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A new KODAK PROSPER 1000 Press at the heart of the beautiful Burgundy countryside in France

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 13:50:00 EST

If you are passionate about books and book publishing, you would certainly have enjoyed the coach ride I was sitting on last 16 November.

I was surrounded by some of the biggest publishing houses and key trade media in France and all through the 3 hour journey from the centre of Paris to Clamecy, a small town in Burgundy, you could hear the jolly chit-chat of people talking about the art of printing books.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by Gilles Mure-Ravaud, CEO of Laballery and David Perrain, Production Director and President of the SCOP.

Apart from recently acquiring the KODAK PROSPER 1000 Press to target short-run books and further boost its digital strategy, this book printer stands out in a number of other ways. It was established in 1924 as a family firm, becoming a cooperative enterprise (SCOP) in 1993. This means it is entirely owned by its 68 employees. Its guiding principles are fairness, social justice and environmental responsibility. As one of the earliest digital pioneers, the company now stands as a book printing specialist and its customer base include prestigious publishing houses such as Gallimard, Hachette, Editis, France Loisirs and Editions Bréal.

After some refreshments and nibbles, presentations were given by Gilles Mure-Ravaud and David Perrain, followed with the official ribbon-cutting by the Mayor of Clamecy.

Laballery is also the initiator of a very nice concept called the "public book" - this concept promotes a young writer by printing his/her book and distributing it to a number of key publishing houses in order to increase its chances of getting published and printed. This year, Laballery is helping 13-year old Adrien Dalimonti. The young teenager has just finished writing his first sci-fi book, one of seven: "The quest of the Two Worlds". He was signing the books, freshly printed on the PROSPER 1000 Press.

Before the evening dinner, the trade media represented by Caractère, France Graphique, Presse Editions as well as the local media represented by Le Journal du Centre and local TV channel FR3 were able to interview Gilles Mure-Ravaud, David Perrain and the young Adrien Dalimonti. Mr Perrain explained his confidence in the future and how the company intends to double its turnover next year . As the economical crisis continues to settle in, the demand for shorter print-runs will increase and Laballery will be able to respond to this thanks to their investment in the KODAK PROSPER 1000 Press.

The evening ended with some excellent network opportunities around a delicious seasonal buffet before all heading back to Paris.

My updates on Kodak's progress and focus on Commercial Imaging

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 13:26:00 EST

Kodak takes significant step toward emergence from Chapter 11

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:39:00 EST

Many of you have told me how important it is to focus on your competitive advantage. We are dedicated to helping your business grow and succeed, and we are making significant changes at Kodak to best serve you.

With the actions taken over the past several months we have a clear path to emerge from Chapter 11 as a growing, profitable and sustainable company. We are now primarily focused on the Commercial Imaging business - centered on commercial, packaging and functional printing solutions and enterprise services. We have the financial ability to operate our business, including more than $1 billion cash on hand worldwide and the recently secured $793 million in interim and exit financing.

This is a very positive development for Kodak as it is a key element in the steps to emerge as a stronger, more focused company. Chapter 11 has been an effective tool to resolve our legacy costs, including the resolution of U.S. retiree health care benefits liabilities saving more than $100 million/year. We continue to make progress and we are on track to successful emergence in the first half of 2013.

We will continue to focus our business and innovate for you. We are leveraging our strong technological advantages to provide solutions that give you a competitive edge in the markets you serve. We are committed to your success.

Thank you for your support and encouragement over the past year.

SharePoint Conference 2012: What did you miss? (#spc12)

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 09:51:00 EST

SharePoint Conference 2012…what an event! This was my first time attending and it was unforgettable.

While this was my first time, Kodak has been attending SharePoint Conference since 2009 when it was showing its Capture Pro software. Each year Kodak Document Imaging has brought a new item to the event and this year was no different. For the 2012 event, Info Activate Solution was well received by attendees and quite a number of Microsoft people came by for demos as well. (We also had our Kodak scanners at the event.)

Now, I have to confess...I am truly impressed with our scanners! On day two, one of our software sales people, Bill, was showing the KODAK i4600 Scanner to a gentleman who said, "But, your papers are all flat and perfect here. What we have to run through [a scanner] is not so good, so the images may be bad." This was when Bill grabbed the sheet on the top of a paper pile, crumpled it to a ping pong ball-size wad, and then opened it, causing a 2-inch tear on the side. He then pressed it against his chest a bit—kind of ironing it out. Finally, Bill placed it on top of the scanner and hit the scan button. The gentleman's eyes were wide (so were mine), but the paper went in and out and the scan looked just as good as the "flat paper" version. The gentleman was truly impressed, and so was I.

And you know what…for the next couple of days, we continued to use that "messed up" sheet in the stack and it never caused a jam! I am a believer! When we packed up the booth, the paper finally made its way into the trash pile.

The last day of the show was pretty much the same as the second to last day. The crowds were down dramatically, the flow was slowed, and the exhibitor personnel were roaming the floor getting updates to what was out there as well as visiting past colleagues. Those wanting to see a demo preferred the "fast forward" version as they seemed a bit anxious and ready to head home.

What about 2013? Yes, we're already thinking about next year. So far, we're set for a larger booth, expanded visibility, and sponsorship to the event!

Until next year…safe travels and happy SharePoint-ing!

-Jan

SharePoint Conference 2012: Put your walking shoes on, we have a lot to cover.... (#spc12)

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 23:04:00 EST

SharePoint Conference 2012 (#spc12) was more "civilized" yesterday and today. There has been a consistent flow of people who have had their eyes glued to our screens in the Kodak Document Imaging booth (1060). Even though we didn't see the intense crowds like the last couple of days, it was a day of more. Let me share why….

On average, our demos were longer. Our participants had more questions, more smiles, and more "a ha" moments.

What kind of "a ha" moments? For example, many Kodak Info Activate Solution demo attendees asked how difficult importing images into SharePoint would be if their files did not originate from a Kodak scanner. The answer is that it would still be easy…really.

Files that have originated as faxes or scanned with another document scanner, or even multifunction peripherals (MFPs), are easily imported into the Info Activate Solution.

In fact, we had a demo showing attendees this process. To briefly explain the demo, we received e-mail attachments (expense receipts) in a SharePoint library, moved them into a Kodak Info Activate Solution library that then sent them to indexing so the user could then type in the amount. That's it…done.

Yesterday, our third winner of the Microsoft Surface tablet giveaway was Don Ning, Applications Lead for NASA JPL in Pasadena, CA.

While at the booth, I keep hearing from visitors that "they have to see Kodak" and that "they were told to see Kodak." Between our partners who are at the show and promotions that we are running, it's easy to understand why visitors are landing at our booth. It also could be because of our incredibly HUGE banner that says, "Get paper documents into Microsoft SharePoint with one mouse-click. Kodak Info Activate Solution. See how with Kodak in Booth #1060." (When I say HUGE…it is some 30 feet wide and 6 feet tall!)

Will you be at the conference all day? I'll be here doing demos until the end.

-Jan

Traffic jams @ SharePoint Conference 2012? (#spc12)

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 14:39:00 EST

WE NEED A BIGGER BOOTH! Oh my goodness…during the morning exhibit session at SharePoint Conference 2012, the Kodak Document Imaging booth caused one traffic jam after another.

Our booth (#1060) is on a corner. So, after a rushed rearrangement of the side tables, we were able to accommodate more people in our demos. From the main center screen at the booth we cycled 6 to 9 people per demo, and from the left side table (the one on the outside corner) we generally had 6 to 7 people crowded around. Those who were trying to come around the corner often got locked in the mass that spilled out of the booth. Since I'm not one to let them "get away," or have a less than satisfactory demo, I often found myself in the aisle way explaining the demo as my colleagues James Saavedra and Bill Holley manipulated their screens and narrative for their own inner crowd. If I had to guess I would say on several occasions between the inner booth and "outer booth" we had some 15 to 18 people viewing a demo.

The top comments from demo attendees on Tuesday were "I like the tiles" which was followed by "simple is good for my operators."

The afternoon was characterized by a continuous series of small groups of 1 to 3 people who stayed for extended demos and more involved Q&A sessions.

The winner of today's Surface is Pamela Batiste, Technical Analyst for Chevron. Congratulations to Pamela!

Does anyone at SharePoint Conference 2012 (#SPC12) have a spare set of feet? I am ready for replacements! Two days down, two more days to go.

In tomorrow's blog, I have to tell you about the banner! Stay tuned….

