FOSTER CITY, Calif.--Aug. 15, 2005-- EFI, the world leader in digital imaging and print management solutions for commercial and enterprise printing, today announced its Executive Information System (EIS), a breakthrough business "workspace" that provides an unparalleled visual tool for business analysis for its Print MIS customers. EIS is a powerful, interactive data analysis command center that instantly recaps the state-of-the-business and links to other key data, enabling new levels of business intelligence. The web-based EIS will be integrated with the foundation suite of EFI Hagen(TM), Logic(TM) and PSI(TM) print management information systems, helping to improve processes and profit potential by giving users complete and instant visibility into real-time business information. This innovative tool received rave reviews from hundreds of EFI's existing customers when it was showcased at the annual Connect users' conference in June. "EIS is more than a report generator, more than a dashboard display -- EIS is an interactive analysis tool that gives the printer a visual recap of the state-of-the-business, with the ability to ask questions and drill down to more detail," said Michael Henderson, EFI EIS product manager. "This is a revolutionary advance over the current process of exporting data to a spreadsheet or printed report for tedious evaluation. Management teams can work with EIS to present information critical to key business decisions on the fly. The ability to refine the data by asking questions makes EIS an excellent working tool." "EIS is the most unique and robust 'dashboard' tool I have ever seen, and will have a significant impact on the efficient management of a printing business," said Frank Romano, Professor Emeritus of the RIT School of Print Media. The EIS technology takes advantage of a powerful OLAP (On-line Analytical Processing) analysis service as well as new data analysis and query tools built by EFI so that printers can quickly master EIS to take advantage of its intelligence. Rather than requiring customers to learn complex tools like SQL or Crystal Reports, they just need to know their business. EIS is not your typical reporting tool -- the characteristics that set it apart include: Visual: The user is presented with an EIS workspace of visuals pre-selected from a library. The workspace provides snapshots of the state-of-the-business from many angles. Dynamic: Unlike a typical "dashboard," EIS provides an intelligent, dynamic view. The user can drill down to more detail or ask questions creating a new view, using historical data and real-time information. This capability makes EIS an excellent tool for addressing the challenges of print management, making it easier to recognize trends and forecast effectively. Flexible: EIS is delivered with a library of foundation visuals developed with input from printing executives and managers. The user can modify these visuals to address their unique business needs. Modifications can be made to the foundation visual (stored for future review) or be made on-the-fly, instantly providing results based on the new query conditions. The user can build custom visuals expanding the scope and value of the EIS library. "We're excited about EIS -- the powerful visual presentation of 'critical' business information will be an excellent addition to our management process," said David Bennett, President of Bennett Graphics. "With EIS, a user just needs to know their business and the data that is important to them -- not complicated report writing programs -- in order to receive a wealth of information and insight." Said Marc Olin, Vice President/General Manager, EFI Professional Print Applications: "Collecting information is only part of the equation. EIS helps printers exploit the value of the information they've collected -- providing a solid foundation for important business decisions. We believe EIS will become the printer's 'GPS,' providing a high-level view of the business landscape while helping to map the path to success." EIS will be on display at Print 05, booth 8315, taking place September 9-15th at Chicago's McCormick Place. Availability The Beta cycle for EIS is beginning now, and the tool is expected to be available in Q4. The EIS foundation module will be included, at no cost, in the next enhancement package for Hagen, Logic and PSI. For more information, please contact 800-875-7117.