PIN Berlin Deploys Mail Processing Solution from Bowe Bell + Howell and Parascript, Saving Time and Money

BOULDER, Colo., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Parascript, LLC, an image analysis and pattern recognition technology provider, today announced that PIN Berlin, one of the largest private postal services in Europe, has successfully implemented Bowe Bell + Howell's SABRE Plus International with Parascript's AddressScript CM for Germany. The integrated OCR solution allows PIN Berlin to automatically read over 94 percent of addresses on mail pieces. This includes 15 percent of handwritten addresses, resulting in over 30 percent savings per mail item over manual data entry (video coding).

PIN Berlin processes over 600,000 items per day in an eight hour time window.  Of these, 250,000 pieces are processed on Bowe Bell + Howell's Criterion sorting transport, which integrates Parascript's AddressScript CM and Bowe Bell + Howell's SABRE Plus OCR system.  As a result of the integrated solution, the postal service provider has increased first pass finalization and has drastically reduced second pass video coding efforts, saving time and money.

"We are so pleased with the mail processing solution from Bowe Bell + Howell and Parascript and the results achieved that we plan to deploy the solution on all of our transports in 2010," said Michael Beckman, operations manager for PIN Berlin.

"With the combination of advanced SABRE reading technology from Bowe Bell + Howell and Parascript's machine and hand-print recognition software, we are able to respond to the needs of high-volume mailers and provide ideal scanning rates, for even the most illegibly printed addresses and sloppily addressed mail pieces.  As a result, we have been able to significantly reduce first pass rejects and increase read rates," said Wilfried Hahn, operations manager for BOWE Systec GmbH, the firm servicing the sorters for PIN Berlin.

Parascript's AddressScript CM is a complete solution for automated address recognition that cross-validates the data on PIN Berlin mail pieces against postal databases, ensuring the highest accuracy and deliverability. AddressScript CM reads both handwritten and machine-print text, and recognizes addresses across the entire mail stream, including letters, flats and parcels.

"Parascript is committed to helping mailers around the world increase efficiency with the highest read rates available," said Kaz Jaszczak, director of product planning and operations for Parascript. "Thanks to the high level of products and services and local support provided by BOWE Systec GmbH, we can bring those benefits to high volume mailers in Germany."

AddressScript CM is also available for France, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.

About PIN Mail Ltd.

PIN Mail Ltd. was founded in 1999 as PIN Intelligent Services AG Berlin. The company employs approximately 1,000 employees and is one of the largest private postal services in Europe. In Berlin, there are currently seven stores with comprehensive services, 16 logistical stores, 300 PIN  and 400 partner shops letterboxes. Additional mailbox locations are planned. PIN Mail Ltd. is one of the first companies to receive all necessary licenses by the Federal Network Agency for the transportation and delivery of mail. PIN Mail Ltd. is online at: www.pin-ag.de.

About BOWE Systec GmbH

BOWE Systec GmbH focuses on sales, support and services around the BOWE Group product lines, consisting of high performance inserting and sorting systems, as well as software applications. This support covers products such as the Criterion and Criterion APEX sorting systems manufactured by Bowe Bell + Howell Company.  In addition, BOWE Systec GmbH shares competencies with customers in all areas of mailroom automation. The team of 160 experienced service engineers provides 24 x 7 technical assistance and customer support throughout Germany. BOWE Systec's technical support hotline provides 3rd level technical support to all European countries 24x 7 and offers remote access for quick equipment fixes to 150 sorting and over 1,000 inserting systems in Europe and to all BOWE subsidiaries. BOWE Systec GmbH is online at: www.boewe-vertrieb.de.

About BOWE BELL + HOWELL

At BOWE BELL + HOWELL, helping customers achieve success through innovative mailing and document management solutions is their number one priority. The company provides a wide breadth of cutting-edge mail processing and postal solutions that help customers increase productivity, decrease costs and reduce risk. Based in Wheeling, Ill., with operational centers in Durham, N.C., and Bethlehem, Penn., BOWE BELL + HOWELL has more than 70 years of industry experience developing superior equipment and software technologies. BOWE BELL + HOWELL proudly reinforces the value of its offerings with an industry-leading customer service network. To learn more about BOWE BELL + HOWELL, visit www.bowebellhowell.com.

About Parascript, LLC

The Parascript image analysis suite extracts meaningful information from images. Employing patented digital image analysis and pattern recognition technologies, the Parascript image analysis suite improves decision quality in medical imaging, postal and payment automation, fraud detection, and forms processing operations. Parascript software processes over 100 billion imaged documents per year. Fortune 500 companies, postal operators, major government, and financial institutions rely on Parascript products. Organizations include the U.S. Postal Service, Bowe Bell + Howell, CheckFree – now part of Fiserv, Elsag, Lockheed Martin, NCR, Siemens, and Unisys. Parascript is online at http://www.parascript.com.

SOURCE Parascript, LLC