EFI Previews Latest Innovations, Educates Users at Connect Conference

LAS VEGAS—April 11, 2012—EFI is displaying the latest versions of its products at the 13th annual Connect Users’ Conference taking place through April 13 at the Wynn Las Vegas. In addition to access to more than 150 educational sessions, user group meetings, speakers and exhibitors, Connect attendees are getting the opportunity to be the first to see and test drive the latest EFI products before they are released.

On Tuesday afternoon, speaking to a packed audience, EFI CEO Guy Gecht kicked off the conference with a keynote referencing the changing window of opportunity for the industry, especially around digital printing and personalization.

“Just as other industries, such as music and mobile phones, saw a transformation to a higher value based on personalization of content to consumer needs, our industry is experiencing similar changes. The opportunities that this transformation brings are many and significant, and you don’t want to get caught selling the old ‘walkman’ to your customers,” Gecht told the audience.

While Connect is underway, EFI is offering a preview of the new technology the company will bring to drupa 2012. These innovations span the breadth of the company’s offerings, from the new cloud-based Fiery Dashboard management tool to the VUTEk HS100, a new category in speed and quality digital press that promises to transform the analog superwide screen printing process. Also, attendees will hear for the first time about EFI’s new inkjet printer operating system—named “Orion”—which is promising to unlock more capabilities of current and future EFI inkjet presses.

Last night, EFI announced its latest acquisition—Metrics Sistemas de Informação—in a move to accelerate development in the growing and vibrant market of Latin America, and bring the EFI ecosystem to the region with the entire company portfolio, ranging from Fiery workflow and cloud and customer-hosted ERP software, all the way to industrial inkjet production printers.

EFI Connect Underway

A highlight of the Connect solutions area again this year is the Digital Workflow Experience—a live demonstration that shows an integrated workflow from submission to output. The demonstration follows a job from submission using EFI Digital StoreFront Web-to-print solution, to both EFI Pace and EFI Monarch print MIS systems, to EFI PrintFlow, to a Fiery production RIP server, and then to the VUTEk GS3250LX and/or the new EFI R3225 printer to illustrate how a seamless workflow can save time, while reducing errors and waste.

Conference attendees can see the latest versions of EFI print ERP (MIS) offerings. For the first time at Connect, the new EFI PrintSmith Vision is on display. An evolution of EFI PrintSmith, PrintSmith Vision provides a full-featured, browser-based management solution. The newest release of EFI Pace is being shown, highlighting advanced scheduling, a new digital order entry tool, and greater integration to Fiery servers, EFI inkjet printers and EFI Digital StoreFront.

A preview of the forthcoming edition of EFI Monarch is available to attendees, including new PrintFlow and Auto-Count features, wide- and super-wide format workflow and planner capabilities, and an improved digital page workflow. The just released version 13.1 of EFI Radius will be on display, with streamlined estimating for self-adhesive labels, integration with SmartLinc, SmartWare and SmartLinc Process Shipper, and new flexible packaging enhancements. Also on display is the latest release of Digital StoreFront, which shows off rich ticketing updates and improved support for Fiery, Fiery XF and wide-format integration.

The Fiery solutions area highlights the latest server system integrated with EFI Web-to-Print and MIS. The newest version of the Fiery system software, with features that improve image quality, color output, usability, and performance, is being demonstrated. Launched earlier today, Fiery Dashboard is a new cloud-based information service that enables owners and production managers to easily and quickly analyze their operations and make better business decisions. Attendees can also learn about EFI’s enterprise printing products, the new EFI M500 station for self-service print, copy and pay including mobile and cloud printing.

As part of the Digital Workflow Experience, there is a workflow showing EFI Digital StoreFront to EFI Pace to EFI PrintFlow dynamic scheduling to the Fiery Central production workflow tool to a Fiery-driven Ricoh Pro C901 printer—illustrating an efficient, integrated workflow that saves time, reduces errors, and decreases waste. There is also a live demo of Fiery integrated to the Kodak Prinergy Workflow.

Also on display in the Connect lab are proofing products, including the newest versions of Colorproof™ XF and Fiery XF. An EFI Wide Format T1000 is shown in a separate area.

About EFI
EFI is a world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation. EFI’s award-winning solutions, integrated from creation to print, deliver increased performance, cost savings and productivity. The company’s robust product portfolio includes Fiery digital print controllers and solutions; VUTEk superwide digital inkjet printers, UV and solvent inks; Rastek UV wide-format inkjet printers; Jetrion industrial inkjet printing systems; print production workflow and business process automation software; and corporate printing solutions.

Source: EFI.