It has also unveiled a raft of new versions of its products that integrate production from the design to the final fulfilment of the job, with web submission and personalisation.

Chief executive Guy Gecht gave delegates a sneak preview of firm's plans for a product to deliver the right information at the right time at its annual users' conference Connect in Miami, Florida on Monday. It will launch the new product in September at Print 05.

Gecht highlighted the need to sift out relevant information from the increasing amounts of data bombarding people to help them make the right decisions about their businesses. He cited a recent email sent by Bill Gates that stated the challenge of software now isn't about delivering information, but to deliver the right info to the right people at the right time.

He drew an analogy with healthcare, claiming that 100,000 people die each year in the US due to medical errors caused by a lack of the correct information.

"In print you're not going to kill anyone, but it might kill your business," he said.

New versions of its web submission tools PrintSmith Site, Printersite Exchange, Printersite Fulfilment and Printersite Internal were unveiled.

Features include a desktop PDF creation utility, PrintMessenger and support for personalisation. Functions for variable data printing include the ability to upload images and databases within the web browser. The firm has signed a deal with USADATA that enables a printer's customer to buy lists of prospective clients to use in direct mail campaigns while ordering the print. EFI expects to appoint list partners for the UK in the future.

Story by Barney Cox in Miami