A Major New Release of AbacusPCR "Print Cost Recovery and Print Tracking Software" is Announced

Today PlanWell Technologies is pleased to announce a major upgrade to its Abacus PCR print cost recovery software. Used for keeping track of printing costs and reimbursable print jobs in both an office or professional print production environment, the Company highlighted the software’s new features and functionality while maintaining the easy-to-use interface that has been a hallmark of the application since its general release in 2008.

“Once users see how much money they can recover by tracking reimbursable print costs, demand for expanded tracking capabilities spikes quickly,” said Jonathan Styrlund, product manager for Abacus PCR. “While simplicity is the key to Abacus’s popularity, once users see the potential for greater profitability, they want to capture more and different kinds of data and greater interactivity with other systems. Our new functions go a long way toward addressing those needs.”

New features in the latest release include:

• Print Retrieval – allows administrators to hold print jobs in a printer’s queue until the recipient is physically at the printer to retrieve them in order to avoid forgotten or wasted printing, and to increase security for confidential documents.
• Rules-Based Printing – sets permissions and parameters for jobs to be printed on higher-cost devices.
• Color Recognition – detects color print jobs even when sent to [multi-function] printing equipment.
• Cisco Call Manager Integration – allows the ability to track job-related phone calls and other non-printing functions such as laser cutters [and other finishing equipment].
• Third-Party Integration – includes the ability to assign project information from applications such as Newforma and PlanWell EWO to reduce redundant data entry and enhance the level of detail assigned to a print job. Printing equipment from Konica/Minolta and Sharp have also been added to the equipment Abacus can track.

For a complete list of the features and capabilities of Abacus PCR, visit http://www.abacuspcr.com/. 

If you would like to join us for a webinar that hightlights the newest features of  AbacusPCR 3.5 please sign-up by visting the following link.

Thanks.....Shaun

"Cloud Printing Services" Reprographics on the Cloud

The economy has had a major impact on the AEC industry over the last couple of years and as a result has forced many AEC firms to change the way they do business. The Great Recession has been a wake-up call for almost all firms in the Design and Construction Industry. Companies have been pressured to reevaluate their core competencies, work behaviors and workflow processes; all with the intent to keep costs down, increase productivity and stay alive.

While most AEC businesses are cutting costs many are looking for project opportunities outside of their traditional geographic areas. As your customers become more digitally savvy and begin to realize the power and efficiencies of using the Internet (Cloud) as a cost effective means of sharing and distributing project information the need for traditional local reprographic printing is going to continue to contract. Your customers will use the cloud to participate and manage projects anywhere in the world.

What does this mean for the future of reprographics? You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to project the impact this change in behavior will have on your current and future revenues. The basic premise that many of you began your reprographics business (production equipment offering centralized production printing and distribution) is being challenged on a variety of fronts.

First, clients are working with application software to create digital documents and they are sending print ready files (emailing or FTPing PDF files) out for distribution-- diminishing the demand for traditional production volumes of reprographic services like scanning, copying and printing.

Secondly, printer manufacturers continue to introduce low cost MFP devices (both LF and SF) with the goal of having convenience MFP’s in all firms of any size; again further eroding the demand for centralized production printing.

Thirdly, the advent of widely available mobile devices with interactive displays and significant computing power has redefined how people request and receive documents and marketing collateral, but has not eliminated their need for relevant printed materials (Garner). This last challenge should actually be viewed by reprographers as an opportunity.

The fact that printing will still be demanded is a good thing. The problem is, it may not be printed in the volumes of the the past or in your repro shop at all but; rather at the customer’s office or maybe in some repro shop across the country or across the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean.

So, in order to address this new paradigm shift, reprographers need to think about the opportunities to provide some type of Cloud Printing Services.

Cloud Printing Services (CPS) is a buzz word that you might want to start introducing to your customers. According to Gartner, Cloud Printing will grow to a multi-billion dollar industry in the US alone. If you want to ride the wave and let your customers leverage the power of the Cloud you should promote digital document distribution and cloud printing to your customers.

Here is what Gartner is saying about Cloud Printing.