-Jan

Live from SharePoint Conference 2012—full of surprises

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 15:41:00 EST

Somehow, I thought that SharePoint Conference 2012 (#spc12) would be like some of the other SharePoint shows that I attended earlier this year in San Francisco. Not so!!!! There are about 10,000 registered guests at this conference!

Just to give you an idea of the level of activity here, the keynote this morning was truly remarkable in terms of the sheer number of people there and the size of the room that we filled!!! It looked like a sea of people.

For the kickoff, Sunday evening was a time of cocktails, food, and networking. (Frankly, I was thinking that most people would dress casually, but I was pleasantly surprised once again.) That evening, from the outset, the Kodak booth (1060) was slammed with demos and interested people. There were only five Kodakers in the booth and pretty much all of us were doing demos of one sort or another—all were on KODAK Info Activate Solution! We earned our keep that evening and I think that we need a bigger booth. :)

Now for what happened on Monday. We gave away a Microsoft Surface tablet at the booth—the qualifier was to view a full demo of KODAK Info Activate Solution. (We are giving away one Microsoft Surface tablet each day. George T. Lambe of Johnson Controls is our first winner.) From what I can see, there is no shortage of people here and they are not just the "lookers." We received good questions and insightful comments all day.

While at the show, I took a peek at SharePoint 2013. It is much improved in the "look and feel" from SharePoint 2010. From the group of people who I've talked to, many enterprises are still on 2007 and the younger organizations are starting with SharePoint 2010.

SharePoint Conference 2012 is full of good aspects and surprises—and it's busy. Busier than I expected, but I did not realize that I was attending such a large show either.

If you're interested in seeing Kodak's offerings at SharePoint Conference 2012, I invite you at our booth (1060). The Kodak team and I will be here until the conference closes on Thursday, November 15.

-Jan

P.S.: Follow us on Twitter @KodakDI.

Think you don't need a Document or Content Management strategy? Here are a few signs you do.

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 14:27:00 EST

Your business is running along okay, but you know there is room for improvement. You see small signs here and there. Margins are still acceptable-- but slowly deteriorating, customer satisfaction is not improving. You're sensing that your organization may be on the brink and you need to take some action—but what? Look a little deeper at the symptoms and root causes. It could be time to consider a document management strategy.

Symptoms:

--You're drowning in documents, emails and information: Content chaos is everywhere. New (and old) forms of information and data that must be managed such as emails, various forms of social media, network shares, project documentation and so on. And it is growing at an exponential rate.

--You've had to hire more back office personnel-- and not for good reasons, like acquiring more customers or revenue growth. There are greater volumes of information, more documentation required for compliance, shorter processing deadlines and your back office productivity is beginning to slide

-- You already have a department or two using their own systems—independently. Sure, you have formal content, document or records management systems, but these exist in only a couple of departments and they are siloed. Information is not shared and your knowledge workers aren't sure which system represents the most up-to-date and valid information.

--Customer satisfaction is declining or customer complaints are increasing. We live in a hyper-competitive world and our customers expect 24x7, instant responses. If our processes, business model and technologies do not enable us to meet these expectations, customers will move on.

--Your support organizations aren't able to consistently meet internal service level agreements. Your IT department, mail room or other internal support groups are no longer able to meet your department's requirements for up time or response time and are seeking to re-negotiate these.

What's at stake?

--Your organization's brand and reputation

--Your organization's financial well-being

--Your organization's relationships with both partners and customers

How to Get Started:

You can begin by contacting a trusted and knowledgeable vendor who will consult with you, assess your situation, conduct workshops and collaboratively develop a solid strategy to better align your current situation with your business goals.

Kodak's Latest Sustainability Report

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:00:00 EST

If you are in the sustainability world, it seems that every week you read about yet another company (or two, or three) releasing a sustainability report. Sustainability Reporting is becoming an expectation of modern due diligence for all companies, and in fact the CorporateRegister.com (a reference point for corporate responsibility/sustainability reports worldwide) has over 40,000 reports in its database.

So why all these reports? A core aspect of the commitment to sustainability is transparency around performance. Is the company really walking the talk? A credible report will share the good and not so good, and give you context. It is not just a "fluff" marketing piece. According to the Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines for sustainability reporting (yes, there are standards for such reports), more than 4,000 organizations from 60 countries use the Guidelines to produce their sustainability reports.

Kodak has been publically sharing information on our environmental performance, in one format or another for over 20 years. Kodak's sustainability reports follow the standards set by the Global Reporting Initiative. The most recent issue contains extensive performance data and consists of two complementary parts - the report document and the index. The report itself is brief and houses mainly overview information and consolidated performance data while the index directs readers to specific information located either in the summary document, in other Kodak reports, or on our website.

As Kodak transforms itself into a B2B company focused on its Commercial Imaging business, our commitment to sustainability remains unwavering. We continue to focus on reducing our impact on the environment, and on developing products and programs to support our customers and partners in their sustainability efforts. I hope you will take a few minutes to read our report and share your thoughts and comments on how we are doing, or what we could do better.

What the XXL? Kodak's new XXL Printing Plates

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:29:00 EST

Plate size is certainly not a problem for the plate manufacturing team at Kodak's production site in Osterode, Germany, when it comes to giving customers what they want.

As demand for 96 page presses and the plates needed to run these grows, the team rose to the challenge recently by adapting a manufacturing line at the site to enable manufacture of plates for even the largest wide format presses.

So how large are these plates?

Well, the diagram opposite will give you some perspective on this.

Over 1.2m wide by almost 3m long!

Impressive to say the least!

But no mean feat! With plates of this size and weight (2.642kg or 5.82lbs), what springs to my mind are the practicalities of supplying such large plates. Not only coating the plates on the line, but more so the in-house handling, wrapping and boxing of these Dinosaur-sized plates.

This requires a great deal of skill and precision.

After all, customers need the reassurance that the plates are accurately stacked, particularly when using kit worth thousands of Euros (or dollars), we certainly don't want any glitches when using complex auto loading equipment to feed the plate setter at the customer site. For these customers reliability, quality and repeatability is everything for churning out the high volume/high quality magazines , catalogues and inserts the world has come to expect.

And to do all of this whilst minimising line downtime, watching production costs, optimising the packaging and carrying out any engineering work on the lines meant help was needed - "kaizen" style. With work involving the line's stacking capability, moving lifting tables and adapting these to the huge plate size, and enlarging the existing stackers by a further 600mm each.

The team certainly rose to this challenge. With the upgrades made on time and in budge t, and more importantly, with no disruption to the quality and service customers have come to expect from Kodak, the team delivered on all sides.

Well done team!! Now onto the next adventure!!

KODAK NEXPRESS Digital Production Color Presses wins Green Technology Award

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 11:23:00 EST

Kodak has a long and well recognized history in the area of sustainability and has been frequently listed in one or more top Sustainable companies list (e.g. Dow Jones Sustainability Index, Most Reputable Companies). As part of our commitment to sustainability, for over 20 years Kodak has had a design strategy to develop products that use less energy, chemicals, and materials.

As a result of this ongoing work, I am excited to share that the KODAK NEXPRESS Digital Production Color Presses won the Green Technology Award in the 2012 Green Printing Awards (the largest green event in China's printing industry). KODAK NEXPRESS Digital Production Color Presses won due to characteristics that include virtually no emissions, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Furthermore, the KODAK NEXPRESS Dry Inks do not require PPE during normal handling and nor do they require a hazardous material waste removal process.

Not to go into detail, but another key aspect is that the mainframes, accessories and replacement parts are designed to be reused or remanufactured. The modular system design enables our partners to upgrade their system on-site and extend its useful life, as well as operator replaceable components (ORCs) that are recyclable. For the environmentally conscious print customer the press enables our partners to print on a wide range of substrates including many recycled and sustainable forest certified papers.

The KODAK NEXPRESS Digital Production Color Press is not the only product we have that helps our partners reduce their environmental footprint. Last year our KODAK PROSPER Press won a Green Equipment Award at the Green Printing in China 2011 Green Awards. For details on this and other Kodak Solutions that can help you achieve your sustainability objectives and deliver sustainability benefits stop by the Kodak booth (1221).

GUA Conference hits the spot – Kodak customers discover how to squeeze more from their technology

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 09:24:00 EST

The curtain has just come down on the 7^th annual Graphic Users Association of Kodak Solutions (GUA) Conference and it proved to be a truly international affair. More than 150 loyal Kodak customers from 18 countries made it to the two-day event, which tackled all the burning issues in the commercial, publishing and packaging sectors.

This year's event saw us cover off a wide range of topics, including making money from web to print, leveraging cross-media in integrated marketing campaigns, using offset and digital to create a cost-effective hybrid set-up, and how to step up from print service provider to marketing service provider.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with the GUA, it's a global, independent, not-for-profit organization, created for Kodak technology users by Kodak technology users.

