Only source in East Tennessee & Western North Carolina for full spectrum of internal equipment, software & web-based solutions for both physical & electronic mailing, shipping, receiving, e-billing, document automation
The Connect+ 3000 is our most powerful tool for growing your business with transpromotional communications. For high-output mail operations, the Connect+ 3000 can help drive revenue like never before.
Overview:
The Connect+ 3000 takes what a mailroom is capable of to the next level, both in terms of productivity and capability. It prints mail permits and indicia faster than any machine currently available, but its transformative printing capabilities don’t end there. It can produce custom envelopes with transpromotional marketing messages on demand. This makes every envelope an opportunity to generate revenue. Plus, it’s easy to use and maintain with an intuitive color touch-screen display, application based navigation and Web connectivity.
Revolutionary Printing
1,200-dpi HP powered ink-jet printing in process color or black and postal-compliant red fluorescent
7/8″ printing path across full length of the envelope, top and bottom, front or back
Generate revenue by printing marketing messages on transactional envelopes
Cost effective printing – especially for small print runs
Web Connectivity
Download applications directly to the machine
Direct access to Pitney Bowes services like MyAccount, Buy Supplies and Address Verification
Get the most current domestic and international rates
Access to package tracking for all major carriers
Instant access to support
Easy-to-Use
Intuitive color touch-screen interface
Built-in on-screen tutorials
Programmable Job presets
Connect+ 3000 Features
WOW® processing including automatic shape-based rating
Four speed options: 100/160 (standard), 130/210,160/260 and 200/300 LPM in WOW / non-WOW modes
Black ink printing
Color ink printing
Automatic Commercial-Based Pricing (CBP)
Adhesive tape standard
Gummed tape standard
Open- or closed-flap sealing
New pump-fed pad sealing system
On-screen keyboard (full QWERTY)
Flexible printing
Peripheral Options
Drop or power stacker options
New platform weighing option – 5-lb., 10-lb. or 15-lb. capacity
Classes and extra services are selected and viewed side by side. See total postal amount and individual rates for each class and service, making shopping very easy
Change carriers and any rating factor at any time
Manage a list of favorite rates or rate combinations, making repeat tasks easy
Pick from the last 10 class or class and extra service combinations
On-screen keyboard for easy input of ZIP Code or other destination information
Get those W-2’s & 1099’s out with a Paitec pressure-seal system. Automate inline with your current laser-printer or we’ll provide a printer too. New features include Full-Color Print n’ Mail capabilities & Multi-Sheet. Upgrade or try one of our entry-level systems. Lease, Purchase & Comprehensive Maintenance available.
Which Pressure-Sealing System is right for my business?
Written by Garin Toren on Wednesday, 05 January 2011
Despite all the activity and market hype surrounding eBilling and eStatements for the past 7 years and in particular in 2010; we believe that 2011 will not herald anything really significant. Unfortunately we expect it to be a “more of the same” year.
Here’s how we see it playing out:
1. Billers will yet again fail to suppress any meaningful percentage of paper bills: Over the past 3 years, billers in North America have managed to turn off an average of 2% to 3% of their total paper bills per year. This year will be exactly the same with the exception of those billers that have been driving paper suppression for 5 years or more, and are now approaching 15% paper suppressed, they will see a diminishing increase as they move beyond the innovator and early- adopter segments of their customer bases.
2. Banks will fail to turn off more than a few percent of paper statements: Unless banks come up with a way to electronically deliver statements; paper turn off rates will disappoint yet again in 2011. Read this previous blog I wrote on why 82.639% of internet bankers will not turn off paper statements.
3. Biller electronic payment will continue to migrate to internet banking: The trend of electronic bill pay migrating away from Biller Direct websites to internet banking bill pay will continue. The migration will not only continue here in the USA but will gather momentum somewhat in 2011 in other first world countries.
4. Banks will fail in their attempts to gain critical mass in ‘presenting’ bills within internet banking: The math doesn’t add up and billers don’t want it. For the same reasons why other consolidators of bill presentment will always fail, so too will banks that try to do the same thing. Which leads me to my next prediction…
5. eBilling Consolidators will fail to gain significant traction: I recently wrote a blog on why eBill consolidators will always fail. This coming year will be no exception.
6. We will see the first negative paper suppression incentives and a subsequent consumer push-back: As has been tried many times internationally, charging people for a paper statement / bill not only has immediate, vocal, churn inducing and dramatic customer push-back, it also has only minimal paper suppression success. Nonetheless we’ll see some major billers go down this ill-advised path over the next 12 months.
