For Immediate Release
GrayMatter Software Announces release 1.2 of ScriptServer®
PAN Printing System
Seattle, (August 5, 2002) -- GrayMatter Software Corporation announces version 1.2 of its ScriptServerŽ PAN Printing System (ScriptServer PAN) for Linux and Tru64.
Version 1.2 introduces PPD support for Windows and Macintosh. A completely functional PAN is now available over the Internet, to simplify preliminary assessment and evaluation of the product. Traditional "demo" licenses are still available.
Both the Linux and Tru64 installations are built from the same codebase, ensuring complete interoperability. GrayMatter's existing ScriptServerŽ for VMS product can gateway to ScriptServer PAN via its own built-in LPR support, without configuring LPD in the VMS IP stack.
The availability of a completely functional system over the Internet allows GrayMatter staff to consult with customers to better explain the ScriptServer PAN approach to enterprise print management and also to provide hands-on help with configuration for specialty printers and gateways.
ScriptServer PAN represents a fundamental change in approach to enterprise printing problems. The system provides capabilities which are not only not provided, but often not even anticipated, by more traditional designs. To support this new conceptual framework the system includes a new specification for the structure of print jobs, a new design for network based queuing facilities, including job progress monitoring and control, a new design for the printer driver itself which is printer language based and configurable rather than device specific, and a comprehensive new web browser based graphical interface for users, operators, and printing system administrators.
Support for electronic forms is one example of a capability provided by ScriptServer PAN that is made accessible to users on the basis of definitions provided by the system administrator. A form definition itself refers to other elements which also have to be defined. These elements, which we call resources, include the images for the organization's electronic forms, any associated special layout requirements for these forms if the data printed on them is ASCII, names and associated procedures for device dependent operations such as media and finishing option selection, fonts, and any other special purpose printer resident modules.
The system accepts print jobs submitted directly from the web browser interface, from command line scripts, from the File Menu of Windows NT/2000 applications, or via the LPR/LPD protocol. Input data formats include ASCII text in Unix, Windows or Macintosh formats, Level II or III Postscript, PCL, and PDF. A special facility for raw or unidentified data format is also provided. Output data formats include Postscript, PCL, and PDF with a limited number of device specific formats and raw format also provided.
The system has been specifically designed to support printing of complex jobs with exceptional requirements. Through the implementation of abstract device characteristics these jobs are able to be represented in a device independent manner at submission time while, at print time, a job may exercise any specific feature of a state of the art printer such as duplexing, media selection, variable resolution, stapling, etc.
The ScriptServer PAN system treats each of the above requirements abstractly by giving each an element name. The specification for the assembly of the job is then expressed as an ordered list of these names. This list of names which itself has a name, say invoice in this case, is a "PAN form" and the invoice is said to be "printed using the invoice form." While some of these elements, for example the media selectors, are device dependent, others are not. By deferring the binding of element names to their definitions until the job actually starts printing, the specification of the job itself becomes device independent so the same job may be submitted to any printer which has the necessary capabilities and for which the abstractions required by the job have been defined.
ScriptServer Print Area Network version 1.2 for Red Hat Linux 6 and 7 and for Tru64 version 5.1 is now available. The release includes master server, auxiliary servers, the Windows NT/2000 print driver, and documentation. System licenses are based on the number of queues, with no restriction on the number of "seats". Pricing starts at $1,295.US.
About GrayMatter Software Corporation
Founded in 1985, GrayMatter Software has been providing print management software for large environments to organizations around the world since 1988. The privately held company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and its web site is located at www.graysoft.com.
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The GrayMatter logo, GrayMatter Software, ScriptServer, Print Area Network and ScriptServer PAN are trademarks or registered trademarks of GrayMatter Software Corporation. PostScript is a trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc., and is registered in the USA and other countries. PCL, VMS and Tru64 are trademarks of HP which are registered in the USA and other countries. Microsoft and Windows is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the USA and other countries. Macintosh and Mac OS are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., which is registered in the USA and other countries. Red Hat Linux is either a registered trademark or trademark of Red Hat Software in the USA and other countries. Unix is or was a trademark of ATT/Bell Labs.