Software Synchronization 
Tops Agenda at EFI Connect

It’s hard to improve on a winning formula, but EFI has continued to raise the bar for its Connect users’ conference as illustrated by last month’s 15th annual event in Las Vegas. Approximately 1,500 attendees—1,000 of them EFI customers from 25 different countries (a 20 percent jump from the previous year)—gathered at The Wynn Las Vegas for four days of educational and breakout sessions, plus several keynote presentations.

The big news for many was the announcement of the EFI Productivity Suite, which will encompass all of EFI’s MIS, Web-to-print and cross-media solutions, and marks an evolutionary shift in its productivity software offerings strategy. It was previewed by Gabriel (Gaby) Matsliach, new EFI senior VP and GM of its Productivity Software business.

With the initial phase of the rollout starting this quarter, the suite will address customers’ most pressing automation and efficiency needs by moving the workflow emphasis away from individual EFI software packages and modules to complete offerings that employ best-of-suite, end-to-end workflows, certified integrations and synchronized development. Removing the need for painful integrations of various MIS, Web-to-print, fulfillment and cross-media modules and upgrades, each version of the suite will be certified and tested across EFI’s entire software offerings for easier customer deployment.

It will simplify and maximize MIS software upgrades, add-on modules and third-party integrations for EFI enterprise (Monarch and Radius), mid-market (Pace) and smaller (PrintSmith) users. Instead of point-to-point offerings, the holistic strategy will focus on providing EFI clients of all business sizes with documented and certified, end-to-end solutions. This will include centralized portfolio product management, synchronized suite releases and rapid deployment capabilities.

Users will “get revolutionary results through an evolution—helping you to gradually get there at your own pace,” noted Matsliach.

Other new product announcements at Connect included:

• Unified workflow management capabilities for combined offset and digital production operations using new Heidelberg Prinect/EFI Fiery digital front-end integration.
• A module featuring EFI DirectSmile technology to enable automated, template-based and data-driven variable image and document rendering within EFI’s Digital StoreFront Web-to-print and e-commerce interface.
• An enhanced automation workflow, powered by Accu­ZIP, which uses Digital StoreFront’s Web-to-print capabilities and its new variable data printing module to automate direct mail production tasks.

An Important Year

Guy Gecht, EFI CEO, welcomed the audience, noting that 2015 marks some important milestones for him. It is the 10th anniversary of EFI’s acquisition of VUTEk, his 20th anniversary working at EFI and also the year he will turn 50. Gecht also noted EFI’s goal to reach the $1 billion sales mark in 2016. (EFI produced a humorous, parody video tied in with that initiative, which can be viewed by scanning this page using the layar app.)

One of the EFI Connect highlights is Gecht’s “fireside chats” with leading executives in the graphic arts and related industries. This year was no exception, especially with EFI’s ability to secure RR Donnelly (RRD) President and CEO Thomas Quinlan III, who normally does not participate or speak at industry events. Topics discussed ranged from RRD’s omni-channel, client retention and M&A strategies, to Quinlan’s views on 3D printing, the role of Big Data and the overall future for print. The following morning, Gecht’s fireside chat featured Avi Reichental, president and CEO of 3D Systems.

EFI Connect also featured a solutions center, which showcased a complete portfolio of EFI workflow and digital print production software. Attendees saw an exhibit of LED wide-format inkjet technology with 3.2-meter, roll-to-roll and 2-meter, 7-picoLiter UltraDrop hybrid roll/flatbed EFI VUTEk printers, along with an entry-level, 1.6 meter production printer. 3M Commercial Graphics exhibited a Tesla wrapped in graphics produced using a co-developed EFI and 3M ink.

EFI Connect also featured numerous exhibits from partner companies, including the conference’s platinum sponsor, Xerox, and gold sponsors, Canon and Kodak. Bronze sponsors included 3M Commercial Graphics, AccuZIP, BCC Software, Esko, Konica Minolta, MBM, Ricoh Production Print and Zünd.