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Global Graphics Technology Powers Online PDF and Procurement Systems

Press release from the issuing company

Cambridge, UK; February 5, 2003 — One of the first ever implementations of an online PDF creation and print procurement service for print shops, reproduction houses and prepress companies has been launched in Europe, based on core technology provided by Global Graphics S.A., leading developers of software for document creation and printing. The Company announced today that it has licensed Jaws PDF Courier, its Internet document delivery system, to ready4print, a Netherlands based managed solution provider (MSP) who launched the new service this week with three customers already signed up. Metro, a specialist poster printer in Waalwijk, Micro Color lithography in Montford, and the reproduction house Dereumaux in Eindhoven are the first to make the service available to end users. Built on the core components of Jaws PDF Courier, ready4print | PDF delivery allows them to offer a tailored PDF file submission service to provide trouble-free print procurement. The end user simply installs a printer driver, customized to his print provider, that guides him through the steps necessary to submit the print job in the correct format for a specific printing device. ready4print | PDF delivery substantially reduces the margin for error in the creation and submission of the PDF print job because the end user can only configure files that can be handled by the specific print site. Available initially in the Benelux before being launched worldwide in the second half of 2003, ready4print estimates that the market for PDF delivery in the Netherlands alone is about 50 million Euros. It is targeting a significant share of this market within two years and is predicting that it can solve approximately 40% of the PDF creation problems typically experienced by printers. Jaws PDF Courier is a secure, encrypted document delivery system. Key features of the software are its capability to reflect all aspects of the job submission process and downstream file handling, as well as offer branding options through a web interface that allows the print shop to give their own look and feel to the service. Amongst the enhancements implemented by ready4print are license and contract management functionality; device dependent printer drivers and order intake forms customized to the customers’ requirements; and, web-based (XML) job tickets containing document and order details. ready4print managing director, Toon de Munnik says," for over six months ready4print has been evaluating extensively all available PDF creation technologies and found that Global Graphics offers the most secure, reliable and tested technology with very good PDF quality. Furthermore, during the development of the ready4print | PDF delivery service Global Graphics has proven to be a true partner by providing excellent technical support and clear and direct communication. "As a result our new service gives benefits all round. There is a significant reduction in order intake and preflight costs, and higher quality PDF files are delivered by end users who only have to answer five or six questions about the job before they submit it. Consequently there are additional cost savings on file-delivery and preparation. Overall, the return on investment is very high, even for customers with low volume because ready4print | PDF delivery is offered on a per transaction (delivered job) basis." Jim Freidah, Global Graphics Software’s president and chief operating officer, comments, " We are taking great strides forward with our PDF technology. The expertise we have developed in this area is significant and can be seen across our entire technology range including PDF creation, PDF viewing/editing, PDF document distribution and in the native consumption of PDF in both our Harlequin and Jaws RIPs. "The distribution of documents across the Web is growing at a rapid pace and represents a great opportunity for Global Graphics. The highly configurable Jaws PDF Courier product was designed specifically to meet the needs of companies providing such web-based document services. It is clearly a product which highlights Global Graphics’ strength in providing a combination of customizable technology and technical support which allows our customers to develop and differentiate their products and services quickly from their competition."