Arandell, a printer with catalog clients including Target, Macy's and Neiman Marcus, has added BCC Software's Mail Manager Full Service platform to increase its compatibility with the Intelligent Mail Barcode.

FedEx is conducting an international advertising effort promoting the shipper as a reliable partner during an uncertain economic period. The effort, which uses the tagline "FedEx delivers to a changing world," contains digital elements and a microsite. The initiative, which launched last month, is targeting small-to-medium businesses and influencers in the UK, Germany, South Korea, Japan, Brazil, China and Mexico.

It is that time of year again when non-profit companies are soliciting for dollars, in hopes to raise money for their charities during the holiday season.

Business-to-business marketers seeking hard-to-reach prospects and looking to address their pain points and know that direct mail provides key benefits as part of an integrated campaign. Four experts share how it's done

UPS on October 22 reported revenues of $11.2 billion for this year's third quarter, a year-over-year decline of 14.9% from last year's $13.1 billion. The shipper also saw its average volume per day drop 3.9% from 14.9 million packages to 14.3 million. Operating profit during the third quarter dropped to $929 million from $1.63 billion last year, a decrease of 43%.

Direct mailers are calling the US Postal Service's announcement that it will not raise rates for almost all of its shipping categories next year a welcome surprise, especially considering that many were preparing additional funding for a rate increase.

The US Postal Service told businesses on October 15 that it will not raise rates for 2010 on its "market-dominant products," a category that includes first-class and standard mail, periodicals and single-piece parcel post. The agency has predicted that the fiscal year 2009 mail volume could be as much as 20 billion pieces lighter than the year before.

The UPS Store launched an interactive microsite this week, extending its "Cardboard world" effort that promotes the outlet as a destination for services other than just shipping. The portal, found at cardboard.theupsstore.com, includes interactive games and a sweepstakes promotion. The goal for the site is to entertain consumers and to educate them about the company's business services, including its recently launched Web-based printing program.

Pitney Bowes filed suit against Zumbox in California Central District Court this month, alleging that Zumbox's Web-based mail system infringes on three of its patents. The suit seeks to stop Zumbox from using technology that Pitney Bowes claims is related to the patents.

The US Postal Service, striving to cut costs during a year when mail volume is expected to be 20 billion pieces lighter than the prior year, thinned the list of branches it is considering closing to 317. The agency removed 42 branches from its list of possible consolidations in the past month.