“Cloud printing services (CPS), driven by the commoditization of print and the growth of electronic communications, has changed how, when and where people access print. CPS's "anywhere, anytime access" will drive rapid acceptance by global 1,000 companies. Print technology providers must anticipate the reduction in print volumes as pages transition to video and voice messaging by partnering with the leading players in unified communications and collaboration (UCC) to provide users with a complete solution that includes context-enriched content.”

Summary

To help our members and other reprographers position their businesses on the Cloud the PEiR Group has been busy developing Cloud Solutions for the AEC market that can be marketed by the Reprographics Industry. The solutions involve Cloud Computing Technologies (PlanWell Enterprise, PlanWell Collaborate SubHub and iShipDocs) education and training (best practices for sales and production personnel) and professional services (support , customization, advanced training and consulting).

If you are interested in knowing more about Cloud Printing Services click here  for our whitepaper.

Thanks ….Shaun

PlanWell Collaborate & AbacusPCR Awarded BERTL's BEST

If you are familiar with BERTL you know that it is recognized as one of the leading business equipment research and testing labs in the world.  Manufacturers like Xerox, Oce, Canon, KIP, HP and others submit their products to BERTL for evaluation every year. 

A BERTL’S BEST Award is a big deal to these manufactures’ as this rating helps to raise the credibility and competitive positioning of their products in certain market segments. 

Today we are pleased to announce that BERTL has tested and rated several of ARC’s software products and has given them  BERTL BEST ratings in their respective market segments.

AbacusPCR was awarded Best Print Tracking Solution in the marketplace in 2010.

According to BERTL,  AbacusPCR:

• Is a fast, comprehensive and easy to use cost recovery tool.
• Tracks all printers and copiers by; user, project, client or custom criteria as business requires.
• Has the ability to import or export any data for easy integration with any accounting system, ERP or other Business Management Tools.
• Integrates with on-board technologies of devices manufactured by KIP, Océ, Canon, Ricoh/Savin and Konica Minolta.

PlanWell Collaborate was recognized as 2010’s Best AEC Project Management and Collaboration Tool.

According to BERTL, PlanWell Collaborate’s strengths are as follows:

• Cloud based project management application requires no hardware, software or training.
• Unique and Innovative Integration with Outlook allows for an efficient Project Team Communication tool.
• All notifications reviews, comment distributions can be done through Outlook.
• The project calendar can be cross-referenced with the team's calendars.
• Notices can also be sent to non-team members through this system.
• Visual updates allow all team members to actually see the progress of the project.
• Knowledge base is accessible to all project team members on the cloud which eliminates time consuming documentation.

For the complete BERTL Report on PlanWell Collaborate click here!

Who is BERTL?
 The Business Equipment Research and Test Laboratories Inc., (BERTL) is an independent testing laboratory whose purpose is to provide objective, independent product evaluation reports and comparative analyses on imaging devices and software workflow solutions.


In order for reprographers to offset the declines in traditional printing they need to introduce new and relevant services to their AEC clients. Software tools like AbacusPCR and PlanWell Collaborate are examples of best in class technologies that can go a long way in helping reprographers diversify their businesses, while at the same time, generating high margin sales.
Let us know your thoughts!   Shaun

PEIR Adds Wynit to Vendor Partner Program

WYNIT, Inc. a leading national distributor with a 20-year history of selling internationally branded products in the consumer electronics, digital photography, print and presentation, video editing, outdoor, security and photo ID market categories has officially become a PEiR Group Preferred Vendor Partner.

As promised, The PEiR Group continues to expand it's vendor programs (47 vendors) and with the addition of Wynit you now have another distributor for both Canon and HP wide-format products and services.

Many of you already know and have worked with our national account manager at Wynit, Miguel Gonzalez, who just recently came over to Wynit from Tekgraf. For more details on the Wynit vendor program please login to the PEiR Group intranet and review the vendor library area titled Wynit.








If anyone is interested in attending the PMA (Photo Marketing Association) Convention on February 21-23 at the Anaheim Convention Center, Wynit has offered our members free passes to the PMA Exhibit Area.

To download the free pass click here:

Canon Offers PosterArtist Software-- Wide Format Poster Templates

PosterArtist is a poster creation software program designed to be used by all levels of users to create professional-posters, banners and signage in just four easy steps. This template driven poster creation tool for PCs was developed by Canon specifically to create large-format posters quickly and easily.

