AFP Color Consortium Leading Innovation in Color Printing

Xerox Latest to Join Breakthrough Open Industry Standards Organization

BOULDER, CO, 02/24/2005 -- IBM today announced that Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) has joined the AFP Color Consortium, bringing the membership total to 18. The consortium, involving leaders from across the printing industry, is working to bring reliability, data integrity, quality and consistency to high volume color printing environments.

“Xerox has a rich history in color research and development, and we are committed to putting that innovation to work for our customers,” said Quincy Allen, president, Xerox Production Systems Group. “Working with this respected industry group, we’re looking forward to using Xerox’s expertise in color management to help all production printing customers unleash the power of digital printing.”

The consortium will hold its next meeting this week to continue refining the technical specifications associated with high-speed transaction color printing. Since its formation in October 2004, the group has begun to define a color management architecture that will enable businesses to develop device-independent color applications, and workflows that can be printed in color or grayscale.

“We know that color will play a significant role in the future of the printing industry,” noted Jeff Paterra, vice president of development and professional services, IBM Printing Systems. “And we’ve heard loud and clear from customers and others in the industry that AFP should continue to evolve with industry demands, because it’s viewed as an excellent vehicle to help with the transition to high-speed color printing.”

The AFP Color Consortium is currently comprised of IBM, Kodak, Lexmark, Océ, Xerox, Emtex, Intermate, and MPI, and software application developers Cincom, COPI, DocuCorp International, Elixir Technologies, Exstream Software, GMC Software Technology, Group 1, ISIS Papyrus, Metavante, Printsoft and StreamServe.

“The AFP Color Consortium is strategically aligned with Océ’s goal to provide our customers with the ability to migrate to color print while still maintaining their monochrome based architecture,” said Michele Pracchi, Senior Vice President Corporate Software Development, Océ. “Today, the consortium represents every facet of production printing, and the best minds in the industry are actively working to address that need.”

According to Paterra, “The participation by key industry players indicates a strong commitment to develop an open approach that addresses the complex functions of color management.” Color management is about accurate and consistent output of color across different devices. By evolving AFP to include a color management architecture that will be industry-defined and fully open, the consortium is confident the goal of consistency among printing devices and software systems can be achieved.

About IBM Printing Systems Division

With more than 40 years’ experience helping customers with print solutions, IBM Printing Systems Division specializes in output solutions for the on demand era. IBM is helping customers link electronic information with the various forms of output choices that businesses need today, while allowing them to improve operations, reduce costs and maximize business value. A leader in production print solutions, print-on-demand technologies, distributed print technologies, one-to-one marketing initiatives and print management software, IBM Printing Systems’ offerings include printers, software, consultation, systems integration, supplies, service and support. For more information visit www.ibm.com/printers

About Xerox Production Systems Group

Xerox is among the printing industry’s digital pioneers and continues to lead efforts to help businesses profit from the ongoing digital printing revolution. Building on its legacy, PSG provides both color and black-and-white products for production publishing, transaction printing and enterprise-wide printing. From total document solutions and services, to production workflow and systems integration, Xerox’s offerings help print providers simplify work processes, attract new business and better manage print jobs all the way from the initial order to the final invoice. For more information on Xerox, visit www.xerox.com

About Océ

Océ is one of the world’s leading suppliers of products and services for professional printing and document management -- from document creation and design through to distribution and archiving. Thanks to their high quality, productivity and durability, Océ products are particularly suitable for environments where large numbers of documents are produced. For more information on Océ, visit www.oce.com

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