In a nut shell, the Conference is all about helping Kodak customers get the most out of their solutions. Every year we get our heads together to share ideas and look at the changes the industry is facing from as many different perspectives as possible. There's no doubt many print companies are still feeling the pinch of the downturn, so it's never been more important than now for them to unlock the potential of their Kodak kit and overcome the challenges they face.

Delegates really appreciated the chance to have a one-to-one chat with our expert technical team. Whatever stumbling blocks they were up against, we helped them find a way forward.

The event is also a brilliant networking opportunity – it's always really heartening to see customers share ideas and support each other.

Stephen Lavey of Walter Digital was impressed with the event: "It's been a really useful couple of days. I've spoken with a lot of people and discussed many technical issues. It's been very enlightening – I'm already looking forward to next year's event."

Gudrun Alex, Marketing Director Commercial Business & Shared Services says: "The Conference was a huge success. Customers came to network, learn more about our Kodak solutions, share experiences and expertise – and have some fun! We've had great feedback from customers, particularly regarding the quality of the sessions and our Kodak Demo Centre."

Karsten Mueller, Key Account Manager msp druck and medien gmbh and President of the GUA comments: "As a printer, it was great to have easy access to all the latest equipment, the Kodak support team and the Kodak Demo Centre – everything you could possibly need to better understand how to improve the way you operate."

Before we go, we'd just like to say a massive thank you to everyone who attended this year's event and made it so worthwhile. You can view the tweets covering the event #GUACONF. Don't forget to catch the videos of the conference!

Is Dubai ready for Kodak's new version of Capture Pro Software and a game-changing scanner? Find out at GITEX!

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 09:52:32 EST

Hello from the Kodak Document Imaging (DI) team in Dubai! GITEXTechnology Week in Dubai (October 14 – 18) is quickly approaching and this blog post is your opportunity to preview the action at Kodak's stand.

In case you're not familiar, GITEX is the IT gateway to the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia Region and the industry's trendsetting authority.

At GITEX Technology Week, Kodak will unveil the newest version of its award-winning software platform, KODAK Capture Pro Software, v4.1, which adds optical character recognition (OCR) for Arabic as a separate module. Available for purchase in late 2012, the module will enable users with Arabic language documents to apply zonal OCR to separate batches of documents and automate the indexing process; apply drag and drop OCR for faster, more accurate results; and output searchable PDF files.

Demonstrations of the new Arabic OCR module with Capture Pro Software, v4.1 will be shown in Kodak's stand (B4-15 in Hall 4). We hope to welcome as many of you as possible to the stand and our reseller party. (Hint-hint: For details about the reseller party, contact Rashid.Pasha@kodak.com.)

Even more from Kodak DI at GITEX

Building on its Capture Pro software suite, now officially recognized by Harvey Spencer Associates as the fastest growing capture software worldwide today, Kodak will be showing its latest software propositions at GITEX 2012. Kodak Info Activate is a thin client web browser platform, ideal for distributed applications across enterprises. It needs a SharePoint server, but is not confined to the SharePoint world.

Web browser software is something that I've wanted in our portfolio for some time. It will allow our partners to have a unique differentiation in presenting Kodak Capture solutions in the market and shows that Kodak is now leading the way in component software for capture.

Also showing at GITEX will be KODAK Asset Management Software. This allows remote administration of all Kodak scanners on a user's network. Kodak now offers full distributed software management to complement Capture Pro's batch capture offering.

Sneak peek of a new scanner series: Visit Kodak in Hall 4, Stand B4 -15

Come to Kodak's stand and be treated to a sneak preview of a game changing, new Scanner series to be launched very soon. We can't yet share the details here, so you'll have to come to the stand to find out….

Kodak's GITEX Partners

The undoubted highlight of GITEX 2011 on the Kodak booth was IBML showcasing its Imagetrac scanners for the first time anywhere in the Middle East. The stand was constantly packed with IBML demos last year and they even made the local TV news. Watch out for more specials this year as not only IBML but also our IBML service partner in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Al-Fanar IT, will also be present on the stand.

We are also pleased to host NVS Soft with their market-leading health solutions. Netways will also be showing their comprehensive document management solutions—some of which fit closely with the Info Activate product.

A new partner, Flosmart, will also be showing market-leading PDF compression software and some Business Intelligence software that is a great fit for all Document Management solution providers!

Kodak Scanners will also be on show at our distribution partners' stands—Forefront and Dicom.

What's after GITEX?!

Kodak will be holding Reseller events in Dubai and Johannesburg during November and December. We will be revealing more on our latest software and hardware solutions then. So, keep a lookout for your invite!

-David

GraphExpo Must See Em's winner - Kodak Flexcel Direct System

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:50:00 EST

Kodak Flexcel Direct System was also a winner of a GraphExpo Must See 'Ems Award.

The Kodak Flexcel Direct System uses innovative, energy-efficient, high-power laser engraving to produce superior quality, affordable press-ready elastomer sleeves for flexographic printing.

Vistors to the packaging area of the Kodak booth said the Flexcel samples looked amazing. They were impressed with the shelf appeal of the products and commented that they really demonstrated Kodak's print quality and technology.

Check out this video from the show floor to hear more.

GraphExpo Must See Em's winner - Kodak Insite Prepress Portal System

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 15:34:40 EST

Kodak InSite Prepress Portal System was awarded a GraphExpo Must See Em's award this year!

Version 6.5 provides secure web access into print workflow so users can start and submit production jobs, track progress, collaborate on changes, proof and approve work from any computer connected to the internet, including a new iPad app.

Visitor to the booth said that they have been asking for an iPad app and the Kodak Insite app has delivered beyond expectations. Plus they love that the app is free.

There are great features in the app such as being able to swipe from page to page, circle elements on the mock-ups and post annotations (like stickies!).

The workflow area had an engaged audience throughout the show!

GraphExpo Must See Em' Award winner Kodak NexPress Gold Ink

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 14:22:00 EST

There is gold in a display case on the corner of the Kodak booth at GraphExpo. Kodak NexPress Gold Dry Ink!

Kodak NexPress Gold Dry Ink won a GraphExpo Must See 'Ems Award this year.

There are samples with Gold Ink being printed right on the show floor. Vistors to the booth have commented on how easy it is to add gold to a print job. It's plug and play. Thanks to a two part system - a developer unit and a replenisher unit, in ten minutes you can easily change out color.

Gold Ink standing next to it's NexPress siblings - Neon Pink Ink and Pearlescent Ink.

Each demo for the NexPress was packed.

There were some gorgeous samples in both the Kodak booth and the Mohawk booth printed on Mohawk paper. Think Possiblities contained sheets with multiple samples.

The Mohawk folks even came over to shoot a video about the NexPress inks. Stay tuned for that!

The Kodak booth at GraphExpo

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 13:45:00 EST

Not everyone can make it to GraphExpo so here is a quick look at the Kodak booth.

As it is with every show, the day before GraphExpo the aisles were filled with boxes and packing material. Overnight everything thing comes together however and the booth looked fantastic!

Did you know Goo Gone is an important part of show set up?

New in the booth this year - the Kodak Trendsetter 1600 Platesetter.

Kodak Prosper S-Series Imprinting System running at the front of the booth.

S-Series running at full speed.

Next to the S-Series is the Kodak NexPress.

The back of the booth has the workflow solutions demo area for Insite and Prinergy.

Area for Kodak Flexcel packaging samples.

Here is a quick video walkthrough of the Kodak booth...

Great products and a nice looking booth isn't much without an awesome team to work it. Luckily we have an amazing team at GraphExpo!

2012 InterTech Technology Award Winning Kodak Red Fluorescing Dry Ink

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 17:39:54 EST

Last night Kodak Red Fluorescing Dry Ink from the Kodak NexPress Fifth Imaging Unit Solutions was awarded a Printing Industries of America InterTech Technology Award for Innovative Excellence.

Kathleen Cervi and the Kodak Red Fluorescent Ink InterTech Award

The 2012 InterTech Technology Awards were honored during the 2012 Premier Awards Gala in Chicago during GraphExpo. These awards honor the development of technologies predicted to have a major impact in the printing industry. Each of the 12 recipients received an InterTech Star - Kodak's is proudly displayed in the Kodak booth near the NexPress.

Kodak Red Fluorescing Dry Ink is clear when it's printed over images and graphics... practically invisible. When you shine an ultraviolet light over it, the ink glows with a red color.

