Lynnwood, Washington, April 2, 2002 - ScenicSoft and Optichrome Computer Systems Limited (OCSL) announced today that interoperability has been established between UpFront, ScenicSoft’s innovative production planning tool, and Optimus 2020, OCSL’s modular Networked Print Management System. The data exchange between the two systems is based on the CIP4 Job Definition Format (JDF), an industry standard. OCSL will demonstrate the JDF-based product integration at IPEX 2002, held in the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England, April 9–17 (Hall 17, Stand 352). UpFront extracts job description data and other customer data essential for planning a job from JDF information supplied by the Optimus Estimating module. By attaining upstream estimation records through JDF, costly errors often associated with manual data reentry are avoided. At the back end, UpFront seamlessly integrates with ScenicSoft Preps, the world’s leading digital imposition solution, and ScenicSoft’s entire suite of prepress production tools. Both UpFront 1.5 and Preps 4.1 can also automate the setup of finishing equipment when those devices are connected to the optional digital CIP3 links offered by vendors such as Wohlenberg and POLAR-MOHR. “Only printers really understand the business of printers; as such, we are unique as a software supplier to the Graphic Arts Industry,” says Henny van Esch, managing director, OCSL International. “We aim to forge a trusting partnership with all of our customers, driving their business forward with the benefit of real-time management information. ScenicSoft’s UpFront fills the well-recognized gap between MIS and prepress systems, and therefore is a natural extension to our Optimus 2020 MIS solution. UpFront enables a direct connection between the business and execution sides of a printing organization and thereby adds a new dimension to the level of automation that can be achieved.” Forward-looking printing organizations realize that a highly integrated, end-to-end print manufacturing solution is no longer an unattainable illusion hyped by industry visionaries. Printers that are able to recognize new technology enablers such as JDF, and the pioneering products that leverage them, will be able to streamline their operations and achieve new levels of automation. A significant boost in productivity and improvement of profit margins is the ultimate reward. “Our inexpensive MIS-to-prepress bridge is rapidly gaining traction as more organizations acknowledge the strategic value of the product,” says Bert Van Hoof, ScenicSoft vice president of engineering. “Despite the fact that digital prepress systems have brought tremendous optimizations within the prepress department itself, true integration with the rest of the print manufacturing process was never achieved. It has been very rewarding to see how little time it took for MIS and finishing vendors to fully grasp UpFront’s intended value. A big sigh of relief fills the room once people realize that it is finally possible to digitally translate product intent into real manufacturing instructions. Optichrome, easily recognized as one of the leading vendors of print management systems, was one of the first vendors to catch on to our product’s potential. ScenicSoft and Optichrome have constructively worked together on a very complete integration.” ScenicSoft offers new users a time-limited evaluation copy of UpFront. This fully functional copy demonstrates how powerful UpFront is in the production environment. Hands-on training courses are also available. For more information, contact ScenicSoft sales by e-mail at [email protected], or by telephone at 425-355-6655.