Stephen Fry is the model for printers in the future, according to Pira/Frank Romano
12 May 2010
"The printer of the future will look like Stephen Fry: an information factory", according to Frank Romano, panellist at the Ipex 2010 Great Print Debates.
"Seriously, the printer of the future will be an information factory, like Stephen Fry. Content will enter at one end and multi-media, multi-channel promotions and products will exit at the other end. The printer of the future will be web-centric, IT-oriented, highly automated, and use different reproduction systems for different jobs."
Frank was speaking ahead of the Great Print Debate entitled "What will the printer of the future look like?"
Sign up today to join the debate
This will be one of a series of free expert panel debates at Ipex 2010 tackling some of the most critical issues facing the print industry today.
Produced by world print authority, Pira International in association with Ipex, The Great Print Debates will bring together experts, thought leaders and high-profile industry representatives from 18-25 May 2010.
The Debates come at a critical time according to leading inkjet consultant Bryan Palphreyman. ""These debates will highlight the difficult transition that the dinosaurs of industry are facing, that is the demise of analogue print technologies and with it - perhaps more importantly, the demise of the importance of the 'printer'. On its own the print shop will not survive - the business model has dynamically changed, today print is only part of a larger more focussed web-based media and communications messaging offering."
Three other important questions will also be debated: More than ink on paper - how should printers be selling print?, Will an Ipod for publishing kill printed media? and Green print: is it worth it? With full audience participation and interaction, The Great Print Debates will take expert commentary, lively debate and audience interactivity to a completely new level at a major exhibition.
Audience participation and interaction using simple polling technology will allow real-time feedback and drive the questioning of the panel chair, pushing the experts out of their comfort zone. Looking forward to the Debates, Laurel Brunner of Digital Dots reminds the industry, "It's all too easy to forget that understanding the important issues only comes with interaction and participation."
Debate participants will take away an exclusive study with scenarios and forecasts to 2020. With input from a special panel of authoritative print and publishing experts from around the world, Print to 2020 will provide a unique global summary of the major challenges, threats and opportunities facing the global printing industry. Building upon the themes discussed at the Ipex/Pira forums, the study will offer an exclusive roadmap for how these issues are likely to develop over the next ten years. Print to 2020 is published by Pira International.
The Great Debates take place from 13.00 -14.00 in the Printers' Profit Zone, for more information and free registration go to http://www.ipex.org/greatprintdebates
Pira Press contact: Rebecca Leigh +44(0)1372 802207
Pira International
Pira International - the worldwide authority on packaging, paper and print industry supply chains
Established in 1930, Pira provides strategic and technical consulting, testing, intelligence and events to help clients gain market insights, identify opportunities, evaluate product performance and manage compliance.
Ipex
Ipex is the largest English-speaking global technology event for print, publishing and media. Ipex 2010 will take place from Tuesday 18th May to Tuesday 25th May 2010 at the NEC, Birmingham, UK http://www.ipex.org