AlfaQuest Acquires Parascan

By: Jim Rosenberg Output equipment and software supplier alfaQuest Technologies Inc./IPA Systems acquired Parascan Technologies Inc., supplier of prepress workflow automation to more than 150 newspaper customers. Products include Q-Manager for workflow, Q-Net transmission, and Paravisual soft-proofing.

Announcing the deal, alfaQuest President Dennis Nierman said joining the "complimentary product lines" creates a "single-source system supplier" for production management. Parascan joins alfaQuest, alfa Media Partner, and Scangraphic in the International Publishing Associates Group.

Systems from Parascan, based in Redditch, U.K., are to be integrated with those of alfaQuest of Rolling Meadows, Ill. Resulting "complete turnkey integrated solutions" will include remote transmission, computer-to-plate workflow, press integration, and production management, according to alfaQuest.