In one of its first voting decisions since Networked Graphic Production (NGP) became an independent, industry-wide organisation; the NGP Partners have approved four new partners that will join this strategic initiative. The new NGP Partners include prepress workflow vendors Global Graphics Software and Rampage Systems, digital content management and distribution provider WAM!Net, and management information system developer Tharstern Limited.
Networked Graphic Production now includes 33 member companies. These NGP Partners are developing JDF-based, cross-vendor integrated solutions that are designed to automate production processes and enable NGP Partners’ solutions to link efficiently with each other.
Members also passed a majority vote that requires all NGP Partners to become members of CIP4—the organisation that creates and oversees the JDF specification. The majority of NGP Partners are already CIP4 members.
The NGP Partners decided that being a member of CIP4 is a natural prerequisite for membership since the NGP partnership is committed to actively participate in the evolution of the JDF specification, and will ensure that the efforts of the NGP partnership support the goal of making JDF the standard for integration across vendors in the graphic arts industry.
NGP has also announced that the roadmap to JDF integration across the NGP Partners is on track and progress was made at two recent technical meetings that were held in Europe and the United States.
Technical specialists from each NGP working group (MIS and Production Planning, Creative and Prepress, Press, and Postpress) representing members of Networked Graphic Production Partners, recently attended meetings in Düsseldorf, Germany and Chicago, USA to define the integration points that will determine the highest value to customers. These meetings were successful and development timelines are on target.
