JDF & CIM -- Issues Are Not so CIMple

"JDF is for multi-vendor environments," the CIP4 director adds. "That's the whole point of JDF."

Solutions are also being developed to address the issue of legacy equipment, Harvey says. For machines that already have electronic controls, one option is "bridge software" or JDF controllers that can act as translators between the JDF workflow and an existing proprietary control system. DMIs (direct machine interfaces), including solutions from third-party vendors, can also tap into these controls to capture performance data.