PosterArtist provides over 200 professionally designed templates, and over 1000 royalty free images and clip art that can be quickly customized and outputted to a variety of media. You can even import your own images such as company logos and digital camera photos. With PosterArtist, now you can quickly customize and print posters, banners, signs, and eye catching displays.

PosterArtist includes an Auto Design feature to make printing even easier-just specify your layout elements and the software will automatically generate a variety of designs for you to choose from. With PosterArtist, you can integrate variable data, enlarge scanned data, import presentations and other office documents, and bring in images directly from most digital cameras. Visit Canon's PosterArtist Website to learn more and download a trial version today!

Canon/Océ Seem Upbeat About Their Deal

While the nuts and bolts of the transaction will take months to comprehend fully—for us, as well as for them! - as a group, the Océ team seems to be embracing the deal and thinking of the merger in terms of their complementary product lines.

Specifically, they told us that Canon loves their wide format BW and color product portfolio, and their sales reach, while Océ loves Canon's WF color products.

Earlier in the week, the Canon team sent us a letter officially notifying us of their plans to acquire Océ.

Canon’s EVP and General Manager of the Imaging Systems Group wrote, “We see this acquisition as a great opportunity to expand our offerings and better serve the end-users who are your customers… Through this transaction, Canon is looking to bring together our strong offerings in office MFPs with Océ’s outstanding production printing lineup, as well as match our strong LFPs for graphics with Océ’s strong printers for sign display. We believe the two companies are a good fit as both Canon and Océ have technology-driven business models and have corporate cultures that stress the importance of R&D.”

The proof is in the pudding, but it looks like mutual respect and enthusiasm are there for the moment.

Shaun And The PEiR Group Visit Chicago - City Of "Broad Shoulders"

A couple of weeks ago I went to Chicago to attend the Print '09 Trade Show. Talking with a couple of attendees, I learned that there was a significant downturn in attendance this year. Nonetheless there were over 10,000 attendees and probably just as many vendors, and everyone was ready to do business.

All major manufacturers of printing devices were there to show off their latest technologies. Heidelberg, Agfa, Xerox, Océ, Canon, EFI, HP and a host of others displayed a variety of new digital devices and workflows (see Shaun's video, left).

One manufacturer, Agfa, demonstrated a new inkjet press called the Dotrix Modular. This revolutionary printer is capable of printing at 75 lineal feet per minute at widths of up to 24 inches. Watch the video for a demonstration of this exciting new Piezo Inkjet Technology that might someday be available for our reprographics industry!

This year, Print ’09 included a Large Format Pavilion where HP, Océ, Canon and Epson showed their latest products. HP was well positioned at the show, demonstrating their Designjet Latex Technology which is targeted for environmentally responsible outdoor print applications (signs, car wraps and textiles). According to HP, the performance of these printers is comparable to low-solvent printers. HP Latex inks are made with water and are really safe and green when compared to other traditional ink technologies. Keep your eyes open for the announcement of HP’s new 42 and 60 inch models; you might want one of these in your shops!

One message that came through loud and clear at the show was that commercial printers are busy diversifying their businesses. Just as many of you are beginning to expand your services into non-AEC markets, off-set print shops are beginning to offer POP and other large format graphic applications, as well. Info Trend research indicates that 33 percent of offset print providers are planning to add or upgrade their large format printers .

Where is printing going? I see a convergence of the various printing sectors: off-set, reprographics, sign-shops, quick printers and Print on Demand. To be successful in digital printing in the future one will require capital, the right mix of digital technologies (hardware and software) and services coupled with market and application expertise.

Okay? What do you think of my amateur video? I promise to get better!

Regards,

Shaun

I’ll take Manhattan! - Shaun Visits The Big Apple, Gauges The Future

By Shaun Meany
President, The PEiR Group

Last week I traveled to the Big Apple to meet with some of our members and attend Canon’s ImagePROGRAF Reseller Roundtable. I took some time to walk this great city and see for myself if "the city that never sleeps" was awake or not in terms of new construction around town.

I was surprised to see so many open lots with nothing being built on them. Reprographers in Gotham tell me that many projects had been put on hold for a variety of reasons - the biggest and most obvious one being a lack of funding.

