NewsXtreme Revives Erie's Workflow

North Canton, OH, December 1, 2006

The IT Staff at Erie Times-News (Circ: 60,333) thoroughly researched all of their production workflow vendor options. It ultimately came down to NewsXtreme's system flexibility and attractive pricing that made them choose Presteligence. Find out more through this question/answer document from Pat Kilgallon, Technology Service Manager.

Why did you go with a new workflow system?
Pat: We went with a new workflow system due to our decision of migrating to CTP. We have a twin Kodak Trendsetter 70 and a Nela VCP automated punch. The previous workflow system was the oldest system we had in production and it needed to be updated with CTP and its needs.

How did Presteligence and NewsXtreme stand out compared to other workflow products?
Pat: We looked at every system available that would integrate with our Kodak CTP devices. We created a matrix to evaluate all our specific needs we felt were required in our new workflow. Every vendor's workflow would get the product to the CTP device but we were not just looking at a workflow, we needed to change the entire process including the decision to run with an OPI or not. After countless meetings, demo's and evaluations there were several items that took Presteligence to the top of my list. NewsXtreme does not require a dongle. This was a key component, as we wanted a system that would allow the servers to run within our IBM/SAN blade system. Presteligence also offered an OPI solution in house rather than buying an OPI from a different vendor and then integrating to someone else. Their front end system was the most user-friendly from the aspect of the IT personnel setting it up and finally the price was the most competitive in comparison to all of the vendors.

How has the prepress production's daily activity changed since using NewsXtreme?
Pat: The daily production has become more efficient in how we output plates which in turn has saved us time and personnel within that department.

Can you give specific examples of how the simplicity of NewsXtreme has helped you?
Pat: The simplicity of NewsXtreme has allowed the setup to be quick and efficient to where we had a partial production flow within the first several days of operation. The training time for the users was much less than expected due to the simplicity of the system. They were on board after a day of training and using the system.

Are there any other comments you care to share?
Pat: Overall with the amount of change we experienced when we switched over to NewsXtreme and GUSS was on our end quite extensive. During the installation and startup of everything the support we received was top notch. We hit several speed bumps during the first several weeks but on every occasion Presteligence support was always a phone call or e-mail away. The integration of our Nela punch was completed with the code being written to receive log updates from Nela within NewsXtreme. Overall, I feel we have formed a very good business relationship.

For more information, contact Denise Oates, doates@presteligence.com

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