Markem‑Imaje has unveiled CoLOS Version 7, a significant enhancement to its industrial coding and packaging software suite that equips manufacturers with a more secure, centralized, and automation-ready platform tailored for multi-site operations.
This release is a pivotal advancement for manufacturers seeking to standardize coding, minimize errors, and adhere to increasingly stringent compliance regulations, offering better operational management.
Scalable Multi-Site Software Solution
A key feature of Version 7 is its new multi-site functionality, enabling producers to centrally design, approve, and implement all coding messages and label formats across various facilities. For companies managing extensive packaging portfolios, this generates a consistent source of truth for codes, labels, and artworks—reducing variances, eliminating redundancies, and ensuring adherence to both internal and regulatory guidelines.
According to Markem‑Imaje, this feature enhances enterprise-level visibility, allowing teams to evaluate performance across different plants, pinpoint bottlenecks, and disseminate best practices on a global scale.
Strengthened Cybersecurity
Security is a prominent focus of this release. CoLOS Version 7 has achieved certification to IEC 62443‑4‑2, the international standard for cybersecurity in industrial components. This certification assures manufacturers that they can transition coding functions from local systems to centralized IT infrastructures without exposing production processes to cyber vulnerabilities.
For manufacturers increasingly facing threats like ransomware and operational disruptions, these fortified security measures provide vital protection.
Enhanced Uptime and Streamlined Operations
The software incorporates high-availability architecture to reduce downtime—a crucial consideration for high-volume fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) producers. A newly designed responsive web interface also enhances the usability of CoLOS across various devices, facilitating quicker training and more intuitive daily operations.
CoLOS Version 7 is fully compatible with the entire Markem‑Imaje printer lineup and is now offered both on-premises and via a cloud-based subscription, giving manufacturers flexibility in how they implement and expand the system.
Inbuilt Compliance Support
The platform continues to uphold global coding standards, including 1D/2D barcodes and the latest GS1 Digital Link specifications—an increasingly vital function as brands gear up for digital product passports and state-of-the-art traceability systems.
This upgrade offers manufacturers three distinct benefits:
- Centralized oversight—ensuring consistent, compliant coding across all sites.
- Fewer errors—through automated workflows and standardized message management.
- Future-ready—providing cybersecurity certification and readiness for GS1 Digital Link.
Markem‑Imaje positions Version 7 as a cornerstone for long-term digital transformation in coding operations, assisting manufacturers in modernizing their packaging lines and adapting to more connected, data-centric supply chains.
