Swiss Letter Post: Redirected To E-Mail During Your Holidays - July 14, 2010
[Press Release.]Swiss Post’s electronic letterbox is now ready for the holidays. Your letter post can be temporarily digitized while you are away from home and sent to your electronic letterbox where it can be received and processed. A simplified process makes this possible. Swiss Post can now redirect all privately addressed mail to the Swiss Post Box. The current solution, which requires users to provide the senders with a fixed alternative address, is only suitable for permanent relocation. The new temporary solution requires a one-time registration that costs CHF 25. From then on, your Swiss Post Box can be activated and deactivated online as required with very little effort. Thanks to this new temporary electronic letterbox, customers can receive their addressed mail anywhere in the world, regardless of location and time. Costs vary depending on the usage pattern.
Swiss Post Box, which enables users to receive and process their mail electronically, regardless of place and time, is now available to the public at large. Customers wishing to use the service for just a few weeks of the year can now benefit from this innovative solution from Swiss Post thanks to a new service. Users of the new Swiss Post Box «Single Easy» solution can entrust Swiss Post with filtering all their personally addressed mail in advance and digitizing it at the Swiss Post scanning centre. The resulting scanned documents are then forwarded to the customers’ personalized electronic letterboxes. From here, recipients can access the images of the envelopes and issue further instructions. They can choose whether to open the envelopes and have the content scanned in, or whether to have the letter sent to them in physical form, or even have it destroyed.
Deutsche Post Offers Confidential Letters On The Internet - The Online Letter ("E-Postbrief") - July 14, 2010
[Press Release.]Deutsche Post is starting a new era in mail communication: As of today the "E-Postbrief" is ready: From now on, customers can reserve their personal "E-Postbrief" address.
"We're making secure written communication on the Internet possible for everyone - this is a revolution," said Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL. "This innovation fits to our Strategy 2015 like a glove: It will make our customers' lives easier and strengthen us to remain THE Post for Germany."
The "E-Postbrief" allows private individuals, companies and public authorities to communicate securely with each other on the Internet. The "E-Postbrief" is just as binding, confidential and reliable as a letter - and just as quick as an e-mail. "We're bringing the confidentiality of letters to the Internet," says Jürgen Gerdes, Board Member in charge of MAIL. "The 'E-Postbrief' will make our most successful product, the letter, even better. It is still a letter, but will be even quicker."
An "E-Postbrief" will cost exactly the same as a traditional letter - 55 euro cents. Users can choose whether their letter will be delivered electronically to another "E-Postbrief" account or be printed out by Deutsche Post and delivered by the mail carrier. The price remains the same in each case. Additional services like registered letters or color-printed copies will be charged extra. MAIL boss Gerdes says: "Whether our letter is in physical or digital format, it is based on a high-quality service from one single source. And it's very attractively priced as well."
Personal "E-Postbrief" address
Deutsche Post is staging one of the largest media campaigns of the year to mobilize Germans in favor of the "E-Postbrief". At www.epost.de users can reserve their personal "E-Postbrief" address free of charge. The address consists of a first name and a surname and the ending @epost.de. A number behind the surname prevents confusion when two people have the same surname. Anyone who registers quickly can secure the number he wishes, or may even get an address without a number - provided he is the first person to use that name.
All users must identify themselves by using the Postident procedure with their personal identity cards or their passports in a Deutsche Post retail outlet - only then the "E-Postbrief" account will be activated. Thus the identity of the users can be confirmed beyond all doubt - and anonymous e-mails, spam or address theft are impossible with the "E-Postbrief". In the initial phase after the name reservation, users will have an activation code sent to them by letter. In the run-up phase, Deutsche Post is working to create an evenly-spread use of the system's capacity, in order to avoid any overloads. From November this intermediate step will cease to apply.
Companies and public authorities can distinctly improve their customer service with the "E-Postbrief" and save money at the same time. The cost of postal processing can be cut by up to 60 per cent by using the "E-Postbrief". The interest shown by business customers in the new product is accordingly high. Deutsche Post has two other important partners, SAP and Allianz, who have decided to collaborate on the "E-Postbrief".
New Postal Era Beckons As Official German Documents Go Electronic - July 13, 2010
[The Local.]The Local Major German email providers are readying themselves for the new De-Mail system that will let users send letters and documents over the web that are just as legally binding as printed material delivered by post.
The aim is to banish the need to use printed pages for sensitive material such as letters and documents to lawyers, banks and government officials. The system will be secure and carry the same legal weight as printed documents.
Deutsche Telekom announced Tuesday it was taking registrations. Customers with @t-online.de email addresses can sign up – initially for free, though registration will likely cost money eventually.
In recent weeks, email providers GMX and Web.de, both part of the German web firm United Internet, began taking registrations.
Azerbaijani Postal Operator Launches Financial Services To Population - July 13, 2010
[Trend, H.Valiyev.]Azerpoct, the Azerbaijani national postal operator, started to provide financial services to the population, Azerbaijani Communications and IT Ministry Postal Communications Department Head Novruz Mammadov said.
