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CIP4 Organization — Benefits of Membership
Executive Summary
CIP4 is an open and public association whose mission is to encourage
computer-based integration of all processes that have to be considered
in the graphic arts industry, in particular through the specification
of integration standards. Founded in Switzerland and with offices in Germany
and the U.S., the CIP4 organization is a worldwide organization with members
on every continent, with the exception of Antarctica.
Regardless of your company type and class of membership, the benefits
of membership greatly out weight the price of dues. All members have access
to a number of benefits, and one of which can easily justify the cost
of annual dues:
- All regular employees of a member organization can
get a CIP4 account and password which gives them access to:
- Over thirty technical
and non-technical working groups, including the ability to provide
input to the ongoing development of the CIP4 specifications (right
now CIP4's specifications are the Job Definition Format (JDF) and
PrintTalk) and to represent their member organization's interests.
For company's providing systems and software, working group participation
is a significant advantage for staff developers and programmers;
for associate members, working group participation provides unparallel
access to the most informed CIP4 member experts and an inside perspective
on process automation via CIP4's standards. Note: The majority of
working group meetings (with the exception of meetings co-scheduled
with interoperability events) are conducted via conference call
and WebEx, allowing for inexpensive participation opportunities.
- Sample
JDF data files
- Draft versions of JDF documents in development
… giving you the opportunity to stay informed ahead of the
general public.
- Archives
of all JDF documents, presentations, email threads and more - allows
you to track down issues and answers.
- Invites to members-only marketing opportunities,
such as the upcoming JDF Pavilion at Ipex that includes opportunities
to present in a centralized theater and to participate in show floor
demonstrations.
- The member discount on the JDF
Expert Certificate Program (administered by IPA.)
- Access to the CIP4 Wiki,
a comprehensive and evolving repository of knowledge related to
CIP4, JDF and PrintTalk.
- All CIP4 Members may list JDF-enabled products and
services in the JDF Marketplace.
The JDF Marketplace is updated and published as a PDF quarterly and
it is available to printers, prepress services, finishing services and
the graphic arts industry free of charge (it is widely used.)
- Access to JDF tools
like the JDF Editor, Elk (testing), the CheckJDF Server, and product
certification tools (beta tools in circulation now.)
- The opportunity for staff to be nominated to a seat
on the CIP4 Advisory Board,
CIP4's governing body.
- Free CIP4 CyberMall
listings (new feature.)
- Your JDF experts and consultants can signup for
the JDF Speakers Bureau,
opening the door to public speaking opportunities.
- Your JDF-related press releases, case studies, and
white papers can be published in the JDF
Bulletin, an electronic newsletter distributed six times a year
to members and others on a worldwide distribution list.
- Use of the CIP4,
CIP4 Member and JDF Now logos in you marketing materials and promotional.
- For your marketing contacts that subscribe the JDF_Marketing
list, notice on unique and often one-time marketing opportunities.
In addition to the above, there are a few benefits that are uniquely meaningful
to Full and Partner members, such as:
- Access to the C++ and
Java JDF software development kits and may incorporate that code
in commercial products on the one stipulation that membership in CIP4
is maintained.
- Access to CIP4
interoperability events (2-3 events per year) where your developers
can test exchange with others and the results are not shared with the
public, only members. Access to CIP4 interoperability events (2-3 events
per year) where your developers can test exchange with others and the
results are not shared with the public, only members.
- Access to the product
certification program (and its development,
as the program is currently under development.)
Of course, like any association, the return on your investment in CIP4
membership will depend on your level of participation and the number of
staff that get involved in the areas of activity that most interest them.
However, if JDF is in your business plan, the decision to pay the dues
in exchange for all of the above benefits should be a no-brainer; it's
a great deal.
Membership
in CIP4 is organizational and CIP4 has three primary classes of membership:
Partner, Full and Associate. If a company sells software or JDF-enabled
systems of any type, they are only eligible for Full ($3,000 USD/year)
or Partner ($15,000 USD/year.) The one significant difference between
Full and Partner membership is that Partner members are guaranteed a seat
on CIP4's governing body, (the Advisory Board), while staff from Full
members are eligible for an elected seat on the Advisory Board (one Full
member seat for each two Partner seats.)
Printers, publishers, prepress services, consultants, distributors, integrators
and educational institutes are afforded a significantly discounted rate
on membership ($150 USD/year). The founders of CIP4 agreed that the input
of printers, publishers and prepress services is critical to the success
of CIP4 and its standards; hence, the significant discount.
If you have questions regarding CIP4 membership benefits feel free to
contact either Christian Anschütz of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen
AG, CIP4's Membership Director, via email at membership_officer@cip4.org
or via telephone at +49 6221 92 16 66, or contact CIP4 Executive Director
James Harvey via email at executive_director@cip4.org
or via telephone at +1 (410) 451 5040.
Interested in joining CIP4? You can start the process by submitting
an application for membership.
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