RFDI can be used to detect counterfeits. "We were able to use the technology to solve a particular security problem for one of our clients... The project was a success, and the counterfeiting issue was completely eliminated," says Rodger Wyman, plant manager at Alcom.

Another use for RFDI is workflow automation. QR and 2D barcodes can be added to a publication and provide job information such as customer name or shipping info, without distracting from the design.

Invisible marks can be printed on direct mail pieces and then scanned to see if the recipient is a winner. In fact there was an insert in the PIA 2012 InterTech Technology Awards magazine that GraphExpo attendees can bring to the Kodak booth and have checked to see if they won a prize!

Kodak Gold Ink also made an appearance at the PIA Premier Awards Gala, in the form of the printed menus for the dinner. The perfect way to show off a PIA Benny is in Kodak NexPress Gold Ink!

Kodak Prinergy wins the first GraphExpo Must See 'Ems Legacy Award

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 18:38:47 EST

It was pretty exciting to learn that Kodak won THREE GraphExpo Must See 'Ems this year.

Kodak Flexcel Direct System

Kodak Insite Prepress Portal Software Version 6.5

Kodak NexPress Gold Dry Ink

Then Saturday night at the Executive Outlook Conference it was announced that Kodak Prinergy won the first ever Graph Expo Must See 'Ems Legacy Award!

The Legacy Award goes to one of the previous winners that have won since the first Must See Em's recognition program began in 1999. It is a way of recognizing a technology that has had a lasting impact on the entire graphic communications industry.

According to MUST SEE 'EMS program coordinator Hal Hinderliter, "Prinergy was not the first PDF-based workflow, but it stood out as the first product to bring the power of in-RIP PDF editing to a large scale audience. Virtually all prepress workflow systems are based on PDF, a concept that Prinergy helped legitimize."

One judge commented, "Nothing else on the list went on to become as widely adopted and used as Prinergy. It's a bedrock technology that continues to evolve as it drives productivity throughout the industry." Another said, "This is still the most widely integrated and automated product on the market ... it's a fixture in the industry." Other comments described it as "robust" and "a complete success."

Ralph Nappi the President of the Graphic Arts Show Company awards the Legacy Award to Kodak's Jon Brakken.

Kodak and Sustainability at Label Expo Americas 2012

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 11:18:47 EST

When people start talking about sustainability and products, they are often thinking of one of three things: the energy used by that product (think cars, think ENERGY STAR), the chemicals used to make that product (think organic) or the packaging for the product. Yes, Packaging is an important element of sustainable products.

Packaging is often seen as unnecessary and wasteful, and yes, sometime it is. I recently ordered some DVDs, and the number of layers I had to go through to get to the disc itself was startling. But more often than not, packaging plays a crucial role, either protecting the product or providing information about the product, or both.

About one third of all food produced for human consumption goes to waste, according to a 2011 study conducted by the United Nations food agency. One of the key reasons cited by the study was inadequate processing and packaging (emphasis mine). What we really need is better packaging, not simply less of it. Packaging that protects, informs and delivers, with a smaller footprint.

There are a number of groups looking at how to achieve this, including The Sustainability Consortium, The Product Sustainability Forum and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. The Sustainable Packaging Coalition recently released a new label (how2 recycle.info) that gives end users better guidance on what to do with a package (see below). You should soon be seeing these labels on products at Costco, BJs, REI and on products from Seventh Generation, Yoplait, Estee Lauder, Microsoft etc.

At Kodak too, we have been looking into reducing the environmental impact of packaging, and have learned the best way for us to reduce its footprint while helping our customers stay ahead of the curve, is to focus on the production process. We have developed workflow and proofing products that automate and reduce waste across the print chain. Kodak also offers CTP products that eliminate or reduce the use of processor chemistry, and our flexographic plates last longer, significantly reducing the number of plates used (20% according to some of our customers). Our FLEXCEL Direct and FLEXCEL NX systems have each earned a Kodak Green Leaf, an eco-logo reserved for products with unique, measurable and proven environmental benefits.

I hope you had a chance to see these products at Label Expo Americas 2012. But if you didn't, it's not too late to learn more. Go to www.kodak.com/go/sustainability or http://graphics.kodak.com/US/en/ApplicationSolutions/Packaging/default.htm to learn more.

Gold Ink: Photokina to Graph Expo

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 14:22:55 EST

The Kodak NexPress attracted a lot of attention from photographers at Photokina in September. The NexPress was running live demonstrations with the Kodak NexPress Fifth Imaging Unit Solution.

Catching the photographers' eyes were the printed samples using gold and pearlescent ink from the NexPress Fifth Imaging Unit Solution. These inks add a shimmer to photo and graphic prints that stand out impressively. Kodak's Jeff Tabit explains more in this video...

A few of the samples showing gold and pearlescent ink in the booth were limited-edition photo cards from photographers Louise and Joseph Simone. The Simones are long-time users of Kodak Professional Film and now have great things to say about the NexPress also.

"As experienced photographers and artists, we love using the new gold and pearlescent printing solutions for Kodak's NexPress Platform. These new inks can truly help us create products and images that differentiate our work from others," said Louise Simone. "Thanks to the capabilities of the NexPress Photo Platform and the Fifth Imaging Unit Solution, we have the ability to add high-impact effects and aesthetics to expand the artistic appeal of our images in a way that no other output device or digital platform can."

Hear the Simones talk more about their work and the Kodak NexPress in this video...

Next week gold ink will be making another glimmery appearance at GraphExpo. The Kodak gold dry ink won a Graph Expo Must See 'Ems Award. There will also be samples of NexPress gold ink printed on Mohawk Paper in the Kodak (booth 1221) and Mohawk (booth 240) booths at Graph Expo. Mohawk recently had a write up in Mohawk Make Ready about special ink solutions. If you are at the show look for the "Think Possibilities" that features print demos of all the NexPress special effect inks on Mohawk paper!

Gold and pearlescent ink will be available in 2013 as part of the Fifth Imaging Unit Solution. More information can be found at www.kodak.com/go/nexpress.

AIIM Webinar: The SharePoint Puzzle – biggest barrier is 'lack of expertise'

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:58:41 EST

Get this…46% of respondents to a recent AIIM survey stated that a "lack of expertise" was the biggest SharePoint deployment barrier. This is a significant number since 76% of organizations around the world use SharePoint for reasons ranging from simple file share replacement to its collaboration features.

Moreover, many people find that SharePoint's default feature-set does not fully satisfy their needs. To address gaps, companies rely on third-party add-ons and connector applications that enhance productivity and efficiency.

Join AIIM's webinar titled "The SharePoint Puzzle" to learn how organizations across industry sectors and sizes are leveraging SharePoint for better, smarter, and more efficient information management through the use of these third-party tools. For example, Kodak's Info Activate Solution improves SharePoint adoption by simplifying the process of integrating paper based content into work flow process—with virtually no training required.

Webinar information:

Sep 19, 2012 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT (Online)

02-03 PM Eastern (GMT-4); 01-02 PM Central; 12-01 PM Mountain; 11-12 PM Pacific
07-08 PM British Time; 08-09 PM Central Europe Time
Visit this page for more information: http://www.aiim.org/Events/Webinars/20120919-webinar.
Do you have questions that you would like answered during the presentation? Send them here.

Jackie

Calling healthcare IT professionals: Six critical points for ECM systems with EMR, EHR solutions

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:51:26 EST

Healthcare IT professionals are working quickly to meet regulatory deadlines and Health Information Exchange (HIE) goals. As they move forward, are they following a proven plan for document capture success? There are document management solutions that help to address many regulatory requirements that solve issues related to privacy, sustainability, accessibility, and funding while moving toward achieving HIE.

To achieve success, here are six critical points that healthcare IT professionals should take into account when building Enterprise Content Management (ECM) systems and document scanning workflows for Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and Electronic Health Records (EHR):

Determine the best approach to address back-file documents and charts along with day-forward capture needs and build solutions that fulfill these requirements
Choose a high-quality and robust scanner that best fits the scanning demand as well as determine where the scanner will be located and how it will be used
Assure efficient and effortless access to information through seamless integration from scanning to importing into ECM/EMR/EHR applications
Determine and utilize the level of capture software required for the application or department
Know what healthcare providers and end users need for their information experience success
Choose a solution that is easy to implement, use, and support

Is building a solution alone the only option? No. There are technology providers that are partnering to create bundled solutions to tackle document capture needs. The solutions address department-to-department connections within healthcare facilities to the healthcare provider space—helping IT professionals meet HIE/EMR/EHR requirements, workflow demands, and meaningful use levels.

