Online postage offers convenience for SOHO

Office World News, Oct 1999

Neopost, the developer of the first electronic postage meter and a leader in mailroom equipment, has offered mailing solutions for over 40 years.

In 1995, the United States Postal Service CUSPS) introduced the Information Based Indicia Program (IBIP) to provide a digital postage solution to reduce fraud, increase levels of metered mail, and make mail delivery more efficient. A year later, the USPS published its specifications for the program.

To answer the call far IBIP products, Neopost formed the New Technology Group in 1997 to explore new channels of development and marketing using the Internet and personal computing. The Group began by focusing its efforts on the growing small office/home office (SOHO) market and today is beginning to reap the benefits with the development of a family of three products targeting specific users in the SOHO environment.

The first of the three products, Simply Postage, entered the retail market in May and while it is too early to determine specifically, it has garnered a tremendous amount of attention. "We developed Simply Postage for those companies who have found that the traditional postage meter is too expensive for their needs and to give the SOHO market immediate access to digital postage," said Neopost president Neil Mahlstedt. "With Simply Postage's approval, any size business can afford the benefits of metered mail."

Simply Postage's hardware component is a small (5 1/2" x 6 1/2" x 5"], highly secure metering and thermal printing device that connects to a PC's standard serial port. Using Neopost's Postage-OnCall 24-hour access system, users can download and store up to $500 worth of postage. A software component is then used to enter the amount and class of postage needed for each "stamp." Postage can be printed on clear or solid self-adhesive labels for all classes of mail including First Class, Express Mail, Priority, and Parcel. Simply Postage is designed for offices that need to print several stamps at a time and do not want to have their PCs on all the time.

PC Stamp, Neopost's second offering, is expected to be available by the end of 1999 and is for home-based and small offices that conduct mass mailings and wish to assign job costs, but do not want to have to log onto the Internet every time they need postage. A wallet-sized device allows postage to be stored via Neopost's Postage-On-Call system and used anytime. PC Stamp's user-friendly interface allows users to manage mailing lists and business mail. Envelopes are printed on the user's own printer, complete with address, postage, USPS delivery point barcode, and return address, plus customized advertising slogans or messages.

The third product rounding out this family is PostagePlus. Currently in beta testing, PostagePlus is most appropriate for offices that have a constant line open to the Internet, conduct mass mailings, and wish to assign job costs. This all-software postage solution allows businesses to import and export mailing lists, manage business mail, and download postage from the Internet on an as-needed basis. Postage, as well as addresses, barcodes, and slogans are then printed directly onto envelopes from the user's own printer. In addition, Postage Plus keeps an accurate record of remaining postage, total amount spent from date of inception, and maintains an itemized log that can be exported to other applications for accounting purposes.

"Regardless of which product they choose, small business owners and home office workers will no longer have to make trips to the post office to have their postage meters reset, send express mail, or just simply to buy stamps," Mahlstedt commented. "These savings can show up in the bottom line because time is money for small business owners."

For more information on Neopost and it's postage solutions, contact Neopost at 877-397-8267.