The Printing industry and Apple Computer Inc have a long association stretching back as far as the very early 80s. Then, it was the Mac SE, together with Postscript and applications like Aldus Pagemaker and Quark Express, that decimated the traditional phototypesetting industry in a little over 2 years. Next to fall to the relentless onslaught of the Mac, Quark and Photopshop were the big page makeup systems from Scitex, Hell and Crosfield. Since those days, we've grown accustomed to the Mac as an integral part of every printer's workflow, in fact pre-press studios the world over are utterly reliant on all things Mac.
If, like me, you work away from your office or home on a regular basis, but still need to check and reply to e-mails as if you were at your own desk, you will have experienced issues with using a mobile phone as if it were a computer. I tried a Nokia, a Sony and a Blackberry but found the experiences inadequate and frustrating, not to mention unnecessarily complex and unreliable. When driving down the M1, it's just not practical to stop at a service station, get out the laptop and find a WiFi hotspot that's free (or spend another £190 a year on a 3G data card). Try firing up your laptop in the back of a London cab between appointments!
Enter the iPhone. Apple has done the same for mobile communications as it did for typesetting and digital imaging. It's transformed the usability, effectiveness and efficiency of an already converged series of media channels. It's a phone, a camera, an iPod, a portable disk drive, a GPS system and a video camera (New 3GS model). It's also a computer with a pretty fast chip and 256mb of RAM which seems to be enough as the Apple OS is very efficient.
It's the sheer elegance and absolute simplicity of use, together with an army of very clever application developers, that has caused millions of people to become not just customers but fans. The App Store now has more than 50,000 applications, many of which are free but rarely cost more than £2. More than one billion downloads took place within nine months of its launch. More than one million of the new 3GS phones were sold in the first week and the new 3.0 OS was downloaded by more than six million people in 3 days.
Just as in previous disruptive technology launches, it's a combination of hardware and software that makes things happen. Setting up an iPhone to receive work and personal e-mail is simplicity itself - so much so, I doubt you'll even refer to the manual as it's so intuitive. If you travel a lot, apps like TubeDeluxe and NationalRail are extremely useful and time saving. If you travel abroad for work or holidays, you can type in words in English and have the iPhone speak your translated words in virtually any language. An App called AirSharing allows you to use your iPhone as an external disk using your WiFi connection to either a Mac or a PC. This means you can carry all your important PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, word documents etc with you (or use GoogleDocs in the Cloud).
In the last few weeks, several companies have launched applications for the iPhone that allow users to create postcards and greetings cards. Using your own photos and typing into supplied variable data templates, you can now have a single postcard printed and sent to your loved ones for as little as 99 cents if within the US or $1.50 if outside the US. This is W2P (Web-to-Print) on the iPhone. It's easier than using a computer, it's quicker than using a computer and it's more convenient than using a computer.
None of these application developers come from the printing industry. HazelMail PostCards creator, Michael Lato, for example, was a founding member of fotolog.com, a photoblogging service that currently has 22 million members. Postino, another postcard app developed by AnguriaLabs in Italy, is owned by GetConnected, an IT Services business.
These companies have gone for global reach from the outset. Why? Because they can - easily! It's not a huge market; even if 20% of the near 20 million iphone users send two postcards a year, that's still only $5m revenue. The point, however, is that the iphone (and I'm sure subsequent versions of Nokia/Palm/Sony/Motorola etc will get better now they've been shown the way) will create a mobile computing environment where all manner of print related workflow issues can be accomplished. Files created and prepared for print using online templates can also be pushed to the high resolution screen of the iPhone, with its touch-screen zoom simplicity.
All this means that we now have true Web-to-Print (W2P) on the Phone. Perhaps we will also see the acronym W2P meaning Web-to-Phone? Either way, here is yet another reason why now is the time to take your printing business online.
www.w2p.co.uk
Sunday, 28 June 2009
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Femtocells - an evolutionary tale
Ever had the frustration of a weak mobile signal when you're at home or at the office? Of course you have, who hasn't. Sometimes the problem is caused by where you live in relation to the mast, sometimes it's because of the thick walls in your house. All those promises that the 3G network would create a revolution in mobile telephony have only partially come true because of factors like these. As this communications ecosystem evolves (and it's evolving at an ever-increasing pace) we now see a new creature emerge from the primordial soup designed to bridge the gap between the wired world, and the wireless one we all would prefer.
It's called 'Femtocell' and it's a low power wireless access gateway that provides localised 3G coverage. ‘Femto’ means one quadrillionth in the metric measurement system, in the same way that ‘deci’ means a tenth and ‘centi’ means one hundredth. Femtocells can improve coverage by connecting to the network using your broadband connection. They then create a strong local mobile phone signal that allows connection with 3G mobile phones and devices. Typically, several mobile phones will be able to transmit data and calls through one femtocell at the same time. Another benefit will be improved battery life due to the stronger signal.
