ePac launches ePacConnect

ePac will offer all its customers an entry-level no-cost technology, suitable for small and medium-sized brands, as well as a fee-based option for customers with broader requirements. ePacConnect will be piloted in Q4 2020 in the US and Europe, with a full roll-out to all ePac locations planned in early 2021.

All customer orders received by ePac will include smart, serialized secure QR codes on every package or the brand can opt-out and no codes will be printed. By serializing each package, it is automatically digitally enabled, given a unique digital identity, and can be activated at any time to give brands flexibility for how and when the codes are used.

The free version, ePacConnect Lite, is suitable for small to medium-sized brands that want to enter into connected packaging, but until now have had difficulty doing so due to the cost. The paid service, ePacConnect Premium, will provide a broader set of capabilities addressing applications for consumer engagement, brand, and product authentication, anti-counterfeiting, track and trace, and reports that provide new market insights.

To make ePacConnect viable at mass scale on billions of products, ePac will partner with leading connected packaging software suppliers.

‘We have been working with software providers that focus on connected packaging over the past several months in both the US and the UK,’ said Carl Joachim, CMO of ePac. ‘These companies provide the necessary secure QR codes and back-end data capture and management needed for a complete solution and can support us globally.’

Jack Knott, CEO of ePac added: ‘By harnessing the power of digital printing brands of all sizes can now leverage the power of connected packaging and enhance the marketing value of every packaged product they sell. ePacConnect will also play a role in our sustainability efforts to educate consumers and provide transparency into the recycling process.’