Kennesaw, Georgia, November 19, 2002 – Heidelberg and Adobe kicked off the first in a series of initiatives to educate printers about the advantages of JDF (Job Definition Format). Today, the companies jointly hosted seminars and demonstrations of JDF tools to print shop owners and managers at the Heidelberg Tech Center in Mount Prospect, Ill. Among key highlights of the seminars were demonstrations of Heidelberg’s Prinect portfolio, the industry’s most comprehensive JDF-enabled computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) system. Prinect is a network of integrated workflow components that are modular, scalable and open. Its benefits include connecting business and production management, integrating the processing of production steps and connecting printers with print buyers. Heidelberg and Adobe formed the partnership to promote JDF and Prinect as solutions to achieve greater efficiency in printers' business processes, end-to-end networking and associated software applications. Prinect provides the solution for comprehensive workflow management and supports the entire value-added print chain through a series of software modules – including estimating, quotation, ticketing, tracking and delivery. JDF is used as a common data exchange format for Prinect. "Heidelberg is continuing its education and commitment to inform printers on the advantages of the JDF file format," said John Dowey, vice president, Sheetfed, Heidelberg USA. "The time is right for JDF, and Prinect is the most comprehensive workflow available that harnesses the full power of JDF." JDF is a comprehensive XML-based file format industry standard for end-to-end job ticket specifications, combined with a message description standard and message interchange protocol. The Heidelberg seminars were the first in a series to be held at locations throughout the country over the coming months. For more information on upcoming dates and locations, visit www.heidelberg.com.