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The decision to use digital or offset affect the profitability of runs

   
Decide & Conquer

The decision to use digital or offset affects the profitability of a print run.

Part two of a two-part series

By Kim Crowley

Production output technology offers distinct advantages for the print service provider (PSP). The July/August issue of Digital Publishing Solutions featured From Offset to Digital, which focuses on the capabilities and benefits provided through the effective use of digital, direct imaging (DI), and offset printing. Offset produces long runs of high-speed, high-quality, static print. Digital offers zero makeready, the ability to add personalization, and an on demand print model.

The accessibility of capable print technologies provide choice to print providers as they adjust their business models for an industry in transition. Some invest in both offset and digital print capabilities, while others are limited to one technology. These investments are weighed based on a number of factors, including short- and long-term goals, application requirements, physical space, and total cost of ownership.

We conclude this series with perspectives on deciphering tipping points and print pricing. Determining which technology makes the most sense and what features customers are willing to pay for is based on a PSP’s primary concerns, ultimate goals, and available resources.

The Right Fit
Some PSPs are strictly analog or digital and many are hybrids. For all, there are occasions when incoming work is best suited for offset or digital production. PSPs offering both capabilities must determine which best suites the job.

With nearly 25 years servicing narrow and large format print customers in Manhattan, NY and beyond, Influence Graphics felt economic pressure following the events of 9/11. The company decided to weather the storm and rebuilt into a quality production powerhouse in midtown and Long Island City, NY. Today, the print provider relies on a range of equipment, including an Hewlett-Packard (HP) Indigo 5500 Digital Press, a two-color Heidelberg offset printing press, and a KBA 74 Karat DI press.

Ron Sizemore, partner, Influence Graphics, says the decision to use one technology over another varies by job. Sometimes it’s as simple as the application’s required sheet size. Often a job’s turnaround time is the first consideration. Approximately 75 percent of Influence Graphics’ jobs are delivered in 24 hours or less. Cost is a secondary factor. The shop decides whether a job is more cost effectively produced on one press versus the other based on the allotted time frame.

The selection of offset or digital also depends on the shop’s workload. Equipment is also a determining variable. A printer may be tied up or temporarily out of service, so a job might move to another running press. A printer’s ability to match a crucial color is another contributing factor.

Judging Run Length
Analog press investments reach into and above the million-dollar range. "There are a lot of expenses involved in getting an offset press up and running. For a press to run effectively, operators have to make plates; put the plate in the machine; stabilize the press by printing hundreds of sheets; and adjust color balance and ink levels. Because of the time involved in makeready on an offset press, the longer the run, the more efficient it is," explains Frank Drogo, research and development director, printing technology platforms, HP.

Longer runs sometimes cause complications. "With the KBA Karat our main limitation is run length. We find that if we try runs of more than 1,000 sheets we start to have problems keeping the plates at proper temperatures," states Sizemore. "We’ve found the niche job types and run lengths that fit the press and stay within those limits."

Shorter print runs are generally more cost effective on a digital press. Projects for direct mail, marketing collateral, TransPromo, and books drive the greatest page volume to digital. These presses are automated, and typically only require minor adjustments after the first page. "There’s no waste or makeready involved. When you’re talking a few hundred pieces it’s obvious that a digital press is more cost effective," adds Drogo.

Short run digital jobs typically fall between 100 to 1,000 pieces, but that number is changing. "Recently, we’ve seen the break-even point between offset versus digital printing rise from the traditional level of 1,500 to 2,000 pages to one approaching 3,000 to 4,000," says Forrest D. Leighton, director, product marketing, ISG Production Systems, Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Drogo explains that many customers find runs up to 5,000 to be economical on HP Indigo 7000 devices, while those ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 are possible with the T300 Color Inkjet Web Press. Runs over 50,000 are where offset comes into play.

Cost Considerations
It is difficult to put a definitive quantity or price tipping point in place to determine whether a job should be routed to an offset or digital press. "It is misleading to throw out numbers. Direct mail campaigns in the millions of impressions are produced digitally. Books or promotional materials are more likely to be in the hundreds or thousands when done on digital, but it depends on a lot of factors," says Jim Hamilton, group director, InfoTrends.

Canon’s Leighton agrees. "It is overly simplistic to say that if the job is static, it will be evaluated on run length and cost per page and where you end up on the break-even point determines which device to use."

