Central to the new cloud platform is its Decision Analytics engine, powered by Yellowfin’s Business Intelligence software, which is designed to reduce costs and risk by monitoring production in real-time, continually collecting production data and sending the print operator reports on processes such as colour usage and print passes.

Hosted on the Microsoft Azure platform, Kodak’s Prinergy Cloud can be integrated with printers’ existing Kodak software and according to the manufacturer will lower operating costs by reducing hardware and administrative overheads.

Kodak will be demonstrating the benefits of the new platform at PrintWeekLive!, which takes place at the Wasps Arena, Coventry on 8-9 March.

Touted to be the print industry’s first analytics-enabled workflow, Prinergy Cloud’s System Performance Service provides the print production reporting while its File Archive and Backup feature protects against data loss and provides automated archiving.

"We've heard a common theme with customers saying there has been so much done over the years to shorten cycle time and automate, that they are reaching a point where it is hard to see where they can make additional improvements," said Kodak's Unified Workflow Solution portfolio manager, Steve Miller.

"So this is where we realised that having an analytics-enabled workflow must be our driving principle. Everything we do for new services going forward will be analytics enabled. Machine data that can help our custmers understand where there are productivity issues will be presented in a way that they can drill through and see data in a visually simple manner."

"Our driving force is that we wanted to add value and not just take our existing software and add it to the cloud," he added.

Customers can subscribe to the service from $249 per month, which includes the file archive and backup service, the Decision Analytics dashboard, RBA automation and 500GB of storage. Subscription packages are also available for 1TB and 2TB packages with anything above 2TB customised specifically for each user. 

Miller explained that the new service would work as a hybrid model using both cloud and on-premises software and that he expected all existing Prinergy Archive customers to migrate across to it.

"They are currently paying for the administrative costs to maintain their local area network, which they need to back up for example, but with this they are getting all the benefits of automation with none of the added costs, because everything is included in their package," he said.

Yellowfin’s senior vice-president of global sales, Peter Baxter called the new service a first for the print services industry.

He added: “Prinergy Cloud’s Decision Analytics capability empowers print service providers to effectively and efficiently monitor their production costs in real-time, improving operational performance and boosting profits.”

Elsewhere, Kodak is using this year's Hunkeler Innovation Days event in Lucerne, Swizerland to show the latest developments in its Stream and Ultrastream Technology. First debuted at Drupa 2016, the manufacturer's next-generation inkjet technology is said by the company to put production inkjet into the mainstream of commercial printing and packaging, labels and home decor.

Using Stream's drop technology, Ultrastream will deliver round, uniform satellite-free dots 10 times faster than drop-on-demand using a single array of printheads, according to the manufacturer. Available in widths up to 98in, the modular writing system will print at resolutions up to 600x1,800dpi at speeds of up to 150m/min. 

On Kodak's stand at the event, which is taking place this week (20-23 February), visitors will see printed samples, prototypes and various configurations of its Ultrastream Technology.

According to the manufacturer, the development timeline for the technology remains on track to produce Evaluation Kits later this year with 17 OEMs having signed letters of intent to "explore the integration" of Ultrastream into their own future technologies. 

Kodak has also unveiled its newest digital front end, Kodak 800 Print Manager, at this week's event. The system, designed to drive Kodak's high-speed presses, is suitable for a wide range of applications including commercial, book, direct mail, transactional, newspaper and packaging printing.