies like Intelligent Mail barcodes, SMS text messaging, Augmented Reality and QR codes, but have also fully utilized Social Media communication channels such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. During this panel discussion you will learn how to leverage social media as part of your cross media strategy. Print service providers will share how they have implemented social media campaigns and the underlying technologies to drive business results.

Folding Carton Packaging Panel – Printing with Kodak Solutions

Package printing is a key growth and long-term market for printers today, and one that many commercial offset printers are looking to in order to expand their markets and margins. This panel discussion will cover the topics of getting started in folding carton printing for commercial printers, as well as the challenges of mixed flexo/offset production.

Leveraging Cross-Media in Integrated Marketing Campaigns - Roundtable

Provide a refresher on sustainability recent trends in the printing industry, highlighting real case examples of winning strategies that session attendees could employ in their business when they return.

Where is the Money in Print?

Help your customers sell more of what they sell by knowing how to build effective marketing campaigns that will bring better ROMI to your customers. Help your customers sell more while you sell more yourself.

All this and its just the first day! Follow the hastag #GUA12 on Twitter or come back here daily to see the latest from the conference.

Road show kicks off in Leicester UK - Unleashing the power of print in the digital world

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

The Antalis McNaughton / Kodak road show kicked off at the Leicester Tigers ground last week. With over 160 customers registered to attend the event it was going to be busy. We were not disappointed at all, the attendance was steady throughout the day with all seminars well received.

Kodak is presenting under the heading of 'Unleashing the power of print in the digital world' We are speaking to customers about cost reduction in the pre press process. We are promoting leaner working processes by unified workflow systems driven by MIS.

Antalis McNaughton is a major suppliers of communication support materials including printing papers, envelopes and visual communication materials. This show brings together many areas of the printing industry and educated people in the art of lean manufacturing.

Next stop is Villa Park Birmingham.

SharePoint and Paper Belong Together

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:00:00 EST

In case you haven't heard ... SharePoint is a platform to manage information. SharePoint doesn't care if this information was "born digital" or created in the traditional paper based world. When that information is "born" in a paper based format SharePoint needs a little help to get the information from "Paper to Digital" format. This is where partners come in.

Paper has been around for over 5000 years and will still be with us for a while. Paper is not the Enemy and Paper does have a Future. The trick is to manage paper wisely, to insure the right paper is kept and the paper that is not needed is discarded or digitized.

Start at the Start

It's easy to work with SharePoint and paper. A few examples have been documented in this post about the Ideal Capture Strategy for SharePoint and in this post where I discuss that SharePoint Adoption is not an Oxymoron. These are not the definitive discussion on what it means to get SharePoint and Paper working together. However, together these posts should help start a discussion and get people thinking and talking about what could be and what should be.

A few places to get started

As mentioned above SharePoint needs a little help to get the information from the paper format to an electronic format. The simple way to describe this is to call it "digitization" – there are a lot of steps required in the digitization process. Some are subtle, but critical to the overall success of extracting the desired information from the page. These topics have been discussed in previous posts and will undoubtedly be the topic of future posts.

Because SharePoint is a Platform for managing information and because SharePoint cannot (and should not) do everything (as mentioned in this post (What CAN'T SharePoint do?) it is important to pick the right partners to get SharePoint and Paper working together.

Note I say partners in the plural form --- this is correct --- because of the way the Microsoft Partner Ecosystem has evolved there are often multiple partners addressing specific business and technical challenges. This is why partners are the secret sauce and critical to the success of your SharePoint deployment and to the ultimate success of your business process.

Kodak has a few options that Start at the Start:

Kodak has created a series of videos highlighting some of the options here.

Kodak Smart Touch provides One Touch scanning to a lot of applications that you probably use everyday … including SharePoint.

What Can You Do with Scan and View? Click here for a few examples. Then Let Us know what you built!

Kodak Document Viewer and Kodak Scan-and-View
is the first product from Kodak specifically build for the Microsoft SharePoint market.

Try it today for free!

Video showing how to
Scan-to-SharePoint

More Videos showing a lot of options available with Kodak Capture Pro

Kodak Capture Pro
When you have more advanced needs for putting Your Paper to Work Kodak has got you covered.

If you need to read barcodes, do OCR or even perform database lookups on the information you read from the barcodes or OCR ... Kodak Capture Pro has got you covered.

Be Ready … SharePoint is here to stay

SharePoint is going to continue to gain market share as a platform. Something to think about is that SharePoint Adoption is not an Oxymoron yet it does require thinking, planning and execution to insure adoption is handled in a predictable and repeatable manner.

Growing Together Helps Every Business

SharePoint will continue to grow and expand core capabilities. Kodak will continue to grow and expand core capabilities. Together Microsoft and Kodak are working to insure Paper is a First Class Citizen in a SharePoint environment. Microsoft has made a commitment to the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) space. Kodak has been leading in the ECM space for over 100 years. Today it is still true that ECM Starts with Paper --- we expect this to be true for a number of years.

Because paper will continue to be a part of a lot of business processes the smart companies are making plans to include managing paper in their business processes. Proving the point that SharePoint and Paper Belong Together. Kodak and Microsoft are working together to insure your business can manage paper effectively and efficiently. Let us show you how.

Contact your local partner or Kodak representative for more details. If you don't know where to start --- click here: www.kodak.com/go/sharepoint – you can download a free 30 day trial or use the SharePoint sandbox Kodak created for evaluation purposes.

For a limited time you can get a FREE Kodak i920 scanner when you purchase Kodak Scan-and-View. Details are here (see below): Click on either Document Viewer or Scan and View – then click on Product Specials. Review the details on the claim form to get started with your Kodak i920 desktop scanner. Note: This offer is available in the United States & Canada.

The Just in Case Document

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

Everyone's got them. That receipt you think you might need. So, you keep it … Just in case. That document from a key customer that you keep … Just in case.. That note from a colleague that your hold onto … Just in case. Just in case documents are pervasive.

How many do you have?

How many receipts and documents do you have in your wallet, on your cork board, in your glove box and in other places you might not even be able to remember if called upon to produce said document.

Capture it

Capture these documents at the time they are generated.

Better yet … Skip the Paper and get the electronic version whenever possible.

However, when that is not possible … capture the document (yes, a receipt is a document) at the time it is generated. Almost everyone these days has a mobile phone with the capability of taking a picture. A mobile phone is a great way to capture information on the fly. Once the picture is taken you can send it to yourself over MMS or email or just keep it on the device until you sync.

If you have higher volumes of documents consider a desktop scanner. There are numerous options available and many of them also scan business cards too --- which you can drop into your CRM or other contact lists.

But Wait … I have a paperless office

If you are one of the lucky few that can truly say you have a Paperless Office … then good for you. Most everyone else encounters paper that they need to handle and manage daily.

For example, if you travel you pick up taxi fares, hotel bills, lunch or dinner receipts and other assorted documents come along with travel schedules. How many of these do you keep because you have to? How many do you keep Just In Case?

I still think we will see a flying car before we see a paperless office.

Even Mr. Spacely had paper in his meetings.

Reality Check:

Paper is not going away … and this is OK.

If you have Just In Case Documents … don't worry. Everyone has them. The good news is that you can handle them and manage them wisely with just a minimal of effort.

Image Credits: Hanna-Barbera

Looking back at 2011 - Top 5 Videos

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:24:39 EST

Well saying that 2011 was an eventful year for us would be an understatment.

Thoughout this year we have made an effort to create videos that help educate, explain and ultimately help grow your business. Here are the top 5 from 2011:

1) A book production story on the Kodak NexPress Digital Production Color Press

2) Announcing the Kodak NexPress SX Digital Production Color Press

3) Kodak Flexcel NX System Demo

4) Reproservice Uses KODAK FLEXCEL NX Wide System Technology To Increase Productivity

5) Kern GmbH achieves higher quality for mailings & variable data using 6 Kodak Prosper S10 printheads

How to and why automate testing (part 2 of 2)

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

To return to part 1

One of the downsides of Sheila is her ability to read, though this can easily be worked around. Using character regognition (OCR) it is possible to navigate through the user interface (UI) and read the text. Using tools like Tesseract or the Python Imagin Library (PIL) it is possible to read the screen. This allows for more human tests, such as click, File, Save As.., which if perfect for integration, which naturally evolves into future regression testing. Without this type of testing it is possible to release software with functionality that is not avaialbe in the UI.

While Bruce is still better at patern recognition, it is possible to teach Sheila to search for paterns in screen using image comparison tools in PIL or any Tiff-Diff tool, and sheila is wonderful for looking at every single pixel out of millions and detecting the slightest shift in color. In Kodak Proofing Software™ we do exactly that comparing millions if not billions of pixels of hot folder output for jobs we believe are cool or tricky.

As mentioned earlier one of the great advantages of automated testing is the ability to clone systems. Using virtual machines any number of instances can be duplicated, which is fabulous for trying hundreds of variations of very similar conditions. There are even companies that provide virtual farms, which allow tests to run in parallel using a great number of computers. Tests that once required an entire night to run could be run on a virtual farm of 100 computers in a matter of minutes. This makes it practical for developer to get immediate feedback after a code change. This makes refactoring code easy in comparison to nightly or slower test cycles.

It might require a group of monkeys an infinite amount of time to create the entire works of Shakespeare banging on Smith Corona. It might even take a group of virtual machines longer to write the Great Gatsby using random combinations that the duration of the universe or in particular the human species will practically allow; however, virtual machines can easily test 1024 commendations of the user interface without ever getting bored. The same group of monkeys or worse humans would likely cause total chaos before completing such a tedious task.

To set up automated testing a group needs to commit to a framework. A perfect choice is Python. It is open source, multiplatform, widely supported, and has a great number of libraries useful in testing. It also is highly readable, and encourages unit testing. Python can be used to drive the user interface, so the robots don't actually need to type. Perl and AutoIt could also be used as a framework for automated testing, though AutoIt is Windows only. It is also well possible to have the developers create an API for the code being developed, though this is not required, especially when using the user interface to test.

