Group 1 NewsCast Vol.8 Issue 03

Please take a moment to visit the Online Discussion Forums, located in the Support area of the Group 1 Web site, http://www.g1.com/support. You can log on with other Group 1 customers to discuss your experiences with Group 1 products and exchange any tips or tricks you may have picked up along the way.

To reach the forums, first go to the Support site (address provided above) and log in using your userid and password. Then click on the link "Online Discussion Forums", located on the left side of the main Support page. If you don't have your userid and password, you can call Group 1 Technical Support at 800-367-6950 to receive them.

Please note that the forums are not the place to get help from a Group 1 Technical Support Representative (TSR). To get help from Group 1's TSRs, you should email your question to support@g1.com, call the Technical Support phone number (provided above), or submit your question as a New Service Request through the eService link, located right above the link to the forums on the Support Web site.

See you there!

The political wheeling and dealing over the proposed rate case and the Postal Reform bills in Congress have been hotter than the temperatures in Washington this summer. A few months ago, most thought the rate case would be settled quietly and implemented in mid-January 2006. Right now, the implementation date and exact postage increase are uncertain, though it is still likely that some kind of rate increases will take effect in either 1^st or 2^nd quarter of 2006. There will be no dodging that bullet.

Work on the next rate case is already in progress but the timing and extent of rate increases may be affected by the fate and impact of the Postal Reform bills in congress. While a compromise between House and Senate versions needs be crafted that will meet the needs of all parties, this has proven elusive. For example, the administration insists that Postal Reform should be revenue neutral but the Board of Governors argues that a revenue neutral reform bill is not viable. If the final Postal Reform bill passed is revenue neutral, it is likely that the next rate case will include massive increases and will go into effect before postal reforms are implemented. The coming few months will be high drama for those who rely on a healthy US Postal Service capable of delivering cost-effective services to consumers and businesses.

Local User Groups are an integral part of Group 1. With groups located throughout the United States, many opportunities are available where users can meet and discuss important topics concerning their company and Group 1 Software. Meetings provide a method for addressing concerns and sharing ideas. It is a great way to bring new and useful information back to your company. Take a look at the list below and attend the meeting that is most convenient for you.

Local User Group chapters are open to ALL Group 1 customers. Membership and registration are handled on a local level. Group 1 clients are invited and encouraged to join the group of their choice.

PHILADELPHIA AREA

Location:	UGI Utilities, Inc., 225 Morgantown Rd, Reading, PA
Date:	TBA
Time:	9:00 a.m.
Topic:	TBA
Contact:	Susan Miller - smmiller@ugi.com

Please click here for a summary of the April 27, 2005 meeting.

…Save the Date for Horizons 2006!
The next "Horizons", Group 1's Annual Users Conference, is scheduled to be held on July 26-28, 2006 at the Hilton Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. Be sure to mark your calendars now and watch for further information on what the next Users Conference has to offer you!

…CODE-1 Plus/Finalist CICS & IMS Focus Group
If you are a user or system manager using the CODE-1 Plus or Finalist CICS & IMS sample applications or you have integrated the coding engine into your Interactive environments, then you may wish to participate in an upcoming focus group to provide valuable input on the upcoming project to create the Best of Breed CASS Address Validation Coding Engine. If interested, email Ray Chin at Ray_Chin@g1.com.

Back issues of Newscast are being archived. Click previous issues to go the Newscast homepage to review any prior issues.

Below are some links that may be of interest to our customers:

Group 1's Web Page - http://www.g1.com. The Group 1 Software Web site provides customers with valuable information concerning different areas of the company. From this Web site, you can access education information, recent press releases, support, and much more useful information.

USPS® Web Site Business Section - http://www.usps.com/smallbiz

The USPS® Web Site - http://www.usps.com. This Web site allows customers to check out the latest information regarding postage rates and fees, news and events in the postal community, locations of local post offices, and provides various other links. There is also a place where postal service customers can track the status of a package or access other online mailing forms.

Canada Post - http://www.canadapost.ca/splash.asp. This is the direct link to the Canada Post Web site. Follow this link to view a quick and free course in Canadian NDG sorting (http://www.canadapost.ca/business/ndg/default-e.asp).

USPS® Rapid Information Bulletin Board System - http://ribbs.usps.gov. This is the National Customer Support Center for the United States Postal Service. It provides you mail-service updates, current weather conditions, and other interesting facts pertaining to the Postal Service.

Postal Rate Commission - http://www.prc.gov. The Postal Rate Commission Web site provides information about the organization, its function and procedures, along with postal rates and fees. It also provides a location where you can voice your opinion to the Consumer Advocate.

Nonprofit Mailers - http://www.nonprofitmailers.org. The Alliance is the primary representative of nonprofit mailers before the Postal Rate Commission, at the United States Postal Service's (USPS®) Headquarters, and on Capitol Hill.

Postcom - http://www.postcom.org. Postcom is the Association for Postal Commerce. Its Web site provides you with up-to-date information regarding what is going on in the "postal world." It includes links to other helpful sites, as well as a place to contact your US Senators or Representatives.

We welcome comments and suggestions regarding NewsCast. Please send them to cc@g1.com. Please be sure to include "NEWSCAST" in your subject line. Please look for your next issue to arrive in your email box on or near August 31, 2005.

NewsCast - Volume 8, Issue 3
Date: August 16, 2005
Editor: Becki Dustin (cc@g1.com) Asst. Editor: Erica Fenstermacher
Phone: 1-800-367-6950

CASS, CASS Certified, DPV™, eLOT, FASTforward, NCOA^Link, Postal Service, Post Office, RDI™, United States Post Office, USPS®, United States Postal Service, ZIP Code™, and ZIP+4 are registered trademarks of United States Postal Service (USPS®). This list is not exhaustive of the trademarks belonging to the Postal Service.

Group 1 Software is a non-exclusive licensee of USPS® for NCOA/Link processing.

Prices for Group 1's products, options and services are not established, controlled or approved by USPS® or United States Government. When utilizing RDI™ data to determine parcel-shipping costs, the business decision on which parcel delivery company to use is not made by the USPS® or United States Government.