It floored me. Here I was in the financial center of America and things were basically standing still. An exaggeration, maybe, but it was a matter of perception - the financial capital of the world finally appeared to be asleep.

The Canon Roundtable was interesting, an event Canon hosts in conjunction with the US Open Tennis Championships in Queens, NY. It was great to meet with some of Canon’s top resellers and learn what they are doing to be successful in their respective markets during these challenging economic times. Canon let us in on some of their new market share statistics and they confirmed that Canon is serious about large format.

They are, it seems, quickly taking market share from HP and Epson in the aqueous inkjet large format market space.

Back out on the town, I had to resist the urge to hold a finger in the air to see which way the financial winds were going to blow. We're in a waiting game, I think, but there is an underlying sense of optimism that things will pick up once money starts flowing again.

PEiR members are struggling with the reality that they can't be focused solely on AEC - still. This confuses me. You don't have to look far to see that the people who are doing the best in these stagnant times are the ones who are out there hustling new business, owners networking and mining every last dime out of connections made at social networking functions and pre-established business contacts.

Others are streamlining their pricing model, removing every last barrier that would make a customer say "Hmm, I dunno..." and offering "Read the Meter" solutions charting a company's use of services at the beginning of the month and end of the month and billing them once for everything in between.

It's clean and it's working, particularly as businesses are watching every penny and can't afford to spend more time than they have to accounting for them.

There are some other trends developing in the market... we'll talk about them in the days to come.

In the meantime, stay in touch and let us know how you're doing.

Regards,

Shaun

Canon Offers Link For FREE Exhibits-Only Pass To Print '09

"Freebie" Notice!

Here's a link for all PEiR Group members interested in attending Print '09 in Chicago - and who would like FREE access to the exhibits during the show, courtesy of Canon.

Click HERE for your free Exhibits-Only pass to the show, Sept. 11-16.

All badges will be mailed directly to the customer if they register prior to August 14. Badges cannot be picked up on-site unless the actual person is present.

The cutoff for FREE registration is August 26.

Bertl's Names the Best of 2009: Canon's imagePROGRAF Shines

Bertl's has chosen Canon's imagePROGRAF iPF820 as the "Best Value for 44" Technical Document Printer for the 14th annual selection of top imaging equipment.

Bertl's called the imagePROGRAF iPF820 as "best value" overall and cited the rationale for its decision:
• Price point for a 5 color ink-jet two roll printer
• Two roll system with semi automated load of a roll
• DoD 52220.22M security compliant
• Top speed of 688 sq ft/hr
• Economy printing mode that reduces ink consumption
by almost half (40%)
• CAD/STATION PS+ color RIP for added color
matching and postscript support with the iPF820 Pro

Something to consider...

Sneak A Peek At Canon's imagePROGRAF Large Format Printers

Canon's Large Format Printer Division is providing a sneak peek at four of their new technical document and general use large format printers.

These completely redesigned printers have been built to provide end users outstanding operating convenience with their fully accessible front settings panel and assisted paper loading functionality. The reduced footprint makes these new sleek models a small, yet powerful addition to any shop or print location.

These new models bring CAD (Computer-Aided Design), GIS (Geographic Information Systems), and General Use large format printing to a whole new level.

Highlights of the new 36” iPF755/750 & 24” iPF655/650 printers:

• New magenta ink for brighter reds and blues
• New print head for cleaner lines and sharper text
• 18% speed increase in draft mode compared to the iPF720/iPF710
• Greater throughput speed with gigabit support
• Front loading roll media for greater end-user convenience
• iPF755 & iPF655 include 80GB hard drive
• New stackable media basket with the capability to neatly organize output
• Sub ink tank system to change ink without interrupting printing
• New dual blade cutter allows for faster cutting and increased durability
• New Accounting Manager provides cost accounting functionality
• Reduced C02 emissions through a smaller frame and reduced packaging requirements
• Includes PosterArtist Lite along with other workflow applications

For a pre-recorded webinar on these machines, click HERE.

These units will be officially launched at the IRgA Convention & Tradeshow on April 29th in Pittsburgh, PA and will begin shipping in early May. Pricing and promotions on these models will be released in the coming weeks. Product brochures, pricing, and images will be posted to ipfresellers.com when available.

