ABOUT WIDEN
History
Pioneering new graphic communications technologies to
better serve the changing needs of our customers.
For nearly 60 years, Widen has built a tradition of pioneering new tools and technologies to better serve clients. Today, Widen continues to invest and create the most advanced graphic communication products and services in the industry. If our customers need it, Widen will create it.
1948 - Starting modestly for $1500 in Madison, WI, Widen Engraving begins as a photo engraving company for a local newspaper with three production employees. Widen quickly earns respect for the quality of work produced and the advanced technology used to produce it. This mentality would become the foundation of the Widen philosophy
1960 - Starting the ongoing tradition of maintaining the latest technologies, Widen purchased the first automated separation camera to aggressively move into the age of color and take on the classification of a progressive prepress organization.
1980 - Widen completes an impressive installation of Scitex equipment to become the largest Scitex installation in the Western Hemisphere. Widen advances rapidly in prepress technologies and begins to staff a Research & Development team placing the organization years ahead of the industry.
1987 - Producing massive amounts of files through efficient prepress processes, customers began having difficulty managing the newly created files. Widen responded with an investment into new product development which resulted in an expanded product offering. The new product would later be identified by the industry term Digital Asset Management (DAM) for image centralization and retrieval.
1995 - Adding resources to provide the next logical step in the graphic arts process, Widen purchases printing presses and enters the short-run print market. Widen specifically tailors the product to specialize in four and six-color processes focused on providing exceptional color for existing and future customers.
1996 - Widen releases their first web-based digital asset management system and begins to position software services for prepress customers. Later, Widen would pursue several market segments as a software-as-a-service provider and rank in the top three with a 10% market share by 2007.
1998 - Widen customers make a request to route proofs electronically while tracking comments and approval. Widen engineers a Global Marketing Approval System that tracks a detailed approval process with time stamping and project approval. The product would take on new features in 2003 including online document annotation and become Widen Project Collaboration, the most advanced proof routing system to enter the marketplace.
2000 - Continuing to expand into complementary products and services, Widen builds a photography studio with both digital and conventional capabilities. The studio provides the customers of Widen one location for all graphic arts needs from photography to premedia services.
2002 - Rapidly advancing its prepress capabilities, Widen brings image rendering technology to the furniture and apparel markets allowing customers to photograph one product and create an infinite amount of product images with various color and pattern combinations. The technology saves Widen customers hundreds of thousands in prototype costs.
2003 - Strengthening the position of industry-leading graphic
communications resource, Widen allows end users to build custom brochures and
advertisements online through the newly created Widen Dynamic Media Building service.
The product elegantly integrates into existing digital asset management functionality
to assist customers in ensuring strong brand consistency throughout their marketing network.
Widen's three applications for Digital Asset Management, Project Collaboration, and Dynamic Media Building
are bundled to make up the Widen Media Collective® suite of online marketing
resources under the Software as a Service platform.
2006 - Widen makes advances in the catalog industry integrating its automated catalog publishing system with Media Collective® Digital Asset Management services. Widen's solution places Widen among top catalog solutions providers speeding time-to-market and consistency in catalog creation cycles.
2007 - Adding to the toolkit of software-as-a-service applications supporting creative workflows, Widen releases BackdropTM - an online photography routing and approval application - developed to streamline the manual tasks of routing photos for creative review and approval tracking.
Today -Widen continues to advance rapidly to stay at the forefront of technology to assist marketing, creative, and sales functions. Through customer feedback and market research, Widen aggressively pursues product enhancements and new offerings with the primary objective focused on improving customer profitability through increased support for sales and marketing efforts.