Production Printing & Media

Digital Front-Ends: Understanding Customer

Requirements and Market Dynamics

A Questex CompanyListen Now

T h i s s t u d y i s d e s i g n e d t o p r o v i d e i n s i g h t i n t o m a r k e t d y n a m i c s a n d

c u s t o m e r r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r d i g i t a l f r o n t - e n d s .

>>Introduction

As digita l f ront ends (DFEs) are gett ing more

powerful , product ion pr inter OEMs, DFE vendors,

R IP-technology providers, and other companies

with an interest in the DFE market space, have

a need to understand how customer require-

ments and the market dynamics are evolv ing.

Whi le DFEs have become more dynamic, so has

the workf low in which they are part , result ing

in funct ional i t ies start ing to blur. Technological

developments, such as nat ive PDF render ing and

c lustered r ipping to dr ive high-end product ion

devices, wi l l impact the DFE market in the years

to come. Understanding why PSPs choose a

D i g i t a l F r o n t - E n d s : U n d e r s t a n d i n g C u s t o m e r

R e q u i r e m e n t s a n d M a r k e t D y n a m i c s

part icular DFE and what funct ional i t ies they

require is essent ia l information for next-

generat ion product planning, and ident i f icat ion

of opportunit ies such as strategic expansion,

serv ice-offer ings, and partnerships.

At the same t ime, this study a ims to provide

ins ights in the DFE market by providing market

share ins ights by duty cyc le, speed breakdown,

vendor, and environments. Understanding

customer requirements, combined with

actual share data, i s an important mechanism

to ident i fy and just i fy future product investment

decis ions.

>>Project ObjectivesThis study wi l l address cr i t ica l i ssues inc luding:

• P lacements and insta l led base of digi ta l color

product ion equipment, with DFE spl i ts of :

> Creo, EF I , and OEM solut ions

> By vendor in each duty cycle and speed category

• DFE deployment: embedded, bustled (built-in server),

or as stand-alone server

• Understanding brand preferences

> Why do PSPs se lect a part icular brand?

• Understanding future requirements around

scalabi l i ty, integrat ion, remote access/control

• Understanding connect iv i ty to digita l and hybr id

workf lows

> What percentage of PSPs has a direct integrat ion

between DFE and their workf low management

system

> Understanding sat isfact ion levels , bott lenecks

and cross-over points of features between work

f low management solut ions and DFEs

• DFE kernel requirements, e.g. nat ive PDF

render ing

• Architectural considerat ions, e.g. c lustered r ipping

>>Who Should Subscribe? • Product ion pr inter OEMs

• DFE vendors

• RIP-technology providers

• Other companies with an interest in the DFE

market, e.g. product ion workf low companies,

off ice equipment vendors, wide format vendors,

or offset manufacturers

>>Market Research

In-depth Interviews

InfoTrends wi l l conduct 10-15 interv iews with hard-

ware equipment and DFE vendors in the United States.

In addit ion, InfoTrends wi l l carry out 5-10 interv iews

with pr int f ranchise chains, off ice super stores, and

large pr int serv ice providers.

End-User Surveys

250 web-based surveys of end-users in the United

States wi l l be examined from the fol lowing environ-

ments: commercia l pr inters , quick pr inters , other

pr inters (e.g. d i rect mai l , t ransact ional ) , and in-plants.

These responses wi l l be distr ibuted across equipment

duty cyc les and market segments.

Secondary Research

InfoTrends wi l l thoroughly examine ex ist ing market

information on key appl icat ions, market segments,

compet i tors, and product categor ies us ing a var iety

of sources, inc luding industry trade associat ions,

government agencies, publ ished industry reports ,

t rade art ic les, industry databases, company Websites,

and other sources ( inc luding vendor white papers,

user groups, and research reports ) . InfoTrends wi l l

a lso leverage research i t has previously publ ished

as part of i ts cont inuous consult ing serv ices and

research.

>>Analysis & Project DeliverablesInfoTrends wi l l perform an extensive analys is of the re-

search to develop an understanding of the

opportunit ies and issues surrounding the DFE market.

Subscr ibers of the study wi l l receive:

• Summary report detai l ing key f indings and

recommendat ions

• Management presentat ion (PowerPoint)

• Survey results del ivered as data tabulat ions

and PowerPoint

• DFE market share results del ivered as Excel p ivot

data table

• On-s i te br ief ing (opt ional )

>>Project Timeline

September:Secondary research and survey

development

September/

October:

Survey review, interviews, deployment,

and capture

November:Report, executive summary, and

presentation development

December: Final deliverables

>>Terms and ConditionsLiability for Advice

Although reasonable efforts wi l l be made by

InfoTrends to ensure the completeness and accuracy

of the information contained in written and oral

reports in connect ion with the proposed study, no

l iabi l i ty can be accepted by InfoTrends for the results

of any act ions taken by the c l ient in connect ion with

such information, opinions, or advice.

Copyrights

InfoTrends reta ins a l l copyr ights. The reproduct ion of

any mater ia ls i s prohibited without written consent

from InfoTrends.

Confidentiality

InfoTrends wi l l use i ts best efforts to ensure that any

conf ident ia l information obtained about the c l ient

and i ts bus iness dur ing the course of the proposed

study is not, unless agreed otherwise in advance,

d isc losed to any third party without the pr ior wr i t ten

permiss ion of the c l ient. InfoTrends reta ins the r ight

to re-use any non-propr ietary information as part of

i ts ongoing analys is of the digita l imaging industry.

Timely Delivery

InfoTrends wi l l take a l l reasonable steps to ensure

that the t ime scales cal led for by the proposed study

are met in accordance with the agreed-upon schedule,

but no l iabi l i ty can be accepted for the consequences

of delays, howsoever caused.

Terms

1/2 of fee upon in i t iat ion, 1/2 of fee upon complet ion

of the project

Subscr iber Rate

Select one

InfoTrends’ Cl ient* $9,995

Non-Cl ient $11,995

Input on the survey

Written report x

PowerPoint Presentat ion x

Data Tabulat ion x

On-s i te Presentat ion $1,495

Purchase order number:

S ignature

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T it le

Company

Address

City, State, Z ip

Country

Telephone

Emai l

Email the completed form to sales@infotrends.com or fax to +1 781.616.2121.

* InfoTrends’ client pricing is available to those companies who subscribe to the On Demand Printing & Publishing Consulting Service.

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Authorization Form

For more information, join Kaspar Roos as he reviews the

two main components - market share and survey results

from his recent study Digital Front-Ends: Understanding

Customer Requirements and Market Dynamics.

Listen Now

InfoTrends is the leading worldwide market research and strategic

consult ing f i rm for the digita l imaging and document solut ions industry.

We provide research, analys is , forecasts , and advice to help c l ients

understand market trends, ident i fy opportunit ies, and develop strategies

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