PRINT ’01 Chicago, IL, September 6, 2001 –Agfa unveiled the latest version of Salient, its turnkey prepress production system, for the U.S. market. Salient System 2 seamlessly integrates the latest award-winning Apogee PDF workflow components with a robust network and storage infrastructure to provide reliability for driving output devices at full capacity. The scalability and unequalled performance of Salient makes possible the transformation from a prepress shop to a serious production center. The complexity of Salient’s power and performance is virtually transparent, while the system maintains an intuitive interface. For the user this translates into improved project focus and production efficiency. "One such user has seen an increase in their operation from 3,000 plates a month to 3,000 a week," said Chris LaFontaine, Agfa Product Manager for US Systems Integration. Enhancements Included In Salient System 2. Salient offers scalable flexibility to match a customer’s particular production need through an innovative, modular design. With two base tower sizes to choose from, compact 24U and full 41U, the core foundation provides the necessary components for power, network and support. Beyond that, a customer is free to scale the system customizing Salient to fit their operation. Current modules available include engineered server appliances for each core Apogee component (Pilot, PDF RIP, PrintDrive, and Satellite), various storage modules (DAS, NAS and SAN) that best fit the needed workflow, integrated DLT storage for file back up and restoration, and native Macintosh, Unix and NT connectivity. To ensure continued performance at peak capacity, Salient incorporates complete remote and local diagnostic tools as part of its design. By integrating these support tools into the core design of Salient, Agfa’s able to provide the highest level of attention should a problem arise. The system will then have the potential to be operational and in production soon after any unforeseen downtime. Salient System 2 is available in the US only with shipments expected immediately following the close of Print 2001.