The price per page a PSP is able to charge is broad. It is the result of many variables—from quantity to turnaround time, size, personalization, media, finishing, kitting, shipment location, and more. "The more value-added services such as data management, fulfillment, or multi-channel campaigns, the more latitude the PSP has in pricing," says David Davis, Director, INTERQUEST, Ltd.

A legitimate, blanket cost per page is elusive due to a myriad of project requirements. Costs to the PSP include service and consumables plans, click charges, and other variables. "In general, shorter runs demand a higher cost per sheet," says Brian Wolfenden, director of marketing communications, Presstek.

The Presstek 52DI and Presstek 34DI are rated for color printing runs of 500 to 20,000 and have no click charges or special paper requirements. Wolfenden says the average all-in cost-per-letter-size page, including service and consumables, works out to less than two cents on these devices.

Influence Graphics estimates pricing using a click cost figure of nine cents per press sheet side or .045 cents per letter size sheet. Their actual cost fluctuates based on overall click volume and dips as low as six cents per side or three cents per letter-size sheet. "We use the nine cents for estimating just so we are covered and to offset any cost associated with wasted prints. We include the service costs for the Indigo in our overhead calculations—as opposed to consumable costs—since it is the same whether the machine is running or not," says Sizemore.

The shop considers the size of the job, paper choice, finishing, turnaround, and other factors to determine a price for the customer. "It can range anywhere from thirty cents to three dollars a sheet. That’s the advantage of digital printing. If a customer needs a job fast and is willing to pay a premium we can accommodate them. If they have a smaller budget and more time, we work with them to keep costs down. It requires a constant juggling of the job queues but being flexible is really our specialty," he explains.

Wolfenden suggests that PSPs move away from charging by the sheet. "Look at the entire value of the job and whenever possible, bundle print with other services to take the focus off of cost per piece or sheet. Bidding the lowest possible cost per sheet is a quick way to go out of business," he says.

Tracy Yelencsics, VP, production segment and programs marketing, Xerox. agrees, "Instead of talking about cost per page or cost per printed sheet, PSPs change the discussion to cost per lead, especially on direct marketing campaigns, cross-media campaigns, and variable data jobs. They’re more focused on ROI."

Weighing Cost and Quality
Digital print quality has come a long way, and most agree that it is on par with offset. "When you look at digital versus offset, the quality discussion is almost nonexistent. The quality of high-end digital color presses compares to four-color offset. That includes resolution, color gamut, and media latitude," says Yelencsics.

Despite the advances of high-end digital production, print buyers may be willing to sacrifice quality to save money. For projects that don’t require a high-end look and feel, they may choose a lesser weight or lower quality stock or eliminate special effects with ink or finishing. "Even for offset printing, it’s clear that print buyers sometimes sacrifice quality by using a cheaper paper to save money," states Hamilton.

"Print buyers look at the marketing spend and the allocation of dollars. Like many providers in this space, Canon sees traditional marketing pieces heading online or to some alternative media. That’s if they are being done at all," says Leighton.

There is not much loss of print quality between toner-based digital, DI, and offset. Cost savings can be made—sometimes with a very slight quality sacrifice if at all—in choosing high-speed digital inkjet products or digital duplicators.

Alternative printing options include digital duplicators from Duplo, Ricoh, RISO, and Standard. "Digital duplicators use screen printing technology to produce a quality image very quickly and at a low cost," explains Raymond J. Bauer, product marketing manager, digital duplicator systems, Ricoh Americas Corporation.

The speed and cost per page of these units is attractive. They fit the needs of educational, religious, government, and transactional environments where there is less demand for high image resolution and color perfection. The quality is satisfactory for some customers, but the units may deliver lower text sharpness and occasional banding, and there are some substrate limitations.

A wide range of duplicators are available. Bauer explains that lower quality output units produce 300x300 dpi for small schools and faith-based groups where cost is the overriding factor. Mid-range models offer a good balance between cost and quality. High-end, production-rated devices offer output at up to 600x600 dpi to attract print-for-pay, central reproduction departments, as well as large faith-based groups, and school boards. Output speeds reach up to 135 pages per minute (ppm).

RISO also offers a cut-sheet inkjet solution with its ComColor devices, which run at 125 to 150 letter-sized ppm. They utilize inkjet technology to offer affordable color production printing with a small footprint. RISO provides an example of a FL-based quick printer that is able to sell ComColor prints for about 20 percent less than high-quality glossy toner-based output.

