Aug. 13, 2007—In the last few weeks, a large amount of attention has been given to the deal between Adobe and FedEx Kinko's to embed a link to the quick printer directly in Adobe's Acrobat product line. With many diverse sources chiming in, it has been difficult to discern what the real story is.

What Is the Feature?
In a PDF document, if you go to the file menu, one of the new options listed is "Send to FedEx Kinko's," along with a small version of that company's logo. Clinking on it will bring up a dialog box instructing users that their file will be uploaded into the FedEx Kinko's Print Online database, along with a preview of the first page. There are also several links to Web sites explaining the service, frequently asked questions, and FedEx Kinko's terms and conditions. Once a user clicks the send file button, he/she will receive more options, such as delivery and pick-up times, and payment choices.

For a consumer, this is a nice deal. It eliminates the need to take your prints to an outside location to duplicate, and makes the range of finishing and other options FedEx Kinko's has to offer easy to access and use—right from the comfort of your own desk.

For print providers, however, this is a problem. In fact, NAPL, the trade association for excellence in graphic communications management, and Steve Johnson, president and chief executive officer of the National Association of Quick Printers (NAQP) issued a letter to Adobe on behalf of a wide range of industry professionals, calling for the company to remove the link completely.

John Loiacono, Adobe's senior vice president of the creative solutions business unit, posted to his blog that Adobe did recieve an immediate outcry from the industry—and the comments to his post run the gamut from supportive to hostile.

The post, which went up after Adobe hosted a forum of print industry leaders July 17, said, in part, "Bruce [Chizen, Adobe's CEO] and I met with a representative group of print industry leaders. They were tough on us. Big-time tough.

They told us exactly how they felt and the hard truths of what this deal means to them. We heard them. And they clearly told us what their expectations for next steps are. They had a lot to say, we had a lot to listen to. At the end of the discussion, we committed to coming back to them within two weeks with a decision on how we will move forward. We are going to do everything possible to find a way to deliver a win-win situation on all sides. It's the right thing to do. Another lesson learned."

Overall, while most printers want the link removed, many are willing to work with Adobe to find a fair way to incorporate the spirit of the button without making it FedEx Kinko's-specific.

"We applaud Adobe's effort to support simple, seamless access to online printing services, but they should embrace a model where many providers can operate on an even playing field," said Adam Slutsky, CEO of Mimeo.com.

He continued, "In the end, such a model will bring increased awareness to the value of online, on-demand printing, create a new revenue stream for Adobe, bring incremental revenue to the best players in this unique space, and, most importantly, best serve the needs of everyone's customers. It is important for people to know that there are real options available to them. Mimeo.com competes successfully against FedEx Kinko's for business in the printing of documents using Adobe products. Print buyers want choice and will always demand superior high-quality products and services."

Staying Hush Hush
FedEx Kinko's itself has been mostly quiet about the deal. In fact, the company turned down a request to comment for this article, but did send this statement: "The relationship between Adobe and FedEx Kinko's was established with our customers in mind. The link to FedEx Kinko's through Adobe Reader gives our customers quick, convenient access to our network of office and print centers throughout the United States. We value this alliance and believe it provides a simple printing option for many users of Adobe Reader."

On Aug. 2, Adobe formally announced what it plans to do to fix the situation. An update to both Acrobat and Reader will be released removing the "Send to FedEx Kinko's" button. They hope to have it tested and ready by October. While they plan to get it out to the public as fast as possible, they noted in a statement that, "We need time to write and test the software. Adobe Reader and Acrobat are critical pieces of software for tens of millions of customers, and we have to be sure the software we deliver is up to its usual quality."

"We're delighted that Adobe has responded so promptly and decisively to the concerns expressed by the NAPL Network on behalf of its members and the participants in the Coalition for Open Competition."

The company will also establish a Print Advisory Council to investigate how best to integrate third-party print services into Adobe products.

"We're delighted that Adobe has responded so promptly and decisively to the concerns expressed by the NAPL Network on behalf of its members and the participants in the Coalition for Open Competition," said Joseph P. Truncale, NAPL president and CEO. "While the actual removal of the link is not happening as fast as we, or indeed Adobe, would have liked, we fully understand the complications involved in developing and testing an update of this magnitude, and appreciate Adobe's commitment to facilitating the solution as quickly as possible. We've always had confidence in the business practices of Adobe... We will do everything possible to communicate our support of Adobe's decision to our constituents, and to work with Adobe in a spirit of cooperation going forward to create open and ongoing opportunities among trading partners."

More Praise for Adobe
Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) also chimed in, praising the company for it's willingness to work with the print industry directly to find a solution everyone can live with. "We recognize that the company must have had to move mountains to retreat on its position, and we commend Adobe for its swift action," noted PIA/GATF President and CEO Michael Makin. "They have clearly restored confidence in our long-lasting partnership."

A version of Adobe Reader that will retain the "Send to FedEx Kinko's" button will be available for download exclusively on the FedEx Kinko's Web site beginning in October when the update goes live. In a statement on it's Web site, FedEx Kinko's noted that, "Those who visit fedexkinkos.com and fedex.com to download the Adobe Reader version withthe FedEx Kinko's feature will have fast, convenient access via the Web to our network of almost 1,400 office and print centers around the United States. With this feature, our customers can print documents across the country as easily as they can at their nearest FedEx Kinko's center. This offers tremendous value to businesses of all sizes, as well as to individual customers, getting their documents where they're needed faster.

"FedEx Kinko's Print Online is the future of the printing industry, and this reader version gives customers even more direct access to its rich features. We will continue to research and pursue new and innovative solutions that provide our customers with the services and convenience they need."