NewsCast

2008 Customer Conference Updates

Don't forget to save the dates for Group 1's Customer Conference "Live in Las Vegas" from May 21 – 23, 2008 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. In the upcoming NewsCasts, we will be featuring multiple sessions from our software solution tracks:

Mailing Efficiency

Moving Off the Mainframe?
Pitney Bowes Software will introduce a new way of running your mailing applications outside of your mainframe environment in a way that preserves your mainframe or midrange computer and software investment. It does not even require changes to your JCL files or interfaces to our products!

CASS™ Cycle M
Though CASS Cycle M will not be implemented until August of 2009, it will include significant changes that may impact your postage. In the CASS Cycle M session, we will cover all the changes so you can begin preparing for implementation.

Location Intelligence

Enterprise Tax Management Payroll
Some states charge local income tax but it is exceptionally difficult to get the jurisdiction correct to avoid reprinting W2s and to comply with SOX. Find out how one of the largest employment agencies in the US improved process and accuracy saving millions of dollars a year by implementing Payroll Tax Management.

Enterprise Tax Management Personal Property
Personal Property Tax isn’t necessarily personal. Most businesses with assets that are owned or leased are required to annually pay property tax on those non-real estate assets. However, in many states, local tax geography does not solely encompass counties or municipalities, but also includes a variety of more granular tax districts. Find out how Pitney Bowes, Dell and other large companies are determining whether their assets are inside or outside of the various tax districts.

Customer Communications Management

Customer Communications Management – Today and Tomorrow
Organizations continually strive to reduce customer acquisition costs, improve customer loyalty and maximize the lifetime value derived from each and every customer while providing consistent world class customer service.

This becomes increasingly challenging with today’s technology advances, greater dependence on the Web as a business imperative and growing customer expectations for highly personalized service. Learn what you need to know about the latest innovations and developments surrounding the technologies and strategies necessary to implement a unique end to end customer communication strategy enabling your enterprise to communicate with and service customers, agents and partners in an efficient and effective manner.

Engage Real Time – Creating and Managing Real-Time Communications to Solve Real-Time Problems
Learn about products, best practices and approaches for engaging your customers in real time. Discover the latest in web enabled real-time document generation capabilities and how interactive document services can be deployed across your enterprise to meet high availability document on-demand needs. Learn about technology and techniques to enable agents, CSR’s and other customer-facing personnel to generate highly personalized and customized documents on demand in their language of choice. Engage real time for intelligent interactive documents in a managed secure infrastructure that will reduce costs, improve consistency and insure high levels of customer satisfaction.

Data Quality/Data Integration

Customer Data Quality & Data Integration – What’s New
This session provides an introduction of the most recent Customer Data Quality/Data Integration (CDQ/DI) milestones in new products and industry trends. Come learn how Group 1 CDQ/DI products support data quality throughout your enterprise and how data integration improves your business intelligence.

The Customer Data Quality (CDQ) Platform 5.5.0
This is a "must see" presentation for users of CDQ Platform. Come learn about the recent release and what’s new and cool in the 5.5 release, with an in-depth demonstration and benefits of new capabilities.

Please watch for more information about the 2008 Customer Conference in future issues of NewsCast. Additional information is available online at the conference Web site at http://www.g1.com//About/Events/Conference.

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New Postage Rates

New postage rates will go into effect on May 12, 2008, as described in the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) Advisory below. There will not be any mail presorting changes associated with the postage increase.

In March, Group 1 Software, Inc. will ship April Postal Reference files that will contain both new and current rates. These will also be available to download from the Group 1 Web site, http://www.g1.com. Today's rates will be accessible via the "previous" option once the April Postal Reference files have been installed using the following parameter:

HEADERP

Since Group 1 is releasing MailStream Plus 7.9.0 in March 2008, new rates will only be available for versions 7.8.1 and 7.9.0. If you are currently using version 7.8.0, you must upgrade to 7.8.1 or 7.9.0 before the rates change on May 12, 2008.

"New Prices Coming May 12" from the DMM Advisory

On May 12 we will adjust prices for mailing services — First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services, and Special Services. The average increase by class of mail is at or below the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

A First-Class Mail stamp will be 42¢. Customers can continue to use the Forever Stamps they purchased for 41¢, even after the price change. We will have 5 billion Forever Stamps in stock to meet increased demand before the price change. Forever Stamps are widely available through Post Offices, Contract Postal Units, consignment locations, Automated Postage Centers, vending, and online. We also will have a 62¢ stamp available shortly after May 12 for 1-ounce nonmachinable First-Class Mail letters, such as square greeting cards.

Pricing highlights:


• No change in the First-Class Mail single-piece additional-ounce price.