The decision to print to a device that outputs at a lower print resolution, or order cheaper paper is often based on the print buyer’s budget and the intended purpose of the application. The quality of the print piece should match the offer or communication to the recipient. Documents and forms with little or no graphics or planned for short term are examples of projects suited for this type of output.

The perceived quality of the print should also mirror the sender and its mission. "A government agency, for instance, is not usually going to send out a glossy high-end color mailing for fear of giving the appearance of squandering tax payer dollars," explains INTERQUEST’s Davis.

On the flip side, some print projects require a luxurious look and feel to effectively represent the brand or product. "A financial services company proposing to manage an individual’s retirement account is not going to send a low-quality mailing, just as one of their representatives would not show up to a client meeting wearing jeans and a tee-shirt," notes Davis.

A high-end print piece also has the potential to gain increased response. "Print buyers are more conscious of quality for direct mail pieces in an effort to break through the mailbox clutter," suggests Wolfenden.

Kevin Kern, senior VP, marketing, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. Inc., notes that the Konica Minolta bizhub PRO C65hc uses an expensive pigment, but is a worthy investment for applications that require exceptional quality. "Think of what you can produce, and what customers are willing to pay," says Kern. Meanwhile, "Some print buyers just want it cheap and dirty."

Divide and Conquer
Lithexcel is a full service marketing and communication company in Albuquerque, NM. The PSP operates conventional offset, electrophotographic-based digital production presses, and dry ink inkjet equipment. Incoming work is divided among the equipment based on turnaround requirements, quality demands, and variability.

Lithexcel’s offset devices include a MAN Roland 500 with five-color plus aqueous coating, and three Heidelberg units. "Conventional offset presses are used for high-quality offset/lithographic prints and work that is static in nature with limitations, printing on mostly text and cover weights," explains Waleed Ashoo, president/CEO, Lithexcel.

Digital toner, full color devices at Lithexcel include a Xerox iGen 3 and Xerox iGen 4. This equipment is used for high-quality, short-run jobs that require variable text and images. The PSP is able to print on a variety of substrates such as synthetic papers, Mylar, acetate, PVC, plastic, and magnet sheets.

Lithexcel employs a RISO ComColor 9050 high-speed inkjet device and six HP monochrome inkjet printers. For book production, the shop utilizes a Kodak Ektajet printing system. Inkjet technology is used for printing direct mail projects that do not require high color fidelity.

Ashoo notes a few limitations of the inkjet technology. "Inkjet technology will not allow you to print on coated papers like the digital toner presses. And, because it’s inkjet, the colors and images are not necessarily vibrant," he states.

From Offset to Digital
Analog and digital presses each serve essential production needs. As PSPs look to invest in one or both technologies, they should consider current and future application requirements. Turnaround time, personalization, quantity, and finishing requirements are all key elements for deciding on the right press for a job.

"These technologies are all complementary, and most print businesses need a combination of them in play. Buying decisions are likely to be made based on the gaps that need to be filled in production portfolios," says Wolfenden.

As PSPs decide which device to output to or when to outsource, they need to account for much more than run length. "People try to simplify it down to 1,000 or less on digital, 1,001 on offset. That’s not quite right. There’s not a firm way to say yes or no to one technology. You have to look at what fits into the workflow of your shop and other projects in the pipeline," says Kern.

Read part one of this series, From Offest to Digital. dps

Want more information on print technologies? Click here to visit our Buyers' Guide!

Also, visit our special Target Chart segment for a comprehensive list of inkjet production presses.

Sep2010, DPS Magazine

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This white paper, an update of a study done in 2006 by Dr. John Leininger of Clemson University, focuses on a central element in the variable-data workflow: the applications that merge data with layouts and prepare variable documents for printing. As a simple Google search will show, there are a significant number of VDP solutions currently on the market, and all seem to offer slightly different levels of functionality. We hope that this white paper will serve as a useful guide for navigating through this wide market.

