PIA/GATF Lauds Adobe’s Decision to Remove FedEx Kinko’s Button

PITTSBURGH—August 1, 2007—PIA/GATF is delighted with the announcement by Adobe that it will remove its sole source print solution button within Acrobat Reader 8.1 which directed customers to FedEx Kinko’s.

“We recognize that the company must have had to move mountains to retreat on its position, and we commend Adobe for its swift action,” notes PIA/GATF President and CEO Michael Makin. “They have clearly restored confidence in our long-lasting partnership.”

Adobe software engineers are fast at work producing Acrobat Reader 8.1.1 which they hope to have on the market within 8–10 weeks in October. This is lightening speed in terms of software releases. Once this new Reader is in place, anyone downloading the software will have no trace of the FedEx Kinko’s link. Moreover, the new version will be constructed in such a fashion that those who currently have version 8.1 will see their buttons disappear with an automatic update feature.

At a July 17th meeting with Adobe’s CEO Bruce Chizen, Makin expressed the outrage of thousands of PIA/GATF members and recommended the move to establish a new version expediently. “The announcement today satisfies our demands and illustrates Adobe’s commitment to industry partners like PIA/GATF and the thousands of independent printers it represents from coast to coast,” concluded Makin.

About PIA/GATF
PIA/GATF is the world’s largest graphic arts trade association representing an industry with more than 1.2 million employees. It serves the interests of more than 12,000 member companies. PIA/GATF, along with its affiliates, delivers products and services that enhance the growth, efficiency, and profitability of its members and the industry through advocacy, education, research, and technical information.