One of the biggest challenges in automated testing is interacting with hardware. If you require testing of the system that requires hardware feedback in real time this may be challenging. For this it is likely a workaround will be required. For instance, in Kodak Proofing Software it is not possible to have a spectrophotometer read a chart that provides the same measurement data each time, since print color shifts over time. Virtual machines are also useless at moving paper. Therefore we decided to use canned data and have Python provide this using XML during the test. We still use humans to measure actual color in real time in an additonal to the automated test. So there is at least one reason to keep the humans around.

To return to part 1

6 ways inkjet printing will affect packaging

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

The appeal of digital printing for packaging applications is self evident. It offers marketing agility, with the ability to quickly adjust copy, images and designs to respond quickly to dynamic market forces and opportunities. Producing short runs of versioned packaging through the integration of variable data, one of the core benefits of digital print, can improve packaging's effectiveness in reaching targeted demographics. Eliminating plates boosts supply chain efficiency and speed to market, and the capability to print short runs cost-effectively minimizes costs associated with inventory and obsolescence.

In fact, digital printing technologies are making inroads within well-defined packaging segments today. Electrophotographic presses open up new options for cost-effective short runs of static or variable labels, small-format folding cartons, prototypes and point-of-purchase material. Drop-on-demand inkjet presses are beginning to be used in the corrugated market, as a low-cost method to produce either static or variable color packaging.

But the overall market remains relatively small. The global market for digital print was less than $500 million in 2010. Digital print is gaining momentum, however, as inkjet technology advancements promise to expand its utility for packaging applications, including ...

Faster speeds, wider formats and better resolution
The ability to print on more substrates, enabling expansion beyond corrugated
Costs that compete with long-run flexo and gravure, through the elimination of prepress consumables
More efficient press utilization, with virtually no downtime between jobs
"Greener" package printing, with the elimination of prepress, and waste reductions in the pressroom
More robust use of variable data for not just versioning, but inventory management, security and more

The Kodak Prosper Press Platform and Kodak Prosper Imprinting Systems, built on groundbreaking continuous inkjet technology, are enabling commercial offset printers to transition to digital printing. As the technology matures, look for it to bring its capabilities of production speed, high quality and low production cost to many package printing applications.

Thermal Direct non process plate moves upstream

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST

One important advantage of thermal CTP technology is the possibility of going processless. As the trend in the last years is that more and more printers are migrating from violet imaging technology to thermal, more printers are also seeing the benefits of process free plate making, where they can completely eliminate their plate processor and processing chemistry, along with all the processing steps.

The Thermal Direct Non Process Plate was introduced by Kodak in 2005. It was the first thermal plate to be ready for press after imaging without any processor or development device.

Just as we saw a migration from violet technology to thermal technology because of the benefits in stability, accuracy, and daylight plate handling, we're now seeing increased interest in process free technology. Formerly seen as a niche product for small printers, process free plates are moving upstream to medium and large printers, both sheetfed and web. A great example is our customer Miami Valley Publishing that has worked successfully several years with Thermal Direct. They use a Magnus VLF Platesetter with 3 web presses. They have completed runs with Thermal Direct on their web presses well exceeding our 200K impressions specifications which proves the flexibility and robustness of the Thermal Direct plates.

As we know, the main factors that drive the direction of a certain technology are the economic and business considerations. Just as CTP technology eliminated the need for film and film processing with proven economic benefits for the users, the Thermal Direct process free plate also provides similar advantages.

Today with the success of nearly 1,500 Thermal Direct Plate users, we can no longer consider process free plates as a niche segment. We can, and should, consider it a proven and winning technology that will continue to grow.

The Future of Paper

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

Paper is not going away. It will be around for a long time. This is OK. Paper is not the enemy. The big question is … What is the future of paper and how will it affect you?

As I have mentioned before --- I still think we will see a commercially available flying car before we see a completely paperless office.

Sure, some people do have the notion of a completely paperless office.

Note: In the picture there are remnants of what I call "nostalgic paper" --- diplomas, certificates, photos, etc.)

However, very few companies have completely paperless offices. This is OK. Paper is not the enemy.

Why? Because if people travel there are hotel bills and other expenses that still come in that pesky paper format. Shipping departments still receive bills of lading and other shipping related documents. Accounts Payable still receives invoices and purchase orders in that cantankerous paper form too. Most companies still also receive postal service mail too.

My Request: If someone runs their entire business in a completely paperless mode I would like to talk with them and write a case study on how they did it. They are an inspiration to us all and their story should be told.

Some Paper Facts


4 trillion papers produced and *GROWING* 22% annually	Over half of all organizations have *MORE* paper than ever before	Most paper documents are *NOT* indexed

Paper is NOT the enemy

Getting rid of paper is an admirable goal. Smart companies just need to manage their paper based assets wisely. Don't get me wrong getting rid of paper should be a goal, but getting rid of paper should not be the ONLY goal. Paper can still play a vital role. The goal is to capture it right the first time and manage it effectively. By managing paper effectively costs can be reduced, profits can be increased and compliance efforts can be maintained.

The Future of Paper

The future of paper is quite secure. Paper will not be going away anytime soon. This is OK. Paper is not the enemy.

Paper is an Asset. Treating it wisely and managing it effectively helps to insure your paper does not turn into a liability. What this means to you is that the paper that crosses your desk or the paper that enters your household or business needs to be managed. Managed wisely … Paper is an Asset.

Next Up: How to manage paper in your office in an automated fashion. Also, Why SharePoint and Paper are made for each other.

Winds of Change - The Evolution of the Packaging Industry - Part 5: Emergence of Digital Print

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

This is part 5 of a special series(part 1, 2, 3, 4) of posts by guest blogger Ben Miyares of the Packaging Management Institute.

We're going to see a great growth in digital print. Label producers and contract packagers are already adopting the technology.

One of the criticisms of digital print has forever been that it's limited to relatively short runs. That's actually an advantage in today's market if, instead of making five million chicken noodle soups, you want to make half a million, and you need them in eight versions and four container sizes. The market is evolving so that we are very close to becoming a personalized package universe. Digital print offers a much higher degree of personalization and customization.

Flexo, offset and gravure printing processes will each retain a large percentage of the packaging market, but digital is on the rise. As the technology matures, there's no reason why it couldn't be integrated onto the packaging line. Envision, if you will, a bundling line running unprinted film that prints the desired and necessary copy and graphics on the film just moments before being wrapped around the product. The advantage of such a process—perhaps no more than a decade from reality—could be reduced film costs and added flexibility for markets to respond on the packaging line as impulsively as the consumer does in the supermarket.

Packaging is a sustainable journey, a constantly evolving scienceart-technology. Packaging never wavers from its three fundamental charges:

preventing hunger
preserving health
protecting products.

The journey is an exciting one. As we face the prospect of a world population that will grow from 6+ billion to 9+ billion in the next 40 years, it will be a challenging journey, but one that will be completed by a continuum of efficient and cost-effective materials, machinery and processing strategies to contain, protect, identify, transport and dispense products.

Stability is what we need!

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST

In today's ever changing world, stability is critical to achieve success and a foundation to build additional building blocks which lead to real differentiation in a competitive world.

Prepress is where stable and predictable printing starts, and eliminating or reducing the variables in the plate making process should be the focus to achieve this. Time to turn on ESC (Electronic Stability Control) in your prepress!

As Kevin iterated in his "Future Marketing" article, the technology to establish ESC in prepress is available today, and some key pieces have been around since the mid '90ies! Let me highlight a few key areas where stability improvements can be achieved;

Processing variations

I still haven't met a customer who loves their processor! If neglected, the processor and chemistry can have a huge effect on print production. Simplifying by eliminating steps such as pre-heat, reducing chemistry variations with really long lasting chemistry or eliminating the processor and chemistry altogether with non-process plates have simplified this part of the plate making process. But often forgotten is the direct link to the imaging of the plate: the size and shape of the spot determine the processing latitude of the system. Side-by-side tests (SWF) comparing SQUAREspot imaging systems with Gaussian thermal imaging systems have highlighted this fact.

Human errors

Each time a human interaction is required, it can lead to a costly mistake which sometimes is found out later in production, always at the wrong time. Automation (PDF) of the plate making process, such as with autoloaders, cassette loaders and pallet loaders but also automated punching and bending, transportation to the press and automated loading of plates unto the press, will reduce waste and eliminate often costly errors.

Environmental conditions

Although many prepress rooms are equipped with HVAC, we all know from experience in our office how it can fluctuate… Operating within the specified conditions (temperature, humidity) is absolutely critical to stable plate making. Kodak's SQUAREspot CTP engines are equipped with a unique temperature compensation (PDF) system which enables one of the widest operating ranges available for CTP, up to 240-300% wider than most violet and thermal CTP systems.

Differences between platesetters

Many larger operations will have multiple CTP's in operation. SQUAREspot CTP engines are equipped with a unique geometrical correction (PDF) ystem which ensures absolute accuracy between different platesetters as they are aligned to the same high precision raster in the factory. This enables customers to make plates on any CTP, including remakes without registration issues. Don't try that on a violet flatbed CTP!

Accurate imaging

15 years later, 15,000 CTP's later, the SQUAREspot story still stands! A true testament that what some have called "marketing hype" is much more than that. With the 10,000 dpi imaging resolution, it is still the most accurate dot and spot reproduction available today, used in a wider range of applications than before – from newspapers printing to flexographic printing with the market changing Flexcel NX technology to high quality commercial printing to security printing with imaging resolutions up to 12,800 dpi.

Plate variations

Plate surface, dirt behind or on a plate can lead to hot spots on plate. Kodak's unique dynamic autofocus (SWF) system will adjust the focus of the laser while imaging to ensure this does not happen.

Much more can be said on this topic. More detailed information on this topic is available on the "Stability" web page.

