Formerly managing director of rival MIS firm Optichrome, Spiers joined the firm as European sales director for commercial print systems last summer, but restrictive covenants stopped him from competing with his former employer in the UK until the end of last year.

"My main aim at the moment is to associate EFI with MIS in printers'  minds, so we're on their list," he said. "EFI has got the US MIS market covered, I see Europe as an even bigger potential market."

Spiers plans to migrate UK users of Covalent to Logic. "It's my personal ambition to move the customers, but they won't be forced," he said. And he said the firm was committed to supporting the 22 sites. He said the firm had a very loyal customer base, despite a lack of development during Printcafe days, which was something EFI had addressed.

"No other MIS firm has got the resources for development, you need to have a big presence to give customers what they need," he said.

Spiers said that consolidation and the formation of print groups with multiple operations were leading firms to need MIS that could support multi-site working and job sharing. EFI is addressing this with its Hagen product and is confident of increasing the current UK install base of two one at Linney Group firm Quadrant and the other at Headley Brothers.

Story by Barney Cox