Andrew Bailes Collins of Ultimate Tech discusses the software developer's partnership with Canon to provide the digital front-end for the press manufacturer's new LabelStream LS2000 water-based inkjet press, unveiled at Labelexpo Americas 2024.

Ultimate Tech was the first company in the industry to use computers for imposition, and the signature software, Impostrip, is used globally by thousands of companies. In the past years, Ultimate Tech has developed products for binderies and large-format, and here at PRINTING United, the company shows its BestCut solution, helping operators optimize the guillotine work. As always super interesting listening to CEO Julie Watson.

Morten Reitoft and Julie Watson discuss Ultimate Tech's preparations and excitement for Drupa 2024. Watson highlights the company's recent activities, partnerships, and technology introductions. She explains that while Printing United was significant for introducing new technologies like the AI-driven cutting buddy and new nesting technologies, Drupa remains crucial for showcasing its latest innovations to a global audience. Watson mentions the upcoming releases, including the 2024.1 version of Impostrip with enhanced job organization features and compatibility with PDF X4 from the Ghent Workgroup. She also discusses their container version of Impostrip on AWS, demonstrating their commitment to cloud-based solutions. Ultimate Tech will showcase its full-featured solutions across multiple platforms (Linux, Mac, Windows). Reitoft asks about Ultimate Tech's integration capabilities, particularly with their Ultimate Bindery software, which automates finishing processes and supports over 85 devices. Watson explains that their drivers validate jobs and automate device setups, allowing seamless integration and reduced manual intervention. They discuss Impostrip/Bindery's scalability, highlighting its ability to handle high volumes of short-run digital print jobs efficiently. Watson emphasizes the importance of starting with automation and gradually integrating more processes and devices to enhance productivity. Watson also discusses integrating their solutions with other systems, such as MIS and Web2Print platforms, using APIs for open connectivity. She mentions their collaboration with Omikai to showcase an end-to-end workflow solution at Drupa. Reitoft and Watson conclude by discussing the logistical ease of being a software company at Drupa compared to hardware manufacturers and the historical significance of Ultimate Tech's participation since 1990. Watson shares a personal anecdote about her family’s long-standing involvement in the industry.

Ultimate TechnoGraphics is one of the absolute forerunners in the workflow/automation part of the graphic arts industry - not only because of the workflow/automation software but also because of their openness. In the months before PRINTING United, the company announced several partnerships and some major product announcements, like a brand new nesting engine, but too many, maybe even more important, an option to scale processing power dynamically as needed. This interview with Andrew Bailes-Collins - Head of Product Management - gives us great insights, so get on board - NOW!

It has been a busy year for Canadian Ultimate TechnoGraphics. New major upgrades to its Impostrip software, an entirely new nesting engine, new partner announcements, and Scalable software technology - as you can understand, good reason to talk to Raymond Duval. We will also meet Ray and his colleagues at PRINTING United to dig more into details, but this is, as always, great talking to him. Enjoy!