Esko has unveiled its WebCenter 20.0. The platform offers an enhanced user experience, with even greater speed and efficiency to the entire packaging value chain. According to the company, the latest feature-packed version of the powerful and secure web-based packaging management and collaboration platform manages all aspects of packaging and label production for brands and their print suppliers.

“With WebCenter 20.0, we set out with a goal of making prepress processes considerably faster while delivering a 25% increase in performance,” said Roman Stepchuck, product manager. “I’m delighted to say we have succeeded.”

WebCenter cemented its reputation in the industry through its ability to streamline approval and project lifecycles, removing bottlenecks that are most commonly associated with the packaging development process.

WebCenter 20.0 includes new and additional support for end-to-end colour workflow for brands and their suppliers – Color Trace. Brand owners can create colour specifications directly in WebCenter and communicate them to their printers, who use ColorCert software from X-Rite to report a scorecard of the final production.

“We’ve also introduced an ‘ad hoc approver’ function,” said Roman. “When users want to send a file for approval, but the recipient is not a user of WebCenter, that no longer matters. In WebCenter 20.0, files can be sent directly to an external email address – they can even be forwarded on to other parties for approval, depending on permissions – saving countless valuable lost hours in the approval process.”

A focal point for WebCenter product development is the overall user experience, including the ease of use for non-expert users. “We wanted to make the user experience even more intuitive and personalized,” said Paul Land, product manager. “We’ve essentially designed the latest version of WebCenter to make your workflow more intuitive than ever before.

“With WebCenter 20.0, we have introduced a new dashboard where users can create a personalized view of their activities,” added Paul. “We’re making the complex simple! Having introduced a huge amount of functionality over the years, we’re now enabling users to switch on and off individual features. This will simplify and tailor the experience, ensuring they have easy access and navigation to all the information relevant to them in one place.”

Avatars, similar to those used on social media platforms, have also been included making the experience even more personal. Users can access and edit all their files from the new single dashboard page. The new task assignment function gives users an overview of how busy colleagues are when allocating tasks, helping improve efficiency and manage workload of employees.

“From a user experience perspective, integration with the interactive tools packaging professionals use on a daily basis is also important,” said Paul. “That’s why we have also introduced an impressive extra optional module, the new ‘WebCenter tasks plugin.’

“WebCenter was already compatible with Adobe Illustrator,” he explained, “but with the new ‘WebCenter tasks plugin,’ WebCenter 20.0 is compatible with InDesign and Photoshop too. In just a few clicks, users can open, edit, and upload changes, significantly streamlining the entire process.”

Other additional new modules include ‘cloud archiving,’ providing almost limitless storage and freeing up valuable space for businesses, and ‘interactive text compare,’ a new software tool which checks copy against core data ensuring no issues arise when copying files across.

Available now, WebCenter 20.0 is free to Esko Software Care Plan customers. Anyone wishing to learn more about WebCenter 20.0 can do so by visiting the new Esko Innovation Hub, which has been designed to provide users with a unique insight to the Esko Software 20 portfolio of innovations in a virtual environment. Users can navigate around the latest integrated hardware and software solutions from Esko, in their own time, accessing insights and technical information, as well as learn new ways to boost business productivity, efficiency, and profitability.