"The introduction of financial services in the branches of the postal operator will be implemented in stages, in Baku's post offices and regions" Mammadov said.
Mammadov said Azerpoct has all legal rights for the provision of financial services to the public. Today, the operator is allowed to provide five of the seven existing financial services. These include opening and managing accounts, money transfers, issuance of debit card transactions for buying and selling currencies on the order book and collection of cash and other valuables.
The provision of two more additional services - taking deposits and issue of credit cards will be revised in 2011.
Azerpoct hopes to compete seriously with players on the country's banking market. Today, 47 banks operate in Azerbaijan, with over 500 branches. Meanwhile, Azerpoct has nearly 1,600 offices.
TNT Plans To Deliver A Larger Workforce In Scotland - July 13, 2010
[Business Scotsman.]A major rival to Royal Mail yesterday announced plans to expand its workforce by a fifth and bolster its regional presence.
TNT Post, which currently handles some 280 million items a month, is also planning to invest £3 million in sorting and processing technology.
It expects to have more than 1,000 employees in the UK following the recruitment drive.
TNT has a network of five regional offices and will extend this to cover a new hub in Northern Ireland in the autumn. It is also looking for a central distribution hub to increase its capacity.
The Dutch-owned firm entered the UK market six years ago. It expressed an interest in buying a stake in Royal Mail last year under plans to part-privatise the postal operator, which were later scrapped.
A Post Office In Your Pocket With Australia Posts' New Mobile App - July 13, 2010
[Press Release.]Within hours of being released, Australia Post's new iPhone and iPad App rose to the top of iPad's Most Downloaded Free Apps list, which could be evidence of customers' desire to interact with traditional communication channels in a digital way.
Tracking postal items, searching for a postcode, locating a post office and paying a bill are all possible anywhere, anytime with today's launch of Australia Post's new iPhone and iPad Application.
Australia Post's General Manager, Internet and Contact Centre, Brady Jacobsen said the launch of the Mobile Website and iPhone application showed a commitment to customers who want to interact with Australia Post's services, wirelessly.
"This new application, which is free to download via iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch or smartphones will allow customers to look up the address and the working hours of their nearest post office or post box and track a letter or a parcel. In addition they can look up post codes and directly access POSTbillpay services," said Mr Jacobsen.
Australia Post says that the successful take-up of postal iPhone apps in other countries is an indicator of its potential in the Australian market.
"When French postal organisation Le Poste launched their iPhone app on 19 April it was downloaded 75,000 times on the first day, so we're expecting our customers to take to the technology with equal enthusiasm."
"Currently almost three per cent of hits to our website are via smartphone devices and the launch of the mobile website and iPhone application is expected to grow the demand for mobile-enabled services."
Today, 80 per cent of smartphone visitors to the Australia Post website use iPhone devices.
"This new tool will increase customer convenience for the 50,000 customers that currently access the Auspost website from a smartphone device," said Mr Jacobsen.
Customers using Australia Post's Mobile Website and iPhone Application will now be able to:
• calculate postage costs for letters and parcels, domestically and internationally
• search for a postcode
• view and track items, domestically and internationally
• locate any Australia Post retail outlet
• find a nearby street posting box
• pay a variety of bills online
TNT Post Continues UK Expansion - July 12, 2010
[Hellmail.]TNT Post said last week it was on track to expand its UK workforce by a fifth, increase its regional presence and invest significantly in its operations by the end of the year.
The expansion which will take TNT Post's staff to more than 1000 employees across the UK. The company which has recently been reaccredited by Investors in People, will introduce new roles across the business - from client managers to administrative and operational staff in the postal depots. New roles will also be created across TNT Post's national van fleet which is to be centralised to provide flexibility of coverage across the country.
These investments build on the company's growth over the past six years since it began operations in the UK, handling 300 million items in its first full year, to over 2.66 billion items in 2009. In this time, TNT Post has opened a network of five regional offices covering Scotland, the North, the Midlands, London and the South East and the South West.
Building on the existing five regional offices and six depots, TNT Post is on the hunt for a central distribution hub, to help improve operational efficiency and further increase its capacity. This hub will handle billions of items a year. In addition it is looking to expand its Iver, Buckinghamshire, depot by 40,000 square feet later this year.
Further bolstering the regional coverage, TNT Post will be opening a new hub in Northern Ireland this autumn, following trials of its service over the last six months.
As well as investment in staff and facilities, over £3 million is being invested this year in sorting and processing machinery, customer relationship management and new facilities, ensuring that all of TNT Post's services are at the cutting edge.
Nick Wells, chief executive of TNT Post in the UK, comments, "Our incredible growth is owed to the way we have continued to innovate the postal market - from hybrid mail services to our new next day delivery offering, FirstSort. It is this commitment to innovation, quality of service and intelligent account management which keeps UK organisations, both large and small, public and private, coming to TNT Post for a truly unique approach to postal services."
