PALO ALTO, Calif. -- HP today announced the end of its successful beta testing program for the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer and a 150 percent increase in production capacity of the versatile flatbed printer to meet customer demand. HP also announced the first commercial installations of the printer at Fair-play BV in Amsterdam, Netherlands and Kürten & Lechner in Köln, Germany.

Launched in November 2008, the beta testing program for the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer produced excellent results in terms of performance, quality and cost effectiveness in all three true production environments, which included Gigantic Color in Dallas, Texas, Dereumaux XL in Eindhoven, Netherlands and alprinta in Leverkusen, Germany. Open houses held at Dereumaux XL and Gigantic Color marked the conclusion of the beta program and kicked off the first sales of the new printer.

"This enthusiastic response to the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer is part of a larger trend to replace analog production with digital," said Yariv Avisar, vice president and general manager, Large Format Printing Industrial Solutions, HP. "Printers are seeking to accommodate their customers' increasing demands for medium runs, faster turnaround and versioning within campaigns, while saving significant fixed costs and maintaining high quality. HP is committed to strengthening our offering for this segment and is proud to be at the forefront of delivering advanced technologies, like the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer, to meet this growing need."

As the beta program neared completion, HP reinforced its production and support resources to ensure a flawless commercial rollout and fast return-on-investment for print service providers (PSPs) purchasing the new printer. In just six months, HP has increased production capacity for the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer by more than 150 percent and augmented its worldwide installation resources, enabling faster installations and furthering HP's commitment to quality and customer support.

Driving the analog to digital transformation

To date, the majority of HP Scitex FB7500 Printers available for purchase in 2009 have already been sold due to increased PSP demand for a versatile, cost-effective digital production solution for high-volume and high-quality large-format applications. This intensity of demand within weeks of the printer's commercial release reflects the market's high level of excitement and confidence in the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer.

"The HP Scitex FB7500 Printer has been a valuable addition to our portfolio, resulting in a complete ROI within months and allowing us to confidently quote every job that comes to us," said John Bowers, Sr., chief financial officer, Gigantic Color. "We can now complete a project in 30 hours that once took us a week, permitting us to fulfill quantities typically handled by screen printers and opening new opportunities with our regional markets."

In recent months, HP has significantly increased its investment in research and development projects aimed at driving the analog to digital transformation. This increase will enable the company to introduce further advances in its high-end platforms and develop new innovations that bring the cost-saving and productivity gains of digital printing to an ever-expanding range of applications and production run lengths.