Mimeo.com strikes strategic alliance with the printing franchise companies owned by Franchise Services, Inc.

Most reprographers, by now, know who mimeo.com is. If you don't, they are the digital copying/printing company (based) in Memphis (TN) that, years ago, developed some very cool proprietary software that enabled customers to submit documents in virtually any file format and be able to get immediately on-line proofs. Mimeo.com convinces customers, wherever they are, to submit their print jobs, over the Internet, to Mimeo's large production hub in Memphis, where jobs are printed (often overnight) and then overnight-shipped via Fedex to anywhere in the U.S. PlansExpress was also in that business in Memphis (may still be, for all I know), but whereas Mimeo.com specialized in "small-format", PlansExpress specialized in "AEC large-format." The "nice thing" about shipping from Memphis - you only have to pay Fedex "one-way", since Fedex's main distribution hub is in Memphis.

Anyway, I just noticed that Mimeo.com entered into some sort of "strategic alliance" with the three U.S.-based quick-copy/digital printing franchisors owned by FSI. Here's the press release:

Sir Speedy, PIP and Signal Graphics Launch Strategic Alliance with Mimeo.com
NEW ALLIANCE PROMISES TO TRANSFORM THE IMAGING AND PRINTING ENVIRONMENT FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES

0 7/29/2010

MISSION VIEJO, Calif., July 29, 2010 – Franchise Services, Inc., (FSI) parent company of Sir Speedy, PIP Printing and Marketing Services and Signal Graphics, and Mimeo.com, a print technology solutions company, today announced a new production print solution that enables business customers to have anywhere, anytime access to printing. 

Under the terms of a new strategic alliance between the two companies, Mimeo’s print technology platform will support the Sir Speedy, PIP and Signal Graphics brands so that their customers will have remote access to a scalable online solution that includes virtual proofing, an unlimited document library, document management and online ordering and tracking tools. The program is designed to enable Sir Speedy, PIP and Signal Graphics franchise brands to capture a larger share of the $108 billion dollar global digital print market, with a focus on the 65% of all print expenditures that fall to printing and marketing services providers. 



“Our goal with this program is to help our franchisees capture those customers who prefer to order their printed documents online, customers we have not easily had access to in the past,” said Richard Lowe, President and Chief Operating Officer of Franchise Services. “Now a business customer will be able to place an order by 10 p.m. EST and receive it by 8:00 the next morning.” 

“We are pleased to support FSI’s franchisees with the Software as a Service (SaaS) applications and expanded digital production print capabilities sought by their customers,” said Adam Slutsky, Mimeo.com CEO. “This complementary alliance combines the best of what we both have to offer, world class solutions that can help businesses of any size optimize the way they print and distribute documents through 24/7 access to a virtual library and online ordering portal.”



About Franchise Services
Franchise Services, Inc., (FSI) is a franchise management company that owns the franchise brands, Sir Speedy, PIP Printing and Marketing Services, Signal Graphics, MultiCopy, TeamLogic IT and Copies Now. Franchise Services has a 40-year history managing award-winning brands that support the small- to medium-sized business market. The company’s brands and worldwide affiliates encompass more than 600 locations in 13 countries.

FSI’s brands have received numerous awards and recognition including; the Franchise Times Top 200, Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500, Quick Printing Top 100, Printing Impressions 400, Franchise Times Fast 55, Franchise 50 and the International Franchise Association’s Franchisee of the Year Award.

About Mimeo.com
Mimeo.com is the innovator of online, on-demand cloud printing services. Over 60% of the Fortune 100 rely on Mimeo’s award winning document management tools and print on demand solutions to lower document related costs while improving employee productivity. The privately held company was founded in 1998. Investors include Hewlett Packard (HP), Goldman Sachs (GS), Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Harbourvest, and DFJ Gotham.