Quark has announced two strategic initiatives: an alliance with XTended Services, who will take over the management and marketing of the QuarkAlliance XTensions developer program, and membership in Networked Graphic Production (NGP), which brings together print industry vendors who want to offer integrated solutions. The company hopes that the deal with XTended Services will reinvigorate its relationship with developers who create the XTensions modules that expand various Quark products’ functionality. The QuarkAlliance program provides co-marketing opportunities, access to software Betas, developer support and product discounts.
By joining NGP, Quark avails itself of NGP-approved solutions that use JDF and other open standards during the print production cycle. Cliff Kaplan, Quark’s vice-president of OEM and custom solutions, notes that the company’s participation in NGP lets it work with “other vendors to integrate QuarkXPress more tightly with digital presses, prepress and workflow systems.” NGP members collaborate on systems that reduce cycle times, automate production, minimize errors and deliver better control.