The move is a shot across the bows of the Creo-founded Networked Graphic Production (NGP) partners, and their work developing interoperability between members.

Its up to the body defining the standard to handle interoperability, said Agfa general manager software solutions Johan Berlaen. Another body only adds confusion, and is to my mind not right.

Berlaen highlighted the extra cost to smaller vendors in conforming to NGP as well as CIP4 interoperability requirements, and the danger of multiple versions of the standard emerging.

However, Creos EMEA marketing manager for NGP Mark Anderson insisted: We dont want to do anything that diverges from CIP4. Long term the technical work done by NGP should be taken over by CIP4.

This week NGP achieved a major milestone and published five documents defining two-way integration between MIS and post-press, MIS and production planning, MIS and pre-press, pre-press and press, and press and MIS.

A further twist has emerged because EFIs MIS division Printcafe has had its name removed from the list of NGP partners. The MIS firm, bought by EFI last year after a tussle over ownership with Creo, was one of the original firms involved in NGP.

We didnt resign, that was their [Creos] decision, said Marc Olin EFI general manager commercial print systems and former Printcafe chief executive. If they say that we have Id like to see that letter, it would have come from me, and I never sent it.

Olin and Anderson both said that Printcafe was unhappy with the terms of the expansion of NGP last year. Olin said this was due to intellectual property rights Creo was claiming for handling the administration of the group.

Olin also questioned the value of NGPs interoperability efforts. Whats the point in doing the same thing in parallel? he asked. Creo co-chairs the CIP4 MIS working group. NGP should drop interoperability, its not a standards body.

By Barney Cox.