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.”