PDF assault? Microsoft and 'Harlequin' firm co-operate - News commentary by Andy McCourt

As a Page Description Language (PDL), "Metro" will offer significantly improved screen-to-print fidelity to meet knowledge worker demand for documents rich in graphics content as well as the high fidelity needs of the digital imaging marketplace. “Metro” is the result of a consultancy project by Global Graphics of Harlequin/Jaws RIP renown, which began in 2003.

Jim Freidah, President and coo of Global Graphics said: "The expertise that Microsoft has drawn upon relates to our print and document technologies where we have very strong credentials, and a wealth of experience. In particular we are well known for the speed and quality of our Raster Image Processing and Page Description Language technology."

Microsoft's, Madelyn Bryant McIntire, product unit manager for the Windows Digital Documents Platform, commented, "We are working closely with the team at Global Graphics to ensure our printing and document solutions for 'Longhorn' address the needs of the print industry and that our design can be implemented by the hardware and software industries. Global Graphics' expertise makes it a well-rounded company to work with on 'Longhorn' printing and our proof-of-concept project. "

At the heart of “Metro” is a new Raster Image Processor (RIP), developed by Global Graphics, which takes text and images that comprise the "Metro" document and converts them into a high-quality raster form for printed output.

Global Graphics' Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Adrian Ford, demonstrated native Metro printing at WinHEC and released a White Paper, available on www.globalgraphics.com. In this, he noted:

“Microsoft is committed to the widespread adoption of the Metro format, both on the Windows platform and beyond. The Metro format specification will be published and third party implementations of products for Metro creation, manipulation and consumption will emerge.
“Currently, print devices do not support Metro. For end users to benefit from the advantages and enhanced features that Metro provides, vendors will need to enable support for Metro in their products.
By maintaining the print stream in Metro format right down to the device, the enhanced graphics model of Metro is maintained. For example, based on assumptions about the characteristics of the output device, conversion to an existing PDL will result in transparency information being flattened. “

Global Graphics' R&D is headquartered in Cambridge, UK and is a subsidiary of Global Graphics SA of Pompey, France under chairman and ceo Johan Volckaerts. 2004 sales were AUD$32 million.

MY CALL

Watch closely, but it will take time.
Microsoft has long languished in the commercial document and print sector, seeing Adobe go from strength-to-strength. Longhorn OS is its answer and Global Graphics, a firm whose credentials in RIPs and workflows can not be challenged, is the ideal partner for the Metro initiative.

However, note that Metro is not just another portable document format, it's a new PDL (Page Description Language) as well - i.e. not Postscript. Global Graphics is already a major supporter of PS and PDF workflows and just about every imagesetter and CTP device uses Harlequin/Jaws Ripping technology.

This is very much about Microsoft's long-term strategy to improve its up-market graphics capabilities where Adobe and Quark reign supreme. Most commercial printers (digital and offset) squirm when a customer presents an MS Publisher file although in fact they can be successfully processed in workflow such as EFI's OneFlow. Longhorn with Metro aims to change all that, but it will take some time-to-market as hardware and software vendors need to enable their devices and code accordingly. Speaking of Quark, wouldn't that be a nice acquisition for Microsoft? Unlikely to happen though.

With imaging technology on an 18 month to 3 year cycle of replacement, universal adoption of Metro may not be so hard a call. With Microsoft's 'top down' marketing clout, printer, workflow software and device manufacturers will have little choice but to enable Metro in their products. And that's when the real battle in the file format wars will begin.

It can't be ignored, Microsoft is tops in operating systems market share and Global Graphics is tops in professional Ripping technology.

Powerful medicine.