• Lower additional-ounce price for presorted First-Class Mail letters.



• Lower pound price for Standard Mail saturation and high-density flats.



• Shape-based pricing for First-Class Mail International letters, flats, and parcels.



• First-Class Mail International price groups expand from five to nine groups.

Select prices:

First-Class Mail letter (1 oz.): 42¢

First-Class Mail letter (2 oz.): 59¢

Postcard: 27¢

First-Class Mail large envelope (2 oz.): $1.00

Certified Mail: $2.70

First-Class Mail International letter to Canada and Mexico (1 oz.): 72¢

First-Class Mail International letter to all other countries (1 oz.): 94¢

See http://www.usps.com/prices/ for all mailing services prices and links to downloadable pricing files, and additional information. We will announce new prices for shipping services — Express Mail, Priority Mail, Parcel Select, and International Mail — in March.

Consistent with The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, we will adjust our mailing services prices each May. By law, these prices can increase on average no more than the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index. We plan to provide 90 days' notice of the new prices each year, to help mailers prepare for the change.

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Media Change for CODE-1 Plus, Finalist, and Address Quality Hub Mainframe Customers

Effective March 1, 2008, Group 1 Software, Inc. will provide software and databases for CODE-1 Plus, Finalist, and Address Quality Hub Mainframe customers on 3490e tapes ONLY, as well as on CDs, DVDs and via Internet download. For those customers currently receiving 3480 or 3590 tapes, in January and February we will send data on 3480/3590 and 3490e tapes, but as of March 1, we will send releases and data on 3490e tapes only. For the January and February shipments, we will send 3490e tapes first followed by 3480s or 3590s.

Group 1 has changed its media for the following reasons:

• Because 3490e tapes have greater storage capacity than 3480s. This change will allow us to send fewer tapes to customers for expedited delivery and installation.



• Although 3490e tapes have a smaller storage capacity than 3590s, many customers do not have the technology required to support 3590s. Most data will still fit on a single 3490e tape. In order to provide the majority of our customers with fewer tapes and reduce costs, 3490e tapes will be the only tapes distributed after March 1, 2008.



• Customers have a choice of the following media if they do not accept 3490e tapes: CD, DVD, Internet download, or AutoDelivery depending upon the product or database.

For further assistance, please email Product Distribution Services at PDS@g1.com

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Group 1 University Classes

As mentioned above, the 2008 Customer Conference will be held May 21 – 23, 2008 at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Preconference intensives are scheduled for Monday, May 19 and Tuesday, May 20.

For further information or to register for any of the intensives or other classes listed below, please visit the Group 1 University Web site, http://www.g1.com/Education, and choose Online Registration on the left sidebar. Seating is limited, so register early!

Finalist Workshop

Monday, May 19, 2008
Cost: $500.00
Duration: 1 day

The Finalist workshop provides instruction on how to use Finalist address correction software in a batch environment. Upon completion of the workshop, you will be:

• Prepared for installing, setting up and running Finalist
• Educated in USPS® terminology and automation standards

This preconference intensive will include numerous reporting and processing examples.

Advanced StreamWeaver Workshop

Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Cost: $500.00
Duration: 1 day

This advanced StreamWeaver workshop has been designed to help developers push their use of StreamWeaver beyond the simple barcoding applications that most customers have.

In this workshop, we will look at some of the advanced functionality with which customers use StreamWeaver including:

• Calling UserFunctions to make use of external libraries
• Using StreamWeaver to parse non-Print Stream Data
• Calling CASS™ and PAVE™ tools
• The functionality of the StreamWeaver Reprint module
• The use of the Variables Tag group for simple document composition

Prerequisite for this class: Attendance of the StreamWeaver Development workshop or equivalent and a minimum of six months of active experience creating and/or maintaining StreamWeaver applications.

CODE-1 Plus Workshop

Monday, May 19, 2008
Cost: $500.00
Duration: 1 day

In the CODE-1 Plus workshop, you will learn:

• How CODE-1 Plus improves the address quality of mail, saving you the time and money it takes to reprocess undeliverable mail
• Mailing concepts and techniques to return a complete standardized address
• How to implement DPV™ and LACS^Link™ processing

Instructional techniques will include lecture and hands-on training.

Mailstream Plus Workshop

Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Cost: $500.00
Duration: 1 day

In the MailStream Plus workshop, you will learn:

• MailStream Plus sortation concepts
• Implementation techniques for MailStream Plus sortation
• Basic USPS® regulations and postal discounts for selected classes of mail

Instructional techniques will include lecture and hands-on training.

DOC1 Series 5 Basic – “UNDERSTANDING THE ESSENTIALS”

Monday, May 19 – Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Cost: $1,500.00
Duration: 2 days

Need to sharpen your DOC1 Series 5 programming skills? Are you about to embark on a Series 5 project and interested in getting to know the basics quickly?

