DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY, May 29-Kodak's Print On-Demand Solutions Group welcomes a dozen new partners and a wide array of new workflow solutions that will integrate with CREO Color Servers.

    The members, who offer solutions in prepress, web to print and management information systems (MIS), join the successful workflow partnership program, which certifies JDF integration of open, independent third party solutions with the well known CREO Color Servers. Customers who use certified products gain a complete workflow solution with full process automation, and quick and easy connectivity with CREO Color Servers.

    At the JDF Experience Parc in Hall 7, visitors will see live JDF based demonstrations of workflow partnership program products.

In prepress, Agfa joins the workflow partnership program with its :Apogee DigitalPrintLink. This functionality enables the connectivity between CREO Color Servers and Agfa's :Apogee workflow and project management systems.

"With the CREO Color Servers/Agfa's :Apogee collaboration, users are able to integrate CREO Color Server driven digital presses into their prepress workflow to output proofs and short run on demand print production," said Hagar Gal, Marketing Manager, CREO Branded Products. "We intend to continue to develop the automated workflow further together with Agfa to deliver process automation to our mutual customers."

In web to print, new products in the workflow partnership program are: AlphaPicture i-clue AlphaPicture, DirectSmile SE/Generator, diron print4media, Elixir Technologies Opus, GMC Software Technology PrintNet, and Printable Technologies FusionPro Web.

Customers who already purchased an online storefront or an e-commerce solution can now benefit from integration all the way to a digital press driven by a CREO Color Server. Orders sent via the storefront will be sent automatically to the digital press with all relevant job instructions intact.

    In MIS, new products in the workflow partnership program: HIFLEX MIS, NovaVision PrintVis, Optimus Group Ltd. Optimus MIS, Press-sense Omnium and Tharstern TharsternSQL.

Integrations to MIS ensure that all information available on the CREO Color Server following the actual production process can be retrieved and automatically sent back to the MIS for cost estimation and invoicing. Extensive JMF support allows bidirectional communication between the CREO Color Servers and the MIS systems.

    "When considering the purchase of a new system, customers now have a wider choice of solutions with ready made connectivity to CREO Color Server driven digital presses," Gal said. "By using solutions certified by the workflow partnership program, customers can achieve full process automation with solutions that are tested and certified. They also cut their overall turnaround time and increase overall quality and profit margins."