Chicago - Pitney Bowes Inc. today announced the launch of the new Print+ Messenger Color Inkjet System, which enables the high-resolution color printing of customized marketing messages on envelopes during high-speed mail insertion. The new system, the result of a collaboration between mail finishing leader Pitney Bowes and inkjet printing technology leader HP, is on display in Booth #3601 at the 2010 Graph Expo exhibition and conference being held here.

The new technology can help mailers improve their operational efficiency by eliminating preprinted envelopes, reducing envelope storage needs, streamlining application changeover, and commingling mail. An integral part of a White Paper Factory solution, it eliminates the need for mailers to use anything other than plain white envelopes for their customer communications. All necessary information, including customized marketing offers, company logos, mailing and return addresses, and postal barcodes can be printed directly onto the envelope as it travels along the inserter. The Print+ Messenger Color Inkjet System can operate at speeds up to 20,000 mailpieces per hour, making this technology practical for even the highest-volume mailers.

"We talk a lot about innovation at Pitney Bowes, and the Print+ Messenger Color Inkjet System is further evidence that we back up this talk with action that directly benefits our customers," said Ramesh Ratan, president of Pitney Bowes Document Messaging Technologies. "By bringing our proprietary intelligent variable transport and integrity tracking and software together with HP's world-renowned printing expertise, we have created something unique in the marketplace. That's exciting."

"HP technology will provide unprecedented advantages by providing cost-reduction opportunities and improved response rates to customers in the direct mail and transpromotional print markets," said Kathy Tobin, vice president and general manager of Specialty Printing Systems at HP. "The expandability and scalability of this technology will also provide next-level performance in speed, image quality and substrate coverage."

The Pitney Bowes system offers the quality, information integrity and service support that production mail customers around the world have come to expect from the market leader. This is not the first time high-speed color printing and mailing processes have been brought together into a single, seamless business solution. The innovators at Pitney Bowes and HP are also behind the IntelliJet line of color production printing systems. Together in an end-to-end solution, Pitney Bowes Production Intelligence software, IntelliJet Printing Systems and high-speed mail finishing with the Print+ Messenger system can help print and mail operations migrate to an all white paper environment and gain unprecedented levels of productivity and operational cost savings--while adding greater value to their customer communications.

"This is a wonderful time to be a marketer," said Ratan. "Changes in technology and system integration are opening up new media channels, new opportunities and new business possibilities at an astonishing rate. We think our new inkjet printing system will be the catalyst that brings marketing and mailing operations together in ways that allow everyone to shine."

Historically, marketers have pushed for customization and specialization in delivering messages to customers and prospects, adding to the complexity of mailing operations. Mailroom operators, meanwhile, have emphasized low-cost and efficient business processes, which promote standardization of software, hardware and supplies. The new system from Pitney Bowes helps everyone to achieve their goals. The mailroom operator needs to stock plain white envelopes only, while the marketer uses software and print technology to turn each envelope into a specially-tailored customer communication.

Pitney Bowes is already accepting orders from U.S. customers for the Print+ Messenger Color Inkjet System. The product will be available for customers outside the United States in the near future.