ROCHESTER, N.Y., March 18, 2005 - Document Despatch has reported a significant increase in productivity and service capabilities following the installation of their KODAK DIGIMASTER E125 digital production system. The acquisition has allowed them to manage the firm's rapid expansion and to handle a significant increase in clients - over 70 new customers in 18 months. The reliable black-and-white production system has significantly enhanced Document Despatch's ability to provide a full range of integrated services for its customers' direct marketing campaigns. Situated in Basingstoke in the south of England, Document Despatch is ideally located to provide easy delivery and servicing for direct mail, print production and data handling. With (pound)3.5m in annual revenue, the firm is on a strong growth path. With a steady flow of three to four new customers a month requiring daily, weekly, monthly and ad-hoc mailers, it was evident that Document Despatch needed to evaluate a technology upgrade for the business and revamp quickly to handle the increasing job load and diverse production requirements. The DIGIMASTER E125 system was installed in November 2004, replacing two devices from another company. Bob Helsby, managing director at Document Despatch, says "The new DIGIMASTER system is now the heart of our operation." The firm positions itself as a provider of integrated services, offering clients a full spectrum of direct mail products, mailing lists, data management and cleanup, brochure design, financial documents, laser/inkjet printing, mail-sort and international discounts, as well as response fulfilment and web site support. These types of services require a high degree of responsibility and technical performance. Helsby explains, "We are a vital link in the production chain and cannot afford to have any doubt about meeting our commitments to customers. Document Despatch handles millions of pages and now the KODAK DIGIMASTER E125 digital production system is our safety net. We invested in this production system to cope with the extra volumes we are experiencing, and it's proved to be a real work-horse." The DIGIMASTER E125 system is equipped with a basic marking engine configuration that makes it suitable for a variety of printing scenarios. It provides a common integration platform that can be easily extended. Since the system is designed modularly, it can be tailored to fit Document Despatch's diverse print requirements for its customers - both now and in the future. Personalization is at the core of Document Despatch's business and according to Helsby, they can "do everything required, from A to Z, with direct mailing." He notes that the E125 delivers the advantage of high quality print, even at very small font sizes, on a wide variety of substrates. "We provide a design service and produce fairly sophisticated mailers. The PLANETPRESS software from Objectif Lune supports high productivity levels on the DIGIMASTER system using the variable data applications," says Helsby. "We save costs for our customers by sourcing everything here, including envelopes. It takes some of the burden off their marketing departments and provides customers with value-added professional services." Personalization is also an important aspect of Document Despatch's client relations. Customers are assigned an account manager who monitors their job requirements from start to finish. This personal contact inspires confidence and keeps communication levels high. "We `hand-hold' our customers by sitting down with them and going through all the alternatives," relates Helsby. "Most decision makers are not printers. It could be a large corporate organization that has no idea about print and has a (pound)100,000 budget to organise a direct mail campaign. At the end of the day, they benefit from dealing with printing professionals. We have a solid reputation with our customers for the ability to provide a high level of professional service and to deliver on time." Document Despatch also uses the press as an active tool to promote new business. "When we update our web site this month, we will be highlighting the DIGIMASTER E125 system as our choice of press to satisfy our customers' needs," says Helsby. "We want our customers to know that we are investing in the newest equipment available for high-volume, high-quality printing." Helsby says that the firm's continued growth will almost certainly prompt the need for increased capacity in the year ahead. "We will need to invest again and NexPress will be our first choice," he concludes.