Hemel Hempstead, UK -- TechNova, one of the world's largest manufacturers of analogue and digital imaging products, markets a range of platesetters under the FFEI Alinte and TechNova VioStar brands. Combined with TechNova's violet plate technology, unparalleled customer reach and 24/7 local support, the VioStar series offers a unique value proposition to printers around the vast continent.

According to Mr. Rajesh Malhotra, Chief Operating Officer, CTP Solutions (Commercial), at TechNova, "The trends are changing in India. Originally the market was clearly divided between thermal technologies for commercial print and violet for newspapers. The faster throughput and lower cost of ownership of violet was essential to the latter, as the newspaper industry 'exploded' in India over the past five years.

Since the introduction of TechNova's VioStar plate, the 'flight to violet' for commercial applications has also taken off. For the first time, TechNova in Q1, 2009 saw orders booked for violet clearly surpass those for thermal in this sector.

Having both technologies available, Rajesh believes that the ultimate choice today is driven by customer needs, rather than differentiation between technologies. "FFEI violet quality now surpasses even the most discerning print requirements, so buying decisions are based more on value than features. Indian printers are now competing on a global level, which has made them extremely competitive in terms of pricing, technologies used and services offered. As the print buyers' expectations grow, printers pass these expectations on to their suppliers. They demand more efficient solutions that offer consistent quality at the most cost-effective price. This is why we feel VioStar violet solutions are gaining ground."

The Indian market has seen burgeoning growth over the past few years. For this reason, TechNova has specified that its branded FFEI products must be flexible and future proofed. Upgrades in terms of speed and automation allow the systems to grow with customer needs. More importantly, the VioStar platesetter range is fully compatible with chemistry-free plates, without the potential loss of productivity encountered with thermal processless systems.

Commenting on the success of the partnership with TechNova, established after drupa last year, Andy Cook, CEO of FFEI said, "Working with TechNova has been a delight. The VioStar platesetters are the perfect complement to the plate and processing technologies of TechNova. But in addition their team adds an intimate knowledge of the market and superlative customer support. At the end of the day, it's the customer that benefits and that's the business model we like best."