This hands-on, two-day course will provide nearly all of the training in our normal two-and-a-half-day class but in a more intensive format and will meet the prerequisite for attending the Series 5 Advanced class.

Topics covered will include:

• Overview of the various Series 5 Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs)
• Text, table and object formatting options
• Options for conditional logic in Series 5
• Messaging options
• Data acquisition, formatting and use
• Use and formatting of transactional (repeating) data
• The complete Document Publishing path
• Creation of a Print Stream

This course is limited in seating to five (5). Pre-registration is required to attend.

Sagent Data Flow – “YOU GET TO CHOOSE”

Monday, May 19 – Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Cost: $1,500.00
Duration: 2 days

How do you use Sagent Data Flow? Are you a “power user” – someone who builds DataMarts and devises Data Flow Plans? Are you a more casual user – someone who views and analyzes your company’s data? Are you someone who has just heard of this product and would like hands-on experience to help you decide if Sagent Data Flow is right for you?

If you fit into any of the above categories, we are offering a unique Sagent training experience at this year’s annual conference. You decide how much you want to know – you decide the depth of Sagent information you need!

We will be providing a two-day Sagent class. Come for the first day if you want a good general overview of Sagent, and stay for the second day if you want to get more in-depth information. You get to choose!

Topics covered on Day One will include:

• Complete overview of the Sagent environment
• The basic GUI
• Creation of simple plans
• Work with the Sagent Analysis module
• Work with the Sagent Reports module
• Quick demo of Sagent WebLink

Topics covered on Day Two will include:

• More in-depth work with all of the basic Sagent Transforms
• Creation of several Sagent Plans from scratch
• Work with creating DataMarts

This course is limited in seating to six (6). Pre-registration is required to attend.

Customer Data Quality Platform (CDQP) – Universal Addressing Module (UAM)

Monday, May 19 – Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Cost: $1,500.00
Duration: 2 days

This introductory CDQP for UAM intensive has been designed to help new users develop their use of control stages and building data flows within Enterprise Designer. In this intensive we will learn about:

• CDQP – what is it?
• CDQP available modules
• Module features, functions and benefits
• Building batch jobs using UAM components
• Building services using UAM components
• Use of control stages

OTHER GROUP 1 UNIVERSITY CLASSES

CODE-1 Plus – Dispatcher4

March 11 – 12, 2008 in Lanham, MD
April 8 – 9, 2008 in Lanham, MD
May 6 – 7, 2008 in Lanham, MD
June 10 – 11, 2008 in Lanham, MD

In this course, you will learn how CODE-1 Plus improves the address quality of mail, saving you the time and money it takes to reprocess undeliverable mail. Additionally, you will learn mailing concepts and techniques to return a complete standardized address.

Duration: 2 days

Objectives:

• Understand the capabilities and benefits of CODE-1 Plus
• Understand the CODE-1 Plus system flow and relationships
• Understand the CASS™ requirements and the CASS™ report
• Search the CODE-1 Plus database using the Interactive System to answer specific queries
• Define and discuss US Postal Service™ terminology and concepts
• Create and submit a batch job that invokes the CODE-1 Plus driver program, access the matching subroutine and produce reports
• Learn the basic features and functions of supplemental processing options, including EWS, DPV™ and RDI™

DOC1 Series 4 Basic

February 26 – 28, 2008 in Addison, TX
July 8 – 10, 2008 in Lanham, MD

This course concentrates on the DOC1 Designer suite and introduces the DOC1 Generate Production environment. The course covers data and print stream manipulation, document logic control and the use of fonts, images, overlays, lines, text and boxes.

Duration: 2 days

DOC1 Series 5 Basic – "Understanding the Essentials"

March 18 – 20, 2008 in Lanham, MD
April 8 – 10, 2008 in Addison, TX

This complete hands-on training course enables you to master everything from the basic DOC1 Series 5 functions to more complex features. Through exercises designed to simulate real-life applications, this course will be delivered in a step-by-step interactive educational atmosphere.

Duration: 2.5 to 3 days

DOC1 Series 5 Advanced – "Total Knowledge of Solutions"

April 15 – 17, 2008 in Lanham, MD
May 28 – 30, 2008 in Addison, TX

This course is different than our traditional instructor-led courses in that it guides students through complex logic and allows them to solidify and apply the information while resolving real business needs. This course is designed for advanced users and will allow students to immediately use the knowledge gained with self-paced skill-building exercises.