Winds of Change - The Evolution of the Packaging Industry - Part 4: Content is King

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

This is part 4 of a special series(part 1, 2, 3) of posts by guest blogger Ben Miyares of the Packaging Management Institute.

Packaging is the most effective medium for promoting product, at the lowest cost per thousand impressions, reaching consumers at the times and places when and where buying decisions are being made. If it can be used to communicate directly with targeted consumer audiences, the task of creating package content that reaches those audiences takes on added dimensions.

A logical outgrowth of mass customization is the mounting challenge of designing, managing and printing text, artwork and graphics that are not only accurate and meet regulatory requirements, but legibly and intelligently present maximum shelf appeal and a consistent brand experience. High-quality, high-impact graphics are the key to reaching a consuming public with limited time and compromised sight acuity.

As a result, brand owners who are now responsible for more products in more sizes, more formulations, more versions and more languages than ever before need to drive cost and complexity out of the packaging supply chain. Data-driven and automated processes, already in use at fulfillment and distribution facilities, are moving upstream into imaging, design development and asset management, bringing new efficiencies to content creation and graphics execution.

Advancements in printing technology are enabling cost-effective production of photorealistic, complex designs.We are in an age where packaging communication isn't static anymore. Innovation in imaging and content management is helping brand owners to make packaging content more personal and more powerful, ultimately protecting and strengthening the brand with both consumers and retailers.

7ème édition de la « Digital community » - communauté des utilisateurs de Kodak Nexpress - ENGLISH: 7th edition of the "Digital community"

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:46:05 EST

<< ENGLISH VERSION BELOW >>

La Digital Community de Kodak est la communauté française des utilisateurs de solutions numériques couleur de production Kodak NEXPRESS qui elle existe depuis 2006.

L'objectif premier est de constituer un réseau d'utilisateurs de presse numérique Kodak NexPress afin de partager des expériences, développer des rencontres et des échanges, fédérer l'ensemble des membres autour d'un forum de discussion.

Cette année, la réunion annuelle de la « Digital Community » a eu lieu à Paris le 17 novembre 2011. La veille, les participants ont pu visiter l'imprimerie SAGIM, située à Courtry où une démonstration de production de livre à la demande a été réalisée sur la presse rotative numérique jet d'encre Kodak Prosper 1000.

Le jeudi 17 novembre, les participants ont pu suivre différentes présentations de d'experts et partenaires tels que des agences de communication, des fournisseurs de papier, etc. Kodak a livré aux utilisateurs des informations sur les tendances du marché, les nouvelles opportunités en termes de business et sur les innovations produits.

Cet événement a permis de revoir un certain nombre de sujets tels que la présence et le référencement des imprimeurs numériques sur le web, les nouvelles sources d'applications pour l'impression numérique ainsi que les nouvelles offres papiers dans l'industrie. Kodak a aussi présenté les derniers développements de la Prosper 5000 XL et NexPress SX en exclusivité pré-Drupa.

Si vous êtes utilisateur d'une presse numérique couleur de production Kodak Nexpress dans un pays francophone, n'hésitez pas à rejoindre la communauté en ligne sur LinkedIn: Digital Community - Utilisateurs Kodak Nexpress.

ENGLISH VERSION:

In 2006, to build a network of users of the KODAK NEXPRESS Digital Production Color Platform in French speaking countries, Kodak set up The Kodak Digital Community.

Members of the group are able to share their experiences, express their opinions and talk about what they would like to see in the future from Kodak.

This year the annual meeting of the "Digital Community" was held in Paris in November on the 17th. The day before this meeting, the participants visited SAGIM, a printer with a KODAK Prosper 1000 digital inkjet press who did a demonstration of book production to the audience.

On the 17th, participants were able to see various presentations from experts and partners such as advertising agencies, paper suppliers etc. Representatives from Kodak shared information on market trends, new opportunities in terms of business and product innovations. During the day there was also the opportunity to discuss industry trends, digital web print, new sources of businesses and new ranges of paper courtesy of paper supplier Antalis. Kodak also introduced, exclusively pre DRUPA, the latest developments on the 5000 Prosper NexPress SX and XL.

If you are an owner of a Kodak Nexpress in a French speaking country, you are welcome to join this online community on LinkedIn: Digital Community – Utilisateurs Kodak Nexpress.

Meeting your customers where they are....

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:14:43 EST

As an exhibitor at the recent Customer Engagement Technology World (CETW) Show in NYC, I couldn't help but notice that everyone exhibiting and in attendance was trying to accomplish the same thing: To get products, services and messaging in front of consumers at the opportune moment, with the most engaging technology. It's clear that real-time communications in response to a consumer's needs or interests is "the name of the game." Today's consumer demands instant access to information and products. Don't make me wait and don't make me pay too much – because I can easily jump on my smart phone and find it cheaper and faster somewhere else. Today's consumer is savvy and reactive.

But while it seemed the end goal of communicating effectively and relevantly with consumers was similar for all at this year's CETW show, I sensed that there was a dilemma created by exhibitors which ended up frustrating the attendees. That is, to reach today's consumer, a singular technology choice had to be made. Why would they do that when there are so many great choices?

What I mean is that an enterprise of any size and type knows that they need marketing. However, life was simpler when I was growing up. At that time, there were only three choices: Print, radio and three major television networks. Today there are so many more technologies to choose from, so many more hardware, software and service providers to choose from – each telling enterprises that they are the best and often, the only choice.

I'm wondering if there really is a "choice" that has to be made. As a consumer goes through the stages of a purchase, from awareness of the need…to the decision at the point of purchase, there is not one, singular source that they look to for information and assistance. Wouldn't it be better if an enterprise could meet their customers where they are in that decision cycle? Perhaps the ideal pathway to customer engagement is a balanced alignment of all camps: Print, digital signage, internet, mobile, etc. What if the best customer engagement strategy progressed alongside the decision making process; from one to many (print = awareness of need) to one to one (mobile, digital frames = point of purchase decision), each step is progressively richer and specific in content and more interactive in delivery.

As an industry, we can define what the ideal customer engagement pathway should be. Perhaps instead of offering an "either/or" dilemma to enterprises, we can align our camps and let them know that there is a place for print, digital signage mobile apps and more. Choosing "one" technology is the not the dilemma they should be concerned about. Enterprises should be looking for the best way to leverage all available technologies to extract the maximum value from their marketing dollars. After all, that's what consumers do!

We are honored to win the "Green Equipment Award" for Prosper

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:40:24 EST

The KODAK PROSPER 1000 Press Platform winning a "Green Equipment Award" at the Green Printing in China 2011 Green Award is an honor and well deserved recognition for what we think is a game changing technology. I'm excited but, actually, not overly surprised.

The PROSPER technology is impressive for many of the same reasons it received the award:

A low total cost of ownership for run lengths up to 7,000
Recirculating water-based inks using proprietary pigments that require less colorants for equivalent image quality than other printing systems
A modular design that facilitates component reuse and refurbishment, especially of the printhead
Print on-demand features that can reduce both waste and inventory levels - the full environmental benefit of which is yet to be seen!

The environmental attributes of PROSPER clearly reduce its footprint. But they just didn't happen by chance; they are the product of a long standing commitment to reducing product impacts as well as a robust Design for Environment process.

Two decades ago, we recognized the need to ensure that its many innovation initiatives embraced environmental responsibility on all fronts. The company's product design strategy, established in 1991, requires that product research and development teams look beyond current regulatory compliance and consider potential future regulations, issues of public concern and our own environmental priorities.

Maybe now you too are impressed, but not surprised. I invite you to read more about our printer initiative Towards Greater Sustainability…Together at www.kodak.com/go/green and Kodak's overall commitment to sustainability at www.kodak.com/go/sustainability. Or browse our latest Global Sustainability Report. I think you will agree the "Green Equipment Award" is a great, well deserved honor.

A Few Things I am Thankful for

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST

2011 has blown by in a flash. A lot has happened and a lot will still happen in the final weeks of the year. As I think about the year and how things have changed I am also thinking about a few things that I am thankful for.

From a document imaging perspective there have been a lot of changes that will affect our business for the coming months and years. Content Creation, Convergence and the Consumerization of IT are at the forefront of the changes that we will all see.

First, the good news. Content continues to grow in size and complexity. While you may not think this is a good thing. In fact, it is. We now have devices with hundreds, even thousands, of times more processing power than existed on the Space Shuttle. Think about it ... at the end of your wrist you have enough processing power to launch a manned mission to the moon. That's pretty impressive.

Now the bad news … The challenge of managing all of this content is going to continue to grow and it will expand to require the more and more of our attention. This is not all bad news … there will be countless opportunities for hardware, software and service vendors to create solution to exactly meet the needs of this ever expanding market.

Living in the Valley of Convergence

The days are long gone when a camera was a camera, when a music player was a music player, and when a phone was a phone.

Mobile phones of today have the ability to snap a (relatively) high resolution picture, to take hi-def video and to recognize and translate what we say into meaningful actions. Mobile phones can also be used as a "scanner" - perhaps not in the traditional sense, but for all practical intents and purposes a mobile device is a mobile scanner.

Convergence is Here. The Consumerization of IT is here.

How will consumers look to embrace and extend their mobile devices?
How will the (Document Capture) Industry look to embrace and extend the mobile devices available today? Tomorrow?
What will the impact be of mobile devices that can capture pictures, video and audio?

A few technologies to watch include mobile devices, emerging hardware and advances in software (with my comments):

Siri (Turning Talk into Action … hmmm?)
Microsoft Kinect (Turning Gestures into action … hmmm^2?)
Box.net and Dropbox (Turning Sharing into Reality)
SharePoint (Turning Corporate Content into Consumable Data)
Office 365 (Turning Ease of Use into Mainstream Solutions)
Scan and View (Turning Scanned Images into Assets)

How will Convergence Impact Document Imaging

From my segment of the world … Kodak continues to lead the industry in hardware, software and service. Kodak hardware continues to get better and to add increasingly advanced image processing functionality. Historically, Kodak scanners have helped customers around the world to capture and manage their Paper Mountains. Kodak continues to evolve the software segment of the business and recently added the first ever Microsoft SharePoint specific offering with Kodak Scan and View. In 2012 and beyond Kodak will continue to evolve and encapsulate the Business Document Automation needs customers and partners have come to expect from Kodak.

