CIP4 Announces 2007 International Award Program Winners

TOKYO—September 21, 2007—The International Cooperation for the Integration of the Processes in Prepress, Press and Postpress (CIP4) organization announced at IGAS 2007 the first and second place winners in all three categories for the annual The Jürgen Schönhut Memorial CIP4 International Print Production Innovation (CIPPI) Awards. The CIPPI awards are given annually to the applicant with the most compelling case study in one of three categories, which are:

• Most innovative use of process automation technology in an implementation

• Best cost/benefit realization as a result of process automation implementation

• Biggest improvement in efficiency and customer responsiveness as a result of process automation

The surprising first place winner in the “Most innovative use of process automation” category was not one, but two printing companies and a publisher/print buyer who submitted a joint application. Druckhaus Berlin-Mitte GmbH (“DBM” - Germany), Walter Grieger Offsetdruck OHG (“WGO” - Germany) & Gutenberg-Werbering Gesellschaft m.b.H. (“Gutenberg” - Austria) teamed up with Hiflex MIS, Hiflex Print Support, KBA, MAN Roland and Kodak Graphic Communications Group. Lead by DBM, the team instituted the new print procurement system “Hiflex Print Support” that allows Gutenberg to generate RFQ’s (Request for Quote’s) in an efficient manner and submit them electronically (email + JDF attachment) to DBM. The exchange between DBM and Gutenberg uses JDF for both administrative and process data. Once the job is approved for production, DBM’s internal JDF-enabled workflow uses the data created in the RFQ and estimating process via Hiflex MIS and then sent to the JDF-enabled prepress systems

and software from Kodak, as well as JDF-enabled presses from MAN Roland. Package printing aspects of any RFQ are subcontracted to WGO, who is also using Hiflex Print Support, a Hiflex MIS system and JDF-enabled KBA presses. The DBM, WGO, & Gutenberg case study is the first CIPPI award application to feature JDF-enabled integration between multiple companies. According to CIPPI Award Judge Patrick Cahuet of 1Prime|Concept, “DBM has set up new standards of success in JDF implementation in a multi-vendor and multi-company environment.”