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Printer’s Survival Kit: Understand & Participate in the Digital Economy

By Jennifer Matt
Published: August 10, 2010
Print is a major player in the information business. Everything that is printed communicates information for various purposes, including promotion, entertainment, education, transaction, etc. Today's digital technologies are changing virtually everything about the information business.
The information business is simultaneously operating in two economies - rapidly transitioning from the "atoms" based economy to the "bits" based economy. Nicholas Negroponte first introduced the concept of an "atoms" and "bits" economy in his 1996 book Being Digital. Negroponte stated that the world had been based on an economy of "atoms" (physical stuff that we dream up, manufacture, and distribute, a slow moving, "human handling" economy), whereas the future is about the "bits" economy or digital economy which is "...instantaneous and inexpensive transfer of bits at the speed of light."
Print is part of the atoms economy (physical stuff). In the atoms economy, we create content and distribute it via atoms (books, newspapers, magazines, mail, flyers, signage). Now the information business has a new distribution system, because virtually every product sold in the information business can be rendered in a digital form.
We advise printers to become marketing service providers in order to diversify from a 100% print manufacturing revenue stream. Negroponte would say that printers need to figure out a way to render a portion of their information products in digital form in order to participate in the bits economy. Atoms-based economies aren't going away-many of them cannot be rendered in a digital form (food, shelter, etc...) - but we work in the market that is most impacted by this monumental change because the entire information business is perfectly suited for digital distribution. Don't mistake the digital/bits economy with digital printing; all print is still very much atoms-based (physical stuff).
Remember all the hype in the 90's about the potential of the internet? Most of it had to do with the fact that we didn't understand the implications of a distribution system that is deflationary (the costs are rapidly decreasing). Yes, I'll say that again. The costs of distribution in the digital economy are getting cheaper, at a rapid pace. Chris Anderson, in his book Free, says, "racing towards the inevitable radical price of free." It will cost Google 50% less to stream that YouTube video next year (bandwidth costs); it will cost Google 50% less to host your Gmail account next year (storage costs).
In the 90's we thought we could reap the benefits of the bits economy simply by online-enabling procurement in the atoms economy (pets.com - dog food happens to be very heavy atoms). There's no way to render dog food into a digital product; hence, the only real efficiencies were in the ability for your customers to order online. Pets.com imploded because the world didn't need another atoms-based distribution system for dog food. On the other hand, Amazon thrives, because creating an unlimited inventory in the information market is a huge benefit even if you're shipping atoms. Now with the Kindle, Amazon has rendered its core product into a pure digital form to maximize its use of the digital economy. In July 2010, Amazon reported that Kindle sales (digital economy) now outpace books (atoms economy) for the company.

Two Economies

A distribution system that has unlimited inventory and whose cost of distribution is deflationary creates an economy based on abundance rather than scarcity. In the atoms-based information market, prices are based on scarcity; there are only so many TV spots you can sell during the Super Bowl, there is space for only so many ads in a magazine, etc. An abundant economy includes an unlimited number of books (Amazon), unlimited number of songs (iTunes), unlimited content (blogs, wikis, websites) because the cost of incremental additions is essentially too low to measure.
In 2006, Chris Anderson explained this brilliantly in his book, The Long Tail. What do unlimited inventories do to product selection and the whole idea of blockbusters? Because iTunes can provide music for the smallest niche - for example, one of my favorites - Indian Jazz Fusion - Anderson states that the Long Tail represents "...the end of the monopoly of the blockbuster, as hits are forced to share the stage with countless niche products targeting narrow consumer demand." Michael Jackson's Thriller album was a blockbuster partly because we had a limited inventory to choose from (the top 5,000 albums). Today we have access to our true niche tastes (e.g., the local band) because the digital economy allows companies to service the niche market as effectively as it serviced the mass market.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, put your seat belts on because the rate of change in the digital economy is exponential. The digital world combines incremental improvements with breakthrough inventions to give it a much steeper evolutionary curve. Moore's Law states: "...the number of transistors that can be placed on an integrated circuit has doubled approximately every two years," and is the most famous example of exponential progress in the digital world. Anderson points out, "the price of bandwidth and storage is dropping even faster."
The atoms economy is moving incrementally; the bits economy is moving exponentially. One side effect of these differences in pace is that the participants in each economy have different comfort levels with change. Bits economy people view change as ubiquitous and fast; atoms economy people see change as incremental and slow. One embraces change; the other is cautious and frequently resistant.
The software market is a good example. Today software is typically sold in two primary ways: On Premises License or Software as a Service (SaaS) Subscription. There is still an active debate in the print industry about licensing versus subscription which I have covered extensively at WhatTheyThink's The Web and Print blog. While we in the atoms based economy are debating this issue, the bits economy has evolved to yet another revolutionary invention that radically increases efficiencies and decreases costs of software deployment - cloud computing. Cloud computing is the ultimate global pooling of resources - rent only what you need (bandwidth, storage, processing power) in per minute increments. The US government estimates the average server utilization in its 1,100 data centers is 7%, an unbelievable amount of waste in several critical resource pools, power being the most obvious one. Pooling those resources in a cloud computing model would enable the government to pay for only the resources it consumes, representing an incredible savings in hardware, software, and energy.
While printers still grapple with decisions about On Premises versus SaaS, the digital economy is racing towards further optimization. Maybe one of the most important lessons we can learn from the bits economy is that we must embrace change or be left in the dust!

