DST Output Introduces Digital Press Technology Platform, Becomes World's Largest Inkjet Systems Printer
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Affordable color printing options open up 'TransPromo' opportunities
EL DORADO HILLS, Calif., May 1 /-- DST Output, one of the largest and most experienced statement and billing output providers, today announced that it has completed a two-year implementation of its advanced high-speed, color printing and inserting platform called Digital Press Technology or DPT. With this innovation, DST Output becomes the largest inkjet systems printer, propelling the industry forward in a rapid transition from toner-based to inkjet printing technology.
DPT Platform Goes Beyond Color Printing
When combined with DST Output's Campaign Manager software, DPT enables affordable TransPromo capabilities -- integrating transactional printing with proactive promotional marketing offers based on customer demographics and buying habits. TransPromo opportunities allow DST Output's clients to target and customize content and graphic images at the individual statement level for their printed as well as electronic customer communications.
Traditionally, use of high-quality color and graphics on bills, account statements, customer letters and other transactional documents was limited by older toner-based print platforms and proved relatively cost prohibitive for TransPromo printing.
"DPT creates a more cost-effective process and enables TransPromo documents that can replace marketing and promotional materials that traditionally are sent separate from transaction documents," says Frank Delfer, DST Output's executive vice president of Technology.
The DPT platform enables DST Output to offer a variety of color and graphics printing options, including "highlight color," "select area color" and "full (anywhere) color." These color variables let DST Output clients choose how much and where to place color to increase readers' attention to a particular area of the document.
Further, DST Output's DPT provides an option for "forms color," which allows the simultaneous color printing of a client's corporate logo or banner along with monochrome bill and statement data. This eliminates the need for preprinted forms because both the color and monochrome images and text are applied as the paper passes through the high-speed press, creating the finished color document from blank paper in one integrated continuous process.
DST Output Leads in Inkjet Volume
Kodak inkjet print heads are an integral part of DST Output's DPT platform, which combines a state-of-the art printing press with DST Output's patent-pending technology, resulting in a unique high-quality, high-volume printing platform. DST Output printed over one billion DPT images in March and expects to produce approximately 785 million statements and 10.5 billion images on the platform this year. More than 521 million statements and 6.8 billion images were produced on the platform last year.
"From the start the team at DST Output understood the power and flexibility that Kodak inkjet printing technology provided and found ways to use it to differentiate their offerings to their customers," said Jeff Hayzlett, CMO, Kodak's Graphic Communication Group. "DST Output works with their customers to use the appropriate TransPromo techniques to meet their needs, showcasing their expertise in data management and manipulation as well as TransPromo design. Kodak is proud to be a key technology provider to DST Output and their DPT platform."
The DPT platform also includes advanced capabilities that ready documents for their final leg in the mail stream. The proprietary folding, finishing and inserting processes were specially created to accommodate the fast speed and high-volume printing, without delay or interruption.
"By combining our proven processes and technology with state-of-the-art printing hardware, we are achieving optimal speed, quality and performance in a high-volume environment," said Delfer. "For perspective, a single DPT platform essentially replaces as many as 12 toner-based continuous laser printers for transaction printing, and one offset printing press for forms printing."
With successful implementations of 17 machines over the past two years, DPT is becoming DST Output's primary production platform with many of its largest clients now running on it, including Costco Wholesale, Ford Motor Credit, HSBC, and Toyota Financial Services.
About DST Output
DST Output, a subsidiary of DST Systems Inc., provides integrated print and electronic statement and billing output solutions to many of the country's largest financial services, communications, insurance, healthcare, and utilities companies. In 2006, DST Output and its affiliates produced more than 2.6 billion customer communications, delivered throughout the United States, Canada and the U.K. via postal service, express delivery and over the Internet. We are the largest third-party First-Class(TM) mailer in the United States.
For more information, visit www.dstoutput.com/ .
Related links (DST Output's DPT platform and Campaign Manager):
http://www.dstoutput.com/solutions/print_solutions/index.html
http://www.dstoutput.com/solutions/print_solutions/campaign_manager/index.html
Related links (TransPromo and the impact of color):
http://www.outputlinks.com/ (search "TransPromo")
http://colormatters.com/
Source: DST Output
CONTACT: Dave Saavedra, Corporate Communications Manager, DST Output,
+1-916-939-4522, or dsaavedra@dstoutput.com
Web site: www.dstoutput.com/
http://www.dstoutput.com/solutions/print_solutions/index.html
http://www.dstoutput.com/solutions/print_solutions/campaign_manager/index.html
http://www.outputlinks.com/
http://colormatters.com/
