Konica Minolta Digital StoreFront User Manual

Page 13

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Overview of Digital StoreFront

Digital StoreFront is a web-based print service application and transaction server that enables print
providers to serve their customers via a full-featured Intranet and/or Internet presence conveniently
available 24/7 from any location. A Digital StoreFront site consists of two major areas:

Administration Area

This is the "business side" of the application where you manage your site with various tools to set
up, monitor, and maintain your print site. These tools were designed to make managing your site
easy and effective.

Storefront Area

This is the "buyer side" of the application, which is your site's Internet presence available to buyers
on a company Intranet or on the World Wide Web. From login to checkout, the system was
designed to provide customers with a hassle-free shopping experience—whether they are ordering
a custom print job or non-print products from your catalog (such as coffee mugs, paper, or pens).
Customers simply login to your site via web browser and let the user-friendly interface guide them
from account set-up to ordering print jobs using the simple, yet sophisticated, job submission
engine. Customers can use the PDF-generating PrintMessenger print driver to specify, proof,
approve, and submit files from applications such as Microsoft Word directly into your print
location’s workflow.

Two Deployment Models: Self-Hosted and Hosted ASP

Digital StoreFront can be deployed (1) as a self-hosted application that is hosted and administered by
the customer and administered in a networked environment or (2) as a Software as a Service (SaaS)
application hosted by EFI that is administered by a dedicated third-party application service provider
(ASP).

As a self-hosted application, the system is an out-of-the-box solution that customers install,
configure, and administer on their network. For example: A university print shop with several
facilities on a network (Intranet or Internet).

As a Software as a Service (SaaS) application, the system software and all files are hosted by EFI on
a server external to the client network. For example: A print shop with a single location that wants
the sophisticated functionality of the web-based print service application without the system
management overhead. In the hosted model, the ASP maintains all software and data files for the
customer. These files will be made available for download to the customer site when certain actions
occur (i.e., when a customer orders a print job).

Initial Tasks

Installation, Configuration, & Licensing

Consult the Digital StoreFront Getting Started Guide (which is on the installation CD that shipped with
your product) for details on installing Digital StoreFront, configuring your site for initial deployment, and
verifying registration of licensed modules (see the section

Licensing

).

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