IWCO Direct Is First U.S. Install of Océ ColorStream 3500 Inkjet Printer

TRUMBULL, CT—August 3, 2011—Océ, a Canon Group company and an international leader in digital document management, announced that IWCO Direct will be the first U.S. installation of the Océ ColorStream 3500 inkjet printing system. IWCO Direct will deploy the system at its Chanhassen, MN, facility in early August 2011. The high-speed, production printer makes it possible for customers to move more easily from monochrome to full-color output.

“We are committed to digital continuous color printing, and we expect to lead the way in integrating it appropriately into our customers’ direct mail streams,” said Jim Andersen, IWCO Direct president and CEO. “With the addition of the Océ ColorStream 3500 color inkjet system, we will accelerate opportunities and options for our customers to develop more personalized and relevant marketing messages.”

In addition to Océ printing technology, IWCO Direct uses Océ PRISMA workflow software to drive production for all its high-volume systems, including non-Océ devices.

“We are pleased to extend our long relationship with IWCO Direct by providing them with the first Océ ColorStream 3500 inkjet printing system installed in the United States. This commitment shows that IWCO Direct is serious about growing its business and serving customers with the most advanced, affordable and appropriate technology,” said Francis McMahon, vice president, marketing, Océ North America, Production Printing Systems.

Océ ColorStream 3500 printing system expands customers’ opportunities

“We can support customers who want to do more with digital four-color output,” noted Dave Johannes, IWCO Direct vice president of digital print. “For example, we have a growing audience that wants to mix multiple versions in one longer run. The Océ system is more cost-effective for this than our cutsheet systems. This gives us an entry into an expanded range of volume for our digital color production offering.”

Examples of how IWCO Direct can use the Océ ColorStream 3500 inkjet printing system include:

• Documentation for wellness and disease management programs, where each co-care provider wants its own logo and graphics embedded in the final letter.
• Adding graphics with color for high-end financial services loyalty programs.
• Forms replacement to reduce the need for the two-step process of printing monochrome variable data on preprinted offset color forms. This also reduces inventory, time to market and waste.

According to Johannes, several factors contributed to the selection of the Océ ColorStream 3500 inkjet printing system:

• The platform of the Océ ColorStream 3500 inkjet printing system is similar to that of the Océ VarioStream 8750 system currently used by IWCO Direct , resulting in a shorter learning curve for operators.
• Uptime on all Océ products is outstanding, and Océ service plays a major role in helping maintain uptime.
• IWCO Direct hopes to incorporate their existing tools with Océ PRISMA architecture for more seamless workflow and to further automate the front-end process of creating final print-ready files.

About the Océ ColorStream 3500 Inkjet Printing System
The Océ ColorStream 3500 inkjet printing system was unveiled at Canon Expo in Tokyo in November 2010. The high-speed, high-quality full color inkjet printer runs at 1,073 letter-size impressions per minute and simplifies the transition from monochrome to full-color or even five or six colors. It offers productivity and flexibility for high-speed color and monochrome production of transaction, transpromo, direct mail, book and manual applications. Industry-leading reliability, print quality and media range are testaments to Océ DigiDot multilevel dot modulation technology.

Enhanced usability and productivity is made possible by a combination of unique features:

• HeadSafe technology helps prevent nozzle clogging and minimizes lengthy purging processes. The ability to transition between monochrome-only and full-color printing promotes higher uptime and productivity levels.
• Using passive RFID technology, the Océ InkSafe feature monitors both the proper placement of the ink containers in the press and the ink’s shelf-life.
• The Océ ColorStream 3500 inkjet printing system provides consistent high-quality printing during the ramp-up acceleration, full-production speed, and the ramp-down deceleration phases. Utilizing the entire production time decreases turn-around time and minimizes waste.

The Océ ColorStream 3500 inkjet printing system provides a modular offering in various single and twin configurations. A full-color Océ ColorStream 3500 system can be set up as a monochrome-only system when needed. The production and media flexibility contributes to a future-proof solution that simplifies the transition of applications and business models to more sophisticated documents with variable personalization and smarter communication in color.

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. Total revenues in financial 2010 amounted to approximately €2.7 billion. Océ is listed on Euronext in Amsterdam. For more information visit oceproductionprinting.com.

Océ North America is headquartered in Trumbull, CT, with additional business units in Chicago, IL and Boca Raton, FL. North America represents 34% of Océ’s worldwide revenues, and employment is over 8,000. For more information about Océ North America, visit www.oceusa.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 197,000 people worldwide. Global net sales in 2010 were more than US $45 billion. For more information, visit www.canon.com.

About Canon
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), a top patent holder of technology, ranked fourth overall in the U.S. in 2010†, with global revenues of more than US $45 billion and is listed as number five in the computer industry on Fortune Magazine's World’s Most Admired Companies 2011 list. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes.

Source: Océ.