Winzone online marketplace poised to lift connections between suppliers, service providers and news publishers on a global scale
On Day 1 of the Indian Printers Summit 2023 on 14 September in the picturesque sea port city Kochi, the World Association of News Publishers (Wan-Ifra) officially launched WIZONE, an online marketplace that will connect suppliers, service providers and news publishers on a global scale.
Tailored for the news publishing industry, the platform serves suppliers and publishers worldwide, and aims to facilitate seamless connections, foster collaboration, and drive innovation within the industry.
Unveiling the marketplace, K N Shanth Kumar, Wan-Ifra board member and director of The Printers Mysore Ltd., said the service, which transcends traditional boundaries and embraces digital evolution, is poised to redefine how the industry operates and connects.
“WIZONE represents a significant milestone in our commitment to facilitating growth and collaboration within the news publishing realm. Our vision is to facilitate and accelerate interactions between suppliers, service providers and publishers, advance the best solutions and talents to the market, and propel the industry into the digital era and propel the industry into the digital era,” said Vincent Peyrègne, CEO of Wan-Ifra.
WIZONE has a portfolio of over 250 featured products and solutions. It offers three plans for suppliers – Basic (free), Standard, and Premium – with tailored options. Suppliers can feature their companies and advertise on the home page.
For news publishers, WIZONE has a complimentary service, allowing them to explore a wide range of products and solutions such as artificial intelligence; data and analytics; editorial systems such as CMS digital publishing platforms; prepress such as CTP, color management; newsprint and consumables such as ink, plates, blanket; and used printed equipment, etc.
In its next phase, WIZONE plans to augment its offerings with additional content, including Requests for Proposals (RFPs), white papers, and webinars delving into news media technology and business trends.
2023 promises an interesting ride for print in India
Indian Printer and Publisher founded in 1979 is the oldest B2B trade publication in the multi-platform and
multi-channel IPPGroup. While the print and packaging industries have been resilient in the past 33 months since the pandemic lockdown of 25 March 2020, the commercial printing and newspaper industries have yet to recover their pre-Covid trajectory.
The fragmented commercial printing industry faces substantial challenges as does the newspaper industry.
While digital short-run printing and the signage industry seem to be recovering a bit faster, ultimately
their growth will also be moderated by the progress of the overall economy. On the other hand book
printing exports are doing well but they too face several supply-chain and logistics challenges.
The price of publication papers including newsprint has been high in the past year while availability is diminished by several mills shutting down their publication paper and newsprint machines in the past four years. Indian paper mills are also exporting many types of paper and have raised prices for Indian printers. To some extent, this has helped in the recovery of the digital printing industry with its on-demand short-run and low-wastage paradigm.
Ultimately digital print and other digital channels will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future. For instance, there is no alternative to a rise in textbook consumption but this segment will only reach normality in the next financial year beginning on 1 April 2023.
Thus while the new normal is a moving target and many commercial printers look to diversification, we believe that our target audiences may shift and change. Like them, we will also have to adapt with agility to keep up with their business and technical information needs.
Our 2023 media kit is ready, and it is the right time to take stock and reconnect with your potential markets and customers. Print is the glue for the growth of liberal education, new industry, and an emerging economy. We seek your participation in what promises to be an interesting ride.
