Page 33 - Print 21 Magazine Nov-Dec 2018

Software Conference
Based on print
It’s no coincidence that much of XMPie software is based on Adobe programs: in its early days, XMPie was focused on developing personalisation in print. Scitex already had
a program that did personalisation on top
of an Adobe product called Darwin. It began from there.
“When Xerox looked at personalisation in print and in digital media, the choice was to either go for Adobe, which was the up and coming standard, or QuarkXPress. We choose Adobe because it looked like the stronger and more versatile product,” said Szabo-Melamed.
“We like the decision more and more. While Xerox is now introducing digital abilities such as six colours with gold, silver, and clear, for us it’s easily done, it’s our norm. Then e-signatures came, and a lot
of our customers are interested in digital signatures. A lot are interested in interactive PDFs too. We’re right there on top of Adobe, so it’s really not much work for us to do. That early decision has been paying off.
“Web is a little bit different because there is no standard for web. What we basically say is, develop your website whichever way you want to. We have a technology called OpenXM, where you can plug into XMPie by writing directives inside the HTML and everything works.”
Coding experts fly in
The XMPie Innovation event centred on an elite troupe of Israeli software engineers, marketers and product specialists who made the journey to the picturesque resort north of Cairns. Led by vice presidents Yaron Mohaban, Yaron Tomer and Idan Youval, they came to promote and explain, instruct and listen to the audience of printers and IT specialists. This was a far cry from the common industry holiday jaunt to the tropics. This audience paid
its own way to sit and listen, to learn the latest tips and tricks, to see the infernally difficult made relatively easy.
Software that drives such operations as e-commerce websites and VPD campaigns is complex. It is no place for the uninitiated, which is why there is so much value in the event. Addressing such topics as using XMPie server APIs in powering ecommerce operations and introducing the new uStore X platform, the deeply technical presentations were avidly attended.
The missteps and machinations of web commerce are familiar to most people, but XMPie know-how on how to implement protocols to enhance the effectiveness
of web services is gold to those print companies constructing and selling websites. Information on such e-commerce protocols as dealing with an ‘abandoned shopping
cart’ by using cross media to augment the customer experience was listed as ‘when
cross media meets uStore.’ Idan Youval explained the advantages of being able
to call customers back with the offer of
a coupon, followed up by personalised reminders that they now have a value item awaiting their return.
Building web-to-print portals using XMPie’s uStore (while learning about
and contributing suggestions to the development of the upcoming uStore X) told attendees how they could add extensibility via professional services modules and integrations. According to Igor Vorobeychik, using such relatively arcane capabilities
as security assertion mark-up language (SAML) and single sign on (SSO) means that creating a business card based on a person’s information in say Salesforce.com becomes a simple task. Using the web-to-print portal to send direct mail to a group of recipients with the sender’s contact information, as it appears in Salesforce.com, becomes another easy task.
With the arrival of automated press control much of the traditional skills of printers is no longer relevant. The arrival of e-commerce and VDP software such as XMPie more than compensates in terms of skill and intellectual property. 21
Main: Between sessions at Palm Cove, the Dashing Group mingled with
the hosts: Yaron Tomer (XMPie) standing, Chris Collier, Dashing Group, Nimi Gorali, Dashing Group, Ayelet Szabo-Melamed (XMPie), Dan Ries, Dashing Group, Yaron Mohaban and Enda Kavanagh (XMPie).
Clockwise from below: A typical high-energy, good-humoured presentation by the printIQ dynamic duo, Adrian Flemming and Mick Rowan, left no doubt that XMPie is an integral element in addressing the needs of commercial printers. Moving seamlessly between print production and MIS to the creation of e-commerce portals and website creation, they proved why printIQ with XMPie is winning so many software tenders across the industry.
Craig Honey, CEO, and Jonathan Collingridge, CTO, of MSP Photography were deeply engaged with XMPie technology.
Leading from the front, Ayelet Szabo-Melamed and Enda Kavanagh set the agenda for the inaugural XMPie event.
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