VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA -- December 10, 2002 -- Creo Inc. is pleased to announce that three technology leaders are working with Creo to deliver Networked Graphic Production. Adobe Systems Incorporated, Komori America Corporation, and Printcafe Software, Inc. are integral to this Creo initiative that provides a roadmap for a smooth flow of data and information, a digital collaboration path for printers' customers, enhanced job control, and visibility into the entire print production process, from idea to delivery. As Networked Graphic Production Partners, these industry leaders have collaborated with Creo to create integrated technologies and products that revolutionize the conventional print production process surpassing customers' current levels of connectivity, automation and collaboration. Adding Value With Automation and Collaboration... The Networked Graphic Production Partner Program was established to highlight developers, manufacturers and vendors that provide solutions that bring together the people and technologies in a seamless manner to maximize efficiencies while gaining better visibility and control over the entire print production process. "This is a way for companies to extend to their customers the benefits of this strategic initiative from Creo," explains Boudewijn Neijens, corporate vice president of marketing. "The partnership represents the joint delivery of highly integrated solutions that assure the customer of tested, quality solutions. This program creates increased benefits for Creo customers by extending the reach of the initiative." Since Networked Graphic Production was announced last year at Print 01, printers and other suppliers to the prepress industry have commented favorably on the initiative. "They're saying that Networked Graphic Production is exactly what we need to integrate digital solutions and to really benefit by optimizing operations and streamlining what we've already created," explains Mr. Neijens. "Our new partners will help Creo continue to develop and expand Networked Graphic Production." One component of Networked Graphic Production that focuses on the manufacturing aspect of print is Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM). This term describes highly automated print production for enhanced communication and efficiency, decreased overhead costs, reduced outlay of resources, and fewer errors in prepress and on-press. CIM incorporates automated data capture and accessible reporting to ensure more accurate billing. Creo launched Networked Graphic Production with a vision of promoting an integrated production process -- a goal that cannot be achieved by a single vendor solution. Rather, it requires an open infrastructure of solutions that provide the next generation of automation: intelligent integration through open standards. By leveraging industry standards such as JDF (Job Definition Format) and PDF (Portable Document Format) information can flow seamlessly and be transferred intelligently across various systems, from the creative desktop to the print shop floor. Using open standards leads to great benefits for both the print buyer and the printer, by enabling enhanced job control, automation and visibility for all. Integrated systems allow free data flow so users can access, analyze and retain real time job and business data at any stage in the process, and turn it into useful information to make informed, intelligent decisions. Adobe Helps to Connect Creative and Production... For Adobe, one of the world's largest software companies, teaming-up with Creo on Networked Graphic Production is a natural extension of the company's own Network Publishing vision. Leveraging the Internet, Network Publishing represents an era of reliably delivering visually rich, personalized content wherever the user wants, whether it's a printer, Web page, cell phone, handheld device, PC, or Internet appliance. By driving the delivery of compelling content regardless of platform or device, Adobe continues to set standards in Web, print, and video publishing. Adobe PDF-based workflows are essential for flexibility in leveraging the Internet. Adobe's focus fits naturally with the Creo Prinergy(r) workflow management system, the end-to-end PDF workflow, the Synapse(r) Prepare PDF preflight tool, and other PDF tools such as the Pagelet(tm) plug-in. Komori Joins Partnership... Press manufacturer Komori America Corporation has also joined the Networked Graphic Production Partnership. "We believe there are many benefits of an integrated pressroom," says Stephan Carter, president and CEO of Komori America. "By providing better visibility into pressroom activity, we can demonstrate better job costing and inventory tracking." Creo PrintLink and InkPro(tm) products allow upstream data, such as ink key settings, to be passed to the press in a seamless manner via CIP3-defined PPF file format. As the press begins its run, critical data, such as press and make-ready times, material usage (good/bad counts) can be shared with the MIS. Accessing this data allows for analysis and the ability to make faster decisions that can eliminate costly shortages at the bindery, remove excessive overruns, and ensure consistent quality. Printcafe Supports Networked Graphic Production... Printcafe first demonstrated connectivity within Networked Graphic Production at IPEX 2002 earlier this year. The Printcafe Hagen OA(tm) management information system (MIS) receives production data through the Printcafe Prepress Connector, a JDF interface to Creo Synapse(r) Link software, which exchanges data with the Prinergy(r) workflow database. Efficient data collection ensures the seamless flow of production data between the systems by eliminating redundant data entry and reducing the margin of error. This unique integration eliminates information silos that once existed between prepress production and the MIS, to give the printer increased visibility into costing information that allows for more accurate billing, inventory management and job planning. "Networked Graphic Production and the integration between prepress and MIS is an important part of our vision to create the operating system for print," explains Andy Schaer, Printcafe director of marketing. "This strategic partnership helps us to realize our vision and deliver tangible financial benefits to our customers." Enhancing the Value of Networked Graphic Production... As Networked Graphic Production Partners, Adobe, Komori and Printcafe are qualified to integrate their products seamlessly into a Networked Graphic Production environment. Networked Graphic Production partners are listed on the Creo website at www.creo.com and the partners' marketing materials are entitled to carry the Networked Graphic Production Partner logo. Printers who purchase solutions from Networked Graphic Production-enabled partners are assured that their technology investment has been pre-qualified as a key building block to a completely integrated production or manufacturing environment. It also signifies that the printer is investing in a solution that is part of a complete roadmap to bring further cost-savings and efficiencies to their business through seamless integration and end-to-end automation. Open file standards such as JDF and PDF are key in extending the value of Networked Graphic Production. "Being a Networked Graphic Production Partner highlights the flexibility of the partners' products and systems as they integrate within a print-production environment," says Mr. Neijens. "We expect to announce more Networked Graphic Production partners as they join the leaders of the biggest trend in the graphic arts industry today. We are re-defining print-production, as we've known it."