FACTOID: 700 Billion pages have been scanned with Kodak scanners since 1990.
How many more will be scanned in the next 25 years?

Paper is not going away. As I have said for many years there are 2 kinds of paper - nostalgic and business critical. Both are still important and both still have their place in the document capture world and in the bigger picture business document automation world.

In my 100,000+ miles of travel this year and speaking at dozens of events with customers, partners and fellow technology platform providers I still run into people that look at me with a little incredulity and they ask and wonder … You scan paper?

The simple answer is yes. And we will continue to do so for as long as people want to scan paper --- nostalgic, business critical and whatever other forms they might take in the future.

Even in these challenging and convoluted times there is a lot to be thankful for. The technology we have created and become reliant upon continues to improve and I think it continues to make our lives easier. I am looking forward to next year and to the continued advances in Content Creation, Convergence and the Consumerization of IT.

I hope you and your business are taking advantage of all that technology and and the advances in technology brings us. 2012 will bring even more advanced technology to the forefront in the form of hardware, software and service. Kodak will be there to help make the most of it and we hope to be able to share our vision with you.

A Few Things I am Thankful for

I am thankful for the fact that the industry I have worked in for the past 20 years continues to grow and adapt to the ever changing demands of the market. I am also thankful for the people I work with on a regular basis. They are smart and committed to advancing the efforts to redefine the intersection where people meet technology (and process). Finally, I am thankful for the people I have met in the past few years via the various social media channels where I engage. I have met new friends that have had an incredible impact on my life and my view of the world.

What are you thankful for?

==========================

Winds of Change - The Evolution of the Packaging Industry - Part 3: The Rise of the Retailer & Mass Customization

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:04:00 EST

This is part 3 of a special series(part 1, 2) of posts by guest blogger Ben Miyares of the Packaging Management Institute.

There was a time when consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies were the exclusive packaging decision makers. They presented their packaging creations to retailers as a fait accompli. Today, retailers can, and do, dictate package formats, materials and sizes.

Pressure from retailers looking for shelf space has resulted in the elimination of "shadow boxes" holding deodorant containers and a proliferation of concentrated liquid detergents in compact bottles. And, to facilitate the stocking of neat, orderly shelves, retailers in North America are following their European colleagues in pushing for more Retail Ready Packaging (RRP) — display packs that let stock clerks load the retail shelves faster and easier, converting mountains of discarded empty "brown paper" corrugated boxes into multi-color, product-selling billboards.

In addition, retailers are now effectively competing against CPGs with "private label" store brands that bring them higher margins than the national brands they sell. Private label now accounts for 45 – 50% of the sale of supermarket goods in Europe, and 19-20% in the United States, and has become a rich source of revenue for large retailers worldwide. Many retailers are replacing branded goods on their shelves with their own lines, offering not merely a "low cost alternative" to a branded product, but a cornucopia of options to meet premium, ethnic and regional consumer preferences.

Mass customization, which uses data to segment and target consumers, is a long-term and continuing trend. Products we think of as national brands may actually present subtle differences in various regions. A particular brand of canned soup sold in San Antonio, Texas, may actually be slightly spicier than the same brand sold in Boston, Massachusetts. In fact, data drives not just product formulation decisions, but also package manufacturing and distribution processes.

There is a shift underway from rigid containers, such as the classic metal can and glass jar, to semirigid or flexible packages. Inherent in the shift from "turn-themon- and-run-them-forever" packaging lines is the need to have more agile manufacturing processes.

As products become available in more sizes and the popularity of flavors ebbs and flows, brand owners need to be able to cost-effectively produce shorter runs of more types of packages on a more timely, market-driven basis. On the distribution end, sophisticated palletizing technology has revolutionized warehouse operations, using data to automate picking, pallet-building and shipping processes. From a marketing standpoint, data-driven, flexible manufacturing and distribution processes open a world of opportunity to use packaging as a communication vehicle that speaks more directly to specific sub-segments of the consumer population than ever before.

DaeMyung ITS adds KODAK PROSPER Press, PROSPER Imprinting Systems, and NEXPRESS Photo Press

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:56:33 EST

With more than 175 employees, DaeMyung began as a manufacturer of business forms in 1974 and in 1990 expanded into direct mail production. Today the company offers everything from business forms, envelopes, and labels to direct mail, TransPromo, and RFID printing.

To extend market leadership, continue to offer customers cutting edge production technology and boost direct mailing capabilities, TransPromo and hybrid printing DaeMyung ITS added KODAK PROSPER Press, PROSPER Imprinting Systems, and the NEXPRESS Photo Press.

DaeMyung CEO, Mr. Myung-Gil Hyun states: "Our experience with Kodak has been excellent (…) Kodak has already proven itself as a trusted partner for our business—providing us with outstanding support. This made our decision to further invest in KODAK technology an easy one.

Future Marketing is Today's Challenge

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST

Although my job title of "Future Marketing Director, Offset Solutions" may sound like I'm waiting in the wings for an eventual promotion, it actually means that I have the fortunate role of guiding the direction of Kodak's R&D and product development roadmap. A critical part of this role is having a thorough understanding of what our customers need and want – not only today, but also three to five years in the future. This means spending a lot of time in the field with our customers, dealers, and sales people talking about the business landscape they're facing, the market dynamics that are shaping their future, and the business and technical challenges that they need to solve today and foresee in the future.

Strangely though – especially when my goal is to define our future products - very little, if any of the conversation ever revolves around products themselves, specific technology or product performance attributes. You see, once you start talking about features and specifications you're well into a discussion about solutions. But how can you even consider offering a solution if you don't fully understand the problem?

A lot of my time over the last several years has been spent with our team in Asia, focusing on the challenging emerging markets of China, India, and South-East Asia. I find it exceptionally interesting though that when you distill the needs of these markets down to the very core, they're really not that different than what I know from living and working in Europe and America. The problems are the same – but the ideal solutions must consider local differences in priority, economy, and culture.

So, on a very high level, what are the challenges that printers really face today, and will face in the future? I've found that these top 5 are universal, although in varying order of priority around the world:

Efficiency: cost-effectiveness, waste reduction, uptime maximization, labor reduction, and the ability to achieve the desired results with lower-cost (grade) materials
Stability: consistency, reliability, latitude and tolerance for local conditions and practices, ability to produce the expected results without continual manual oversight
Environmental responsibility: reduction of waste, energy use, chemistry use, water use, or the negative environmental aspects of these factors when still necessary
Quality: improved visual or tactile quality, higher screening and color fidelity, and higher perceived value, while using the lowest-cost materials feasible
Capability: expanding the range of printing services and offerings (and therefore your overall value) to your customers

You won't be surprised to learn then that these 5 categories are on the top of our list for new product development, and that they also just so happen to be the top 5 values that Kodak technologies like our unique SQUAREspot thermal imaging system deliver to our customers today… and have been doing since the mid 1990's! It's what sets Kodak solutions apart from the competition, and provides real value to your business. Stay tuned over the coming weeks as we explore these topics in depth and offer some ways to help you fully understand your own challenges so that you can conquer them for your business.

Winds of Change - The Evolution of the Packaging Industry - Part 2: Sustainability

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

This is part 2 of a special series(part 1) of posts by guest blogger Ben Miyares of the Packaging Management Institute.

Sustainability
Cost reduction is also a driving force behind the trend toward sustainable packaging. Brand owners are looking for alternatives—ways they can reduce costs without sacrificing packaging's functionality and customer appeal. Some brand owners are actively pursuing a move from oil-based plastics to bio-based plastics, which, while they don't offer an immediate cost savings, at least have the potential to minimize the effects of price volatility in the petrochemical market.

In one high-visibility example of this trend, Coca-Cola and HJ Heinz are collaborating on the consumer market introduction of clear plastic bottles made partially (30%) of bio-derived plastics. The bottles are functional and chemical equivalents of the petro-chemical bottles they are beginning to replace. Coke and Heinz are supporting the development of technologies that will permit them to market Coke, water and ketchup in 100% bio-plastic bottles in the next year or two.

In France, Danone is now packing its Volvec water in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles with 20% bio-polymer and, earlier this year, PepsiCo announced that it will begin pilot production of a clear plastic bottle made entirely from bio-derived feedstocks in 2012. If their pilot run is successful and can be ramped up to full scale production, Pepsi plans to follow the pilot run with a commercial debut of its bio-PET bottle. In Germany and the U.S., Danone is marketing yogurt in cups made from polylactic acid(PLA), a biopolymer alternative that it claims will improve the product's packaging carbon footprint by 25% and use 43% less fossil resources compared to the previous packaging.

It's a complicated issue, however. Changes undertaken with sustainability in mind can have unintended consequences. Because of this, biopolymer packaging developers of the current generation of bio-plastics for packaging are focusing on "drop in" alternatives— those that can be handled and processed from the point of conception to the "end of life" without changing procedures or operational efficiencies from those attainable with petro-chemical plastic packaging. And, in the final analysis, consumer acceptance will determine if bio-plastic packages can be sustained in the marketplace.

The shift to biopolymers and other "sustainable" packaging formats, as well as the institution of practices that reduce resource consumption, is driven primarily by economic considerations. In a recent Los Angeles Times editorial, author Edward Humes notes that Wal-Mart is saving "hundreds of millions of dollars with more planet-friendly practices that lower carbon emissions, conserve energy, save forests and radically reduce landfill waste. Soon this sustainability payback will be in the billions.

IFRA 2011 Recap – Environmental responsibility in prepress

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST

Sustainability and environmental responsibility is regularly on all of our minds – from the recycle bins at home, to the introduction of new products that help us to make progress and reduce the burden on our world.