7. Positive incentives for paper suppression will continue to have disappointing results: It has been proven time and time again that if your only paper statement / bill alternative is to view and download an electronic version from a website, then incentives will have little to no appeal to the mass consumer market.
8. New ‘push’ players will emerge in the US market: Being the only game in town is no fun. After hearing about it for ages, we really do expect one or even two new “push” players to launch in the US market. We are also hoping that the handful of billers who have told us repeatedly that they are developing push eBilling themselves will actually go ahead and go live this year.
9. Billers and financial institutions that rolled out email document delivery and email billing programs will enjoy another 12% paper suppression increase: Both the US and Canada will see the public launch of top tier consumer brands deploying a ‘push’ strategy.
10. Email will continue to clean up its act: Email has seen dramatic improvements these past 24 months with regards to inbox functionality, auto-organizing, spam control and deliverability. We expect this trend to continue and strengthen in 2011.
In conclusion
Perhaps the only noticeable occurrence in 2011 will be the lack of traction of the two new biller consolidators in the US market. We can therefore expect 2011 to be a foundation, building year for 2012 with consolidation amongst vendors, mobile strategies gaining some penetration and yet another 10% of ‘me-too’ billers building and launching self serve portals in the vain hopes of suppressing paper and postage.
And finally, Striata US grew by 40% in 2010 and we aim to exceed this considerably in 2011 with at least 40 new bank and biller clients.
Do we have it covered? What are your predictions for eBilling in 2011?
Take your mailroom to the next level with the Connect+™ 3000 both in productivity and capability. It prints mail permits and indicia faster than any machine currently available, but its transformative printing capabilities don’t end there. The Connect+™ 3000 can produce custom envelopes with transpromotional marketing messages on demand. This makes every envelope an opportunity to generate revenue. Plus, it’s easy to use and maintain with an intuitive color touch-screen display, application based navigation and Web connectivity.
Advanced Printing
1,200-dpi HP powered ink-jet printing in process color or black and postal-compliant red fluorescent
7/8″ printing path across full length of the envelope, top and bottom, front or back
Generate revenue by printing marketing messages on transactional envelopes
Cost effective printing – especially for small print runs
Web Connectivity
Download applications directly to the machine
Get the most current domestic and international rates
®NASHVILLE, Tenn., 2010 – Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI) launched a new series of customer communications solutions in the U.S. to help organizations deliver more powerful and profitable messages. Among many other new features, the Connect+™ Customer Communications Series enables mailers to print high-resolution graphics and messages in color or black on the outside of the envelope. The print technology was developed as a strategic collaboration with HP & is also available through your local Secap® dealer.
The Connect+ Series is the first mailing systems series with a Web- and application-based software architecture and features an intuitive color touch-screen display with graphic icons that provides instant online access to numerous mailing, printing and reporting applications. Customers can access their accounts online to order supplies, download graphics, place service calls, visit USPS Web sites, track parcels and access exclusive Pitney Bowes® presort services.
High-resolution HP inkjet technology with 1,200 dpi allows promotional messages to be printed across the top of envelopes with text, logos or photographs in color or black, while applying postage all in one pass. Messages may range from simple text to limited-time specials or complex color graphics to help build and reinforce an organization’s brand, increase read-rates and drive customer response. With the Connect+ Series, users can also print messages and images along the bottom and back edge of the envelope with multiple passes. Marketers can instantly design messages and import graphics or select images from Pitney Bowes’s extensive library to print on the outside of envelopes, and the Connect+ Series enables direct control of the entire messaging process from an individual’s desktop.
Recent independent market research commissioned by Pitney Bowes shows that 69 percent of consumers indicated they would be more likely to open a mail piece with color text and graphics first compared to a plain white envelope without messaging. What this suggests is printing color promotional messages on the outside of envelopes can help marketers connect with more customers.
“In today’s economic environment, organizations are looking for new ways to retain, acquire and grow the value for their customers,” said Leslie Abi-Karam, Pitney Bowes Executive Vice President and President, Mailstream Solutions Management. “With the Connect+ Series, organizations can now build customer relationships and grow their businesses by turning all of their physical communications into new opportunities to help increase revenue.”
