The ways you can use Web-based technologies in all production phases of the print media industry are discussed in this book.

Chapter 1 is focused on changes in strategy for print media companies due to the widespread diffusion of the Internet and related technologies. The chapter is introductory and scholastic; it offers a short survey of Web tools and architectures that should be well known to anyone involved in e-business.

Chapter 2 is very lengthy. It contains more than 40 pages, about three different issues, with a section devoted to each. Section 2.1 discusses data format standards, which are the state of the art in digital print. Section 2.2 is focused on how you can improve print services, by giving customers direct access to ordering, designing, and tracking systems. This concept is explained by many examples of real systems developed for large corporations or for the Web. Section 2.3 tries to explain how you can improve the print process by involving customers directly (online) during production.

Chapters 3 and 4 seem to have been conceived at another time; they are written in a different style, and are more up to date. They illustrate, respectively, tools for procurement, ordering, and marketplaces, from the buyer’s point of view, and tools for marketing, sales, procurement, and other kinds of acquisition, from the print shop’s perspective. The last two chapters use examples to illustrate several real systems.

In my opinion, the book is not worth reading. E-business is now more mature, and many of the innovative ideas and tools conceived during the first stage of the Internet era (up to 2000) have either vanished (Market Place), or are accepted and used in everyday life (direct ordering systems). Digital media is a common experience in developed countries. For example, I create and share portable document format (PDF) files in the way that I used to share printed paper documents. My marriage next year will have digital invitations, professionally developed, and sent by email to my guests.

The print media industry has effectively changed, as described in the book, and most companies involved in the printing process use tools such as those showcased in the book. This book would have been really interesting in 2000 or 2001, when the concepts and tools discussed in it were new and innovative. Therefore, I do not think professionals in the print media industry would benefit from reading the book. Novices in the area could read it to get a basic survey of the topic, however.