Described as ‘the first fully integrated and managed end-to-end business software solutions for printers of any application and size’ Kodak’s new Prinergy On Demand Business Solutions combine the company’s own workflow with software and services from Microsoft, PrintVis and Vpress to cover all aspects of a printer’s business.
The new subscription-based offerings combine full versions of MS Office, CRM (customer relationship management), MIS and ERP (enterprise resource planning) functions with collaborative working, web-to-print and the Prinergy On Demand print production workflow software in one cloud-based platform. The intention is for this to facilitate smooth and efficient running of printing companies by eliminating the need to install, integrate and maintain different software components from separate suppliers.
The software is hosted on the Microsoft Azure platform for security and reliability. Kodak says it has built industry-specific analytics and AI capabilities on top of this and is responsible for integration, IT administration and maintenance through its Managed Services operation. The print-specific ERP and MIS capability came from PrintVis and is based on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, while the web-to-print, VDP authoring and e-commerce storefront elements all come from Vpress.
Kelvin Bell, sales director at Cheltenham-based Vpress, told Digital Printer, ‘This global deal has been months in development and involves full integration of Vpress technology into the Kodak environment. It’s a great opportunity for us to gain access to Kodak’s market. In the current environment, the ability to engage with customers is paramount, not an option, and a good architecture within the Cloud allows deployment from anywhere.’ He noted that while Kodak will provide direct end-customer support on all aspects of the new software, Vpress is busy providing the necessary training to Kodak support and technical staff.
‘Kodak’s Prinergy On Demand Business Solutions bring the convenience and cost-effectiveness of fully-integrated, subscription-based software solutions to the printing industry,’ said Todd Bigger, vice president, Print, Kodak. ‘Printers get the peace of mind of seamless, automated, print-specific solutions without the finger-pointing, complexity and hidden costs of having to integrate products from different vendors.’
‘We are excited to work with Kodak as a new PrintVis Partner. PrintVis’ overall market presence will be strengthened with Kodak’s strong reputation and expertise in the print industry,’ said Kasper Tomshøj, CEO of PrintVis. ‘Together we are able to deliver a full array of print-specific software for customers on a global scale.’
The Prinergy On Demand business Solutions will be available in Western Europe, Canada and the USA from 1 January 2021.
