Shuttleworth highlights benefits of EFI acquisition

Shuttleworth Business Systems has called its acquisition by EFI a positive move that will provide its customers with "extended benefits".

EFI acquired the MIS developer for an undisclosed sum in a deal that was completed last week.

Shuttleworth Business Systems joint managing director Andy King told PrintWeek: “We’re really optimistic that our users are going to see some additional benefits through the extended software that’s available to them.

“We’ve also got software that we’ve developed that we will continue to sell so all in all it’s a very exciting package for our users.”

EFI had looked into acquiring Shuttleworth previously but King said his business accepted EFI’s latest offer due to the more attractive strategy proposed this time around.

“In the past we wouldn’t have been comfortable with the strategy that was being discussed for post-acquisition,” said King.

“The strategy EFI have put forward now is far better from a customer’s point of view and from a business point of view here at Kettering, where the offices are going to stay.

“With the deal that’s been done, EFI are buying Shuttleworth Business Systems to build on it, not to knock it down.”

He added: “We’re continuing with the support and the development of the Shuttleworth package.

“There are also other soft skills that we’ve got, like the support, the people and the expertise here. EFI haven’t had a team of people with the experience that we’ve got in the mid-range market in the UK.”

King added that part of the development will be into some of the other products within EFI’s Productivity Suite.

“Whether it’s web-to-print, their cross-media product, their scheduling systems or their Fiery RIP, the whole integration of the Shuttleworth MIS within a workflow is enhanced,” said King.

“The ethos of Shuttleworth is being retained but at the same time we want to recognise that EFI have got to where they’ve got because of the way they operate, their products and their own ethos and we need our own business to integrate into that business.”

King confirmed that Shuttleworth Business Systems will now be known as, and shortly rebranded as, EFI Shuttleworth.

Shuttleworth's latest software developments include a new functionality called ‘kitting’, which enables users to easily create estimates and quote for several items on an order.

It also recently partnered with Esko in a move it said would save customers administration time when exporting files into Esko’s Automation Engine.