Increased
Postal Rates Plus Timeliness, Cost and
Personalization of Communications Impact Buyers in Document
Industry, Says New EDSF Trend Study
Doculabs and University of Illinois at Chicago Center for Research
in Information Management Collaborated for the Research
TORRANCE,
Calif., (June 22, 2005) --- The Electronic Document Systems Foundation
(EDSF), the non-profit organization dedicated to the document communications
industry, announced the publication of a landmark, co-branded research paper on
industry trends with particular emphasis on buyers in that market. The white paper continues research begun in 2004 and reveals
important information about paper-based and digital communications with a focus
on controlling costs. "Document
Communications---Industry Trends: 2005 Survey Results" is a collaboration between Doculabs, a
Chicago-based technology consulting firm, and the University of Illinois at
Chicago Center for Research in Information Management (CRIM).
“As the research paper indicates, our industry is struggling with the
need to reduce paper-based communication costs while at the same time
increasing investment to support electronic delivery,” said James K. Watson,
Jr., Ph.D., CEO and founder of Doculabs. “This is an
exciting time of change in the document industry, and we at Doculabs
are pleased to part of an EDSF sponsored endeavor that may assist others as
they strive to find an appropriate balance between paper and electronic
communications.”
Highlights of "Document
Communications—Industry Trends: 2005 Survey Results" include:
---Budgets have increased moderately in 2005 and are likely to
increase significantly due to postal rate increases in 2006. Print operations
are likely to be under great scrutiny to reduce costs to offset this increase.
---Timeliness,
cost, and personalization of communications remain the top three concerns for
buyers in the market. All three requirements lend support for the transition to
digital delivery, as transit times can be cut from days to seconds, costs can
be shaved from tens of cents to fractions of cents, and personalization
continues to be limited only by the creativity of the hosting organization.
---The use of color for transactional applications
such as statements, bills, and correspondence remains limited to niche
applications. While 88% of organizations use some form of digital color in
their production, 47% reported that less than 1% of their volumes employ
digital color“.
"EDSF is grateful to have such high-caliber supporters as Doculabs and CRIM to help us continue our charter to study
the way document technology impacts individual and organizational behavior,”
said EDSF Vice Chair of Research Kenneth M. Morris, Ph.D., CEO of Lightbulb Press. “Doculabs has
generously donated expertise, time and energy to this project, and the whole
document industry benefits as a result.” EDSF
provides funding through a grant to CRIM for their participation in the
project.
EDSF has already sponsored free learning opportunities highlighting the results
of the research through a webinar and a conference
session during AIIM ON DEMAND. Later in the year, EDSF will
release industry papers featuring collaborations between InfoTrends/CAP
Ventures and Clemson University and Gartner Group and
University of Connecticut (UCONN).
"Document Communications---Industry Trends: 2005 Survey
Results" is available as a free download at www.edsf.org
About EDSF
EDSF (www.edsf.org)
is an international, charitable foundation dedicated to enhancing the value and
relevance of document communications worldwide. EDSF is a catalyst for
education and research initiatives that brings the industry together to resolve
document communications issues that impact society. EDSF helps the industry and
public benefit from paper, electronic and digital documents, which are
continually being transformed by emerging technologies. For more information
about EDSF, call +1-310-541-1481, write info@edsf.org, or visit the EDSF website
at www.edsf.org.
# # #
Media Contacts:
Aaron Kiel/ Jennifer Beaver
ak PR Group
562-983-8113/
562-983-8117
akiel@akprgroup.com/ jbeaver@akprgroup.com
EDSF Contact:
Jeanne Mowlds
Executive Director
310-541-1581
JCMowlds@aol.com