Once again, it went by in a flash! You know how it is – you plan and rush and sweat every detail, and suddenly the goal is a vision in your rear-view mirror. Such was our most recent pair of LRS Customer Conferences.
In our case, we’re left with the knowledge that we put on some really worthwhile events that shined a spotlight on EU data protection and security in printing processes. This is a very timely subject, as we’re fast approaching May 25th of 2018 – the day that the new EU data protection rules officially take effect. No more excuses! Or so said invited speaker Tamo Stöver, who is the data protection officer and privacy auditor for his organization.
What do security and data protection have to do with LRS Output Management? I’m sure some of our customers were wondering that, and were surprised to learn the scope of the EU regulations.
But before we got started with the conference and its various lectures at the Munich event, the LRS customers and employees gathered for a “typical Bavarian” evening of curling. We broke into teams that each competed to glide their own “ice stocks” down the narrow lane and end up closest to the target (while preventing opponents from doing likewise). The result of the friendly competition was a lot of fun, applause, and good conversation that put everyone in a great mood for the next day’s activities.
Many of our customers have gotten to know each other over the years, and look forward to the annual LRS event as an opportunity to exchange ideas and do some networking. The conference has become a tradition for many LRS users to meet and learn from one another about how to overcome common IT and organizational challenges.
For several years, we have also hosted a separate event in Switzerland, during which longtime participants touch base with one another and new faces are quickly welcomed into the group. Every year, customers do presentations on some of the projects they’ve accomplished with the help of LRS solutions, sparking the imaginations of those in the audience. As always, the atmosphere was familial and friendly as the group met at the Oerlikon Foundry in Zurich; the former industrial building provided the perfect backdrop for the event. The ambiance of the old-world foundry, together with the high-tech IT topics being discussed offered an interesting contrast.
The community of LRS customers is something very special. Over time, many have become friends and others have formed work groups to tackle various special topics. The coming EU data protection rules may be the next such challenge that this community faces together.
Everyone in attendance know about the GDPR rules set to take effect, but few understood the scope of their impact and how much print processes were affected by these impending regulations. The effects will be felt beyond Germany, Austria, and other EU countries, and will surely extend into Switzerland. As a provider of Output Management software, we think it’s important to explain as precisely as possible how these regulations will impact our customers. That’s why we devoted our entire 2017 customer conference to the topic, and are offering a webinar and other information on the subject.
The main theme and the customer presentations selected turned out to be just right for the audience — informative, exciting, somewhat interactive, and delivered with a lot of humor and expertise. We received a lot of positive feedback, as well as some ideas that will help us make the 2018 LRS Customer Conference even better. We hope to see you there!
