SEPTEMBER 23, 2004, Boca Raton, FL – Oce, a global leader in digital document management and delivery solutions, announced today that Offset Paperback Manufacturers has implemented a powerful new digital book manufacturing solution based on an Océ VarioStream 7000 digital printing solution and powered by Océ PRISMA workflow automation software. With the Océ Book Manufacturing Solution, OPM can ensure that printed books are exactly what their customers expect. Offset Paperback Manufacturers (OPM), a division of Bertelsmann AG, a worldwide corporation with expertise in entertainment, publishing, printing and distribution, is responsible for printing approximately 350 million paperback books a year. New opportunities driven by expanded demand for short run digital books required OPM to find a more robust solution to meet their business requirements. Océ digital book manufacturing solutions are now helping OPM achieve the productivity, cost performance, quality and reliability they need to meet those business goals, while increasing profitability. Quality was a major factor in OPM’s success in capturing a significant new contract with one of their publishing customers. Océ VarioStream products delivered the text, photographic and alignment quality the publisher required, allowing OPM to meet customers’ needs and expand their business as a result. “We needed to support the growing volume of clients who wanted to move more work from offset to digital. With Océ digital book manufacturing solutions, we are very confident that we can do this in the way that captures the most value for us and our customers,” said OPM Manager of Digital Services, Steve Talacka. “Océ gives us the ability to affordably and efficiently handle the short run book products that are key to this new business model.” The Océ digital book manufacturing solution is a critical part of the strategic expansion of OPM’s digital publishing capabilities. With Océ’s versatility and production-class performance, OPM can increase competitiveness by cost effectively reducing their order quantities, while expanding service and short run capacity to better meet their clients’ changing requirements. With the new digital capabilities in place, OPM expects to grow their output from current levels of 13 million pages per month to more than 75 million pages per month, an increase of 150 percent. In addition, OPM can increase their productivity by accomplishing more volume with the same or less staff, while hitting service level agreements and maintaining affordability for their customers. “As a trusted business partner, Océ gives OPM the tools to take their operation to the next level of digital book publishing by building more productivity and profitability into their workflow,” said Carl Joachim, Vice President of Marketing for Océ Digital Document Systems. “We are excited to play a part in OPM’s growth strategy with solutions that help them enhance their competitive advantage in the marketplace. With the versatility and affordability Océ solutions provide, OPM is able to meet clients’ changing needs, while maintaining the profitability and productivity the company’s bottom line requires.” The Océ digital book manufacturing solution leverages Océ’s PRISMA family of software to automate every step of the workflow. Océ PRISMA workflow automation software offers solutions geared to the actual environments and challenges customers face, such as expanding on demand publishing operations like OPM. Océ PRISMA automation begins with the management and combining of PDF files with Océ DocSetter? software. Océ PRISMA software helps OPM achieve faster set up, easier proofing, and more profitable short run output. New jobs can be set up in minutes, saving OPM up to four hours a day in set up time. Pages are imposed and made ready for printing using Océ Professional Document Composer. At every step in the workflow, files appear exactly as they will when they're printed, eliminating surprises like last-minute font substitutions, word wraps or repaginations. Print files are checked and verified on-line with Océ TrueProof? electronic proofing software and aligned front to back to ensure precise production. These fully imposed, proofed and aligned book blocks are archived for immediate or future printing within Océ’s Print File Library. Jobs are queued in Océ PRISMAproduction? POD and directed to the Océ VarioStream continuous feed printers. Océ PRISMA software helps keep OPM’s short run workflow productive, profitable and reliable, while the Océ VarioStream printers produce book blocks at over seven times the speed of digital cut-sheet alternatives. Océ VarioStream continuous forms digital printing systems offer OPM the lowest total costs of ownership in the industry, as verified by studies from IDC, an international industry research organization, along with the kind of broad adaptability that ensures maximum investment protection. The flagship Océ VarioStream systems will provide OPM with a shorter time to profit, ready-for-anything versatility, and maximum reliability. The consistent copy press grade output lets OPM provide their publishing customers with total quality assurance, as they move more work from offset to digital.