In the end, the solution should create an environment that successfully uses information analytics, information intelligence, and information normalization solutions to utilize healthcare data from an HIE foundation.

View some of our videos on this topic to learn more about the importance of document capture in healthcare:

Jody

Is document capture important during the move to HIE?

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 12:47:38 EST

Physicians and small hospitals are quite aware that Health Information Exchange (HIE) shares all types of information throughout the health care environment (i.e.: Radiology, HIS, EMR/EHR, EPM, pharmacy, lab, etc.). However, do they know how critical document capture is as part of the process ?

Without the right document capture solution in place (from scanning to indexing to a single accessible data repository), an HIE undertaking can be costly, time consuming, and may not yield the desired results. Physicians might experience additional issues when implementing a solution:

Meeting meaningful use timelines
Identifying and categorizing information
Ingesting documents into a centralized system
Back-filing charts
Creating a roadmap for continued HIE progress
Foreseeing health IT demands and requirements
Management and upkeep of solutions, service, and support

HIE is more than scanning patients' records as PDFs and filing them to replace a paper record. Implementing the right document capture solution for HIE will effectively:

Digitize information
Improve population and public health
Make digital information accessible
Improve quality, safety, efficiency, and reduce health disparities
Engage patients and families
Ensure adequate privacy and security protection for personal health information
Improve care coordination

View some of our videos on this topic to learn more about the importance of document capture.

Jody

Kodak wins THREE Must See 'Ems for Graph Expo 2012!

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:58:22 EST

We are very excited to have been awarded three MUST SEE 'EMS for Graph Expo 2012!

PRESSROOM - DIGITAL PRESSES: Eastman Kodak NexPress Gold Dry Ink

MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS: Eastman Kodak INSITE Prepress Portal Software Version 6.5

FUTURE PRINT - TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS: Eastman Kodak FLEXCEL Direct System

Graph Expo Must See 'Ems are technologies chosen by a panel of experts, journalists and consultants who believe these winners will have an impact on the industry.

Attendees of the show can plan their time at Graph Expo to check out the winners' booths. There will also be a pre-show webinar on September 12 with more in-depth discussions about the winners and why they were selected. Webinar registration information will be available online at graphexpo.com.

Kodak, Graph Expo 2012 and Printerverse!

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 17:24:58 EST

We are starting to get excited about the upcoming Graph Expo, Oct 7 -10 in Chicago. Graph Expo is the largest show in the US with running equipment. Besides equipment there will be products and services covering every aspect and type of print from start to finish. Kodak will be there at booth #1221 ready to connect with visitors.

We are extra, extra excited to also be at PRINTERVERSE at Graph Expo. PrintMediaCentr, Graph Expo and several other partners have teamed up to create a destination at Graph Expo for networking and learning. If you care about the evolution of print, Printerverse is the place to be. Printerverse will be in booth 3861 at Graph Expo and don't be surprised it it becomes THE spot for meeting up, hanging out, checking in (on FourSquare) and more.

Check out The Printerverse website to keep up with everything going down at Graph Expo. Kodak is sponsoring a photo booth that is integrated into a very cool GRAPHitti Wall. GRAPHitti Wall is a interactive message board that will feature photos, video, image recognition technology and social media.

Here are some other items to mark on your calendar for Printerverse...

October 8, 10am - Have breakfast in the next dimension with Mohawak

October 9 - National Girls Who Print Day

October 10, 3pm CT - Live Twitter #PrintChat

Every day - Guitar Hero!

Hope to see you there!

After Xchange Americas 2012: Ideas for resellers of Kodak's Service & Support for data center services

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 18:05:03 EST

For the last four days, Kodak was at Xchange Americas 2012 – the largest IT services channel event of the year that attracts more than 1,000 attendees and 300 solution providers from all over the U.S. It's a great venue for learning about new technology, building relationships, and sharing ideas.

In the vein of idea sharing, below are four that will help resellers of Kodak's Service & Support for data center services.

Expand your reach into your existing accounts by providing support for storage and servers that you didn't originally sell. This will result in increased revenue and account control. So, when they go through vendor consolidation, you can do more than the next guy.
Provide less expensive maintenance – typically 50% of OEM pricing. This allows you to make more margin and save your customer money at the same time.
Provide your customer with one point of contact for contract administration (you, as the reseller) and one phone number to call for support (Kodak). Stop the finger pointing when dealing with multiple service providers. For example, the storage equipment manufacturer says it is a switch issue while the switch manufacturer says it's a storage issue.
Allow your customer to keep their existing equipment longer – especially end-of-service-life equipment. Kodak services equipment longer than the manufacturer because the manufacturer is interested in refreshing their equipment by selling new products.

Have any questions or comments about our list? Write me back on this blog or post on our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/KodakforBusiness).

Event update: Kodak Global Directions 2012 (#kgd2012)

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 08:00:00 EST

Why are people signing up to attend Kodak Global Directions 2012 in Las Vegas, September 23-26? Because they want to know about the latest and greatest in document management, collaboration, governance, and business process automation technologies, solutions, and capabilities. One look at the Kodak Global Directions 2012 agenda will confirm the educational benefits of this conference.

The agenda for Kodak Global Directions 2012 focuses on the key elements for achieving a successful document management deployment in a SharePoint/Office 365, or other Cloud/On-Demand environment. Conference sessions will focus on the essential understanding every business needs about document management in the collaborative enterprise.

How can businesses manage such a sudden and explosive proliferation of change? With the following:

Get educated on technologies, features, performance criteria, capabilities and cost
Obtain expert advice on "fit" for your business
Gain insights into new solutions and streamlined business processes
Discover new technologies and solutions
Learn new ROI metrics, and price/performance insight

So, who's attending? Business and government professionals as well as integrators and solutions specialists who are responsible for managing document driven business processes, employee productivity, or governance will be at the event.

Our speakers include:

Mike Alsup, Sr. Vice President, Gimmal Group
Bud Porter-Roth, Governance and ECM expert
Lt. Col. David Sanchez, United States Air Force
Kerry Frank, Co-Founder & CEO, Comply365
Dr. Bruce Silver, Business Process Management and Workflow Technology expert
And many others

Registration, early bird specials and more information can be found at www.globaldirections2012.com.

See you there!
-Jackie

Document management solution checklist: 5 keys to success for highly regulated organizations

Sun, 12 Aug 2012 08:31:00 EST

Highly regulated organizations need to do more with less when streamlining the costs that are associated with paper-based processes – there's nothing revolutionary or surprising about this, but keep reading. The solution also must be smarter, faster, more efficient, and provide online, not "in line," access to reduce or eliminate delays when fulfilling internal or external requests.

So…what are the keys to success when faced with the sometimes daunting task of achieving compliance while implementing a document management solution that helps organizations meet a growing list of additional objectives? Here are Kodak's top recommendations.

Reduce and eliminate paper – realize lower file-space requirements, fewer misplaced documents, faster and simultaneous secure document access, enhanced disaster recovery capabilities, greater document security, and more
Leverage cloud-based solutions – reduce infrastructure requirements and achieve a more rapid deployment
Integrate with Microsoft SharePoint – streamline interactions and add powerful, new document imaging, editing, and collaboration tools
Add greater transparency – make critical information available to constituents, the public and internal customers more quickly, securely, and cost effectively
Decrease human interaction – automate processes and minimize human interaction, permitting the reallocation of personnel

What's the next step? Evaluate potential document management solutions using these criteria and then make your decision.

Did we miss any items that would be on your checklist? If we did, feel free to share them and tell us why they should be included. We look forward to your feedback!

-Rick

Attending Siemens Innovations '12 for Healthcare IT event – making medical records accessible in minutes vs. days

Sun, 12 Aug 2012 08:00:00 EST

Siemens' Innovations '12 for Healthcare IT event demonstrates Siemens' latest and greatest offerings for the healthcare industry and provides a setting for Siemens' vendors to tout their cutting edge offerings too.

For example, Siemens Medical Solutions helps their customers eliminate paper records and makes the medical records accessible in minutes versus days using Kodak's technology. Kodak is proud to be recognized as a partner of Siemens Medical Solutions offering powerful document imaging and scanning solutions.

Kodak will be attending the event in combination with Scantek. Scantek has been a certified Siemens Medical partner since 2001. They offer competitively priced, high-volume document scanning services and products on a national level.

Together, Kodak and Scantek's solutions assist Siemens' customers with back-file paper conversion for import into Sorian EDM along with addressing day forward document conversion requirements. Our solutions offer the highest quality service with powerful and reliable solutions.

Come visit us at the Innovations event! It is also a great venue for Siemens' customers and users to share their experiences and lessons learned with one another.