Free

Anderson's contribution in Free is the latest chapter of this story. He builds on Negroponte's atoms-versus-bits distinction and his own ideas around The Long Tail. Anderson brilliantly describes the results of the digital economy on the business model of Free: "While the last century's 'Free' was a powerful marketing method, this century's 'Free' is an entirely new economic model."
Abundance economy built on bits and a free distribution system creates a very different kind of free. Yes, we still have the ad-supported free. Google is the poster child for ad-supported "free to me" on the web. We think of Google as a software company, but Google has a very traditional media business model. The New York Times sells readers to advertisers (mass media); Google sells individual user intent to advertisers (relevance media). The advertisers on Google pay so that we can search for free. Traditional media companies keep saying online advertising is destroying their business. Online advertising is rapidly demonetizing the atoms-based information market because mass media is inefficient, bothering 90% of us to find the few who are interested in the product. Think denture commercials watched by your kids. Google's search delivers relevance at the individual level which is a better mouse trap AND it opens advertising up to a much bigger market.
The mass media approach had so much waste that only the deepest pockets could afford it. Today if you are a bonsai tree specialist in San Francisco, you can afford to advertise online because Google only charges you when someone clicks (very little waste).
Probably the most radical implication of this new economy is a viable business model that is based on giving your product/service away for free. Not the gimmicky free of yesterday, but a genuine free to most of the users of the solution forever. Thus the name "freemium" gets introduced into the Web 2.0 lexicon.
WhatTheyThink runs on a combination of freemium and premium (ad supported). The majority of viewers are free forever (supported by both ads and premium member subscription). Online video games are another model where the majority of players play forever without spending any money, subsidized by those players who choose "premium" paid-for options.
The Web 2.0 software version of freemium interests me the most. There is a tremendous amount of free services available today via this model that provide real value for the long term for the majority of users. It runs the full gamut, from project management software such as 37 Signals' Basecamp to MailChimp's e-mail campaign software. I recently counted the number of freemium models I use today - the current total is about 50 services that I use on a semi-regular basis without paying anything. Watch the Land o' Freemium section of "The Web and Print" for reviews of the most valuable software tools you can use via the freemium model.
A successful freemium business model typically shoots for at least a 5% conversion of users to its "premium" offer. The key to this business model is multi faceted. Servicing the 95% has to be very close to free (think brilliantly easy-to-use software because support costs will kill you), and then think scale. This model only works if you can scale it and therefore the 5% conversion is a meaningful number. Some of these companies combine freemium with ad supported revenue streams, but there are 100% freemium business models working today where they are building successful business by giving away their services to 95% of their customers! – Amazing!
When change occurs, opportunity knocks and there is also fallout. One of the strangest terms I read in Anderson's book was "rapid market demonetization." The examples are startling. Consider the encyclopedia market as described by venture capitalist Josh Kopelman. Britannica was the leader of this $1.2 billion industry (1991). In 1993 Microsoft launched Encarta. De-monetization works like this: the encyclopedia market was cut in half in less than three years, "...every dollar of Microsoft's gain caused an asymmetrical amount of pain in the marketplace. They made money by shrinking the market."
Print (along with other atoms-based economies in the information business) is experiencing a form of demonetization; as new digital distribution companies are created the market for atoms-based information shrinks.
Print manufacturing will always be a physical product (atoms economy) but that doesn't mean that printers can't leverage the advantages of the digital economy in their businesses. Staying competitive in the atoms economy requires that you learn the efficiencies of the bits economy. The best published example I've heard of comes from the oldest continuously publishing newspaper in the world, The Daily Telegraph. I wrote about Toby Wright, CTO, in The Web and Print. He moved to a 100% SaaS software model with his IT infrastructure in the Cloud, drastically reducing costs and enabling The Daily Telegraph to focus on the core activity of creating valuable content for its readers. In order to remain competitive, atoms-based businesses must leverage all the advantages of the bits-based economy.
Change impacts each of us individually. The authors quoted in this article have enabled me to understand the roots of this transition from an atoms-based economy to a bits-based economy and how this impacts the print industry. Understanding this global transition helps me navigate better as well as to help others chart a course that inspires rather than paralyzes. What will your reaction to this change be? How can the industry collectively inspire the ability to embrace change rather than build defenses around yesterday? Food for thought ...

