Xerox picks up personalised print provider

XMPie specialises in variable data software that allows designers, marketing companies and printers to create marketing pieces with an individual's name, along with information and images based on personal preferences and interests. Fuji Xerox is the largest reseller of XMPie software and claims this relationship will be strengthened with the acquisition.

Ursula Burns, president of the Xerox Business Group, says XMPie has successfully tapped into the growing demand for variable data software that is integrated with on-demand print, web and e-mail applications.

“Through this acquisition we are bringing the intelligence of data collection together with the quality of digital printing to provide complete, measurable solutions for multimedia marketing campaigns,” says Burns.

XMPie will maintain its brand name and continue as a standalone software provider, continuing to serve the entire graphic arts market in addition to Fuji Xerox. Jacob Aizikowitz is both a company founder and current chairman of XMPie and has been nominated by Xerox to head up the unit, reporting directly to Ursula Burns, president of the Xerox Business Group.

XMPie was originally founded in 2000 and has grown to become a global operation with around 60 employees. The company's headquarters in New York will be retained along with its research and development facility in Israel, and the vast majority of its employees are expected to join Xerox.

XMPie is known for its targeted print products like brochures, direct mail and catalogues, but it also has the ability to automatically generate e-mails that drive customers to Web pages filled with personalised information. These integrated marketing campaigns rely on digital printing systems like the DocuColour series and the iGen3 press from Xerox.

Xerox is banking on the success of variable data applications such as XMPie to drive the continued success of its digital production presses. It points to research from InfoTrends indicating that personalised applications will triple in the US from $US5.3 billion in 2004 to $US16.6 billion in 2009.

Xerox's all-cash purchase of XMPie is expected to close in the next 30 days, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

XMPie revs up advanced Users Group

In conjunction with the changes to be implemented under the Fuji Xerox acquisition, XMPie will also be forming a new Users' Group, an assembly of customers that will discuss and share their experiences with variable data campaigns. The company says the new Users' Group will work collectively to deliver unbiased business, marketing, and technical knowledge to help members successfully develop campaigns with the software.

The forum will be overseen by ten board members comprised of two XMPie executives along with customers mostly from the US, but Paul McGarity, managing director of digitalLOGIC, a digital marketing company based in Melbourne, will also have a place on the board.

__The first XMPie Users' Group board meeting has already been held, in which board members defined a threefold mission for the organisation: to encourage the exchange of information on variable data printing and personalised campaigns; to encourage dialogue between XMPie, its partners and user community regarding the direction of best practice; and to provide peer-to-peer networking opportunities that provide forums for knowledge exchange and opportunities for members to foster their professional growth.

Eyal Goldwerger, chief executive officer of XMPie, says his company wants the new Users' Group to offer customers the best resources available to them when using the software. “The Users' Group will give them access to the wealth of information and expertise they need to maximize the capabilities of their businesses,” he says.

Stefan Agustsson, of US printer Yoffi Digital Press and president of the Users' Group, says it comes in response to growth of the XMPie user community and to requests to create a venue for creative discussion among software users.

“The XMPie user community is a very active, highly creative, and collaborative community," says Agustsson. “We have worked successfully with other XMPie customers and believe that the entire industry will move forward and benefit as a result of the Users' Group. We look forward to influencing the next generation of VDP and cross media marketing.”

The first Users' Group annual meeting is slated for January 2007 in Las Vegas. Existing and prospective XMPie customers can find further information about the Users' Group by visiting www.xmpieusers.org.