How To Create A Profiling and Data Collection Plan

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 09:22:00 EST

Setting up a profiling and data collection plan is critical to be able to improve the relevance of your campaigns. It is all about saying the right thing to the right person at the right time and the right way. Profiling creates the blue print that will help you find your target and collecting appropriate data will help you classified your target into different profiles. Organizing your target into different profiles will give you information about the different individuals and companies in within each profile. It will be easier for you to sell to someone that you know that someone that you don't know. Finding and classifying you target should be an ongoing activity and part of your core strategy. Creating a profiling and data collection plan requires a process and a set of activities:

1. Describe your Target based on what you sell and where you sell it

a. Your product and brand strengths and weaknesses (value proposition and USPs)

b. Your market opportunities and threats

c. Analyze your data

i. Who is buying What from me and Who is not? Why?

d. Market research when necessary.

i. Test with the people that you think are your target to make sure they really are.

2. Segment and Profile your Target The main purpose of segmenting and profiling your target is to create the blue print that will help you organize your customers into different groups or profiles so you can improve your relevance and sales opportunity while communicating with each one of them:

a. Segment and Profile your target based on what do you need to know from your customers in order for you to become more relevant and effective when communicating with them. (age, gender, income, etc.)

b. Analyzing what you know (including transactional data) will help you even further identify what else might be important for you to know from your customers so you can profile them better.

i. Analyzing data can also help you find new opportunities (increase customer value based on purchase frequency and size) as well as it can help you identify where your product or service might need improvement.

c. Market research when necessary

i. Test your target to make sure that what you described as what you need to know is accurate.

3. Populate your Profiles.
Now that you have created the blue print that segments and profile your target you need to start populating or classifying each customer into the appropriate profile. In order for you to do that you need information from each customer:

a. You have all the information you need in order to classify customers in the right profiles.

b. You buy information from a company that sells it.

c. You build information through customer engagement:

i. Describe Your Customer Engagement Channels:

1. Human: Customer Service & Hotlines, Technical Service, Billing, Direct and Indirect Sales Channels, telemarketing, on and off-line communities and social events.

2. Non Human: On-line Shops, directly or indirectly (publications) on & offline marketing communication campaigns

ii. Make a marketing data collection plan to constantly retrieve relevant information from customers:

1. Train human channels on how to pull customer information and set up an incentive plan for them to do so.

2. Set up incentive plans to encourage off & online customers to provide information

3. Use the customer information that you have to get the information that you need.

4. Set up strategy to follow customers on-line.

5. Utilize all your relevant communication channels or enablers and integrate them when relevant.

iii. Link engagement channels (human & non human) to your CRM.

d. You can make intelligent assumptions with the information that you have to be able to classify your customers in the right profiles:

i. E.g. I do not know my customers income and it is important for me to know in order to be more relevant when I communicate with them, by knowing their postal address I can make a low risk assumption on what their income could be.

e. Market Research when possible.

i. Customer's websites for B2B

ii. Social media for B2C

It's Hot Here: Kodak at IPMA 2012

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 15:41:12 EST

Hello, from the City of Fountains, in lovely downtown Kansas City, MO. Blee Nichols, Deb Benson and I are here for the IPMA 2012 Conference in a very busy Kodak booth talking to almost 200 inplant customers, almost a quarter are first-time attendees. It's been non-stop all day, even during conference sessions, working up a near-sweat in 100 degree climate (only slightly cooler inside) discussing our exciting new products for inplant operations. Our Kodak NexPress introduction of gold and pearlescent inks are turning heads and getting rave reviews – it's hot for sure! Arguably, even hotter are the discussions around the new non-process Sonora Plates (didn't you say you wanted to get rid of that processor?). Well, signing off for now. We need to get back in front of our customers here. No relief in sight, from the customer excitement or the heat.

Oh, before I forget, another reminder to come and learn more, as Rick Mazur presents "Take Charge of Your Future: How to adapt your business model, delight your customers and reinforce your strategic importance" tomorrow, Tuesday, June 26 at 4:00 pm

In-Plant Printers: Own the data…Own the customer

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 14:26:40 EST

Whether you are an in-house printer for a university, or a corporation, your true value to your customers is not in print services, but rather the adjacent services you provide to complement your printing operations. As an in-house printer you will always be at risk of internal departments or purchasing groups outsourcing their printing needs. Other external providers have the potential to be less expensive, higher quality or more responsive. Keeping up with technological changes, and deploying best-in-class solutions, will help you maintain your competitive edge.

Your advantage comes from your in-depth knowledge of your institution's business and the ability to use this knowledge to deliver more value to your customer's marketing communications. To do this, you need to more closely engage with your customers, access and manage their customer data, and provide data- driven marketing services, of which print will be a component.

The transition from being solely a print provider to a full communications provider may seem daunting at first, but by making this transition you will be forever tied into your institution's success. The more integrated you become to your customer's data and marketing programs, the more dependent they will be on your services, for marketing and print.

Come and learn more, as Rick Mazur presents "Take Charge of Your Future: How to adapt your business model, delight your customers and reinforce your strategic importance" at the IPMA 2012 Educational Conference, Tuesday, June 26 at 4:00 pm

The Rio +20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 09:02:22 EST

The Rio +20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development has begun this week in Brazil. Since many trace the current sustainability focus to the first 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio, history would suggest that the world leaders gathering this week will similarly influence the markets, public perceptions and regulatory trends of the future. For me, the Conference is an opportunity to reflect on how Kodak will continue to address sustainable development, and how we can help our customers do the same with the mutual goal of growing our businesses.

Even before the first Rio Conference, Kodak was working to reduce our footprint, including carbon emissions, waste production, and water usage. We have focused on designing products that allow our customers to reduce their footprint as well, like our SONORA XP Process Free Plates. And, more recently, we've begun to focus on the environmental impact of paper - the medium of choice for many of our customers. The sustainability of print and paper, including growing sustainable forestry management and unprecedented recycling, is often misunderstood and needs to be prioritized.

Few participate directly in Rio. Most don't need to even know the specifics. But all can be inspired to think bigger by the 20 year existence of a worldwide Earth Summit. Printed materials educate, inform, and entertain people around the world, and their accessibility in developing countries is on the rise. To be part of a value chain that produces these materials for the benefit of all while reducing its environmental footprint and enabling renewable resources is a vision Kodak will continue to strive towards.

Kodak Global Directions --- See you in Las Vegas

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 13:35:08 EST

It's getting closer. Kodak is launching a new event called Kodak Global Directions. The theme is Document Management for the Collaborative Enterprise and in 3 days the attendees will learn what Kodak is doing and what our partners are doing to redefine the shape of the Enterprise Content Management industry.

We invite you to attend. We invite you to check out the agenda and the details about the event below. We look forward to seeing you in September.

Save the Date --- September 24-26, 2012

What is Kodak Global Directions?

Kodak Global Directions is an education conference exclusively dedicated to technologies, solutions and best practices in document management, collaboration, governance and business process automation.
The world of document management is rapidly changing, and so is Kodak. Let Kodak and our partners show you how.
Give us three days and we'll give you the new world of Document Management for the Collaborative Enterprise.

Where will you be in September?

We want to see you in Las Vegas at the Kodak Global Directions event. You might see the event listed at KGD or the hashtag #KGD2012 for short, but make no mistake this is the Kodak Global Directions event.

Partners, Partners, Partners

This event is where Kodak will announce and highlight some new offerings and will also be kicking off the next generation of partner activities. Kodak has always worked with partners. At KGD partners take center stagebecause Kodak's next generation products will be designed, developed, deployed and delivered with partners.

Where Can You Get More Information or Sign Up to Attend?

If you have questions about the event check out the KGD site. We think we have everything covered. However, if we missed something please let us know what questions you have.

If you are ready to sign up …
click the Register Now button.

If you have questions or need approval to attend we have that covered too in the Getting Approval section.

What about sponsors? We are still adding sponsors. If you are interested click here forSponsorship Options

Watch for the Hashtag for the event. It is #KGD2012 and it will start popping up on Tweets primarily and on other social media communication channels.

Communications May Find You in Several Places

You might receive notes and emails from partners, from Kodak employees and from the conference organizer Kollabria.

If you have questions please let us know.

Join us for Two Sessions

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 15:52:59 EST

Kodak will participate in an educational session on inkjet technology at the Web Offset & Beyond conference today.

