HP: Innovation and influence

Nowhere is the changing nature of the print industry highlighted more graphically than at drupa, the mother of all print trade shows and the place that sets the agenda for the global print industry.

Printers making the trek to the giant Messe Centre this year could not fail to have been impressed by the HP hall. Firstly as it marked the turning point in the industry as it was the biggest individual booth at the show, and second by the sheer number of different print digital solutions on display, large and small, sheetfed and reelfed, covering a broadening range of applications,.

What was harder to see was the focus on applications software. Craig Hardman at HP in Australia says, “HP has developed world leading innovative print solutions, that is clear. However HP considers the print units themselves to be just part of the equation. Print business owners can increase their profitability by thinking in terms of end to end production and applying the latest software developments to optimise their output and exploit the multiple emerging opportunities.”

“Digital technology is now a fully accepted part of the commercial print industry, and is making a massive contribution to the evolution of the industry. This evolution includes a rapid reduction in labour costs, a much quicker turnaround for jobs, a demand for short run work, personalisation and a broadening of applications. However HP is moving forward and our conversation now is about the systems best suited to meeting the needs of a print business and its customers, with the print unit just a part of that system.”

Hardman points to printers in the vanguard of the industry such as Carbonate and Momento Pro as businesses that have fully understood the evolving nature of print where the application and opportunity if far more than ink on paper. He says, “Companies such as these are looking at the whole production process, they are really developing their markets and bringing innovative solutions to them Rawsons is another one, with its anti-seagull packaging for takeaway food an excellent example of providing something that is more than just print on paper; it provides the packaging needed for the food, it conveys the brand owner’s message, and it crucially addresses a real practical problem. Rawsons has shown that it has really understood the client and has had the wherewithal to develop an innovative solution.”

Partnerships

HP is big on partnerships  and collaboration. Its Indigo users have the world’s biggest and most successful user group – D Scoop – which is not an HP programme, it is user driven, although HP provides support. Hardman says, “Knowledge is power. HP indigo users have a remarkable machine, and events such as D Scoop are invaluable to them in networking with other users from around the world and discover what is working for them and what is not, how clients in different parts of the world are responding, which approaches are winning, which different applications are growing.”

The partnership also extends to projects, for instance the Griffin Press installation was a collaboration between HP, Scodix and Kolbus on the equipment side, with Currie Group and Griffin itself of course. Griffin is now, according to Kolbus, the world’s most advanced book printing facility. Hardman says, “Griifin is a study of innovation in application. Griffin’s customers want short run work, they want immediate delivery, and they do not want to carry inventory. The production system set up at Griffin enables all these requirements to be met. The system enables reel of paper to be fed in one end with a finished bound book coming out of the other. It involves several pieces of equipment integrated together. It is a partnership which has enabled Griffin to meet the changing needs of its customers, give them what they want, and has also put Griffin in a stronger position to counter threats, namely the lifting of parallel import restrictions and overseas book printers. So by implementing innovative technology, created through partnership this company has created stronger customer relationships and strengthened its own business position. That is what systems solutions do.”

HP’s global involvement means that also Australian printers benefit from the knowledge it accrues from print businesses, their customers and the markets around the world. Hardman says, “There are many similarities between print businesses and the market in Australia, Europe and North America. We are able to share this knowledge with Australian print businesses, so they can benefit.

“Printers that are transitioning need to move from selling 1000 sheets for $100 to selling 100 sheets to $1000. Printing work is now only a part of a smart business, it is everything that goes around that is just as important.”

“Entering new verticals and leveraging a printers skills in new areas is a winning strategy, and at HP we are committed to helping our customers achieve that. For instance Next Printing in Sydney has now transitioned almost entirely to a digital textile printing business, using HP solutions, and is in the vanguard of that market. It is offering a new solution to the market that enables new opportunities its clients. So the proposition is not ‘how much can you do this for it better be less than the guy down the road’, but more ‘this is going to deliver real value for us’ and pricing is set along different lines, value rather than cost.”

Tender Edge is a case in point, through the implementation of innovative new technology Pagewide XL 8000 it has broadened its application ability considerably, enabling it to enter new markets. Consulting with HP about similar businesses in different countries was a part of the process. Harman says, “For Tender Edge it is about ‘how do we get to market successfully’ and in their case it is about a business model that while successful in the past now needs to evolve as the market itself is evolving.” Traditionally providing document management and printing services for the construction industry, Tender Edge now has the opportunity to produce CAD drawings, GIS maps, point-of-sale applications and posters. Gary Jackson, business manager, Tender Edge says, “Changing customer demands have driven us to expand our offerings to include other point-of-sale applications in addition to serving our main construction customer base. The ability to print drawings economically in both colour and black and white was also a huge drawcard for us.”

PrintOS

At drupa one of the key HP launches, but which was not on the show floor, was its PrintOS (operating system). This is not to be confused with an OS on your computer which is just to operate that computer. Print OS is a whole business operating system, which includes third party apps, developed by other printers in the main. Print OS will help print business owners and managers run their businesses to a higher level. HP PrintOS is a new cloud-based print production operating. It consists of web and mobile apps designed to help print service providers boost the productivity and efficiency of their business. HP says PrintOS makes it easy to manage any number of jobs from submission to shipment, collaborate with partners and colleagues, and discover new opportunities for growth. Access the open, secure cloud-based platform anytime, anywhere. The solution will support HP Indigo digital press, HP PageWide web press, HP Scitex press, and HP Latex printer customers. HP will encourage third-party developers to have their application as part of Print OS, much as the Apple Store provides downloadable apps.

HP Inc will host the services in the cloud within Print OS, making it straightforward for printers to download and use applications as required, much as Adobe has led the way with its Creative Suite approach.

Membership of Print OS is automatic for Indigo customers on a maintenance contract, and use of the extended set of applications will either be free of charge for an introductory period, or on average a three figure sum per month. There will be no upfront cost, contrary to the investment in server based software.

OneFlow is providing two applications. One is Print OS Box which simplifies the process of loading jobs that are submitted by email or through an ftp server. This can become part of a web to print portal, and is provided free of charge for the first year. The second is SiteFlow which is the order submission application to the prepress workflow. HP Print OS will be the exclusive route to market for this and it will no longer be sold direct. 

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