The Connect+ Series includes three product platforms for mid- and high-volume mailers. For mid-volume mailers, the Connect+1000 and Connect+2000 systems can print up to 180 letters per minute and features a 10.2” color touch-screen display. The Connect+2000 system also offers Pitney Bowes Weigh-on-the-Way® technology, which automatically weighs and dimensions mail pieces for additional productivity.
For high-volume mailers, the Connect+3000 system can produce up to 300 letters per minute and includes a standard 10.2” color touch-screen display. The Connect+3000 is also available with Weigh-on-the-Way technology and additional options to customize the solution, including a high-resolution, 15” color touch-screen display.
The Connect+ Series is available for order immediately. Systems with black printing will ship immediately. Color systems are scheduled to ship during the third quarter of this year. Color printing upgrades, which are easily added to existing systems, can also be ordered immediately
What the new era of “Smart” inboxes means for email delivery
Written by Haydn James on Wednesday, 13 October 2010
As eMarketers and eBillers, we are constantly fighting the battle of getting every email to its destination through clever, practical design and delivery methodologies. We’ve had to overcome many barriers – strict spam filters, a myriad of different email software and web browsers and not to mention design and copy layout challenges to achieve maximum open rates. If that wasn’t hard enough, we are now faced with another hurdle to overcome:
Inboxes that are automatically able to distinguish between important email and email that should safely be ignored. Introducing the “Smart” inbox.
“Smart” inbox – sounds so sophisticated but so what?
Inboxes are becoming more and more intelligent thanks to new features that allow users to automatically sort and manage incoming mail more effectively. The “Smart” inbox uses a range of variables and filters from sender recognition to user interaction to determine what email is deemed important and what email can be discarded or filed into an “unimportant” folder somewhere or even worse, deleted!
Take for example Google Mail, who just recently launched their Priority Inbox feature.
The Priority Inbox is segmented into the 3 clear categories of mail:
Important and Unread – The heading says it all. This is where you want your marketing messages to be delivered automatically, and where you could expect far greater open and click through rates.
Starred – This section is marked as important and requires follow up. You can reasonably expect that emails will be opened from this section as they have been marked by the user for follow up.
Everything Else – This really means, “unimportant and I’ll get to it whenever I can email”. Not the kind of place you want your marketing communications to end up. Chances are it is less likely that these will be read.
Using a smart algorithm, Gmail Priority Inbox analyses information, such as the addresses that you mail the most and your email usage behaviours – what emails you click on and which ones you discard without reading.
Also, when the user marks messages important or unimportant, the algorithm adapts itself as it learns and understands what type of mail they deem as important and what is generally not. Plus future messages will be treated in the same way, without the user having to do anything.
What does this mean for you?
The “Smart” inbox has major implications for marketers and companies wanting to communicate with their bases. Gone are the days where we can assume that emails are generally going to appear in an inbox sorted by date received. Now more than ever we should be applying best practice to email design and delivery.
On the plus side, the rewards for delivering wanted, relevant messages are that your emails get priority positioning in an uncluttered inbox.
Conversely, the penalties for getting it wrong result in poor inbox positioning or worse, it may never reach the inbox at all.
What then should you do to ensure priority positioning?
Here are a number of things you should be doing:
Segment and profile your base so you can tailor your communications to be more relevant to your customer. The more relevant the communications, the greater the chance of it being opened and/or marked as important
Send effective welcome messages– there is no better time to tell your customers to add your sender address to their contacts list and describe what communications they can expect from you. Also, use it as an opportunity to educate them on the importance of marking messages as important or “starring” them for later reading
Review the design and copy of your communications ensuring you have included strong subject lines and pre-headers. Also ensure you find a good balance between text and images so your email can be scanned quickly in the preview pane when images have not been downloaded yet.
Drive meaningful interaction with your customers by ensuring you have strong, visible and readable calls to action. Include social media sharing capabilities and where possible include features such as call-me-back’s and polls
Introduce a lifecycle communication programme – Where you have a number of critical triggered transactional messagesand important scheduled communications such as electronic statements, all sent from the same address. Due to their nature these messages will most likely be opened or marked as important by the user. So your marketing communications sent from the same address will be recognised as relevant and important too.
While “Smart” Inboxes are relatively new and may represent a small percentage of your database, the point is, the email landscape is changing. You should be changing your thinking too.
(P.S. – We used Gmail as an example to highlight “Smart” inbox concept – the other email service providers do have similar features built in as well, so this concept is not unique to Gmail. Where smaller service providers may not have this feature now you can reasonably expect that they will follow.)
