IWCO Direct Remains at the Forefront of Direct Mail Innovation

CHANHASSEN, Minn., March 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The direct mail industry is undergoing an unprecedented transformation. Digital inkjet technology is allowing marketers to combine consumer data with creative strategies to produce more personal and relevant direct mail offers that are increasing return on marketing investment (ROMI). IWCO Direct, a leading provider of direct marketing solutions, continues to lead this digital transformation as the first company in the U.S. to purchase the full-color cut-sheet digital inkjet Oce VarioPrint^® i300 (formerly called the Niagara) and the full-color continuous feed inkjet Oce ImageStream^®3500 from Canon Solutions America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A. The equipment is expected to be installed at its Chanhassen digital technology center and operational by early May.

The arrival of the Oce VarioPrint i300 and ImageStream 3500 has been highly anticipated by industry analysts, direct marketers and marketing services providers alike. A video on the features of each of these technologies is available for viewing.

"The increase in ROMI our customers are experiencing with truly one-to-one direct mail offers produced with digital inkjet technology has reshaped our entire company," said Jim Andersen, IWCO Direct chief executive officer. "We will continue to make strategic investments that set apart our clients' direct mail offers in the mailbox and IWCO Direct from our competitors." IWCO Direct has expanded its service offerings with its Proprietary Intelligence model, which encompasses data, strategy, creative, execution and analysis. This was in part to help clients take advantage of the opportunities digital inkjet technology provides to increase the effectiveness of direct mail and inspire performance across all marketing channels.

Growing Partnership
IWCO Direct and Canon Solutions America have enjoyed a strong and growing relationship in recent years. IWCO Direct was the first company in the U.S. to install the Oce ColorStream^® 3500 in August 2011 and currently has six Oce ColorStream^® 3900 digital inkjet systems across its platform. Prior to the first ColorStream 3900 installation, executives from IWCO Direct traveled to Poing, Germany, to help Canon Solutions America refine its ink sets.

Experts from IWCO Direct provided substantial input for "The Designer's Guide to Inkjet," a new book from Canon Solutions America. Dave Johannes, IWCO Direct senior vice president of operations, serves on the board of thINK, a newly formed independent community of Canon Solutions America production print customers, solution partners and print industry experts that provides a forum to exchange information and share best practices.

"Time and again, IWCO Direct has shown its commitment to adopting the new technologies that are driving the direct marketing industry forward," said Mal Baboyian, Executive Vice President LFS/PPS at Canon Solutions America. "Not only has their leadership been instrumental in advancing our understanding of the unique requirements of the direct mail market, they have been a vital partner in assisting our research and development teams in both our technology and the ink sets to support it."

About the Oce VarioPrint i300
The Oce VarioPrint i300 is a high-speed, cut-sheet digital inkjet full-color device that was designed to combine the best, market-proven, cut-sheet technologies from Canon's portfolio with an innovative, patented four-color ink system. Oce VarioPrint i300 can produce up to 3,800 duplexed B3 sheets and up to 8,500 duplexed letter sheets per hour, with volumes of up to 10 million letter size images per month. It offers integrated end-to-end digital workflows built atop Canon's PRISMAsync digital front end and Oce PRISMA software platform, along with robust feeding, output and online finishing capabilities, managed by full process quality controls.

About the Oce ImageStream 3500
The Oce ImageStream 3500 is the first, full-color continuous feed inkjet device in the Oce-brand portfolio that can print on standard offset-coated stock without the use of inkjet treatments, offering print speeds of up to 525 feet per minute and a resolution up to 1200 x 1200 dpi. The high resolution combined with Oce's unique DigiDot^® technology – a flexible droplet modulation with four contrast levels – provides smoother gradations, crisper details and a greater dynamic range, leading to higher image quality.

About IWCO Direct
IWCO Direct (iwco.com) is one of the nation's largest providers of direct marketing solutions. Earning customers' trust by collaborating with North American marketers for more than 45 years, the company's full range of direct mail services includes one of the industry's most sophisticated postal logistics strategies. Guided by the "Power your Marketing™" approach, the company's Proprietary Intelligence model encompasses data, strategy, creative, execution and analysis to inspire performance across all marketing channels. Through Mail-Gard^®, IWCO Direct offers business continuity and disaster recovery services that provide peace of mind in case of a business interruption. The company is ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management System (ISMS) certified through BSI Group America Inc., reflecting its commitment to data security. Stay current on direct marketing trends, industry news, postal regulations and more by subscribing to IWCO Direct's SpeakingDIRECT blog.

About Canon Solutions America, Inc.
Canon Solutions America provides industry leading enterprise, production, and large format printing solutions, supported by exceptional professional service offerings. With the technology offerings of the Canon and Oce brands, Canon Solutions America helps companies of all sizes improve sustainability, increase efficiency, and control costs through high volume, continuous feed, digital and traditional printing, and document management solutions. A wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc., Canon Solutions America is headquartered in Melville, N.Y. and has sales and service locations across the U.S. For more information on Canon Solutions America, please visit csa.canon.com.com.

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SOURCE IWCO Direct

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