The IFRA tradeshow this year in Vienna was no exception! One of the popular items to see was the chemistry and power consumption chart which in a simple and clear way compares the different options available for newspaper plate making – good old silver plates, violet plates, including low-chem or chem.-free plates, and the latest thermal newspaper plate options.

Of the plates that still require some kind of processor or clean-out unit, KODAK THERMALNEWS GOLD in combination with Kodak's 1090 thermal plate developer leads with an ultra-low chemistry consumption. With next year's thermal newspaper plate Kodak will eliminate the need for pre-heat altogether while maintaining robust high run length capabilities. All other processed newspaper plates still need to be pre-heated, including chem. free plates with a COU unit.

With advancements in Kodak's process free technology (PF-N2 non-process) that is scheduled to roll out in early 2012, Kodak takes a huge step forward by eliminating the processor (or any post-imaging plate processing) once and for all. By doubling both imaging speed (maximizing most Platesetter speeds) and run length (up to 200,000 impressions) compared to the first generation, this plate is now available to a wider range of newspaper applications. And with a better image contrast on the plate, it is easily human and machine readable, ready to take on the most complex automated environments!

In combination with the latest enhancements for GENERATION NEWS, including online support for multiple presses and multiple plate formats, Kodak's (thermal) newspaper solutions continue to innovate towards sustainable responsible newspaper printing!

Winds of Change - The Evolution of the Packaging Industry - Part 1: Global Demographics

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

This is part 1 of a special series of posts by guest blogger Ben Miyares of the Packaging Management Institute.

Packaging has always existed with a multi-pronged purpose—to protect, identify, market, transport and dispense product. In societies being transformed by globalization and technology, this fundamental purpose remains unchanged. In fact, it is more critical than ever. But how packaging is developed and manufactured—and why and where—is evolving as the result of several industry trends.

Global Demographics
From a global standpoint, there is growing demand for packaging. In developed markets, populations are generally aging, which has accelerated demand for medical devices, pharmaceutical products and health care items. In these countries, which include Japan, the United States and much of Europe, CPGs and pharmaceutical companies are working to produce retail packages whose functionality, size, copy and graphics appeal to older consumers by being tailored to meet their consumption needs. There is a movement toward labels that are easier to read, closure and package formats that are easier to open and reclose, adhesives that hold just tenaciously enough to allow appropriate removal and tabs that are larger and easier to grip.

In the packaged food market, smaller portion sizes are increasingly available and there's a shift underway from packaged meal components, such as cans or pouches of vegetables, to packaged prepared meals that increasingly have a protein component. In emerging markets such as Brazil, India, Russia, China and South Africa, different forces are at work. First, the migration from rural to urban areas has been—and continues to be significant. As populations become more urbanized, the demand for packaged goods, particularly packaged foods, increases dramatically. This is a natural consequence of the population's "flight from the farm" where labor was concentrated on growing food for one's family.

As populations become more urbanized, incomes grow and demand for packaged goods increases. From the manufacturer's perspective, urbanization raises labor costs. This rise in the cost of labor in markets such as Mexico and China is shifting manufacturing to lower labor cost markets, such as Vietnam and Bulgaria. In some cases, manufacturing operations that were "offshored" are being returned to developed countries, in a movement known as "reshoring" that calculates economic savings from shorter supply chains with lower transportation costs.

How Clays is now perfectly placed to take advantage of the ever increasing short run book printing market

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST

Recently Clays announced it's significant investment in our digital inkjet printing technology. The integrated book line with the PROSPER 1000 Press and MULLER MARTINI SIGMALINE In-Line Finishing System, is now up and running after a smooth installation period. This additional capability enables the company to further strengthen its offerings in a world of online ordering and on-demand printing. Clays was one of the first early adopters of high-speed inkjet technology with in-line finishing for production of short-run books.

Kate McFarlan, the visionary Managing Director of Clays, believes that Clays is now perfectly placed to take advantage of the ever increasing short run book printing market. "By taking digital book production to new levels of speed, quality and capacity, we are in dialogue with our publishing house customers to demonstrate the advantages that Clays can provide –through print solutions for any run length from one to a million on the same paper substrate and with no quality difference," says McFarlan.

This install reinforces our strong position as a lead supplier of the broadest portfolio of products for the fast changing book production world, ranging from CTP, plates, scanners and powerful workflow solutions to a number of digital printing solutions.

Guess who China's largest book publisher chose?

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:05:00 EST

Recently we announced the installation of the first Prosper 1000 Press in China. Phoenix Publishing and Media Group (PPMG) selected the Kodak Prosper Press to help grow its short-run book printing operations. The Prosper Press enables the them to better manage their book inventory and provide book titles as needed much more efficiently.

"Book publishing and consumer habits have changed dramatically during the past few years, so a new approach is needed," said Xue Qiang, Vice President of China Daheng (Group). "The PROSPER 1000 Press gives us the ability to improve our supply chain and drive new business opportunities. High-quality, high-speed digital printing clearly is the future of the industry."

This is just the latest in a series of big wins for us. But let's face it, it's more than that; it's a vote of confidence in Kodak based on a superior technology and a value proposition that resonates with customers. Look for this to be a recurring theme as we continues to transform the publishing industry and strengthen our position as the worldwide market leader in color web inkjet presses.

What role should SharePoint play in a comprehensive ECM strategy?

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EST

The role of Enterprise Content Management (ECM) is well established. Smart companies realize they need to manage their critical assets – both paper based and those that are born digital – to control costs, improve profitability and to maintain compliance efforts.

The role of SharePoint in the enterprise is also well established. With 100+ million seats, 50,000+ server licenses sold and over $1 billion in sales, the sheer size and scope of SharePoint coverage is impressive.

However, size and coverage does NOT mean that SharePoint is deployed everywhere. In fact, Microsoft's greatest boon is also their greatest risk. Microsoft and the entire SharePoint partner community needs to make sure those seats are deployed.

Therein lies the rub. Deployment is hard. Deployment takes work. Deployment takes Partners. The Microsoft sales teams are incented to renew enterprise agreements. Partners are lining up to fill the gaps in the SharePoint platform and help them achieve their goals. Of course, this cannot happen without customers.

Customers need to recognize the need for a comprehensive ECM strategy and allocate resources to deploy solutions.

Does this mean that SharePoint can be written off as
part of a Comprehensive ECM Strategy?

Not a chance. The upside for Microsoft is that they have a foot in the door. Every deployment of Windows Server has the option to turn on SharePoint Foundation Services.

How does SharePoint fit in a Comprehensive ECM Strategy?

One Word - Partners

It is up to the Microsoft partner ecosystem to help customers understand the possibilities. And the possibilities are endless.

Microsoft has continued to develop SharePoint and with version 4 (SharePoint 2010) they have struck upon gold by building SharePoint as a Platform. As a platform play it allows Partners (and Corporate IT development teams) to extend and enhance SharePoint to create solutions that exactly meet their needs.

What's next for SharePoint?

Microsoft has not completely exhausted the Enterprise space, but the next step for SharePoint is to further penetrate the Small Medium Business (SMB) space. As the price point continues to be lowered --- especially with the release of SharePoint Online (currently part of the Office 365 offerings) Microsoft will be able to blanket all markets at all price points.

The role of SharePoint as a critical component of a comprehensive ECM strategy is set. All markets will have a "flavor" or SharePoint to serve their needs. Adoption will continue. Partners will continue to fill gaps. Customers will smile.

What's next for the Legacy ECM vendors?

The traditional ECM vendors will be required to provide integration to SharePoint environments. Over the past few years it has become increasingly clear that the traditional Big Three ECM companies (IBM – FileNet, EMC – Documentum and Open Text) are spending more time talking about how they work WITH SharePoint instead of talking how they are BETTER than SharePoint.

Does SharePoint do everything out of the box?

No. The bigger question is … Should it?

In my opinion, No! This is where the Microsoft partner ecosystem comes in. Partners can innovate faster and fill gaps that Microsoft will likely never fill.

For example, Document Scanning and Storage — what I refer to as Pillars 1 and 4 of an ECM system, will likely never be filled. Not because Microsoft can't do these, but because they don't need to. Microsoft strengths is to leverage the skills partners bring to the table.

When this happens … Microsoft wins. More importantly, the customer wins.

Why will SharePoint continue to grow in the ECM space?

The main reason is because Microsoft has developed SharePoint as a platform. Which allows for a Superior Price Point, Better Distribution, Unlimited Extensibility and for the continued Growth & Development of the best Partner Ecosystem on the planet.

What do you think?

Does SharePoint play a critical role in your ECM plans?
Is SharePoint part of your Comprehensive ECM strategy?
Do you see partners as the secret sauce to continued SharePoint expansion and adoption?

Want More? See the following links and tell me what you think.

A picture is worth a thousand words

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:00:00 EST

A lot can be said about Agfa chem. free plates versus Kodak PF-N Non-Process Plates, but the following two pictures will say more than could be said in a thousand words:

Kodak inspires brands to seek out security solutions at Labelexpo 2011

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 07:41:53 EST

One of the hottest topics at Labelexpo was how to thwart the counterfeit goods trade. Obviously, fake goods puncture a huge hole in brands' profits. But the impact of counterfeiting goes way beyond lost sales.

Businesses spend a fortune on brand development, trying to build up good will among consumers and businesses so they purchase their product rather than a rival's. Counterfeit goods hit the health and cosmetics sectors particularly hard, as the harm that can be caused by such products has a devastating impact on brands' reputations.

So it was perhaps unsurprising that at Labelexpo there was so much interest in security solutions. We showed many brand owners and production managers how they can protect their revenue and reputation using Kodak's security technology. The advances we've made in this sector also piqued journalists' interest, who were keen to speak with our experts to find out what we have in the pipeline.