Vodafone will be the first to commercially launch these boxes in the UK on July 1st, to be known as the Vodafone Access Gateway, price will be £160 or from free at around £15 per month.
So with smartphones that are now effectively mobile computers when used with WiFi, femtocell equipped homes and offices will offer speeds of up to 7.2mbps on your mobile through the 3G network. Forecasts suggest that there will be 105m handsets using the technology by 2011.
With these speeds, the smartphone can now access websites as quick, (sometimes quicker) than with your computer. This means that W2P (Web-to-Print) becomes even easier to access. Yet another reason why now is the time to take your business online.
www.w2p.mobi
It's called 'Femtocell' and it's a low power wireless access gateway that provides localised 3G coverage. ‘Femto’ means one quadrillionth in the metric measurement system, in the same way that ‘deci’ means a tenth and ‘centi’ means one hundredth. Femtocells can improve coverage by connecting to the network using your broadband connection. They then create a strong local mobile phone signal that allows connection with 3G mobile phones and devices. Typically, several mobile phones will be able to transmit data and calls through one femtocell at the same time. Another benefit will be improved battery life due to the stronger signal.
Vodafone will be the first to commercially launch these boxes in the UK on July 1st, to be known as the Vodafone Access Gateway, price will be £160 or from free at around £15 per month.
So with smartphones that are now effectively mobile computers when used with WiFi, femtocell equipped homes and offices will offer speeds of up to 7.2mbps on your mobile through the 3G network. Forecasts suggest that there will be 105m handsets using the technology by 2011.
With these speeds, the smartphone can now access websites as quick, (sometimes quicker) than with your computer. This means that W2P (Web-to-Print) becomes even easier to access. Yet another reason why now is the time to take your business online.
www.w2p.mobi
Friday, 19 June 2009
'The Internet of Things'
So what is this so called 'Internet of Things'? It's an interconnected network formed from everyday objects with radio frequency identity (RFID) tags embedded in them, and the European Commission wants to take a leading role in managing and developing it.
The Commission has launched a 14-point action plan to address the issues raised from such widespread interconnectivity.
"New examples of applications that connect objects to the internet and each other are created [everyday]: from cars connected to traffic lights that fight congestion, to home appliances connected to smart power grids and energy metering that allows people to be aware of their electricity consumption," said EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media Viviane Reding.
RFID tags vary in sophistication, but the devices, which can be embedded in products, have reached a size where they could be undetectable to the naked eye. And now, of course, we're looking at creating them using inkjet technologies. Joseph Jacobson, a professor at MIT who co-founded Kovio, as well as E-Ink and Codon Technologies, is credited with the initial concept behind the new process and technology.
“When Kovio was founded, we contacted ink makers and they didn’t have silicon ink,” said Vik Pavate, Kovio’s vice president of business development. “They looked at us like we were crazy. So we were forced to invent it for ourselves. We also had to develop eight other types of inks to make silicon transistors, and all are equally important in the process.”
He added that Kovio’s new technology has attracted the attention of several key investors, including Japanese company Toppan Forms. “Toppan can do just about anything but print a silicon chip, so this is a huge opportunity for them,” Pavate said.
So the combination of digital printing and the internet is creating yet another 'disruptive technology' that pushes the boundaries of efficiency and effectiveness in the supply chain and in marketing services. Let's hope that the EU's early involvement can have a positive effect on the laws of privacy and competition that will surely become major issues in an unregulated market, using uber-sophisticated tracking mechanisms.
When you realise what all these internet enabled technologies can do, and how businesses are readily adopting these new processes, it makes it all the more important to take your printing business online, now!
www.w2p.co.uk
The Commission has launched a 14-point action plan to address the issues raised from such widespread interconnectivity.
"New examples of applications that connect objects to the internet and each other are created [everyday]: from cars connected to traffic lights that fight congestion, to home appliances connected to smart power grids and energy metering that allows people to be aware of their electricity consumption," said EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media Viviane Reding.
RFID tags vary in sophistication, but the devices, which can be embedded in products, have reached a size where they could be undetectable to the naked eye. And now, of course, we're looking at creating them using inkjet technologies. Joseph Jacobson, a professor at MIT who co-founded Kovio, as well as E-Ink and Codon Technologies, is credited with the initial concept behind the new process and technology.
“When Kovio was founded, we contacted ink makers and they didn’t have silicon ink,” said Vik Pavate, Kovio’s vice president of business development. “They looked at us like we were crazy. So we were forced to invent it for ourselves. We also had to develop eight other types of inks to make silicon transistors, and all are equally important in the process.”
He added that Kovio’s new technology has attracted the attention of several key investors, including Japanese company Toppan Forms. “Toppan can do just about anything but print a silicon chip, so this is a huge opportunity for them,” Pavate said.