At the session titled, The Technology of Inkjet – Categories of Inkjet Presses, Paper, Ink, Workflow, and More Eric Wilson, Kodak's Product Marketing Manager for Inkjet Printing Solutions, will discuss how integrating inkjet into an offset environment creates opportunities for variable data, short run, personalization and versioning. The world has opened up now that the hybrid print model has expanded speed and color options (you can now print variable black and color in direct mail applications as well as free standing inserts, and catalogs). So while versioning and personalized data crossover points are still important for hybrid print projects, media interaction, workflow, color management, and ink are also success factors.

There will be another session, Decision Point: Inkjet Printing, To Be or Not to Be? which explains how to train your sales team to sell the value of variable data. Once they understand how to promote the benefits, your customers will start asking for versioning on future jobs.

If you're in St. Louis, we hope to see you. If not, we will post a recap and video coverage soon.

Standards & G7 in Action

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 14:59:29 EST

Today at the Web Offset & Beyond conference in St. Louis, panelists will discuss how the G7 methodology improves ROI with quantifiable ink savings, shortened make-ready, and increased color consistency. I will be co-facilitating this discussion.

You've probably heard this before:

"Can you make the press sheet look like the contract proof?"

Of course the Holy Grail is to meet customers' expectations for proof to press match. One area that improves this gap is the simulation of paper stocks. To do this, you can create profiles from the press stocks to improve visual simulation. Proofing software has come a long way toward helping printers achieve critical color across substrates and across press platforms.

The session will cover how G7 affects the digital arena, an important consideration for both digital and hybrid environments. Let us know if you have specific questions that you would like us to address and stay-tuned for a video recap of the discussion which we will post soon.

It Runs Like a Swiss Watch

Wed, 30 May 2012 13:02:43 EST

There's no doubt that the Swiss are known for precision engineering and fine watchmaking has been their domain for centuries. Despite today's modern technology, a Swiss mechanical watch is highly prized for its engineering, innovation and beauty. Most of this quality reputation can be traced back to Nicolas Fatio de Duillier from Basel, Switzerland. Nicolas was born in 1664, was a mathematician, friend of Newton, a scholar and inventor. Watchmakers to this day still employ his 1705 patent of putting jewels inside watches.

Gemstones are used to reduce friction on the mechanical parts of a watch that are under force from the mainspring. There are basically seven points best serviced by a jeweled bearing, be it ruby, sapphire or diamond. However, consumers began to associate more jewels with better precision, so watchmakers complied and added up to 100 gems, many of which had no functional purpose whatsoever. The ISO, coincidentally with headquarters in Switzerland, stepped in and established a standard (ISO 1112) that prevents the use of non-functioning jewels inside watches.

At Kodak we too take pride in the engineering feats of our people and the innovation that we bring to printing and imaging industries. The Prosper Press is a marvelous example of mechanical engineering and digital technologies. While I can't attest to using jewels to reduce load bearing forces, I can confirm that our Paper Rating System uses Diamonds to illustrate the performance expectations of a given paper. To keep things simple we use only 5 Diamonds to rate papers and this helps our customers choose the best fit for the job at hand. Our testing process has been designed and built with the rigors of ISO Compliance in mind.

Peter Schreiner and Susanne Oste of Ziegler Papier and Ad Sies of Kodak at drupa

Not far from Nicolas' hometown of Basel, Switzerland, is the town of Grellingen and home to our long time paper development partner, Ziegler Papier. This family owned paper company has been making paper since 1861 and pioneered paper for production inkjet printing with Kodak over 20 years ago. Ziegler inkjet paper has been the standard to which other paper makers aspire. Customers have been delighted with the performance of Ziegler Z-650 for many years on our dye based equipment. When we asked Ziegler to develop a lower cost paper suitable for pigment inks, Z-Evolution was created in record time. This paper has been rated with 3 Diamonds and represents the best of this class for image quality performance.

We recognized our friends from Ziegler Papier at drupa with two Paper Rating Awards. If you are considering production inkjet printing, I would suggest that you call Ziegler Papier and ask about their leading technologies for inkjet paper development. Like a Swiss watch, their engineers and technicians have delivered the best in engineering, innovation and beauty. And on a Prosper Press, like time, it flies!

Come see us at the 2012 Offset & Beyond Event & Free Whitepaper offer!

Tue, 29 May 2012 13:51:49 EST

We are excited about this years Offset and Beyond event in St. Louis from June 4th through the 6th. It's put on by the Printing Industries of America and promises to be a great show. From their site:

"This program offers all the right ingredients for you to cook up the ideal educational experience. Regardless of your role, this event offers resources and information you need to excel in your position. From executive management to operations to production, this conference has quality sessions designed just for you."

Special Offer from us: Download a FREE whitepaper, Hybrid Inkjet's Role in the New Cross‐media Mix at our page dedicated to the show.

Kodak Podium presentations:

Standards and G7® in Action

Monday, June 4 from 10:45am – 11:30am

Facilitators: Michael Green, Vice President, Sales, Flint Group; and Karen Mitchell, Eastman Kodak Company

This panel will explain how to produce consistent color accuracy in a cost efficient manner. Discover how G7 is affecting the digital arena and how it is applied. Learn the process to become G7 certified and the benefits of the certification. Your takeaways from this session is a solid understanding of how G7 can fit into your company and save you money.

The Technology of Inkjet – Categories of Inkjet Presses, Paper, Ink, Workflow, and More

Tuesday, June 5 from 2:00 pm – 3:30 PM

Panelists: Jamie Dolpies, Product Manager, EFI, Inc.; and Eric Wilson, Manager Inkjet Solutions, Eastman Kodak Company

Facilitator and Presenter: Dr. Mark Bohan, Vice President, Technology and Research, Printing Industries of America

Critique these categories based on your current customer profile, and analyze the offerings from the manufacturers of presses and components. Identify successful integration of adding inkjet to an offset press environment, including workflow and shop floor considerations. Clarify the role and potential for hybrids and placements of binders, cutters, feeders, coaters, and auxiliary options for online or near-line setups. Learn the advantages of online vs. near-line.

Handling Content and Getting the Work Done: Yesterday and Today

Fri, 25 May 2012 15:32:39 EST

Remember when you came to the office to immerse yourself in newest of technology and productivity tools? That was some time ago……today, we bring our electronic toys to the office and hope that our IT departments will allow us to use them. Interestingly enough, these devices along with the advent of Web 2.0 and social media have enabled us to change the way we work and how we manage "the work."

Many of us who operate out of an office or virtual team environment are considered "knowledge workers." We work on projects, generate content and research and share information with our colleagues. When we collaborate with each other and socialize information, we end up sharing and using knowledge that helps us "get the work done," faster and more effectively.

In days gone by, we would work with our "system of record" and more often than not, we had to conform to the system and it ended up managing us. The content was in there somewhere, but it took a lot of time and money to generate it, search it, and use it effectively. A lot of investment was spent in rolling out and learning new software and systems, gaining access to the right ones and generating reports which we mistakenly took for knowledge.

Today, the available technology and tools have adapted to a more natural way in which we communicate and work. Once again, consumer technologies like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and DropBox have crossed over to business world in the form of collaborative tools like LinkedIn, Yammer, WebEx, Alfresco, Clearvale, and many more. Business collaboration systems are using what are now common consumer communication constructs to help us better collaborate, engage, communicate, and produce and share knowledge.

So, let's get back to getting the work done!

Have questions on how to better manage your work? Feel free to contact me directly (tim.vaughan@kodak.com) or leave a comment below to start a discussion.

Tim

Free one-hour webinar focuses on how the largest and most heavily regulated companies accelerate speed-to-market, reduce errors, and lower costs

Tue, 22 May 2012 09:25:06 EST

I think that reducing packaging and marketing costs doesn't require major change, just smarter thinking and the right tools. To show how success is possible, our Kodak Design2Launch Solutions team is presenting a free one-hour webinar featuring industry leaders with invaluable insight on how the world's largest and most heavily regulated companies are using Kodak Design2Launch Brand Manager and its integrated workflow and asset management capabilities to:

Lower costs and reduce errors
Improve brand consistency
Ensure regulatory compliance
Maximize reuse of brand assets
Accelerate speed-to-market

Speakers will include Jim Haas, former Manager of Global Packaging and Graphic Design at Bausch & Lomb. Jim will explain how they:

Improved project approval times and overall speed-to-market by nearly 50%
Eliminated packaging-related product recalls
Realized an ROI of more than $1,000,000 a year by automating the packaging processes

We will also demonstrate the use of content certification, which enables companies to create a library of approved, up-to-date copy and imagery, and import these assets directly into artwork. This vastly accelerates the creative process and reduces errors, especially when creating localized and multilingual content.

Date: Wednesday, May 30th, 2012
Time: 11:00 a.m. ET / 8:00 a.m. PT
Register: www.kodak.com/go/d2lwebinar!

