Jun 24, 2008
Getting in Line to get In-Line
When I began this column I made a promise to myself and my readers that it would not serve as a commercial for Megaspirea and that I would deliver real value to anyone who took the time to read my thoughts.
Today I can happily do both.
One lesson learned at drupa is this: the time is right for dynamic enveloping. The crowds that thronged the machine, the delight that the system inspired, the support we got from Xerox -- the finest and most innovative print vendor in the world -- the sheer terror we inspired in traditional inserter vendors, the fear in the faces of envelope manufacturers, the kind words of the consultants and the pundits, the sheer quantity of interested companies….all of this tells me that the time is right.
In 2005, Dirk Salens began to discuss the possibilities of dynamically created envelopes and made a little prediction: that by drupa 08 the digital color continuous form printer market would have reached a certain level of maturity and that the time would be right for dynamic enveloping. We went to IPEX 06 and showed our prototype. We went to Graph 07 and introduced the idea to the American market. Both of these shows were great successes. But drupa 08 was a success on a whole other level.
There are a couple of other “dynamic enveloping” solutions on the market but none that appear to be an inline, single-stream solution other than the Mailliner 100 by Megaspirea. The unique value propositions that we offer are found only in this configuration.
With the help of Xerox we gained many more prospects than we can possibly fill. People are literally getting in line to get in-line. The cost reduction, the streamlining of the process, the potential uplift of On the Envelope Messaging, the power of Transpromo mail to up and cross sell, the need for more efficiency in mass direct mailing, the meteoric rise of printing on demand have all contributed to a market that is ready to commit to dynamic enveloping.
Kudos to Xerox for recognizing that the combination of the continuous form printer and the Mailliner 100 is a Winner. We’re looking forward to a long and mutually successful relationship.
To the dozens of you that look at our online demonstration at www.megaspirea.com I hope that it answers your questions and addresses your needs. If not, please give me a call at USA+ 203-788-6589 and I’d be happy to give you answers.
If you are already on line and waiting for a Mailliner 100 I can only ask that you be patient. We’re going to make as many Mailliner 100s as we can but it’s a complex system and they take time to build.
If you aren’t in the queue already please do so as soon as possible, because our capacity is over-stretched and we need to make sure that our customers are happy and that the system delivers its promise; all these things take time.
For those of you who are sticking with cut sheet output we’re in process of developing a cut sheet solution to further address the needs of the market. Stay tuned and we’ll let you know when you can see a demo. I can promise you that the next generation system will provide you with more options and flexibility than any traditional inserter system on the market.
I got into the mail business late—the Internet bubble hadn’t burst yet and everyone was talking about how electronic delivery would supplant the mail. It was kind of depressing being at Gartner’s IT Expo and seeing the odd looks we got from the IT guys who passed by our booth. But now I believe that the mail is at the very beginning of a new era. We’re going to help make mail effective, efficient and fun. Mail is going to be just as hip as texting was a few years ago because it will combine its old solidity with new, hip and attractive attributes. It’s going to deliver value to business people and fun for all ages.
The time has come: get in line.