HP CEO Mark Hurd Resigns Unexpectedly Amid Scandal (UPDATED) | Epicenter | Wired.com

HP CEO Mark Hurd Resigns Unexpectedly Amid Scandal (UPDATED) | Epicenter | Wired.com: "– Envoyé à l'aide de la barre d'outils Google"

Global Digital Out-of-Home Media Forecast 2008-2012 AVAILABLE NOW

 Key Questions Answered:

• What defines digital out-of-home media?
• What historical trends have driven double-digit growth in the US and worldwide by region?
• Which sub-segments will see the fastest growth and when?
• What technological advances drive growth?
• How will new measurement standards impact the industry?
• How does National vs Local advertising share differ by sub-segment?
• How much is being spent by ad categories by sub-segment?
• What criteria are most/least important to buyers of video advertising networks?
• What's the long-term growth potential for each sub-segment through 2012?
• Who are the leaders, key players and emerging companies to watch?
• How will the gold rush, shakeout, and anticipated breakout shape the future of the industry?

Global History, Spending, Trends & Analysis (click here for report)

As the global economy continues to weaken, traditional media advertising dollars continue their migration to alternative media, and specifically digital out-of-home (OOH), in the US and abroad, as the seminal transition taking place across the media landscape continues to accelerate.
This first-ever primary research into the global digital OOH market, reports rapid growth of 22% to $5.4 billion in 2007, and an anticipated increase of 13% to $6.1 billion in 2008. However, after growing at over 20 percent every year from 2002-2007, US growth in digital OOH media is expected to go through a shakeout, with a dip to 9.1% in 2009, bouncing back to 12.8% in 2010 as conditions improve. The US accounts for 40% of the global DOOH industry, but that percentage is expected to decline over time. Key international markets include the UK, Japan, France, Germany, Russia, and China, with the Chinese market benefitting from the impact and innovation of Olympic marketing.

Read more detailed information on this report...

The DOOH media sector, first identified and defined by PQ Media in 2007, helps advertisers engage consumers during their daily routines in captive environments, with innovative technologies such as digital billboards and video advertising networks in offices, retail, theater, and transit. Patrick Quinn, president and CEO of PQ Media has said, "Digital Out-of-Home media is emerging as a key component of a new advertising model as marketers search to engage and influence consumers at points of decision. Our research shows the timing in terms of the economy and shifting media landscape is propelling brands to embrace digital platforms."

This exclusive 125 page report is intended to provide media stakeholders with unique global strategies for first mover advantage and growth through its breadth of data, analysis and commentary on this potentially game-changing platform. It includes 24 tables & charts, more than 1,000 digital OOH providers identified by sub-segment, 600 from the US, as well as a convenient summary of the just released Out-of-home Advertising Bureau (OVAB) Audience Metrics Guidelines.

Global Digital Out-of-Home Media Forecast 2009-2014 new report available NOW

Global History, Spending, Trends & Analysis report available NOW (click here)

Amid a sharp downturn in global advertising spending and a decline in traditional out-of-home advertising in 2009, digital out-of-home media is among the fastest growing media in the world and will continue on an upward track in 2010, according to a new global forecast from PQ Media, the leading provider of media econometrics.
Throughout history, emerging media supported by strong audience metrics have consistently grown during economic recoveries after deep recessions. This was true for radio in the '30s and '40s, broadcast TV in the '50s, cable TV in the '80s and '90s, and Internet and search in the '00s. PQ Media data strongly suggest history will repeat itself in the case of digital out-of-home media, due in part to today's unprecedented media disruption and fragmentation, people consuming more media out of the home all day long, and with media stakeholders placing greater emphasis on audience measurement.

Read more detailed information on this report...

