UniComp And Valassis Communications Roll Out Initial Phase of Marketing Solution for Major Automobile Manufacturer
12 October 2000
UniComp And Valassis Communications Roll Out Initial Phase of Marketing Solution for Major Automobile Manufacturer
MARIETTA, Ga.--Oct. 12, 2000--UniComp's Retail e-business Solutions Delivers Marketing Solution with Point of Sale Data Management System
UNICOMP INC. , a provider of retail e-business solutions and innovative business software solutions for small and medium-sized companies, retailers and system integrators today announced that their retail e-business solutions, in conjunction with Livonia, Michigan-based Valassis Communications, began the initial roll out of an 18-month nation-wide marketing campaign for General Motors dealer network.
Under the terms of the agreement, Valassis Communications , a leading marketing services company, will provide General Motors and its dealerships with the Company's popular Valassis Smart Coupon program for use with UniComp's point of sale (POS) data management system. This powerful joint marketing solution, a result of two years of extensive market testing, was developed specifically for industries, such as the automobile industry, that have a large aftermarket of brand-specific products.
"The incorporation of UniComp's technology with our Valassis Smart Coupon program allows us to provide effective marketing tools to clients such as General Motors," commented Sue Griffin, Vice President and General Manager of Valassis' Customer Relationship Marketing Group.
UniComp's retail e-business solution utilizes the Company's Universal Payment Adaptor (UPA) data management system, which allows merchants to gather relevant marketing information and statistics about their customer's purchasing habits by simply scanning the demographics captured on coupons provided by Valassis' Smart Coupon program. "This innovative marketing solution allows merchants to choose which promotional campaigns are the most effective in increasing revenue from existing customers or generating revenue from new customers," said Stephen A. Hafer, President and CEO of UniComp. "The diversity of this marketing solution provides large retail merchants, targeting a variety of industries, the ability to increase profitability at the storefront level as well as to effectively re-direct their marketing dollars into other lucrative target markets."
"The selection of our joint marketing solution by this large, well known automobile manufacturer validates our technology and our ability to deliver an easy-to-use, cost-effective answer for retailers that must establish an effective program for tracking the success of their marketing campaigns," said Hafer. "The flexibility of this program will allow our joint sales and marketing groups to target a variety of industries with similar requirements. As a result of our marketing study, we believe there is a real need for our UPA data management solution within several large industries and that this need will create an immense opportunity for ourselves and our technology partners."
About Valassis
Valassis connects people to brands by offering a wide range of specialty media programs to manufacturers, retailers, and Internet/e-commerce companies. From mass to one-to-one communications, Valassis leads the marketing services industry in comprehensive marketing solutions, including newspaper-delivered co-op and specialty inserts, advertising, product sampling, direct mail, on-line promotions, loyalty marketing programs and consulting services. Established in 1970, Valassis Communications is headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, with printing and manufacturing facilities in Michigan, North Carolina, Kansas, and Mexico. Valassis affiliates include Independent Delivery Service (IDS), Save.com, Coupons.com, Valassis Relationship Marketing Systems (VRMS), and Valassis Canada.
About UniComp
UniComp, Inc. is a provider of retail e-business solutions and innovative software applications for small and large companies, resellers and system integrators located worldwide. The retail e-business solutions include (1) a full suite of e-commerce solutions and services including secure Internet and/or bricks-and-mortar transaction processing, web development and hosting and (2) a family of customer-activated wireless devices to enhance the retail shopping experience and reduce overhead costs. The software applications and services include (1) a comprehensive suite of systems management software for IBM AS/400 users and two platform migration products for transitioning IBM System/36 and AS/400 applications to open-system platforms such as Windows NT, UNIX and Linux along with (2) a range of IBM AS/400 automated system management software solutions; a workforce management, planning and scheduling product suite; a comprehensive human resource management system and a SCADA, monitoring and control product suite. UniComp's customer list includes high-profile companies such as Coca-Cola, Symbol Technologies, Kyrus Corporation, Compuware Australia, Systech Retail Systems, DHL Worldwide Express, and BMW Motors. Please visit our World Wide Web site at: www.unicomp.com.
Safe Harbor
The statements in this press release that relate to future results, market penetration, projected revenue growth and profitability trends, are forward-looking statements. These forward looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties associated with demand for the company's products and services, development of markets for the Company's products and services as well as other risks identified in the Company's SEC filings. Actual results, events and performance could differ materially. Readers are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. UniComp undertakes no obligation to release publicly the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.