IDEAlliance and IPA to Join Forces as of April 1st
ALEXANDRIA, VA—March 10, 2010—The membership of IPA has overwhelmingly approved a merger with IDEAlliance, an organization with a 40+ year history of developing and sharing best practices within the publishing and information technology industries.
IPA and IDEAlliance will join forces effective April 1. The new entity, which will retain the IDEAlliance name, brings together the knowledge and experience of more than 5,500 professionals from almost 500 companies to better serve members in today's fast-changing print and graphic communications environment.
The new organization will be ideally aligned to facilitate the effective adoption of cross-media workflows and technologies, combining the power of print and emerging digital technologies for greater efficiencies and better results.
IDEAlliance will be adding five IPA representatives to its Board of Directors to ensure the new organization's mission and resources accurately reflect all parts of the supply chain, from creative to cross-media output. The proposed slate of new directors is;
• Bob Cockerill, Regional Managing Director, Schawk Canada
• Chip Harding, President/COO, Harper House
• Kent Hatterick, President/CEO, Beck Graphic Solutions
• Mark Levin, President Americas, Presstek
• Marriott Winchester, Senior Vice President, SGS International
"This is an idea that's time has clearly come," said Chip Harding, Chairman of IPA. "More than two-thirds of our members cast votes, with 97% approving the merger. That alone speaks to the opportunity this partnership provides. This is clearly a case of two groups coming together to form something greater than the sum of its parts."
Guy Gleysteen, Senior Vice President of Production for Time, Inc., and IDEAlliance Chairman, pointed to the organization's expanded ability to leverage the power of emerging technologies. "Our vision involves all parts of the supply chain and is being expanded from print to cross-media. The merger of IPA into IDEAlliance supports our taking the lead in the development of specifications, education and best business practices that help our members address the next generation of technology."
About IDEAlliance
IDEAlliance (International Digital Enterprise Alliance) is a not-for-profit membership organization. IDEAlliance advances core technology to develop standards and best practices to enhance efficiency and speed information across the end-to-end digital media supply chain - creation, premedia, production, management, and delivery of knowledge-based multimedia content - digitally and in print. IDEAlliance members represent a unique convergence of the leading brand owners, agencies, publishers, printers, materials suppliers and solution providers. IDEAlliance provides a user-driven, cross-industry, and open environment in which its members can strategize, innovate, standardize, and implement solutions to real business challenges in eMedia-based publishing. Learn more about IDEAlliance at http://www.idealliance.org/.
About IPA
IPA, The Association of Graphic Solutions Providers, was founded in 1897 as the National Association of Photo-Engravers. As technology changed through the years, the Association also underwent several name changes to better reflect its membership and services provided. Ultimately, in 1984, the Association coined the term "prepress" and became known as the International Prepress Association. Always evolving with the times, IPA now represents a community of premedia professionals in the creative, corporate, print publishing, packaging and in-plant sectors within the graphic communication industry. IPA is a forum for peer networking and a vital source of business, technical, and management resources for graphic solutions providers. Learn more about IPA at http://www.ipa.org/.