While the rate of growth has gone through a "gold rush" and a PQ Media predicted "shakeout" phase, with decelerated growth for the second consecutive year, the report anticipates U.S. spending will grow 2.0% to $2,469 billion in 2009, with worldwide spending up 4.7% to $6.69 billion. Starting in 2010, PQ Media forecasts digital OOH will move into a "breakout" phase and grow at a compound annual rate of 9.4% through 2014 in the U.S. and 10.1% globally. During the forecast period, many video advertising network and digital billboard sub-segments are anticipated to see double-digit growth in spending.
The digital OOH media sector was first identified and defined by PQ Media in 2007. The PQ Media Global Digital Out-of-Home Media Forecast 2009-2014 is the most comprehensive and respected source of strategic intelligence used by leading digital OOH operators, financial companies, brands and agencies, due to its breadth and depth of data and analysis.

The much anticipated 2009 edition covers 15 countries in the Americas, Eastern Europe/Middle East/Africa and Asia/Pacific; has been expanded to reflect input from more than 650 digital OOH companies; presents exclusive findings and predictive analysis and runs 185 pages with more than 30 data tables & charts, as well as the largest collection of digital OOH company profiles with contact information ever assembled. Detailed drill-down segment and sub-segment data from PQ Media's deep repository of proprietary spending and media usage databases provide media stakeholders with the essential planning tools for developing sound strategic initiatives in an evolving digital OOH media space.

Exclusive History, Spending, Trends and Analysis Available No Place Else:

• Definitions & Segmentation:
  • Video Advertising Networks (VANs) – In-Theater, In-Retail, In-Office, In-Entertainment, In-Transit
  • Digital Billboards and Ambient Advertising – At-Road, At-Transit, At-Entertainment, At-Retail
• US and Global digital OOH Media Spending Analysis 2004-2014
• Global Regions Covered: US, Canada, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe/Middle East/Africa, Asia/Pacific
• Countries Covered: US, Canada, Brazil, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Middle East & Africa, Japan, China, South Korea, Australia, India
• Digital OOH Share of Overall Out-of-Home Media Spending
• Top 20 Video Advertising Network Providers
• Top 20 Digital Billboard Providers
• Top 10 Trends Driving DOOH Going Forward
• Digital OOH Spending by Company Cluster - Top 10, 11-25, 26-50, etc.
• Share of Digital OOH Spending by Company Size - Over $100 Million, $50-$100 Million, etc.
• Digital OOH Spending by Ad Categories 2009
• Share of Digital OOH Spending by Segment
• Share of Digital OOH Spending in 2009 - National vs Local
• VAN Spending 2004-2014
• Digital Billboard Spending 2004-2014
• VAN Share of Digital OOH Spending 2009
• Global digital OOH Media Spending Analysis - Americas, EMEA, Asia/Pacific
• Global digital OOH Spending and Share by Region and 15 Selected Countries
• Share of VAN Visitors with Income Over $100,000
• Time Spent Annually with Media Per Person - 1984 vs 2008
• Number of Visitors Per Venue Type, Visits Per Year and Avg. Minutes Per Visit
• Number of At-Road Digital Billboards 2004-2014
• Number of Commuters and Time Spent Commuting
• Pro Sports Attendance 1985 – 2009
• Estimated Consumer Interaction with VANs Per Month
• Comparative CPM Rate Ranges by Medium

Appendix

Digital Out-of-Home Venue Types
Demographic Profile of Digital Out-of-Home Audiences
Share of Select Demographics by Select Venues
Digital Out-of-Home Company Profiles
Retailers with Digital Networks
Digital OOH Mergers & Acquisitions and Closures
Global Digital OOH Companies

SCREENS.tv - Digital Signage News http://www.screens.tv/

SCREENS.tv - Digital Signage News

SCREENS.tv - Digital Signage News: "– Envoyé à l'aide de la barre d'outils Google"