Solar-Powered Postal Delivery Rickshaws Launched In India - July 12, 2010
[Sandeep Joshi, The Hindu.]Aimed at making lives of postmen more comfortable, the Department of Posts on Friday introduced solar-powered postal delivery rickshaws. Launching the pilot project here, Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Sachin Pilot said initially 10 environment-friendly
‘Soleckshaw' would run in Ajmer (Rajasthan) and gradually these modern postal-delivery vehicles would be introduced across the country.
Developed jointly by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Kinetic Motors, ‘Soleckshaw' are pollution-free rickshaws that run on inexpensive solar battery.
“A recent survey has shown that a postman has to traverse a distance of 40-50 km daily to deliver post and parcel packages weighting up to 10-15 kg,” Mr. Pilot said.
Zero carbon footprint
The Minister further pointed out that this light delivery vehicle with zero carbon footprint would enable easier and timely delivery of posts to remote regions as well.
Additionally, they will make it easier to deliver heavier parcel packages in greater numbers, particularly to institutions and large organisations. At present, post is delivered through bicycles and other modes of transport.
Japan Post To Pay Up To Y300,000 ($ 3,387) Per Parcel If Damaged, Lost - July 9, 2010
[Japan Today.]Japan Post Service Co said Thursday it will pay up to 300,000 yen per parcel in compensation if the recent delays in delivery caused damage to package contents or if the parcels got lost. The company also said it will reimburse the shipping fees in full if the parcel’s delivery was delayed by two days or more from the designated delivery date.
It said that between July 1 and 7 when there were delays in Japan Post’s parcel delivery, 74 packages were reported missing and could not be traced—about twice as many as the figure during the same period last year. The compensation offer is in line with provisions by Japan Post to pay up to 300,000 yen per parcel in cases such as when fresh products are spoiled or items inside are broken due to improper handling while being transported.
Japan Post will pay the actual price of the damaged product if there is a receipt, but for items without receipts it will check the market value, according to the company.
China Post To List Unit In Shanghai - July 9, 2010
[People's Daily.]China Post, the official postal service of China, is planning to list the shares of China Postal Express & Logistics Corporation, its express and logistics unit, in Shanghai or Shenzhen next year, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
The float will make China Postal Express & Logistics Corporation the first listed express company in China, said Shao Zhonglin, deputy secretary-general of the China Express Association.
The integrated unit was set up with a registered capital of 200 million yuan ($29.51 million) on June 29 and combines the express and logistics operations of the group.
Liu Andong, general manager of China Post, said the integration of the express unit EMS Corporation and the logistics arm China Post Logistics Co Ltd was part of the plans to transform itself into a modernized post group.
EMS was established in 1985 to operate the country's postal express mail service, while China Post Logistics was founded in 2003 to manage comprehensive businesses such as warehousing, distribution, and transportation.
In 2009, EMS earned revenue of around 15 billion yuan, and was the market leader in China, said a July 5 report in the 21st Century Business Herald.
The new entity will own the "all night" cargo aviation network and also have the largest domestic express service network. It will also promote resource sharing between the two sectors and help reduce costs, said the group.
Zhang Hui, an analyst tracking the logistics sector at Donghai Securities, said China Post is likely to use the high quality assets of the express sector to guarantee profits and attract investors. The company may, however, use the float proceeds for the less developed logistics business.
Zhang expects the company to raise no more than 1 billion yuan from the IPO, aided by strategic investors from the airlines sector.
Analysts said the thorniest issue for the new company will be on how to divide the business between Express & Logistics Corporation and the parent group.
"That means there will be a lot of overlapping transactions between the two companies. Both companies will have problems on how to factor the relevant costs," said Xu Yong, chief advisor of China Express Consulting Website.
There are problems also, if the company opts for a clear division of its businesses and finances as it may end up facing internal competition, said Zhang.
"The float will not only benefit China Post, but also the private sector," said Wei Dengming, deputy director of the Enterprise Development Department at ZJS Express, a private express delivery company in China.
China Post owned 1.802 million shares of Hunan Copote Science & Technology Co Ltd and was planning a back-door listing. However, the plan was abandoned and the shares were transferred to another postal institute in May.
Postal services are generally government-controlled and very few have actually tested the market waters.
German postal operator Deutsche Post was one of the early birds in the market and listed shares of its subsidiary on the Frankfurt bourse in 2000. The subsidiary is the biggest listed logistics company in the world and is now called Deutsche Post DHL.
Swiss Letter Post: Redirected To E-Mail During Your Holidays - July 14, 2010
Deutsche Post Offers Confidential Letters On The Internet - The Online Letter ("E-Postbrief") - July 14, 2010
Azerbaijani Postal Operator Launches Financial Services To Population - July 13, 2010
TNT Plans To Deliver A Larger Workforce In Scotland - July 13, 2010
A Post Office In Your Pocket With Australia Posts' New Mobile App - July 13, 2010
TNT Post Continues UK Expansion - July 12, 2010
Solar-Powered Postal Delivery Rickshaws Launched In India - July 12, 2010
Japan Post To Pay Up To Y300,000 ($ 3,387) Per Parcel If Damaged, Lost - July 9, 2010
China Post To List Unit In Shanghai - July 9, 2010
