PEOPLE IN PRINT
A vision for HP Indigo Arnon Goldman and Craig Walmsley from HP’s Industrial Graphic Solutions Business discuss the vision for HP Indigo in 2021 and beyond
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n August 2020, Arnon Goldman was promoted from business manager in HP’s Industrial Graphic Solutions Business in Asia-Pacific, to become the division’s AsiaPacific and Japan (APJ) general manager. Together with his A/NZ counterpart, Craig Walmsley, the duo provided AP with insight into their vision for HP Indigo in 2021 and beyond post-drupa, and the role HP Indigo is playing in advancing printing innovations.
Q: Arnon, what was your career progression and how did you end up as the APJ general manager of HP’s Industrial Graphic Solutions Business?
Arnon Goldman (AG): I joined HP about 12 years ago, after changing my career path completely. It was a significant change, as I was initially managing R&D in the aerospace industry. When I pursued an education in business school in Singapore, I fell in love with the diversity in Asia and wanted to be in this region. Not long after, I was offered a job in HP. I worked in the company across different roles in my tenure and got exposure to the entire region. About 10 months ago, I was given the opportunity to lead in the region with my appointment as APJ general manager for HP Industrial Graphic Solutions Business.
Q: Having been in the company for a number of years, what are some of the key trends that you’ve noticed in this space?
AG:
It’s very apparent that we’re seeing more shorter runs in the market, along with other trends in the broader industry that influences the printing business – for example,
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e-Commerce. If you look at the last 10 years, they have been the biggest in the history of e-Commerce. We saw great models working for customers that innovated, and with those who did things differently compared to how they were done before. Customers are also expecting shorter turnaround times, so print businesses need to adopt innovation. To me, the combination of the adoption of digital print, the increased expectations of print buyers, and the growth of e-Commerce and personalisation creates a space where digital printers can play well in, which also correlates to what we offer the market. Craig Walmsley (CW): From a local perspective, the clients that have pivoted and diversified have been able to navigate well through COVID-19. HP Indigo technology has always been a pillar for their success as it allows for both commodity work as well as high value applications.
Q: What is HP’s vision for its Indigo technology?
AG:
We have very focused pillars for HP Indigo. The first of it is building on a base of high quality and productivity. The next is versatility. Our development direction is like a cube, and we try and stretch the envelope around it. For example, our 100K model is more productive than the Series 4. Our future Series 6 will be significantly more productive than its predecessors. We aim to keep moving in this trajectory, extending the range of substrates and applications for the HP Indigo. This is especially the case as we are currently living in a world of change. The new series machines are able to output more pages per minute at great speeds. This sets the base for productivity. On top of that, if you add newer
technologies like inspection technologies, automation and photometers, the limits of what you can achieve are endless. Presses are also a huge investment, and we want it to be able to last for our customers for a number of years. Creating machines that are resilient and versatile are very important for us at HP and that would enable us to serve a wider range of customers. One such example is our entry into the security space with a unique offering. That has given us, as a business, a significant edge over other players in the industry. The HP Indigo technology allows our customers to say ‘yes’ more often, whether it be a security application, data-driven application or a unique creative piece. You can use the technology in a variety of different ways. When you add valueadd to the printed piece, you’ve created something unique that your competitors or electronic communicators can’t match. This is where a lot of our clients are utilising the uniqueness of HP Indigo technology.
CW:
Q: Can you provide a local example where a customer pivoted its business by using an HP Indigo?
CW:
We have clients that did very traditional commercial work and were very strong in that space. When COVID hit, that work came to a grinding halt. In response, they had to maneuver and identify how to produce high value applications. To match market changes, they utilised features like security to create different communications and applications. They created applications like face masks, security features, and moved to shorter runs with higher variability. This meant that there was more personalisation in the documentation.
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