HARRISVILLE, RI – October 24, 2005 – Strategies for Management, Inc. has announced a new research initiative, “E-Paper Technology and Opportunities in Publishing, Communications, and the Graphic Arts.” The research team will investigate the current state of e-paper technologies and their prospects for commercialization. They will analyze potential effects on published, Internet-based, and printed communications as well as labeling and packaging, and everyday products where images, information, and data are visually displayed. E-Paper represents the potential to be a significant disruptive event, creating new applications, opportunities and challenges in its wake. The project will be led by Dr. Joseph Webb, recognized publishing guru Bob Sacks, technology writer and analyst Richard Romano, and managed by consultant Vince Naselli. * What is E-Paper? E-paper has been a topic of interest among researchers, technologists, and futurists for decades. Among its most notable proponents has been the MIT Media Lab, which has been directly involved or has indirectly captured the interest of e-paper researchers and developers. Among the companies involved in the industry to date are Fujitsu, Xerox, Philips, E-Ink, and many others. In addition to e-paper further energizing the “wherever - whenever” “always connected” lifestyle of instant information access and portability, e-paper is likely to be found in many unexpected places. Seiko, for example, has introduced a watch with an e-paper face. E-paper will impact many forms of media including magazines, newspapers, books, business documents, packaging, graphic displays and reference materials, though these are just the tip of the iceberg. After decades in the laboratory, e-paper technologies seem posed for commercialization starting as early as 2006. Even the way information is presented on the Internet will be affected. The possibilities offered by the effective commercialization of e-paper may be limited only by one’s imagination. * Major Project Topics The project mission includes the following: -- Why is it important to understand "e-paper?" -- What is e-paper and how has it evolved? -- Critically assess e-paper as a disruptive technology -- Identify the companies and technologies that can commercialize e-paper -- Assess when e-paper is likely to be commercialized and its probable applications -- Identify companies that should consider investing in e-paper technologies -- Analyze and forecast applications, opportunities and impacts in publishing, printing, packaging and other graphic arts markets, as well as other visual media -- Review competitors of e-paper, such as other display media technologies that will soon be released to the marketplace * Deliverables Sponsors will have password access to project data and analysis, links to secondary research, and statistical data on a private Web site prior to publication, a unique benefit of SFM reports and research investigations. Upon publication, sponsors will be e-mailed a PDF of the report, followed by printed copy shortly thereafter. For 60 days after publication, sponsors will have access to the project leadership for questions and discussions about the report, its conduct, and its findings. This service can be a valuable resource when it’s “project crunch time.” Sponsors will also receive preferred rates for on-site, conference call, and webinar presentations by the research team for company events such as client meetings and senior management briefings. The digital version of the report will include “live links” to information resources such as associations, publications, government data, and other sources, giving your company direct access to the latest data and news about the e-paper business. This provides subscribers with a continuous flow of information, enhancing the users’ perspective and understanding of the subject. * Report Availability The project is currently underway and is planned for release in March 2006; charter sponsors will have access to the private web site and the consultants throughout the project and will be in a position to access the latest e-paper news and research materials in the months prior to publication. * Ordering Information Download the proposal at http://www.sfminc.com/download/E-Paper_Proposal.pdf Report price upon publication in March 2006: $4,975. Special pre-publication price: $3,950, offering more than a 20% savings ($1,025). To qualify for the pre-publication discount full payment must be received by November 15, 2005 To pay by credit card go to http://store.yahoo.com/drjoe/epaper.html To pay by check, mail to Strategies for Management, Inc., P.O. Box 483, Harrisville, RI 02830 To request an invoice, send your billing and shipping information to epaper(at)sfminc.com * Questions? For more information, e-mail Strategies for Management at epaper(at)sfminc.com , or call Mr. Vince Naselli at 1-732-568-0316. * Project Leadership Dr. Joe Webb Dr. Joe Webb is one of the printing and media industry's best-known consultants, forecasters, and commentators. A 27+ year veteran of the graphic arts industries, he was the developer of the influential TrendWatch information service, sold to Reed Elsevier in 2000. Since January 2003, his "Fridays with Dr. Joe" column has become a popular feature on www.WhatTheyThink.com, as have his quarterly economic forecast Webinars, where he analyzes trends in the economy, technology, and the industry and interprets their implications for executives and their strategic decisions. His running commentary on the printing industry, new media, and the economy can be found at www.drjoesblog.com. He is a Ph.D. graduate of the NYU Center for Graphic Communications Management and Technology (1987) and serves on the Center's Board of Advisors. He holds an MBA in Management Information Systems from Iona College (1981) and was a magna cum laude graduate in Managerial Sciences and Marketing from Manhattan College (1978), where he was a member of the economics honor society. He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in marketing, market research, quantitative analysis, business policy, and organizational behavior. He started in the industry with Agfa's Graphic Systems Division and was later a marketing executive with Chemco Photoproducts, entering consulting full time in 1987. Among his publications are "Dr. Joe's Almanac," a resource of more than 500 industry publications, Web sites, associations, and others, and the controversial "Renewing the Print Industry: A Contrarian's Constructive Perspective." Bob Sacks A veteran of the printing/publishing industry since 1970, Bob Sacks has held positions in major media companies and startups that include publisher, editor, freelance writer, director of manufacturing and distribution, senior sales manager, circulator, chief of operations, pressman, cameraman, in companies such as McCall's, Time Inc, New York Times Magazine Group, International Paper, Ziff-Davis, CMP, and Bill Communications (VNU). Today, his Precision Media Group conducts private consulting programs and publishes "Heard on the Web: Media Intelligence," a daily e-newsletter that delivers pertinent industry news to a diverse, worldwide publishing community of over 10,750 media industry leaders. It is the longest running e-newsletter in the world, having started in 1993. Richard Romano Romano is a highly regarded technology writer and analyst for the graphic communications industry. He has contributed to numerous Strategies for Management projects for private clients and trade associations. He has served as executive editor of CrossMedia magazine, a periodical that covered issues of interest to creative professionals creating content for print, Web, wireless, and other media, and as managing editor for Micro Publishing News, a news monthly for electronic designers and print buyers, as well as its then-sister publication Digital Imaging. Mr. Romano is the co-editor of The GATF Encyclopedia of Graphic Communications, a compendium of more than 10,000 graphic arts terms published in 1997 by the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation and is the author or co-author of many books on graphics hardware and software, including Sams Teach Yourself Adobe InDesign 1.5 in 24 Hours, The Scanning Workshop, and Special Edition Using Photoshop CS. He is a graduate of Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications (1989) with a B.A. in English and Writing for Telecommunications and has a certificate in Multimedia Production from New York University. Vince Naselli Mr. Naselli is the principal of Naselli & Associates, a consultancy specializing in sales and marketing support and research. He has 20+ years of professional experience in the graphic arts marketing industry. Mr. Naselli is the former Director of TrendWatch Graphic Arts. In previous professional roles, he served as Dealer Relations and Regional Sales Manager for Screen USA and was the senior U.S. marketing manager for Agfa of market research and competitive analysis and concurrently marketing manager for Apogee responsible for PDF workflow software and systems. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing and management from Kean University, New Jersey.