WebCenter in action.
Esko has received a 2006 Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) InterTech Technology Award for its WebCenter product. WebCenter is part of Esko’s Scope suite of packaging pre-press software. It basically is a communication platform that brings together all packaging supply chain partners—from brand owner to retailer—to discuss jobs, perform approvals, and view 3D models of products with their packaging. WebCenter is the second recent Esko product recipient of an InterTech Award. The FastVariants suite of workflow tools received a 2003 Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF) InterTech Technology Award.
The Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF), now known as The Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) created the InterTech Technology Award as an industry service to promote an understanding of advanced technology in the graphic arts, honoring innovative excellence. The criteria for nomination stress that the technology be recently developed, proven in an industrial application, but not yet in widespread use. For over a quarter of a century, the recipients of this prestigious award have not only proven to have a major impact on the graphic communications industry, but they have also consistently been commercially successful in the marketplace. Of the prior award recipients, 80 percent have proven commercially successful in the marketplace.
A special committee comprised of industry technical experts carefully reviewed the nominations and made selections. While package printing, touchless workflow and automation were a common theme for many of this year’s product entries, judges specifically had praise for WebCenter, noting, “With its seamless, end-to-end hands-free production, the packaging industry has needed this.” Judges also cited the product’s ease of use, and the customer-focused front end. “Everyone can look at the same package at the same time.” Just as important, WebCenter’s ability to create 3D product views was deemed significant, particularly with its packaging focus.
“WebCenter has enabled us to easily integrate the system into three different business areas—for package, commercial, and large format printing. Key for us was availability of on-line collaboration tools, and the ability to utilize 3D structural viewing, as well as individual separation viewing,” noted Craig LaBossiere, Packaging Manager, OPTIUM, in his testimonial letter that accompanied the award application. “When a CSR releases a file to WebCenter, anyone in the chain—a printer, creative director, or brand owner, for example—will receive an email invitation to log in, review the file, make any annotations and send comments. Critical for us will be the resultant action history, a record of edits and job approvals.”
