VALLEY FORGE, Pa., Oct. 31 IKON Office Solutions, Inc. today announced the introduction of IKON's Desktop Express(SM), a solution that enables convenient, reliable submission of print jobs to centralized reprographics facilities within corporations. With IKON's Desktop Express, end users simply choose the corporate print shop as a printer selection from within any desktop application and select print job specifications, such as binding and finishing, from those options offered by their on-site print facility. An intuitive graphical user interface allows the user to view an online proof of the document, including paper color, binding options and other selections, as well as to view and confirm production cost prior to releasing the document for print. The Desktop Express system then produces a job ticket and creates a print-ready file, which is routed to the print shop for production, and the user has access to status reporting on a self-serve basis. The solution also makes possible more effective management of the corporate print shop through detailed reporting capabilities. "IKON is committed to helping customers manage and produce documents through the most efficient and cost-effective means possible,'' said Cathy Lewis, Senior Vice President of Marketing for IKON Office Solutions. "Corporate print shops typically offer the lowest-cost means for producing a variety of corporate applications. However, many companies have not realized the return they expected on their investments in on-site print facilities, because they have been unable to capture adequate print volume. Users often prefer to print even long, complex documents locally due to the inconvenient workflow often associated with using centralized print facilities. With Desktop Express, IKON makes job submission and production simple for the end user, shifting the appropriate print work to the corporate print shop and away from workgroup copier/printers, local printers and other less cost-effective means for long run and complex work.'' Desktop Express incorporates technology from WebPrint, a provider of e-commerce solutions for the on-demand printing industry. As the Adobe PDF Transit(TM) Internet printing solution becomes available, IKON intends to incorporate this technology into Desktop Express, and other IKON products in the future, under an expanded agreement with Adobe. "The expansion of the Adobe/IKON relationship supports our mutual goal of adding efficiency to the management, sharing and production of documents, through the use of Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) and offerings like Desktop Express,'' said George Cacioppo, Vice President, Internet Print Group, at Adobe. "IKON's commitment to improving the way businesses communicate complements both Adobe's overall network publishing strategy and our Internet printing strategy being driven by PDF Transit. Together, we can make it possible for businesses to print content anytime, anywhere, from any device.''