And talking of the Press, around 40 journalists from across Europe attended the Kodak press gathering on the opening day of the show. David Croft, EAMER Segment Packaging Manager, revealed how the latest Kodak solutions are giving brands the shelf impact they crave, and helping packaging providers to stretch margins in a fiercely competitive market.

Meanwhile our famous K-zone was the backdrop for interaction on a raft of hot market topics. Industry influencers, customers and equipment manufacturers were all able to engage in lively panel discussions and reinforce the value proposition of Kodak's Flexcel NX System.

During Out damned spot, out I say, our label experts discussed how with fast changeover presses and the latest flexo plate technology, flexo could mount a serious challenge to digital for short runs.

The How low can you go? session revealed how the latest flexo technologies are enabling brand owners and retailers to reduce their packaging, helping them to meet cost and sustainability targets.

Don't worry if you couldn't make it to the show – take a look at our YouTube videos and see what we got up to!

Can You Go Paperless for a Day?

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EST

How much paper do you have in your office? Back in June of 1975 (!), Business Week (the print version) reported :

Some believe that the paperless office is not that far off. Vincent E. Giuliano of Arthur D. Little, Inc., figures that the use of paper in business for records and correspondence should be declining by 1980, "and by 1990, most record-handling will be electronic."

Whoa! 1990 was 21 years ago. I look around and most of my colleagues' offices nearby are full of paper. Not only that, but there are 13 printers available on the floor where I work. Why do we need all these printers, and will the paperless office ever be a reality? Do all the recycling bins around make up for the fact that we are producing reams of paper garbage very day?

Perhaps we all need paper for some of life's big moments, as Domtar Paper, a large manufacturer of paper in the Unites States and Canada, reminds us in this video.

But what about in the business world? The Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM) is sponsoring World Paper Free Day on October 27. Join in via Facebook, or check out what others are saying:

Freedom from Paper, not Paper-Free
Tips for reducing workplace printing
From earlier this year - Flying Cars or a Paperless Office
And the perennial favorite - Is Paper Dead?

Is the paperless office possible? Can you make your little corner of the world paperless? For one day? Plan to participate on October 27.

Flexo customers get smart with Spotless

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:26:37 EST

One of the privileges of my job is that I get to spend time with some really smart and forward-looking people – and I don't mean Kodak people (though some of those are pretty smart too!). I mean our customers.

I spent time over the last couple weeks with some flexo customers that are taking Kodak products and technology, adding in their own skill and knowledge, and developing services that are literally changing the industry. If all that sounds a bit over-dramatic then let me explain a little about what they are doing.

It's all about spot color reduction…….. WAIT!! Don't walk away! I know what you're thinking! You're thinking "been there, done that, got the t-shirt, didn't like it much, all that extended color gamut stuff is more trouble than it's worth, prepress was a pain, proofing was a bigger pain, and getting flexo printing stable and consistent enough to reliably replace spot colors with process builds was simply a non-starter!"

OK. I hear you. Stick with me. First of all you have to agree that the 'prize', if you can get spot color reduction to work for you, is one worth having – and one that can truly change the way we do business in flexo. Greater use of process color and less use of spots means faster set up times, fewer changeovers, fewer wash-ups, less waste, lower costs, faster turnaround times, opportunity to co-print designs on the same web and opportunity to use those print decks that used to print spot colors to add additional decoration. If you can get it to work it ticks all the boxes that clients in the Packaging space are looking for:

Greater Shelf Impact; Faster and Cheaper; Increased Sustainability

Well the great news is that these smart customers ARE getting it to work and are putting themselves at the leading edge by doing so. So what's their secret?

Fundamental is the use of Kodak Flexcel NX Plates. Stability, predictability and consistency on press are key. Phenomenal ink transfer efficiency and density enable a wider color gamut and allow these customers to do much of their spot color replacement with FOUR COLOR PROCESS only. Doing it four color obviously solves the prepress and proofing issues as well.
Add in some great tools for characterizing what the printer is capable of, generating accurate recipes for spot color replacement, and COMMUNICATING those capabilities to their clients – in essence they are creating their own version of a 'Pantone' book that shows exactly what they can do. This tool is the recently launched Kodak Spotless Flexographic Solution
And lastly, and most importantly, these customers are working collaboratively with all their suppliers to optimize their print production to get the most out of the process…… and taking the time to educate their clients about what's in it for them. This is what makes them stand out from the rest

Oh, and I forgot to mention……. the fact that the print quality of what they are producing with Kodak plates can rival gravure and offset means that the conversation with their clients starts on a pretty good foot too!

But don't just take my word for it……. check out what two sets of visionary customers had to say for themselves when they joined me at the Packaging Innovations show in London recently.

Kodak customer Andy Hewitson, Reproflex3 took the stage with his printer client Chris Ellison, OPM Group

Kodak customer Sean Hancocks, Miller Graphics Corniche partnered with Chris Tonge, Ultimate Packaging.

Compumail getting a Benny at Graph Expo for Nexpress work

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:05:00 EST

Recently, CompuMail won a gold Premier Print Award, also known as a "Benny Award" at the annual ceremony for the Printing Industries of America. The honor was for a self-promotional piece designed for dimensional printing, an inline capability exclusive to the KODAK NEXPRESS Digital Production Color Platform with its Fifth Imaging Unit Solution that creates a tactile, dimensional effect. Dimensional printing adds impact and can help increase return on marketing investments for printed communications used in direct marketing and other multi-channel programs. Dana Richard, President of CompuMail, describes the winning formula that earned his company one of the most coveted awards in print.

The Kodak Approval Proofing System and flexible substrates, simply the best proofer for flexo

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:16:10 EST

The Kodak Approval proof has been the industry leader when you need to create a proof on a flexible substrate, but now we are taking your flexographic proofs to the next level with the introduction of 4 new products tailored for the flexographic customer

We have introduced a wide gamut donor set to assist in building spot color recipes. The New Kodak Approval Packaging Color Donors substantially expand the range of achievable colors, enabling you to reach more spot, corporate and brand colors and create package design proofs and 3-D mockups that look identical to the final product on the store shelf.

We also have a new line of Approval films to assist in the lamination process when laminating onto flexible substrates. The two new films are; PO3 Beadless Prelaminate, and PCO1 Precoat film used to assist lamination on substrates with a low surface energy level. This new film will broaden the range of flexible substrates the Approval will transfer onto. I have included a link to the Kodak website where you can gather more information on these products.

http://graphics.kodak.com/CA/en/Product/Proofing/Kodak_Approval/default.htm

Along with detailed information on tips and tricks on lamination procedures to flexible substrates, I have created a short step by step video on the laminating procedure.

Just released is the Kodak Recipe Color Profiler, specifically designed for the Kodak Approval NX system, is used to create and streamline recipe color building.

Finally we have created a system to better predict a flexo press sheet. Once a press fingerprint has been established, a candid set of highlight dot curves and cut-back curves are implemented into the Approval to press color match.

Messen, die perfekte Gelegenheit für Experteninterviews – ENGLISH: Trade Shows, the perfect opportunity for expert interviews

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:31:38 EST

ENGLISH Version below.

Der Vorteil von Messen ist definitiv, dass es eine der wenigen Gelegenheiten im Jahr ist, wo alle Produkt-Experten aus ganz Europa an einem Messestand versammelt sind. Deshalb nutze ich diese Events sehr gerne, um den ein oder anderen Kollegen zu den Highlights am Messestand zu interviewen.

Das erste Interview ist mit Hans-Joachim Bellers, Newspapers Sales Manager bei Kodak. Er erläutert die Generation News Computer-to-Plate Anlage. Diese bebildert Druckplatten digital per Laserverfahren und schafft bis zu 300 Platten pro Stunde.

Danach habe ich mich mit Joachim Pengler, Technical Sales Manager bei Kodak, über die Nachhaltigkeit der Kodak Plattentechnologie unterhalten, die durch reduzierten Chemikalienverbrauch und eine wirklich chemikalienfreie Produktion allgemeinen Umweltbelangen Rechnung tragen. Aber schauen Sie selbst:

Möchten Sie persönlich mit den Experten sprechen, kommen Sie vorbei an unserem Kodak Stand in Halle B, 570 - 580.

ENGLISH VERSION:

The best part of trade shows for me is definitely to have all the product experts from across Europe on one stand. So I used the opportunity to talk to some of them about the highlights we are presenting at the IFRA EXPO show in Vienna this week. As we are in Austria, the interviews are in German today.

The first interview is with Hans-Joachim Bellers, Newspapers Sales Manager at Kodak, who explains the Generation News Platesetter.

Then I spoke to Joachim Pengler, Technical Sales Manager at Kodak, about the high quality and low environmental impact of Kodak's second generation process-free newspaper plates.

Visit us at our Kodak booth in hall B, 570 - 580 if you would like to speak to the experts yourself.

Digital Imprinting Systems at IFRA EXPO

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:21:17 EST

Day one at IFRA EXPO I had the opportunity to talk to Chandni Dighe about our successful Prosper S20 Imprinting Systems that can run at web offset speeds of up to 60,000 impressions per hour at 600 x 300dpi.

If those numbers don't mean much to you, let me explain further. This capability allows the publisher to offer relevant and targeted advertising possibilities to their customers. So they can add variable promotions to the different local newspaper editions such as geo-coded maps, barcodes, special coupons or QR-codes to drive more consumers to their offer.

Kodak launched this class of imprinting solutions two years ago and has seen tremendous success with hundreds of heads installed worldwide doing various applications – not only newspapers.

Many customers also come to Chandni to learn more about our brand new Kodak Versamark 500W printing system that enables short run newspaper printing up to 5,000 units per day. We already have 7 inkjet presses installed around the world doing daily production of international newspaper editions for local distribution. That means the local printer gets the latest pdf files of next day's newspaper edition over night from the publisher and can print it in time, so customers can read their favorite paper like USA Today, LeMonde or The Guardian on their vacation islands early in the morning. The site with the most varieties in daily printed titles is Miller Distributers in Malta, who print more 60 different international titles on site every day and who have actually witnessed a 20% rise in newspaper sales, attracting more readers thanks to competitive pricing and same-day availability of those international titles thanks to digital short run printing.

