The system will enable solution print service providers to manage blended print runs for multiple offset and digital presses from a single interface.

"It’s something that our customers have been asking for and the EFI Kodak relationship is not new, it’s something that’s been building for a number of years," Barb Willans, Kodak’s worldwide director of marketing for Workflow, explained to PrintWeek. "We announced it last year at EFI Connect and we went through a stringent global testing process and it just exited beta."

The companies noted the two-way flow of data between PRINERGY Workflow and FIERY Servers including EFI Fiery, Fiery Central and Fiery Wide Format Presses, allows users to  drive output to the most suitable device for the job, schedule jobs more easily, and maximize press usage. 

It also provides critical tracking and reporting information while its centralized control enables users to quickly direct jobs to offset or digital systems using the same content files and dynamic layouts for the target device.

"It’s really all about an integrated work flow, which is our strategy," added Willans. "It really cuts back on things that drive up costs and the potential for errors and that’s something our customer base wants in a blended production."

Willans said the solution will be available globally immediately, and follows a very extensive global beta testing. "It was definitely showcased at Drupa—we actually exited beta during the second week of the show and we were part of EFI’s booth. It’s been quite a long process so we also showed it at the GOA earlier this year."