Tom Peire · Four Pees · the VIGC talks from the drupa 2024 show floor

Interview in Dutch – subtitles in English.

Onze grafische industrie in het algemeen en Drupa in het bijzonder is altijd gedreven geweest door technologie. Hoewel hardwareleveranciers vaak software hebben ingezet, en dat vandaag de dag nog steeds doen om zich te onderscheiden van hun concurrenten, ziet de klant, namelijk de drukkerij, dit nog té vaak als een bijzaak.
We zien echter meer en meer dat de bedrijven die hun digitale transformatie centraal stellen in hun bedrijfsstrategie, diegene zijn die onze industrie richting geven en transformeren.
We hadden dus wel wat vragen voor Tom Peire, CEO Four Pees.

— EN —
Our graphics industry in general and Drupa in particular has always been driven by technology. Although hardware suppliers have often used software, and still do so today, to distinguish themselves from their competitors, the customer, namely the printing company, still too often sees this as an afterthought.
However, we are increasingly seeing that the companies that put digital transformation at the center of their business strategy are the ones that guide and transform our industry.
So we had some questions for Tom Peire, CEO Four Pees.

En Tom Peire · Cheif Evangelist · Atomyx.io/Four Pees · PRINTING United 2025

Tom Peire · Cheif Evangelist · Atomyx.io/Four Pees · PRINTING United 2025

At Printing United Expo in Orlando, Wayne from INKISH catches up with his good friend Tom Peire from Four Pees. It’s the last day of the show, and both share a laugh about how often they’ve met recently—first in sunny Barcelona and now in sunny Orlando. Despite the long week, the atmosphere is light, and the air conditioning is appreciated. Tom says the event has been very good overall, with strong attendance and meaningful conversations. “People are starting to recognize us for what we do,” he explains. For Four Pees, it’s not about the number of leads but the quality of the discussions. Wayne smoothly transitions to the main topic—connectivity—and asks what Four Pees has been presenting to print service providers. Tom explains that the company has been talking about Atomyx, their integration platform, which has now matured enough for wider adoption after an initial phase with pilot customers. “Printers are realizing that unifying data is becoming a real challenge,” Tom says. “The traditional way of selling print is gone, and now they have multiple online order sources. Managing and unifying that data has become critical.” He breaks it down in simple terms: Atomyx Manage is an integration platform as a service that connects different data sources and translates them so that each system understands the other. “On the production side, people have tried to solve this through JDF to create interoperability, but it hasn’t been very successful because every OEM has its own variation. On the ordering side, it’s even more complex because there’s no standard at all. You have systems that are SKU-based, others that use product trees, and each requires mapping to create a unified view.” Wayne notes how important this is for automation and reducing touchpoints. Tom agrees, emphasizing that Four Pees enables communication between web-to-print systems, MIS platforms, and production equipment. “We also connect to print APIs like Cloudprinter and Gelato,” he explains, “because many PSPs now act as fulfillment partners for customized products. We make sure their systems talk to one another, and just as importantly, we send information back—because customers today expect real-time updates on where their orders are.” When asked how open OEMs are to connecting their software, Tom says most are improving. “Most of them understand they need open systems and documented APIs. The challenge for PSPs is the knowledge gap—between being told something is open and actually connecting to it successfully. That’s where we help.” Wayne agrees, pointing out that accurate data drives profitability, not just press activity. “You used to think that if the presses were running, you were making money,” he says. “Now you can be losing money even with the press running.” Tom nods, saying that visibility and job costing are vital in modern print production. As they wrap up, Wayne smiles and says they’ll probably see each other again soon. Tom laughs, mentioning the upcoming INKISH NON-EVENT in January. Wayne confirms: “Wonderful. See you there.”

En Tom Peire · CEO · Four Pees

Tom Peire · CEO · Four Pees

Four Pees has set a course to become one of the leading implementations of printing industry related IT-solutions. With huge knowledge, and as CEO and Founder Tom Peire explain, learning from previous mistakes, the company is now ready to execute ambitious plans. As usual, our 'Conversations' format goes behind the scene and gives you an insight into the human side of the top management in companies in our industry. This one is truly great - so please enjoy it!

Fr En Fr FourPees présent au salon CPrint Lyon

FourPees présent au salon CPrint Lyon

Arnaud Tavard est l'interlocuteur en France pour contacter l'intégrateur Four Pees. Cette année, ils n'ont pas de stand eux-mêmes au salon, mais ils font équipe avec certains de leurs principaux partenaires de l'industrie. Dans cette courte interview, Arnaud nous en dit plus.