Recently, imagePROGRAF was recognized by InfoTrends as having the number two market share for the wide format aqueous inkjet printer market above 24-inches wide, based on 2008 shipments. With the introduction of these four units and the features that they bring to the General Use and Technical Document Markets, we are confident that you will be able to help us increase that share for 2009.

Visit ipfresellers.com to view the current imagePROGRAF printer lineup.

BLI Picks Canon imagePROGRAF iPF820

The Canon imagePROGRAF iPF820 has earned a Fall 2008 Buyers Laboratory Inc. (BLI) "Pick" award for "Outstanding Wide-Format Color Inkjet Multipurpose Printer."

The 44-inch iPF820 is one of the few wide-format inket printers on the market with a two-roll capacity, and is compatible with more than 30 Canon media types, including various weight bond papers for technical printing applications, numerous gloss and satin paper for photographic output and even adhesive-backed vinyl material for sign and graphics applications.

"The unit's output speed was impressive. But also notable was its ability to switch between rolls so much faster than the competition, requiring an average of just four seconds," said David Sweetnam, BLI's European lab and research manager.

Yuichi Miyano, European marketing director for Canon's Large Format Solutions, says: "The iPF820 is an example of Canon's leading technology and tradition for high quality, outstanding colors and exceptional print needs."

Each year, BLI gives special recognition to two products it finds provide the most outstanding performance after exhaustive laboratory testing.

Canon Golden Eagle Spiffs Increase for December 2009

Member Alert from The PEiR Group:

Canon has increased the Golden Eagle spiff amounts for all 36" and larger model printers for the month of December.

October and November sales will receive the original point values.

There are some great deals to be had out there right now and we'll do our best to bring them all to your attention. Let us know if we can help in any way.

Otherwise, give Frank DeMartino at Canon a call at (847)571.0005.

Canon Introduces imagePROGRAF iPF820/iPF820 PRO and iPF810/iPF810 PRO Large Format Printers

A Special Notice From, The PEiR Group

The Large Format Printer Division is pleased to introduce the new 44-inch imagePROGRAF iPF820/iPF820 PRO and iPF810/iPF810 PRO large format printers, developed specifically to meet the production demands of the technical documents market.

These four new printers help round out the imagePROGRAF technical document and general use line-up with their 44 inch printing width and production features. Here is a look at some of the main highlights of these new printers:
• 5 Color Dye/Pigment Reactive Ink Set – 330ml & 700ml ink tanks available
• Sub ink tank system for continuous printing
• Automatically Switching Dual Media Rolls for iPF820 and iPF820 PRO
• New 80GB Hard Drive w/advanced security features
DOD compliant - DoD5220.00-M
• Newly redesigned HDI Driver for quicker spooling time
• Fastest iPF Printers at 2 D-size prints a minute
• Economy Print Mode
• Independent Rotary Cutter for faster throughput on multiple page documents
• A high-capacity media basket comes standard on both the iPF820 and the iPF810 for long, unattended print runs
• Optional 300 sheet capacity plain paper stacker (available 4th Quarter 2008)
• New PRO Models with CADlSTATION PS+
Genuine Adobe Postscript® workflow
Client – Server architecture with unlimited number of clients
Web job submission functionality
Drag and Drop – hot folder feature
Accounting functionality tracks output activity
The iPF820/iPF820 PRO and iPF810/iPF810 PRO are available for order immediately and will begin shipping around October 1st.
Item number and pricing information (pricing located on the PEiR Group website) is as follows:

Item No. Description
3116B002AA imagePROGRAF iPF820
3116B007AA imagePROGRAF iPF820 PRO
2982B002AA imagePROGRAF iPF810
2982B007AA imagePROGRAF iPF810 PRO
1465B012AA Roll Holder Set RH2-44 (2”core w/3”adaptor)
1320B012AA Maintenance Cartridge
1709B001AA Media Take-up-unit TU-06 (iPF810/810 PRO only)
1317B001AA IEEE1394 Expansion Board EB-05
7025A020AA PosterArtist 2008
Marketing Tools and Premier Partner Programs are available for download HERE.