-- Exclusive commentary from WhatTheyThink's Jennifer Matt following this release --

Mission Viejo, Calif. – Franchise Services, Inc., (FSI) parent company of Sir Speedy, PIP and Signal Graphics, and Mimeo.com, a print technology solutions company, today announced a new production print solution that enables business customers to have anywhere, anytime access to printing.

Under the terms of a new strategic alliance between the two companies, Mimeo's print technology platform will support the Sir Speedy, PIP and Signal Graphics brands so that their customers will have remote access to a scalable online solution that includes virtual proofing, an unlimited document library, document management and online ordering and tracking tools. The program is designed to enable Sir Speedy, PIP and Signal Graphics franchise brands to capture a larger share of the $108 billion dollar global digital print market, with a focus on the 65% of all print expenditures that fall to printing and marketing services providers.

"Our goal with this program is to help our franchisees capture those customers who prefer to order their printed documents online, customers we have not previously had access to in the past," said Richard Lowe, President of Franchise Services. "Now a business customer can utilize new capabilities such as the ability to place an order by 10 p.m. EST and receive it by 8:00 the next morning."

"We are pleased to support FSI's franchisees with the Software as a Service (SaaS) applications and digital production print capabilities sought by their customers," said Adam Slutsky, Mimeo.com CEO. "This alliance combines the best of what we both have to offer, world class solutions that can help businesses of any size optimize the way they print and distribute documents."

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WhatTheyThink's Jennifer Matt comments:

As print continues to feel the pressure from new digital communication options, print service providers continue to innovate to make print ordering easy and ubiquitous. Today Franchise Services, Inc. (FSI) parent company of Sir Speedy, PIP, and Signal Graphics and Mimeo.com launch a strategic alliance to extend both company's reach deeper into the digital print market.

Mimeo.com brings their award winning suite of online ordering tools and their fully automated print production capabilities to the partnership. FSI contributes a network of owner-operated print providers who touch hundreds of thousands of small to medium businesses.

Mimeo has traditionally targeted larger enterprises for document printing services; FSI's target market is small and medium size businesses (SMB) through their 600+ network of locations. Mimeo's customers will potentially have a local print option; FSI's customers will utilize Mimeo's online software and have an after-hours and overflow option. The partnership combines a pure online solution with a bricks and mortar network without either company having to invest in infrastructure or technology.

The combination of local and best of breed online tools is a powerful partnership. Of course launching the deal is the easy part, the proof will be in the execution, as both companies' will need to embrace the advantages of the other for true synergy.

Jennifer Matt is the managing editor of the new WhatTheyThink blog "The Web and Print".