Pitney Bowes unveiled a new printing technology product this morning at the National Postal Forum in Nashville. Dubbed the Connect+ Customer Communications Series, it enables mailers to print high-resolution graphics and messages in color or black ink on the outside of mailing envelopes. The print technology was developed in collaboration with HP.
Connect+ will also enable mailers to create highly customized communications cost-effectively and efficiently, according to Pat Brand, president of US Mailing at Pitney Bowes. He said Connect+ moves beyond mere operational efficiency.
“We’re really moving more toward the revenue side of the equation, toward optimizing communications effectiveness between our customers and their customers,” Brand said. “Think about [mailing] in terms of moving from a cost center to becoming a revenue contributor. A lot of back office operations want to be able to provide value to their organizations and through the Connect+ product line, they’ll be able to do that.”
According to Brand, Pitney Bowes’ Connect+ Series is scalable based on customer need. In addition, Connect+ features will expand over time and will not require buying new equipment to make use of new capabilities as they are introduced. Connect+ is the first mailing system series with a Web- and application-based software architecture, according to Brand.
Connect+ features a touch-screen color display with graphic icons that provides online access to mailing, printing, and reporting applications from an individual’s desktop.
Connect+ Series’ high-resolution HP inkjet technology allows promotional messages to be printed across the top of envelopes with text, logos or photographs in color or black, while applying postage at the same time. Marketers can design messages, import graphics or select images from Pitney Bowes’s extensive library to print on the outside of envelopes.
