Pitney Bowes 2003 Annual Report Download - page 28

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RESEARCH THAT CENTERS ON
THE CUSTOMER.
Our Advanced Concepts and Technology Group (AC&T) is not just a think
tank, but also an incubator for practical solutions to real customer problems.
We believe that successful innovation requires both great technology and a
deep understanding of emerging customer needs. As a result, our approach
to innovation is multidisciplinary and customer-centered.
The AC&T organization consists of two parts: the Innovation Pipeline, where
we create new product and business concepts, and the Tech Labs, where we
track, evaluate, develop and apply technologies that are critical to the future
of the company.
We go right to the source to identify customer needs Our Innovation Pipeline
puts customers front and center when developing ideas for new products and
services. Our process often begins at a customer site, where our researchers
acquire in-depth insight into real-world communications challenges. We then
develop a working model, which we refine through close participation with
customers and users. This approach allows us to innovate in the context of
a customer’s workflow so new inventions generate powerful business
improvements.
We plan for the future by helping to invent it Our Tech Labs help customers
prepare for the future by exploring emerging technologies that are poised to
affect our lives and work in revolutionary ways. In doing so, we invent
solutions that mitigate the often disruptive nature of technology while creating
solutions that help customers leverage technological advances to enhance
profitability. We are currently focused on technologies to help customers
manage paper in a networked world, maintain security in the face of
increasingly sophisticated threats and improve business through intelligent
software.