Application Partner Solutions Integrate with the Modular, Expandable Switch Automation Platform
Gent, Belgium – August 25, 2011 – Enfocus Crossroads* partners, whose solutions are configured to work with leading automation solution Enfocus Switch, are congratulating Enfocus on Switch’s receipt of the 2011 InterTech Technology Award. Printing Industries of America announced the Award earlier this month.
“The Award is creating even more interest in the Switch automation platform, and the quality solutions that integrate with it,” says Fabian Prudhomme, Vice President of Enfocus. Although any application can integrate with Switch, Prudhomme says that Crossroads partners are typically best in class developers and marketers. These partners and their customers, he says, have come to realize the exponential value Switch provides with rapid, flexible automation; extensive configurability and ease of use.
Crossroads partners comments on the Enfocus Switch 2011 InterTech Technology Award include: (click on the image to access hi-res logo file)
Elie Khoury – President, Alwan Color Expertise
We congratulate Enfocus on the 2011 InterTech Technology Award for Switch. The Enfocus Switch platform enables hundreds of Alwan CMYK Optimizer users to extend the available automation options through a high level of workflow integration. Specifically, PowerSwitch enables upstream processing of received data necessary for color standardization. Downstream in the workflow, Switch enables Alwan’s award-winning color standardization software to drive any output workflow, offset, gravure and various forms of digital printing with the appropriate high quality color.
Dwight Kelly – President, Apago
Apago has been developing customized high-volume workflows for printers and publishers since 1991. These workflows required a collection of custom-developed scripts for managing hot-folders, queues and processes. Enfocus PowerSwitch allows us to concentrate on solving our customer’s process issues instead of the supporting framework. We can easily leverage commercial software, custom developed software and scripts, XML, JDF, databases and web services. Once implemented, our customers can manage their flows using Switch’s intuitive Dashboard and Client.
Karina Zander – Marketing and Sales Manager, axaio software
Everybody can save a document manually from Adobe InDesign/Illustrator or Quark XPress. But when you have an extensive editorial team, the reality is that you need fully automated and standardized processes to obtain consistent results. The integration of MadeToPrint in Switch results in exactly that. The combination provides strict enforcement of output formats, naming conventions and output locations. Thanks to the drag-and-drop workflow creation in Switch and the MadeToPrint configurator, automation is affordable and easy to implement and maintain.
Olaf Drümmer – CEO, callas software
We’re happy to see Switch win this prize as it’s a recognition not only for Switch, but also for all of the vendors developing applications that integrate with Switch. pdfToolbox and pdfaPilot alone provide flexible automation of PDF-related tasks such as PostScript to PDF conversion, creation of PDF/X and PDF/A, visual comparison, impositioning, preflight and correcting. Integrating these tools into larger workflows using a simple automation product brings substantial additional benefit for our customers.
Barbara Braun-Metz – owner and CEO, ColorLogic GmbH
In difficult times, with economical pressure, it is even more important to ensure safe and reliable production. Solutions such as Enfocus Switch help to improve and straighten production lines. On the other hand, it is obvious that nobody can be an expert for every single step in complex environments. Therefore the open architecture of Switch in combination with high-end tools, such as our PDF color server ZePrA, allows professionals to address every requirement in the best possible way.
François Guérard – CEO, Dynagram
Our decision to become an Enfocus Crossroads partner has resulted in many benefits for Dynagram customers. Switch drives fast and powerful automation that maximizes Dynagram’s abilities both with and without other integrated applications. The alliance with Crossroads has also resulted in broader market reach for Dynagram. We are all judged by the company we keep, and adding a prestigious InterTech Award from Printing Industries of America raises the level of distinction Enfocus Switch and Crossroads already enjoy. Dynagram is proud to be associated with this company.
John de Jong – CEO, Elpical Software
At Elpical we know our way around images, and when it comes down to it, automatic image analysis and image optimization are our bread and butter. But to be really successful we also need to offer our customers the ability to automate the other parts of their image workflows. Full integration with Switch allows us to focus on our core image technology without having to worry that we’ve got a good automation platform. In Switch, we have a great onel Switch has set the standard for the next generation of automation, and apparently the InterTech judges agree. We are happy to be in the company of the best in class.