So the combination of digital printing and the internet is creating yet another 'disruptive technology' that pushes the boundaries of efficiency and effectiveness in the supply chain and in marketing services. Let's hope that the EU's early involvement can have a positive effect on the laws of privacy and competition that will surely become major issues in an unregulated market, using uber-sophisticated tracking mechanisms.
When you realise what all these internet enabled technologies can do, and how businesses are readily adopting these new processes, it makes it all the more important to take your printing business online, now!
www.w2p.co.uk
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Digital Britain Report
So Lord Carter's long awaited report on how Britain should further embrace the Digital Age is published at last. I've picked out the four cornerstones of the report as stated in the forward:
* to complement and assist the private sector in delivering the effective modern communications infrastructure we need, built on new digital technologies;
* to enable Britain to be a global centre for the creative industries in the digital age, delivering an ever wider range of quality content, including public service content, within a clear and fair legal framework;
* to ensure that people have the capabilities and skills to flourish in the digital economy, and that all can participate in digital society; and
* for government to continue to modernise and improve its service to the taxpayer through digital procurement and the digital delivery of public services.
The words highlighted above in bold italic are particularly pertinent to the printing industry and especially so the world of Web-to-Print (W2P). The Government wants Britain to be a 'global centre for the Creative Industries' it wants the British people to have the 'capabilities and skills to flourish in the digital economy'. It goes on to say that it will modernise and improve its service through 'digital procurement and delivery'. To my mind, that means if you want to sell print to the Government, you'd better find a way of helping them to purchase from you online.
You can download the 3mb PDF file from the BBC website here:
* to complement and assist the private sector in delivering the effective modern communications infrastructure we need, built on new digital technologies;
* to enable Britain to be a global centre for the creative industries in the digital age, delivering an ever wider range of quality content, including public service content, within a clear and fair legal framework;
* to ensure that people have the capabilities and skills to flourish in the digital economy, and that all can participate in digital society; and
* for government to continue to modernise and improve its service to the taxpayer through digital procurement and the digital delivery of public services.
The words highlighted above in bold italic are particularly pertinent to the printing industry and especially so the world of Web-to-Print (W2P). The Government wants Britain to be a 'global centre for the Creative Industries' it wants the British people to have the 'capabilities and skills to flourish in the digital economy'. It goes on to say that it will modernise and improve its service through 'digital procurement and delivery'. To my mind, that means if you want to sell print to the Government, you'd better find a way of helping them to purchase from you online.
You can download the 3mb PDF file from the BBC website here:
Sunday, 14 June 2009
Global IP traffic to increase five-fold by 2013
Cisco has released new figures that suggest the amount of data hurtling through cyberspace will grow exponentially over the next four years.
Global IP traffic will increase by a factor of five from 2008 to 2013, approaching 56 exabytes per month in 2013, compared to approximately 9 exabytes per month in 2008. An exabyte is one billion gigabytes. By 2013, annual global IP traffic will reach two-thirds of a zettabyte (673 exabytes). A zettabyte is a trillion gigabytes. The research also suggests that mobile data traffic will roughly double each year from 2008 through to 2013.
New fibre optic networks and advanced mobile networks such as Longterm Evolution (LTE) and WiMax will allow for the anticipated explosion of all forms of video - IPTV, video-on-demand, internet video and peer-to-peer.
So what does this have to do with the printing industry? Well all this high definition video stuff flying around at the speed of light will make uploading a high resolution still photo mere child's play compared to today. Do you remember the days when we had to send artwork that contained lots of scanned images on a separate disk by courier (or worse still, a rep would drive to the customer and pick up the artwork on the pretext of customer service)? All this makes web-to-print (W2P) all the more attractive for any printer wishing to reduce the cost of business processes and increase the speed with which work can be turned around.
Now is the time to take your business online.
www.w2p.co.uk
Global IP traffic will increase by a factor of five from 2008 to 2013, approaching 56 exabytes per month in 2013, compared to approximately 9 exabytes per month in 2008. An exabyte is one billion gigabytes. By 2013, annual global IP traffic will reach two-thirds of a zettabyte (673 exabytes). A zettabyte is a trillion gigabytes. The research also suggests that mobile data traffic will roughly double each year from 2008 through to 2013.
New fibre optic networks and advanced mobile networks such as Longterm Evolution (LTE) and WiMax will allow for the anticipated explosion of all forms of video - IPTV, video-on-demand, internet video and peer-to-peer.
So what does this have to do with the printing industry? Well all this high definition video stuff flying around at the speed of light will make uploading a high resolution still photo mere child's play compared to today. Do you remember the days when we had to send artwork that contained lots of scanned images on a separate disk by courier (or worse still, a rep would drive to the customer and pick up the artwork on the pretext of customer service)? All this makes web-to-print (W2P) all the more attractive for any printer wishing to reduce the cost of business processes and increase the speed with which work can be turned around.
Now is the time to take your business online.
www.w2p.co.uk
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