Rochester, N.Y. –– Saying that his industry has made digital printing appear too complex, Venkat Purushotham, president and CEO of NexPress Solutions LLC, recently challenged the industry to re-focus its attention to spur stronger integration in digital printing. At PIRA’s Digital Print World 2003 conference in London, Purushotham dispelled the conventional wisdom of many in the print industry, including: -- The notion that full variable one-to-one marketing is the Holy Grail of digital color printing. In fact, the majority of digital print jobs are quick turn, short run jobs with automated Web fulfillment as the emerging "killer" application. -- The barrier to digital printing is simply print-buyer education. On the contrary, the barrier is lack of IT capability. While computing advancements have automated everything from purchasing to finance, IT capability hasn’t been extended to marketing communications. -- Run lengths determine the type of technology. Rather than a transition point based on quantity, the choice of printing technology varies for each job based on a number of other factors, such as job type, turnaround time and audience. -- Digital technology will help slow the decline of print. Actually, technology such as cell phones, satellite TV and the Internet are helping drive increased demand for printing. Speaking before print providers, buyers, designers and marketing professionals, Purushotham also spoke about emerging full-service print businesses’ role in driving digital growth. In the past, many experts thought digital printing created two distinct types of print businesses –– digital service bureaus and offset print businesses. In fact, according to Purushotham, a third type of print business will soon dominate the industry –– one that offers both technologies. These full service providers will have digital and offset presses; marketers, designers and print buyers as their clientele; and have the capability to meet all volume and turnaround needs. They will offer an expanded range of services along with fulfillment, Web-design, database management and CD production. "What we’ve thought about digital versus offset printing has changed," Purushotham said. "As the role of printing continues to expand and evolve, increased demand for print follows as customers are given more options. "Until a few years ago, digital printing’s challenges were technology based –– image quality, uptime and RIP speed. Today, these "box" barriers have been addressed with digital presses like the NexPress 2100 press and the Digimaster family of print systems, so the next challenge is integrating these presses into commercial print businesses and in-plant operations."