WAM!NETs Direct! system is providing network connectivity for The Economist between its London publishing headquarters and seven worldwide print sites.


The magazine has only just moved to four-colour production after a major redesign (PrintWeek, 18 May) and head of publishing systems Roy Saunders said the WAM!NET system would offer "considerable savings in time and cost".


St Ives Peterborough handles the UK edition, while Roto Smeets in Holland and Switzerlands Druckerei & Winterthur handle the European edition.


Times Printers in Singapore and Times Ringier in Hong Kong print the Far East edition, with Virginias Perry Judds and Quebecor World in California handling the US and Latin American editions. Printing of the Middle East and Africa edition is divided between the European sites.


Saunders said all editions, ranging from 160-240pp, were sent to the print sites over a 24-hour period.


"The last 40 editorial pages are commonly transmitted in the final hours before deadline providing us with the ability to print the latest breaking news possible in each edition," he added.


Times Ringier was the last site to move to WAM!NET in March. The magazine had been using WAM!NET since 1999 for its Californian printer.


Saunders also said he was confident that WAM!NET would survive despite it laying off 105 staff in the US and fears about its need to secure more funding (PrintWeek, 4 May).


"It has some very strong backers and its almost the de facto standard in the US," he said.


Story by Gordon Carson