Milan-based Rotomail was due to be the European beta site for the colour machine, and was due to install the machine over the summer.

"Rotomail Italia has decided to withdraw from being a beta tester as its volume demands where not conducive to being part of a beta program," said Eric Owen, vice president of sales, Kodak digital printing solutions. "Instead it has decided to extend its installation of a competitive device."

HP has confirmed that the installation of a T300 will begin this week. Rotomail’s sister company Rotolito Lombarda is already using the HP T300.

Sources claim that Kodak’s inability to deliver the machine this summer was behind the firm’s switch to the proven technology of HP, and one added "for a very loyal Kodak customer like Rotomail to do this suggests Kodak is way behind schedule".

Owen countered that another European beta site for the 5000XL had already been lined up, but that they had asked not to be named.

"There will definitely be a colour machine in beta in Europe by the end of this year," he said.

Installation of the first Prosper press in Europe - a monochrome 1000 - began at French book printer Sagem this week.

US firm OPM, which was the first beta site for the Prosper 1000 began installation of the world’s first 5000XL this week too. It is expected to be running by the end of the month.

Its 1000 has begun commercial production with "books for sale throughout the US retail supply chain produced on the Prosper" according to Owen. The machine has been producing 2m pages per day typically producing 3,850 bound books in a period "that’s more than a shift but less than a full 24 hours".