July 17, 2008-London, UK. Earthtone today announced the launch of the first non-proprietary e-commerce platform connecting businesses and professionals to local print centers across the US.

www.earthtone.net/

Building on the explosion in the mobile workforce and businesses' shift to online procurement, Earthtone offers print centers a high visibility online storefront and a range of value added features that enable them to acquire lucrative new customers from the Internet. Earthtone's eliminates the risks with its value proposition to print centers by not charging any upfront or ongoing fees and actively drives new customers to its network of print centers.

"Online shopping is revolutionizing the way that buyers and sellers interact across industries. With online print procurement forecasted to reach 45% before the end of the decade, print centers that want to reap the benefits of this trend will have to offer increasingly discerning online customers a shopping experience that meets their expectations," says Nader Alaghband, Earthtone's Founder and CEO.

David Reid, Co-Founder and COO of Earthtone adds: "The fragmented nature of 'Big- Box' brands' web-to-print solutions is problematic for customers who are used to shopping on eBay, Amazon or Expedia and who expect an equally enjoyable and efficient experience when they come to buy prints. Until now, PSPs have been being asked to make a significant upfront investment for an online storefront that new customers can't find easily and that existing customers don't like and don't use."

Buyers benefit from an emphasis on user experience and robust and highly secure features that position Earthtone's network at the cutting edge of e-commerce best practice, allow locally focused independent, and franchise printers to compete with big-box brands for online business.

Earthtone is offering early-adopter benefits to print centers who sign up before its September launch to print buyers, and invites print centers across the US to find out more by visiting www.earthtone.net or contacting Earthtone directly by email at [email protected].

Market Opportunity

In the U.S. alone, copy centers, quick printers and in-plant operations produce $25.24 billion in annual revenue, approximately half of which can be attributed to digital color. Earthtone seeks to capitalize on a number of trends, including:
- The mobility explosion
-- 20% annual growth in the mobile workforce in the US
-- 50% increase in laptop sales each year with 160m already deployed
-- Ubiquitous public Internet access and advances in computing technologies
-- "Always Connected" culture
- The need for easy access to local printing locations
-- 73% of mobile professionals identify printers as the technology most missed outside the office
-- 94% of workers deem printers as an essential technology – more than the Internet or telephones!
- The shift to e-procurement by business buyers
-- 41% of businesses' printing is done "off contract"
-- 25% of the business of the largest corporate focused print centers comes from the Internet
-- Leading web-only print service providers are generating $80m revenue after only a few years in operation
By delivering a convenient and user-optimized access point to a large network of printers, Earthtone seeks to channel the opportunity that this burgeoning market represents to print centers on its network.

Earthtone's Service Proposition

Earthtone's e-commerce platform connects print centers to the rapidly growing online printing market and provides them with the tools they need to capitalize on the explosion in online printing.

Search engine optimized online storefronts deliver online visibility while location mapping helps customers find local print centers; and value adding features - including online payment, support for over 100 file formats and fully integrated shipping – reducing transaction costs while enabling locally-focused print centers on the network acquire national accounts.

Earthtone's platform supports all print centers, irrespective of the technologies they already employ and enables them to set their own pricing and retain their own branding.

Earthtone's Commercial Proposition

Earthtone's commercial model removes the risks with a proposition to print centers that charges nothing to set up an online storefront. Print centers pay no ongoing fees, with Earthtone charging a small commission on volume for business that it drives to its network through an ambitious end-user marketing campaign.

Earthtone is offering significant discounts to print centers that sign up to the service before the end of August.

www.earthtone.net/