Océ brings world-first link for launch of Affinion International Print Services
Portsmouth, Hampshire, – 17 April 2012 – A new company set to revolutionise printing and reduce costs for businesses and local authorities has opened its doors today following a £2.5 million investment in the latest state-of-the-art digital print and finishing technology provided through Océ, a Canon Group company.
Portsmouth-based Affinion International Print Services – part of affinity marketing company Affinion International – is the first in Europe to be operating one of the latest Océ ColorStream 3500 full colour high-speed inkjet systems. It has also achieved a world first by coupling it with a high-tech CMC finishing system which can collate, stitch or staple documents and insert them into envelopes ready for posting.
Far from being a new entrant to the printing industry, Affinion International already looks after printing requirements on behalf of its corporate partners which include many of the UK’s leading banks and credit card providers. Currently some 7.4 million retail customers hold Affinion’s protection and lifestyle products including Sentinel Card Protection and leading identity fraud protection service PrivacyGuard.
Now operating on a standalone basis, Affinion International Print Services is opening up its print centre to any organisation requiring large, regular print runs or planning high quality direct mail campaigns as part of their customer acquisition strategies – from financial services companies, telecoms providers and travel companies to utilities and local authorities.
The Océ ColorStream 3500 can print at speeds of up to 1,040 A4 pages per minute, which equates to a volume of 24 million A4 images per month – and up to 30 million impressions in peak months. Its proven Océ DigiDot drop-on-demand technology utilises the industry’s fastest and most reliable print heads, ensuring crisp details and smooth halftones at full speed at a resolution of 600 x 600 dpi. A wide range of standard and special papers can be used between 60 and 160 g/m2, ensuring versatility across many different applications including customer letters, invoices, statements, welcome packs, books and manuals, as well as direct mail requirements where every item needs to be personalised with a customer’s name.
In addition to its investment in print technology, customers will also benefit from Affinion’s investment in quality. As well as being authorised by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), the company is accredited to handle secure and confidential printing requirements. It is also ISO 9001 certified – the internationally recognised standard for the quality management of businesses – and PCI Level 1 accredited, the highest level of accreditation available for the handling and storage of credit and debit card data.
Operating from a purpose-built print centre in Portsmouth where Affinion International has been based for the past 30 years, the printing operation consists of a team of six who are all experts in colour and continuous web printing and have been trained to the highest standards by the equipment manufacturers at their European headquarters. The print centre is overseen by an experienced on-site technician.
“We’re delighted to be launching Affinion International Print Services which has the potential to revolutionise printing for major businesses, local authorities and other organisations across the country, whether they need to communicate with customers regularly on a transactional basis or need high quality marketing materials to help them stay one step ahead of the competition,” says Greg Howford, Head of Affinion International Print Services. Dynamic digital printing is quick, efficient and extremely cost-effective. There’s no lengthy set-up period, no waiting for printer’s proofs and no need for massive print runs,” he continues. “As a result, unnecessary storage costs and obsolete, stockpiled materials are problems of the past. That not only saves money but also reduces waste.”
Craig Nethercott, Océ UK Ltd’s Director of Production Printing, said: “In leading this project for Océ, I know, as the prime contractor, that this has been an incredibly exciting journey and is the world’s first white paper solution combining the Océ ColorStream 3500 linked to CMC Machinery. The system arrived in December and within a week was and up and running and within a matter of months is the mainstay printing for Affinion International’s official launch of a new state-of-the-art printing centre. This is an out-of-the box, bespoke solution that will deliver significant cost savings and efficiencies for Affinion International. We expect many more companies to follow its lead.”
For a free and confidential consultation, businesses and local authorities should call Affinion International Print Services on 0800 328 0638 or email at printservices@affinioninternational.com
Further information from Colin Harding, of Shaw Communications,
01344 761208, 07730 435400, colin.harding@shawcommunications.co.uk
About Affinion International
Affinion International provides a wide range of protection and lifestyle products to more than 65 million members and works with some 5,300 corporate partners to generate additional revenue streams and increase customer loyalty. Affinion International employs around 600 people at its Portsmouth operation which was awarded the Investors in People Gold award in 2011, won the Call Centre Management Association’s 2011 Team of the Year award and was also named the Large Business of the Year 2012 in The News Business Excellence Awards. Affinion International offers some 25 core products, which are delivered via bank account and credit card providers and membership clubs. These include Sentinel® Card Protection; identity fraud protection service PrivacyGuard®; Safe 2 Go, a comprehensive gadget and mobile phone protection product; Let’s go…Rewards which provides a unique range of leisure offers including discounts at over 4,000 restaurants and 25% discount on Ticketmaster UK events; and Shoppers Advantage which provides up to 20% cash back on online shopping, discounts off high street gift vouchers and insurance protection for all purchases. Affinion International also designs and manages bespoke product propositions for many of Europe’s leading financial services providers, retailers and associations.
About Océ
Océ is one of the leading providers of document management and printing for professionals. The Océ offering includes office printing and copying systems, high speed digital production printers and wide format printing systems for both technical documentation and color display graphics. Océ is also a foremost supplier of document management outsourcing. Many of the Fortune Global 500 companies and leading commercial printers are Océ customers. The company was founded in 1877. With headquarters in Venlo, The Netherlands, Océ is active in over 100 countries and employs more than 20,000 people worldwide. For more information visitwww.oce.com.
Océ and Canon: Stronger together
In 2010 Océ joined the Canon Group of companies with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, to create the global leader in the printing industry. Canon develops, manufactures and markets a growing line-up of copying machines, printers, cameras, optical and other products that meet a diverse range of customer needs. The Canon Group comprises over 198,000 employees worldwide. Global net sales in 2011 totalled USD 45.6 billion. Visit the Canon Inc. website atwww.canon.com.