Peter Claes – Owner, Pragmeta
We congratulate Enfocus on the Switch 2011 InterTech Technology Award. Switch has already proven to our customers what its unique automation features are and how it streamlines the workflow processes within their production environment. Receiving the Award is confirmation to us that we made the right choice to collaborate with Enfocus to integrate our Metaboard with Switch. Metaboard is the dashboard for a customer’s operation and helps streamline the file intake, automated preflighting, imposition of jobs and many other processes. It links to MIS to retrieve job data and to provide data that the MIS wasn’t able to collect.
David van Driessche – CTO, Four Pees
Many market segments view traditional production as an art, and automation is sometimes frowned upon. However, economic realities force companies to move to more standardized production. If we want to make our customers successful, we must support automation in our products on different levels, without hampering creativity. That is why ProofMaster and PrintFactory support XML and JDF based automation and seamlessly integrate with solutions such as Switch.
James Lewis – Managing Director, Pro2col Group
Hermstedt StingRay provides complete file transfer automation in conjunction with Switch. Users can benefit from starting the workflow right, the first time and every time, with our web browser file delivery and XML Job Tickets. Switch can also initiate outgoing file transfer automation, making use of StingRay’s Email download links option. This provides an option for sharing files simply and securely, without the hassles of FTP or email attachment limits. With Hermstedt StingRay a Switch workflow has incoming and outgoing file transfer covered.
Kevin Burke – Director of Business Development, Remote Director, LLC
Congratulations to Enfocus on achieving the 2011 Intertech award. Remote Director is proud to be a Crossroads partner with the Switch solution. Customers around the world have come to recognize that the combination of Switch and Remote Director is the perfect integrated soft proofing solution.
Hans Janssen – CEO, WoodWing Software
In today’s media production with its high demands on economic feasibility, workflow efficiency is of utmost importance. Our cross-media publishing system Enterprise, with its content management application Content Station, is a versatile platform for the efficient creation and production of print, online and mobile publications. With the enhanced integration of WoodWing Enterprise and Enfocus Switch, publishers are now able to automate even more of their media production processes. This allows publishers to focus on more value-added tasks.
“Enfocus is privileged to partner with these category leaders,” says Enfocus Global Account Manager for Crossroads & OEM, Angelo Manno. “Together we are providing the industry with an economical, quality method for greatly speeding up production flows. Users can choose from an extensive list of partner applications that integrate with Switch, and accommodate the production requirements that are specific to them.”
About Enfocus Switch
Enfocus Switch, available in several versions, is a modular, open automation platform that gives printers, publishers, and ad agencies the tools to accomplish repetitive tasks associated with receiving, processing, and sorting files automatically.
Switch collects incoming files, sorts the files into different folders, and routes them through predetermined processing steps. Existing software investments are protected, as Switch easily integrates and therefore automates functionality derived from third-party applications. All of this functionality is driven by a visual flow editor that allows users to easily create automated workflows or import pre-designed flows from the Enfocus Crossroads community website.
About Enfocus
Enfocus provides modular and affordable tools safeguarding job quality and enabling automation throughout the complete production chain. Innovative solutions improve communication between design and production while enhancing productivity and predictability through automation of routine tasks.
Step-by-step deployment dramatically increases added value without forcing users to completely rethink their way of doing business. Well-known brands include Instant, PitStop and Switch.
Enfocus is a business unit of EskoArtwork and has its headquarters in Gent, Belgium.
About EskoArtwork
EskoArtwork is a global supplier of integrated solutions for packaging, sign and display finishing, commercial printing and professional publishing. Its products and services help customers raise productivity, reduce time-to-market, lower costs and expand business.EskoArtwork employs around 1050 people worldwide. Its global sales and support organization covers Europe, the Americas and the Asia Pacific and is completed by a network of distribution partners in more than 45 countries.
EskoArtwork is headquartered in Gent, Belgium, and has R&D and manufacturing facilities in five European countries, the United States, China and India. The consolidated full year financials ended for 2010 with revenue of EUR 184.1 million.
*Crossroads is a community which is centered around Switch automation. It provides a meeting point through the web, at seminars, events and other venues; where users and vendors can learn about application integration with Crossroads partners. A dedicated www.crossroads-world.com web portal provides users valuable resources that they will not find anywhere else on the web.
One new resource is an automation whitepaper entitled The Truth About Automation. Hundreds have downloaded the whitepaper since its release a few weeks ago. To download, click here.
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Further Information
HSPR, Helene Smith
Tel: +1 321 388 6511
Enfocus
Fien Porrez
Tel.: +32 9 216 98 08
fienp@enfocus.com