With the release of PrintSphere, Agfa Graphics now offers printers a standardized way to send and receive files and adds new levels of automation to all existing Agfa workflow solutions. This Software as a Service (SaaS) also provides Customer Service Reps (CSR’s) with a dashboard to properly manage their customers while offering an overview of active jobs. PrintSphere is a shared service that allows printers to easily exchange files with, for example, customers, employees and freelancers. Whether data sharing occurs internally or externally, the cloud-based solution keeps all print data safely stored and organized, said Agfa. Integrated with Apogee Prepress or Asanti, prepress operators can assign users to specific jobs. An automated messaging system invites these assigned parties to deliver files for a particular job. PrintSphere can also be used to create archives of previous jobs, available to a select number of customers.
“Printers exchange gigabytes of data on a daily basis using a variety of tools,” said Andy Grant, Head of Software at Agfa Graphics. “We wanted to offer them a standardized and more efficient way to do that. PrintSphere makes it easy to swiftly send and receive files. It has a browser interface and sits in the cloud, not on your own system.”
Integrated Software as a Service
There’s no need to invest in other hardware or software when opting for PrintSphere. Independent of time and place, PrintSphere is accessible through the official website www.printsphere.com or via client applications for Windows, Mac and mobile. Uploaded data automatically synchronizes with local folders, making files available on-site as well.
“PrintSphere integrates with Agfa Graphics’ existing production workflow software, such as Apogee, Asanti and StoreFront,” Grant added. “It automates data intake, creates off-site back-ups of critical production databases, and picks up web-to-print orders to make them available on the local network. That way, it saves considerable time and helps speed up the production cycle. It’s not only of great help for the huge files in the sign and display market, but in the commercial printing and newspaper printing markets PrintSphere offers a valuable addition to the entire workflow.” As a cloud service, PrintSphere follows other Agfa Graphics cloud-based tools such as StoreFront and Arkitex. Complete privacy and confidentiality of all data are guaranteed, said Agfa.
Agfa Graphics Canada is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario.
Agfa Graphics launches cloud-based data exchange service PrintSphere