Have any questions? Post them below.

Chris V.

The end of a great show - drupa 2012

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:45:04 EST

It's the end of drupa 2012 and it's been a great one for Kodak. The team took a moment to have some fun in the booth and make a "music video" set to the famous drupa song which even has it's own Facebook page.

K - O - D - A - K spells success!

Although drupa is over you can still follow Kodak for news and ways to grow your business...

Kodak Grow Your Biz blog

Kodak for Business Facebook Page

@Kodakidigprint tweets

Kodak b2b YouTube Channel

Impressions of drupa 2012 & how it can grow business

Tue, 15 May 2012 23:03:15 EST

In addition to asking Kodak partners and customers what they thought of the Kodak booth and products, we asked them what they thought of drupa 2012 and what it does for their business to attend the show.

Impressions of the Kodak booth and products at drupa 2012

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:26:09 EST

Throughout the week at drupa, we asked Kodak customers and partners some questions as they came to the booth. Here is a collection of their feedback on the Kodak booth and the products we had at the show.

Kodak Unified Workflow at drupa 2012

Mon, 14 May 2012 17:42:07 EST

There is something in the Kodak booth at drupa that isn't made of steel or can be heard across the booth when it starts running at 1000 fpm. But it can change the way you do business.

The Kodak Unified Workflow Solution brings together Kodak Prinergy, Kodak Insite, Design2Launch, Colorflow and more, to make up one comprehensive solution that combines many areas of business and production, color and data.

Debuting at drupa is Kodak Prinergy 6. With this new solution there is a refreshed user interface and new functionality. There is improved planning that is driven by customer intent. A global VOC, voice of the customer, process was used to deliver a solution that customers required.

Prinergy 6 was being demoed live in the Kodak booth… even on stage in the K-Zone.

Here is a quick walkthrough of some more of the Kodak Unified Workflow Solutions being shown at drupa.

3 Ways to Check in on in Your Prepress Department

Mon, 14 May 2012 13:24:00 EST

Van Genechten Packaging group wanted to use Kodak Intelligent Prepress Manager 2.0 to answer the question, "Could we optimize our plate production?" The plant in Turnhout was selected to test iPM 2.0 and to do just that.

The IPM's reports provided the visibility needed and showed all the plate production could be done in one shift instead of three.

"After two months of monitoring, we decided to move to one shift." With the help of iPM 2.0 monitoring system this customer was able to evaluate the risk to decrease the number of shifts in order to be more efficient.

"The monthly Usage and Utilization reports were used to understand workload in the prepress department. The monthly reports are a big advantage for management, since they replace manual data collection and reporting."

Here are 3 ways iPM 2.0 made that happen:

You can view the media consumption report, which accurately reflects the number of plates that were used per shift, and the jobs/separations that were prepared.
You can also review data on the performance of each device, such as platesetters and plate processors, and the device efficiency.
You can associate each parameter to a specific operator, which can help identify which operator may need additional training.

Vsit the Kodak booth, hall 5 at drupa to see a live demo of iPM2.0

What are some ways you would like us to help in the prepress department?

Kodak Versamark Printing Systems at drupa 2012

Mon, 14 May 2012 08:55:58 EST

Sitting in the corner of the Kodak booth at drupa, sits the Kodak Versamark – churning away all day, every day of the show.

Versamark is the answer to transactional , direct mail and short –run newspaper needs with full-page variability at a great value.

Kodak Versamark Printing Systems offer solutions that are customizable and scaleable. A monochrome system can be expanded to spot color or full color for optimium visual impact. Printers where square footage is at a premium will especially appreciate the compact design.

Here is a brief overview of Versamark from the show floor at drupa.

Kodak Flexographic Solutions & Disappointed Hungry Booth Visitors at drupa 2012

Sun, 13 May 2012 11:32:09 EST

Packaging Samples in the Kodak booth

Some of the most eye catching samples in the Kodak booth at drupa are coming from the Flexographic Solutions. This isn't surprising considering this packaging has to catch a consumers eye from a store shelf.

Fun sample snack bags - Hot Chili Gecko, Wild Boar Buttercup & Octopus Sorbet

The snack bags look so good they are starting to disapear from the show display even though all they contain is packing peanuts. How disapointing that must be to a booth visitor!

The packaging must really be appealing, because the snack names are not. The design team had some fun with them, yet "Cheesy Crickets" and "Octopus Sorbet" does not seem to be deterring anyone as we keep finding bags hungrily torn open and left on our tables.

Kodak Flexcel NX System

Booth visitors may already be familiar with the award winning Kodak Flexcel NX System sitting in the Flexo area. It's high def, reliable and cost effective delivery revolutionized the flexo plate industry and became the flagship solution.

Flexcel Direct System

Along the edge of the Kodak booth sits the new Flexcel Direct System. Beta customers are currently producing superior quality press ready sleeves with the Flexcel Direct System. They are experiencing energy efficiency and increased production.

Hubert Sampre talking in the Kodak K-Zone

Miller Graphics appeared in the K-Zone during drupa to share their experience. Miller Graphics is one of these beta testers who is seeing success. "The FLEXCEL Direct System has exceeded our initial expectations, both in our own production operation and on press with our clients, and we are already supplying sleeves for production jobs, and even winning new business as a result of the improved quality."

Here is a quick overview of the Kodak Flexographic Solutions right from the show floor.

Kodak's Flexo offerings, as not only an engraver, but as a complete solution that includes hardware, workflow, and media, can be seen in action right at drupa.

Kodak Offset Solutions at drupa 2012

Sat, 12 May 2012 10:35:37 EST

Kodak Magnus800 Platesetter

Right in the center of the Kodak booth is the display area for Kodak Offset Solutions.

Kodak Sonora XP Process-free Plates

On one side is the Kodak Magnus CTP system which is imaging Kodak Sonora XP Process Free Press Plates. The Sonora Plates are a second-generation process-free technology which eliminates all chemistry, water, energy and waste from plate processing – greatly reducing total costs, as well as the impact of plate-making on the environment.

Visitors to the booth can hardly believe it and keep asking if it is actually working and available now (answer: yes, it is!). The theme at the Kodak booth at drupa is "Yellow Changes Everything" but the Sonora Plates are doing a pretty good job at being green.

With the Sonora Plates you aren't only making your business more earth friendly and sustainable – you are saving money, streamlining your process and reducing your equipment footprint. We're also showcasing a process-free plate for newspaper printing (Sonora News) and our other low-chemistry solutions for the most challenging print conditions.

Kodak Achieve All-In-One CTP System

On the other side of the wall from the Magnus at drupa is the new Achieve All-In-One CTP System. This small format offset system is optimized for business in emerging markets, starting with Asia-Pacific and expanding into Eastern Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Vistors from around the world have come to the Kodak booth to learn how the Achieve CTP System can give them state of the art imaging and exceptional performance at a great value.

Kodak is still making huge strides in improving the efficiency, productivity and environmental performance of offset printing to keep it competitive long into the future. Kodak's Kevin Cazabon took a moment from his busy drupa day to give a brief overview of the Kodak Offset Solutions offerings right on the show floor.

Plate tabletops in the refreshment area of the Kodak booth at drupa

Kodak High Resolution Satellite Map Frenzy at drupa

Fri, 11 May 2012 17:16:33 EST

There is something going on in a corner of the Kodak booth at drupa that I find fascinating. A couple of days ago, a large stack of huge maps appeared in a box. 3000 maps to be exact.

The maps were made in partnerships with Columbus Globes and Maps, and a few other companies. They are very high resolution satellite maps printed with Kodak offset. The interesting part began when the show doors opened. There was a contant swarm around the box with visitors crouched over frantically rolling up the maps and trotting off gleefully. We put out another 6000 today and they are almost all gone.

They are really nice maps… but when rolled they are almost as tall as me! I am hoping these are visitors that drove or took the train because I cannot imagine wrestling one of those rolled up maps onto an airplane.

If you stand there long enough, like I did – hypnotized by the activity, you start to realize there is a skill to rolling up these giant maps. First you carefully peel up an edge, then you lift and give the sheet a little shake to pull it away from the stack. Move your hands as far to the ends as possible so as to not cause the sheet sag on the ends and crinkle. Then roll, roll, roll like your life depends on it. If you want 3 or 4 or 5 maps as I saw some acquire, be sure to peel those up all as one.

Once you get really good at this you can have several people rolling up their maps at once.

Visitors to the booth were not the only ones loving the maps. One particular special map fan couldn't help but roll one up for himself… watch for him at the end of this video.