Icanon Business Systems at Groups on Both Coasts

By: E&P Staff Icanon Associates of Hatfield, Pa., recently sold its Newzware Business Software Suite to McLean Publishing in DuBois, Pa., and TPC Holdings in Lewiston, Idaho.

McLean bought the Newzware Core Module, Circulation Management Suite, and Mapping and Demographics software, as well as the Postalsoft Address Correction and Presort package from First Logic. McLean operates four newspapers: the DuBois Courier-Express, the Tri-County Sunday, the weekly Leader-Vindicator, and the weekly Jeffersonian Democrat. It also has offset printing companies serving three counties.

TPC will use Newzware Integrated Core Modules, including the Circulation Management Suite, Display Advertising and Accounts Receivable, and the complete Newzware Financial Software package (general ledger, accounts payable and payroll/HR management). The company operates the Lewiston Tribune and Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

The Newzware Core Module, Circulation Management Suite, and Mapping and Demographic software are now being installed at McLean, replacing a legacy Unix-based Vision system. The circulation-management software provides a comprehensive set of customer management, distribution, billing, reporting, and communications capabilities. The Mapping and Demographic software efficiently maps carrier and distribution routes and can be used for demographic analysis with geo-spatial overlays to determine readership traits. Coupled with the Newzware Advertising System, the Mapping and Demographics module enables sales representatives to create micro-market zones for delivering advertisers messages. Integration with Newzware Circulation provides hands-free operation for insert management between advertising and mailroom distribution.

Newzware integrates with First Logic's Postalsoft package to automatically correct addresses when input and assist mailroom pre-sorting and reporting. Newzware's Label Management system is included with the installation.

McLean Circulation Manager James Nestlerode said Newzware "will let us improve our overall efficiency and get more creative and flexible in our marketing. For example, we want to be able to work with our subscription rates and match them to grace periods, better manage customer service issues, implement bar coding to save on postage, and automate our driver manifests."

The integrated Newzware system going into TPC replaces a legacy mainframe system, with the "primary goal" of integrating all "operating subsystems to gain the efficiencies provided by a common relational database," said TPC Corporate Controller Phil Charlo. Core modules in the configuration cover circulation management, display advertising, and accounts receivable. In addition to the Financial Software package, the company has bought Newzware Mapping and Demographic software for synchronous integration with all other modules, the integrated Postalsoft Address Correction and Presort packages from First Logic, and the Newzware Label Management system.