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300 attendees at 2009 conference share how Kodak technology can drive efficiency and create new revenue
ORLANDO, Fla., May 22, 2009—The power of partnership fueled a three-day meeting of the Kodak Graphic Users’ Association (GUA) May 17-20 in Orlando, Fla. In a program themed “Efficiency Revealed,” nearly 300 attendees shared best practices and helped shape the future of Kodak’s products and solutions.
A challenged economy and the digital revolution drove discussion throughout the conference. Many of the program sessions focused on how print service providers can use Kodak technologies to offer more to their customers in the emerging business model of “marketing service providers.”
“Everything changes when we start thinking of ourselves as in the communications business,” said Andy Paparozzi, Chief Economist and Vice President of NAPL (http://www.napl.org/ProfSvcsGroup/documents/Paparozzibio8-06.pdf), who delivered the keynote address on day one of the conference. “We have to work in harmony with our customers to achieve their desired results on all communication fronts—print, web and marketing.”
Kodak developers and product managers conducted more than 50 workshops, focusing on everything from the newest developments in CTP to the future of Kodak Unified Workflow to updates on Kodak’s groundbreaking Stream Inkjet technology. The conference exemplified how the combination of Kodak’s expertise and portfolio of conventional and digital solutions can help customers grow their businesses.
“Marketers need to show return on investment, and they want help with services beyond print. This is a customer-led revolution, and the right response is to move from print service provider to marketing service provider,” said Jon Bracken, Vice President, Marketing and Channels, Enterprise Solutions, Kodak. Bracken talks more about the transition to marketing service provider at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyeR5IlSe5g.
InfoTrends analyst Bryan Yeager, who reported via Twitter from the conference (http://twitter.com/bryanyeager), sees value in the GUA’s emphasis on efficiency. “As printers continue to face economic pressures, increasing job efficiency to control costs and improve turnaround time is crucial,” said Yeager. “Implementing workflow and enabling automation are keys to achieving greater efficiency, and the focus on this topic at Kodak GUA’s conference is very relevant as printers strive to improve processes.”
Kodak Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Hayzlett kicked off the second day of the conference, using Kodak’s own successful digital transformation as an example of how print companies can reshape their businesses. “We’ve been through one of the biggest turnarounds in American business history. We want our customers to continue to provide us with feedback and input so that we can continue to change and grow as a company,” Hayzlett said. See more of Hayzlett’s address at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPvDqs1EzfE.
Susan Kinney of The Castle Press in Pasadena, Calif., and a GUA board member attended the conference and believes the GUA delivers benefits to her business all year long. “I think the big thing that differentiates us are the online forums that we have so people can talk to each other. If they have a problem, they can instantaneously go online and they have 5,500 people that can answer their question,” Kinney said. A full interview with Kinney is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK7nSTDflEc.
Kodak introduced GUA attendees to its newly formed Business Solutions and Services Group, the organization at Kodak that encompasses workflow and software solutions for graphic communications, as well as document imaging, service and support and enterprise wide solutions for marketers and businesses. An interview with Dolores Kruchten, General Manager, Business Solutions and Services Group, is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNRv67VPkZo.
About Kodak
As the world's foremost imaging innovator, Kodak helps consumers, businesses, and creative professionals unleash the power of pictures and printing to enrich their lives. To learn more, visit www.kodak.com, and our blogs: 1000words.kodak.com, and 1000nerds.kodak.com.
Source: Kodak Press Release
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