Dow Jones completes Esprit integration 11th June 2004

Dow Jones and Company (NYSE: DJ) has completed integration of its Esprit impositioning system, supplied by Harland Simon Systems, with its ABB supplied press control systems at 17 U.S.-based printing plants.

Esprit has edition-linking logic providing the ability to develop a family of impositions based on edition-change requirements. The product and imposition data from Esprit is exported to ABB’s MPS CC730 system in an XML format file, which enables the system to automatically set up the daily production runs. The exported file contains data defining the product layout and data defining the webs, angle bar and former routings used to make up the press imposition. This final link between the planning system and the 19 press control systems provides an automated workflow, eliminating the need for manual entry and reducing set-up times and the opportunity for errors.

"Harland Simon’s Esprit system has provided us with a sophisticated planning tool that is used by Dow Jones to meet our customer needs by ensuring a consistent product layout across our printing plants," said Paul Cousineau, director of Continuous Improvement for Dow Jones. "Harland Simon has worked with us and our partners to ensure a smooth integration, delivering the functionality we have specified."

Esprit also interfaces with a sister product called ColorWare, a unique product developed by Harland Simon, which advises where color pages can be provided in The Wall Street Journal, and also the best location to have it. At Dow Jones, ColorWare interfaces with the Atex Media Command software, advising it where color can be run. With Harland Simon technology, Dow Jones has sophisticated workflow and planning tools, automated from layout to press control, which enables them to utilize the full capability of their production facilities.

About Dow Jones & Company

In addition to The Wall Street Journal and its international and online editions, Dow Jones & Company (NYSE: DJ; www.dowjones.com) publishes Barron's and the Far Eastern Economic Review, Dow Jones Newswires, Dow Jones Indexes and the Ottaway group of community newspapers. Dow Jones is co-owner with Reuters Group of Factiva, with Hearst of SmartMoney and with NBC Universal of the CNBC television operations in Asia and Europe. Dow Jones also provides news content to CNBC and radio stations in the U.S.

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