Belated Birthday Wishes

For what has been coined one of the most challenging and traumatic economic downturns in 80 years, hasn?t 2009 just flown by?? Feels like the ball dropped in New York City just a week ago, President Obama was sworn in to office last Thursday, and US Airways tested the landing conditions of the Hudson River on Monday.? We have flown by this first quarter. ?

During this time I have forgotten to send birthday flowers to my mother, forgot to pay a water bill, and let Valentine?s come a go without flowers, a card, or even chocolate.? I don?t even know if I am in trouble (water bill is paid).?

Also lost in the whirlwind was gap intelligence?s sixth birthday, an event that years prior registered a grand celebration.? Our actual March 1 birthday came and went without so much as a candle lit cupcake, though we did celebrate with a ping pong tournament about a week later.?

In years past, I have spent March 1 reflecting on how far the company has gone.?

gap intelligence started just like every other business ? no money, no customers, and only wishful optimism to cling to.? This March 1^st, however, I didn?t think of our past successes or today?s hardships and instead thought of how great our tomorrow will be.?

Call me an optimist, but I think that there are already signs of what will likely fuel our rebound and eventual recovery and I am excited about everything ? from printing & imaging to retail & the economy & the future of our company.?

I am excited that consumer sales of of all handset sales during the fourth quarter of 2008 and that an .? I don?t see smartphones as a telephone replacement, I see Blackberry?s, and Palms, and my iPhone as new personal computer installations.

? There were 162 million new internet enabled, emailing, and web browsing machines installed into the marketplace this year. ?

There are some who frowned and said that smartphone technology is beyond printing and paper and I say ?hogwash?.? Who would have thought that my Commodore 64 would ultimately give birth to the personal printing industry?? We would be shortsighted to think that smartphones will not positively impact future print volumes.?

I am also excited that the US population is aging.?

In 1990, 40% of the US population was under the age of 35, however, by 2010 over half of the country?s population will be over the age of 45.? This trend suggests that gradually, over time, our workforce will also get older and some forecast that by 2020, 1 in 5 employees will be over the age of 55.

? No matter how great the quality of your television or monitor or display ? old eyes go bad and old eyes need glasses.

? Old eyes also need bigger fonts and the ability to adjust the distance between reading material and said eyes ? that means they need to print.?

The populace of paper needing people is going up the next 15 years, not down.?

And I am excited about gap intelligence?s future.?

We are investing.? We are investing in ourselves, or processes, and our systems not only to become more efficient to weather today?s economic storm, but to be prepared for our future exponential growth. ?

Thank you for our six years and we can?t for the next six.

? I?m excited.