You can speak to Chandni yourself at our Kodak booth, hall B, stand 570 - 580.

Seeing Dots

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

As a proud parent, I was thrilled to be asked to go to my son's 2nd-grade class this year to talk to them about my job at Kodak. But how do you explain Marketing to a bunch of 7-year-olds without boring them to death? What about my job would leave an impression on them? But thinking about it, these kids are impacted daily by our industry whether they know it or not. Even sitting in today's high tech, "smart board" and computer-laden classrooms, the world of print surrounds them!

Not surprisingly, most of the kids didn't know that Kodak is as much about the textbooks on their desks and maps on their walls as we are about the camera technology in their parent's cell phones. They were also shocked that printing is such a common part of their lives that none of them had thought about how all these things come to be in the first place - they just take printed products for granted. To help illustrate this and start them thinking about what goes into all these wonderful printed products they use daily, I hacked together a few snippets of video to show them what a printing press is, some of the things that printing presses can do (books, posters, magazines, packages, and even t-shirts and textiles), and a general overview of the process of printing. I'd never heard so many attentive "oohs" and "aaahs" from kids this age, especially during a snippet of a monster newspaper press in operation. They still talk about that to this day.

It got even more interesting when I pulled out some loupes and started explaining how all the colors they see on the printed samples were made up of tiny dots of just four colors - they just didn't believe me at first. But after looking at my samples under magnification, they started running all over the classroom looking at EVERYTHING under magnification to see if it was "printed" or not. They soon realized that they were living in a world of print, and their classroom was covered literally wall-to-wall with things produced by our industry - from the books in their hands right down to the faux wood-grained plastic laminate on their desktops.

I left that classroom with a renewed excitement for the work we do, being ever more certain of the strong and dynamic future for print. I think they too left with at least a tiny bit more appreciation for the importance and power of print - even in today's ever-more digitized world.

Newspaper publishers get creative with Kodak at IFRA EXPO 2011!

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 13:49:20 EST

You'll probably have noticed that Kodak is getting bigger and bigger in the newspaper market. Our flexible Computer-to-Plate (CtP) and digital printing solutions are helping publishers and printers to really crank up productivity and work in creative new ways. This will be our focus for IFRA Expo 2011 – the world's largest exhibition for the news publishing industry, which will take place from tomorrow until Wednesday, 12 October 2011 at Messe Wien. This is the reason I am in the beautiful Austrian capital for a few hours.

I am already sitting at the reception desk of our Kodak booth in Hall B, Stand B570 & B580. My colleagues and the stand constructors were really busy over the weekend. Only a few plastic covers will have to be taken off from the machines and carpets tonight, so the stand can shine in its full glory.

Tomorrow at 9.30 AM when the Messe Wien opens I will be sitting here again to report in real time from our stand and the different events and highlights of the show. And I won't be alone. WAN-IFRA's editorial staff are also providing daily multimedia coverage of all announcements and events at IFRA Expo, World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum from October 10 until 15. Here you find the official IFRA blog!

So what will you be able to see at our booth?

We will be showcasing our latest version of the KODAK GENERATION NEWS Platesetter. Its new features enable up to four different plate formats to be online for greater flexibility and uptime, as well as easier connectivity to workflow systems. And we'll show you how you can remotely monitor the plate-line configuration using the KODAK Intelligent Prepress Manager.

The latest PROSPER S-Series will also be on show. Its speed matches web offset presses, and is powered by KODAK Stream Inkjet Technology. The system also helps newspaper and magazine publishers boost sales by creating new advertising opportunities. For example, you can create personalised promotions by location, micro-promotions using geo-coded maps, barcodes, coupons, lotteries etc.

Another of our big hitters in the newspaper sector is the KODAK VERSAMARK Printing System. We've just extended the range with eight new presses, all with a smaller footprint. The flagship system, the VERSAMARK 500W is ideal for the newspaper market, providing full-colour output and a raft of features that facilitate creative new applications.

As ever, sustainability is high on our agenda. One the one hand we'll be introducing our second-generation non-process newspaper printing plate, which is set to give the environment a welcome shot in the arm. The technology completely eliminates the need for the processor and processing chemistry, and all the associated costs and processing steps coming along with it. We'll be running demos for high-volume apps so you can really see what the technology can do. On the other hand we will highlight future development activities with a plate technology demonstration for high volume applications. Improvements are focused on reduced environmental impact including elimination of preheat reduced water consumption, low chemistry consumption and small processing footprint.

Another eco-friendly technology we'll be showcasing is KODAK COLORFLOW Pro Software with the Ink Optimizing Solution option. The technology can help you to significantly reduce ink consumption, while giving your print quality a lift thanks to greater press stability.

Make sure you come and see us in Hall B at stands 570 and 580!

ARMA Internaional Conference & Expo 2011

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EST

Sharepoint, e-discovery, the latest in Records & Information Management, plus golf - the ARMA International Conference & Expo in the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD has it all.

What are you planning to see and do at ARMA? Is preservation your main concern? Or are you looking for how you can use new technologies in a secure environment? Share your comments below.

Check out the full schedule. Plan to join us October 17-18 at Booth 509 in Hall C-E, and see the latest solutions from Kodak and our valued partners:

You've seen the web animation, now see the new i5800 Scanner in person.
Check out the DOD 5015.2 Compliant Records Management Solution we are showing using a KODAK i2800 Scanner and KODAK Capture Pro Software. Together with our partners from Ephesoft and Alfresco we make it easy to scan, index, automatically classify documents and extract metadata. This solution will enable organizations to achieve compliance, efficiencies, and better service without the traditional obstacles of Client Server Solutions.
We invite you to participate in the Kodak Challenge Putting Contest, sponsored by Eastman Park Micrographics. Discuss your preservation needs, and have an opportunity to win a KODAK All in One Printer.
And, learn how to transform your workflow with the push of a button with new products from Kodak. See the compact new desktop model, the i920 ScanMate scanner, and software that enables you to scan paper documents easily into SharePoint libraries.

The Lies and Truths of Chemistry Free Plates?

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 08:13:00 EST

I am continually baffled by the ongoing marketing that is done by our friends in the little orange box. All too often I see a press release or article that hits my Google alert account that touts the use of "chemistry free" plate technology. Can I just say that this is flat out false advertising at its worst!

Now I know it sounds like I am complaining, or maybe a bad sport because their marketing message is resonating with customers, but that is just not true. What bothers me the most is that customers are being sold a bill of goods that this product is actually comparable to others in the marketplace that are "TRULY" Chemical Free. Let's review the evidence.

If you have a chemistry free system then why does the "clean out solution" you sell have an MSDS sheet?
If you have a chemistry free system then why do your customers have to buy chemistry? If you gave it away at least then you could call it "free chemistry".
If you have a chemistry free system then why do you have a processor to hold your chemistry? Maybe if it was just water I might let this one slide.

Ok, let's tell it like it is. This system is a simple process, maybe even a "low chem." system that utilizes a chemistry solution and processor to prepare their plate for press. Call it what you may, clean out solution, GUM, magical water, but there is no way around it. This is chemistry! Oh and by the way when you compare this technology to other simple process systems you will find a strong play from others that have lower chemical consumptions, greater processer uptime, cleaner work environment, lower labor requirements, and all with a higher quality and better performing plate product – Anyone heard of a product called Kodak Trillian SP?

When it comes to the monarch of "TRUE" Chemistry Free technology there are only a select few, three to be exact, that can raise the flag proudly. In order to have this right, your system must ELIMINATE the use of all chemistry in the plate making process. For example, the Kodak Thermal Direct Non Process technology for commercial & publication printers - No chemistry, no processor, no press contamination, no image quality sacrifice over traditional technology, and now being used by nearly 1500 customers globally. Thermal Direct has quietly found a strong acceptance and market share in small and large commercial printers, and yes it is even being used by larger publication houses and newspapers (Kodak PF-N Non Process) that are finding that in their environments the expanded run lengths and quality are astounding.

The Era of "TRUE" chemistry free plates has arrived and I for one want the world to know it.

Ready or not here we come!

A Tour of Kodak Recipe Color Profiler

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 06:00:00 EST

About a month ago, my colleague Charles Buscaglia's blog post announced the availability of Kodak Recipe Color Profiler to all Kodak Approval NX users. His post detailed the benefits of Kodak Recipe Color Profiler and how it greatly accelerates the turnaround time in creating Kodak Recipe Colors for more accurate spot color representation on the Kodak Approval. Now that Kodak Recipe Color Profiler has been unveiled as an important part of Kodak's Packaging Portfolio at Pack Expo 2011, I thought this week would be a good time to take a quick look at the layout of the application and how it is designed to be simple and quick to use.

After downloading and installing Kodak Recipe Color Profiler from eCentral (https://ecentral.kodak.com), users will first be presented with the initial screen, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: The Kodak Recipe Color Profiler Software Initial Screen

The layout of the tabs at the top emphasizes the order in which the user will produce Recipe Colors. First, the user creates a Proof Condition, which takes into account the Kodak Approval donor set, the lay down order and for packaging and flexographic, white and silver floods (figure 2) to produce a target chart. Once the chart is output and laminated on a designated substrate and measured using an XRite i1iO Spectrophotometer, the software is ready to generate recipes for colors with respect to that specific Proof Condition.

Figure 2: Set up the Proof Donor Order and the lay down order to represent Kodak Approval Setup

The great thing about Kodak Recipe Color Profiler is that this is all you need to get started creating color recipes for the Kodak Approval! Figure 3 shows a Proof Condition that is characterized and ready. The user can then create a recipe for a single color as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 3: A Characterized Proof Condition

Figure 4: Generating Recipes for Single Colors can be immediately done on the fly

Additionally, if the user would like to create recipes for multiple colors for a specific job, then they can create or use an existing color library to define the colors for which they want to produce recipes. The software ships with some industry standard color libraries pre-loaded for the users convenience, but is flexible enough to accommodate custom color libraries that the user may want to setup for specific situations. Custom color libraries are easily set up using the editor shown in figure 5.