Duration: 2.5 to 3 days

Objectives:

• Obtain in-depth exposure to logic techniques
• Use DOC1 Series 5 to build applications that resolve real business requirements

DOC1 Series 5 PCE (Post Composition Engine) – “Modification Scripting Tool”

March 25 – 27, 2008 in Addison, TX

In this course, students will receive comprehensive training in the use of the DOC1 PCE tool. Fundamental techniques and practical exposure through popular post-processing scripts will be the core of this course. This course concentrates solely on handling the requirements of post-processing with hands-on exercises to reemphasize techniques.

Duration: 2.5 to 3 days

Objective:

• Learn about common PCE script operations through self-paced exercises designed to focus on satisfying common business requirements.

List Conversion Plus

May 13, 2008 in Lanham, MD

In this course, you will learn learn how to convert files to a standard in-house format using List Conversion Plus.

Duration: 1 day

Objectives:

• Be able to describe the List Conversion Plus system and its components
• Identify and use work areas
• Be able to describe the name and address parsing functions
• Create and run a batch job that converts multiple input files to one standard format

MailStream Plus

March 13 – 14, 2008 in Lanham, MD
April 10 – 11, 2008 in Lanham, MD
May 8 – 9, 2008 in Lanham, MD
June 12 – 13, 2008 in Lanham, MD

You will learn how MailStream Plus presorts your mailing file to USPS® specifications. Basic USPS® regulations and possible postal discounts for selected classes of mail will be discussed.

Duration: 1.5 days

Objectives:

• Be able to discuss the MailStream Plus system components and functions
• Understand the USPS® system of pricing tiers and their relationship to worksharing
• Create and submit batch jobs for different mailing classes and types
• Generate and review MailStream Plus reports
• Understand the benefits of a default-driven mail sortation system

Merge/Purge Plus

May 14, 2008 in Lanham, MD

You will learn how to merge multiple name/address files and delete duplicate records using Merge/Purge Plus.

Duration: 1 day

Objectives:

• Learn about the Merge/Purge Plus features and system components
• Define a duplicate and list the kinds of duplicates that Merge/Purge Plus can identify
• Create and run a batch job
• Analyze and review reports generated by Merge/Purge Plus

Sagent Solution

March 25 – 27, 2008 in Lanham, MD
May 13 – 15, 2008 in Addison, TX

This course introduces you to the design, customization and creation of business intelligence solutions using the Sagent Platform. You will be guided through the individual components that make up the full Sagent Solution using hands-on labs and exercises.

Duration: 2.5 – 3 days

Objectives – Upon completion, the student will be able to:

• Create and optimize Sagent data load plans to access, analyze and collaborate on data
• Use Sagent Analysis to summarize results by multiple dimensions
• Create and optimize graphical, aggregate and logical views of databases
• Manage DataMart security and administrative environment
• Extract legacy data from a source database and load a target data warehouse
• Configure and use WebLink to access the data warehouse over the Internet

StreamWeaver

February 26 – March 1, 2008 in Lanham, MD
March 25 – 28, 2008 in Lisle, IL
April 15 – 18, 2008 in Lisle, IL
June 3 – 6, 2008 in Lisle, IL
June 17 – 20, 2008 in Lanham, MD

This workshop is appropriate for new technical StreamWeaver users or those who attended training prior to the release of StreamWeaver 4.0.

Duration: 3.5 days

Objectives – Upon completion, the student will be able to code StreamWeaver to perform the following:

• Reorder pages within documents
• Add, delete or modify barcodes for insertion equipment
• Create multiple-document output
• Consolidate documents
• Insert pages into a document
• Create extract files

Advanced StreamWeaver

March 18 – 19, 2008 in Newport Beach, CA
April 2 – 3, 2008 in Lanham, MD
May 7 – 8, 2008 in Lisle, IL

In this course, you will learn advanced topics in the StreamWeaver environment.

Duration: 1.5 days

Prerequisite for this class: Attendance of the StreamWeaver development workshop or equivalent and a minimum of six months active experience creating and/or maintaining StreamWeaver applications.

Objectives – Upon completion, the student will be able to:

• Make calls to external libraries
• Cleanse addresses and presort documents in accordance with USPS® CASS™ and PAVE™ regulations
• Create indexes that can be used by the StreamWeaver Reprint module as well as creating control files for runs of that module
• Parse data on a record basis, thereby allowing StreamWeaver to handle non-print stream files or nonstandard data
• Use the Variables Tag group to populate data on page layouts

VeriMove

Call for dates.

This course will teach you how to comply with the USPS Move/Update requirement.

Duration: 1 day

Objectives – Upon completion, the student will be able to:

• Describe the Move/Update requirements of the USPS®
• Understand installation and certification requirements for VeriMove and National Change of Address^Link™ (NCOA^Link™)
• Set up the VeriMove software to match your site's requirements
• Set up and run VeriMove batch jobs

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