Hello
 

So everyone and his (or her) dog seems to be talking about Twitter these days, right?
And while millions of people around the world are tweeting, twitting or twotting – many people still consider the Twitter groupies a bunch of twits.
Today I thought I'd send you 5 reasons why you should stay strong with your twit-mentality and avoid the Twitter bandwagon like the plague.
1) You Don’t Have Time
Your schedule is jam-packed every single day. You’re struggling to just break even with your task list. You barely have time to take a toilet break, let alone build relationships that could open you up into a whole new world of business connections and potential revenue.
2) You Have Enough Money
You’ve got exactly the right amount of money. You don’t want a single dime more. You want your income to stay exactly where it is, no ifs or buts. Any extra revenue to be made from forging  new business partnerships or projects on Twitter would just make you angry.
3) You’ve Got All The Friends You Need
You have got enough friends. They all have their place in your life and you don’t want to interrupt the pattern and add a single other friend to the mix. You don’t want to meet anyone from another country, share a conversation with a multi-millionaire or learn anything new from anyone – you’ll stick to your non-Twit friends, thanks.
4) You Don’t Want The Attention
You’re not interested in getting all the attention. You like being the mysterious underground player and letting the limelight-seekers’ websites receive the exposure. Let ‘em have it, you say, I’m fine with my current customer base. I don’t want anyone else to know about us who doesn’t already have our business card in their filofax.
5) You’re Not Interested In Breaking News
You hate breaking news. You hate having to hear about it before any of the news crews get abreast of it. You hate having to read about it as it’s happening. You like knowing that tomorrow, when its all died down, you will be able to read a brief summary of events from a single journalist in Washington as you eat your cereal.
Don’t worry, I totally understand where you’re coming from.
I mean… what does Guy Kawasaki, the NY Times or Oprah know about business or making money anyway...

{Side note: I sincerely hope you understood the sarcasm of this email and immediately sign up for a Twitter account and follow me at Lucien08}
Talk to you soon ;-)

Digital printer Second hand Market place

Scitex Pressjet II, 6-colour ready packed on pallets from 2006 full printing condition
60.000 euro ex works Europe perfect to add capacity to a current PJ owner

the high production wide format digital press, which promises to meet growing market demands for advanced color quality and multi-application flexibility.

Targeted at the graphic arts market, the Scitex Pressjet II represents a new generation of the Scitex Pressjet. Six-color printing (CMYK with the addition of light cyan and light magenta) make it possible to attain the highest image quality. Printing houses will also benefit from Onyx Postershop RIP, which offers a faster and simpler workaround, and provides new color management options.

A video showing how we grew our customer in super wide format printing business since 1996 with Scitex and HP printers
http://ht.ly/2h8fa

A video showing how we grew our customer in super wide format printing business since 1996 with Scitex and HP printers

Twitter in Plain English Why it can help you grow your business?

Digital printer Second hand Market place

For Sale, ready packed (Printer must go urgently customer need space)

HP Scitex XL jet 1500 Digital printer second hand looking for a new home



Customer in west Europe

XL 1500 5m 8 colours upgraded till last model, and service Coverage since 23/08/2001 .

This info was validate with the EMEA Product support manager in that time.

Lucien Moons - Business Networking on Ecademy

Lucien Moons - Business Networking on Ecademy

Measuring Social Media: How to do it? Get better results. http://bit.ly/aHvQH4

From Hotel Mazagan Marocco. : 'Facebook Is a Dinner Party'

http://www.viralnetworkers.com/forum/topic/show?id=4523559%3ATopic%3A37927

http://tinyurl.com/2fqw2gf Fespa was all about application but social media was also present

HP Application City, FESPA 2010

See you at : 1000 Party@FESPA the 22 June at 20H00

1000 Party@FESPA

Time: 19:30
Place: Augustiner-Keller ,
Arnulfstrasse 52 , 80335 Munich,
www.augustinerkeller.de
Who: All Customers

Let us meet at FESPA

We can meet at the HP booth Hall B2, Stand 120

the 24 at 14H

· 14:00 Meeting at HP booth with you

· 14:30-16:00 Presentation “HP solution package for CEE marketplace”

· 16:30-18:00 Come&See HP@FESPA (HP booth demos)

the FESPA Blueprint is an outline of ideas for success, by embracing and integrating innovation into printers’ businesses for the future.

Open publication - Free publishing - More printing

Social Media in Europe and Germany

World Cup Schedule Printable: World Cup 2010 Kicks off Tomorrow

World Cup Schedule Printable: World Cup 2010 Kicks off Tomorrow: "– Envoyé à l'aide de la barre d'outils Google"

G Lang and Lucien Moons Branaldi HU

Penny Power - Know Me, Like Me, Follow Me the power of a conversation.. http://ping.fm/B9kDA

ZGMTH - Zygonic Theory: Introduction, Scope, and Prospects http://ping.fm/bfHWh

Scarlett Johansson Sandra Bullock How to set customer expectations right?

Zygonic Theory: Introduction, Scope, and Prospects

How to make money with new digital printing applications using Latex inks featured by Lucien Moons

A great week end learning how to build web site with traffic!

My favorite travel companion Richard Branson