Figure 5: Adding LAB Colors for color that you want to reproduce on the Kodak Approval

Once the color libraries are setup, all the user has to do is to create a Recipe Library by choosing a proof condition and a color library (figure 6). Kodak Recipe Color Library will create the recipes for each color in the selected color library for the specific proof condition. The user can then view the recipes (figure 7) and edit them if they so choose (figure 8).

Figure 6: Choose a Color Library and a Proof Condition and Kodak Recipe Color Profiler will do the rest

Figure 7: Recipes for entire color libraries are generated

Figure 8: ...And can be edited as well.

After the user has their color recipes in order, its a snap to export recipes in to any existing workflows (figures 9 and 10).

Figure 9: Export Recipes from the Recipe Libraries Panel to integrate into your existing workflow

Figure 10: Exporting Recipes to a wide variety of supported workflows

As Charles pointed out, this new software provides increased efficiency and performance from their current Kodak Approval NX Workflows and it is recommended that all Kodak Approval NX customers download this software from from eCentral (https://ecentral.kodak.com) as soon as possible to leverage its advantages.

Why is Kodak at DMA in Boston?

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

"I didn't know Kodak could do that" is something we hear from time to time from customers. And providing Services for Marketing may be another example, but here are 3 reasons brand owners and marketing professionals might want to stop by our booth and chat with some of the Kodak folks.

Imagine you had tighter control of all your brand assets in a creative workflow process, whether developing packaging concepts or designing integrated campaigns. We help major pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods companies do just that.
Think about how to get more lift in your acquisition and retention marketing efforts with pre-campaign data modeling. We're helping a large University on the East Coast do just that.
What if you could convert static In-Store POS signage to a dynamic up-sell and cross-sell media channel that drives increased sales? We'll show you this live at the show.

We acknowledge that enterprises vary wildly in terms of how mature their marketing capabilities are, which is why we've scaled our services from fully automated media management platforms to help with pre and post-campaign data work, to unified brand management tools or new ways to merchandise and drive revenue. We have services for business models of all sizes.

Do any of these challenges resonate?

Brand Management – assets for campaigns and packaging are all over the place with multiple workflows?
Skill Set – varying levels of capability in the marketing team or agency partners to understand data and how to leverage pre and post-campaigns?
Vendors – multiple vendors to execute integrated multi-channel campaigns with the prevailing pressure to add more channels and spend more?

If yes, please stop by – we might surprise you.

An insight into InSite - at LabelExpo

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 02:36:56 EST

Sometimes reality is better than fiction and in this case "we couldn't have written it better"....

We are at a very busy LabelExpo in Brussels where we are exhibiting a range of Kodak products for the labelling and packaging markets. Included in our range of products are our PowerPack and InSite products. InSite allows you to access production files in your own workflow from anywhere around the world.

So this is how it went.... one of our current customers was visiting the show and got a message from his office that a last minute job needed his approval... what could he do, being hundreds of miles from his office? Fortunately his company is already an active InSite user.... so he came onto the Kodak stand and spoke with Erwin and Michael (surely two of the best workflow demonstrators at the show) who were more than happy to help.

With the magic of an Internet connection and a few well aimed keyboard clicks (you can tell I'm not a technical man...) the customer was linked to his own company's InSite server....

The customer was able to access the job in question, review, edit and approve and send the job on its way down the production chain. The customer was free to go about is business at the show and place his order for 10 new Kodak Flexcel systems. Well ok I made up the last part but the rest was all true.

You couldn't ask for a better insight to the InSite suite of products, if you would like the same flexibility in your daily life just take a look at the details on our KODAK INSITE Prepress Portal System webpage.

Can Kodak technology and expertise trigger a new chapter in flexo manufacturing?

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 06:15:40 EST

A couple of days into Label Expo, we can now confirm it is this year larger than ever, with for example a cool 12,000 visitors on its second day, its busiest day ever! This year, Kodak is demonstrating an end to end concept to consumer solution and showcases innovative technologies that enhance product quality, but also provide better process control, and that is a big deal because it could mean the start of a big culture shift in flexo.

So, it is fair to say that packaging printing in general and flexographic printing in particular has very often been perceived at the most specialist printing process due to its very complex nature and the amount of variability involved. Our Kodak Flexcel NX technology demonstrated at the show is a huge step towards removing some of this variability and this - probably for the first time - enables service providers to move away from their traditional "artisan" philosophy in favour of more process oriented manufacturing methods. And newly found control is very good news as it offers opportunities to better control production cost and decreases cycle time, both of which are of enormous value to print suppliers and their brand owner clients.

At this point, there is a clear opportunity to extend the optimization process and look at where else in the operation better process can help, and prepress is a natural next step, so let's use it as an example: Automation, which has widely been adopted in other print segments over the years, has eluded flexo as again, variability was making it difficult if not impossible to find enough consistency to enable. These days however, intelligent automation technology, and in particular our Prinergy Rules Based Automation (RBA) engine, is flexible enough to enable automation across fairly complex scenarios.

As illustrated above, RBA uses conditional logic and with information captured further up in the process (typically in an MIS/ERP system), it can really provide enormous value by automating any repetitive task in the process. OK, so let's be a little realistic here: Complex packaging scenarios mean that the proverbial "lights out prepress" situations that we do see in other segments is still some distance away, but very clearly, the purpose of automation here is to free up skilled operators so they can concentrate on the exceptions and added value tasks. A automated "production line" also decreases the risk of costly errors.

Again, this is just an example, the benefits of adopting manufacturing methodologies can be leveraged throughout every part of a print operation, not just print or prepress, and flexo could well be on its way to discovering its virtues!

Kodak has got the technology as well as the industry expertise and delivery capability, so come and see us at Label Expo in hall 9, stand F70 to discuss the possibilities, these are exciting times! And here you see our detailed agenda for the K-Zone Panel Discussions at our booth.

No waffle in Brussels

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:52:35 EST

As I look out over the Kodak stand from the stage in the K-Zone I see a very busy and active stand. The show is proving a success in many ways, the organisers have done a great job getting visitors to come, the exhibitors have all put great effort into their stands and the sun is shining. (so I'm told... there are no windows in hall 9).

From my perspective there is relief and pride...

Relief, as always for show it all seems a bit of a rush the week before, but as usual all the elements come together on the day and it all gels together.

Pride...pride of a job well done, the launch of the new Kodak Packaging Brand and to see the sales teams active with their customers and prospects doing what we all are here to do...selling.

So if you are reading this blog you may be wondering what I am talking about.... so here are some videos that show a little bit of what we are presenting on the stand and some interviews talking about our K-Zone presentations. And here you find the detailed K-Zone agenda.

We will soon add more of the K-Zone content to our YouTube channel so you too can hear what our customers are saying.... if you wish follow us on twitter @KodakIdigPrint, or myself @DACroft and we'll send out some tweets with links in due course.

Finally, if you can, do try and get along to the show and see what all the fuss is about....ask for me on the Kodak stand in hall 9 F70, mention this blog and I'll get you a beer..... and I promise no waffle.. just a personal guided tour!

Grey Market costs businesses billions of dollars in revenue each year

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:53:26 EST

An extended stop with the UK Border Control at St Pancras station to inspect my and particularly the 'suspicious white powder' almost led to me missing the Eurostar train to Brussels – thankfully I made it with seconds to spare in order to make Day One of Label Expo!

Day One has been busy on the stand with keen interest in the team showcasing Kodak's Complete Packaging Solutions Portfolio. The Brand Protection services and products have also hit the mark with the brand owners and labeling & packaging companies alike, with the latter looking to help differentiate their customer offering from their competitors. Of particular interest has been the launch of Kodak's TRACELESS Anti-Diversion (AD) system, allowing the invisible serialization of product and packaging, to help reduce Product Diversion on the Grey Market – an issue that Deloitte LLP reported to cost businesses billions of dollars in revenue each year.

More commonly known as "product diversion" or "parallel importing," grey market activity can be considered a fraudulent means of inflating profits for participating distributors, while reducing brand owner revenue. Grey marketers capitalize on surplus inventory, lower manufacturing costs, fluctuating distribution costs, economic conditions, and currency exchange rates, by exporting goods without the permission of brand owners. The grey marketers then undercut the prices of authorized domestic distributors by selling at lower price points, while achieving similar or higher profit margins due to the lower cost of product acquisition in the originating countries.

The net effect of grey market is two-fold. First, the local distributors are forced to compete with artificially lowered prices by the grey market activity, causing significant conflict and supply chain demand issues within the authorized sales channels.

Second, product revenue streams for brand owners become unbalanced, causing inflated sales metrics in some regions, while incurring reduced revenues in other regions. In many cases, well-known retail stores may acquire grey market products through non-traditional channels, bypassing the brand owner's distribution network altogether.

Essentially, grey market activity disrupts the invisible hand of competition in a given sales region, by luring purchasers and consumers away from authorized channels, and creating artificial demand for goods imported by unauthorized means.

With a simultaneous worldwide launch at Label Expo in Brussels, Pack Expo in Las Vegas, and the IQPC Anti-Counterfeiting & Brand Protection Conference in New York, Kodak has this week introduced the KODAK TRACELESS AD System for Anti-Diversion. The TRACELESS AD System combines an invisible ink and proprietary detection system to help brands track products and prevent the creation of illegitimate distribution channels and unauthorized resellers. We are demonstrating the TRACELESS AD system on our Kodak stand at Label Expo, as well as some of the other solutions available to counter the threats of Product Diversion and Counterfeiting, so please head to the Kodak stand in Hall 9, F70 to join in.

If you can't join us in Brussels but would like further information please visit www.kodak.com/go/brandprotection.