In April 2019, Siris Capital Group, LLC acquired Electronics For Imaging (EFI). For those who don’t remember, EFI was founded by Efraim (Efi) Arazi, the former CEO of the Scitex Corporation. Arazi’s plan was to develop a relatively low-cost, easy-to-use system that would allow users to process and print high-quality graphics, including photo images, in a low-technology environment. Prior to the late 1980s, high-quality color processing and printing were done only on expensive computing equipment, like that developed by Scitex, and typically used by graphics professionals.

That was the genesis of the Fiery Color Server in 1991, and it was the key technology providing copier manufacturers a way to develop digital presses. Even today, the Fiery color server is the most widely used DFE (digital front end) for digital printing machines and enterprise MFP devices. After illness and his passing, the reins of EFI passed to Guy Gecht. This new leadership was responsible for expanding the company’s focus and size through organic growth and acquisitions, ultimately leading to the Siris acquisition for an estimated $1.7 billion.

After the acquisition, the company was divided into three main business units that reflected their core applications: EFI, which primarily focuses on industrial print applications and technologies; Productivity Software, which focuses on MIS/ERP solutions, which was subsequently sold to Symphony Technology Group in 2022; and Fiery, which focuses on front ends to process files and drive digital printers, which was just acquired by Seiko Epson.