BotswanaPost Launches Hybrid Mail
BotswanaPost launched Hybrid Mail at a function at the Gaborone International Conference Centre (GICC).
Hybrid Mail is a service designed for organisations that mail large quantities of invoices, statements, time-sensitive notices and business mail.
Launching the new service offered by BotsanaPost, Maun West MP, Ronald Ridge, said the facility would contribute to sustainable national growth by reducing the cost of mail service in offices.
The state-of-the-art facility is capable of producing 15 000 pieces of mail per hour. It relieves companies of expensive tasks such as printing, enveloping and transportation, and ensures an impression appearance because advanced laser printing and mail-processing technology is used.
Botswana Post Acting Director General, Ruth Mphathi, said contrary to common belief that the information superhighway is driving the Post Office to irrelevance, the postal sector is actually riding on the crest of technological changes.
ICT has offered an opportunity for the Post Office to provide a natural gateway to the Information Society, especially for rural communities.
Mphathi said the domestic letter mail is on a downtrend for obvious reasons, while the business mail product (including Government Mail) was on an upward trend in correlation with national economic growth. This is where the Hybrid Mail product comes in – to provide a seamless, cost-efficient solution to mailroom challenges.
Botswan Post Board Chairman, Martin Mokgatlhe, said the Post Office continues to re-examine itself on an on-going basis, adding that early this year, its five-year strategic plan known as Pinagare was reviewed. BotswanaPost launched Hybrid Mail at a function at the Gaborone International Conference Centre (GICC).
Hybrid Mail is a service designed for organisations that mail large quantities of invoices, statements, time-sensitive notices and business mail.
Launching the new service offered by BotsanaPost, Maun West MP, Ronald Ridge, said the facility would contribute to sustainable national growth by reducing the cost of mail service in offices.
The state-of-the-art facility is capable of producing 15 000 pieces of mail per hour. It relieves companies of expensive tasks such as printing, enveloping and transportation, and ensures an impression appearance because advanced laser printing and mail-processing technology is used.
Botswana Post Acting Director General, Ruth Mphathi, said contrary to common belief that the information superhighway is driving the Post Office to irrelevance, the postal sector is actually riding on the crest of technological changes.
ICT has offered an opportunity for the Post Office to provide a natural gateway to the Information Society, especially for rural communities.
Mphathi said the domestic letter mail is on a downtrend for obvious reasons, while the business mail product (including Government Mail) was on an upward trend in correlation with national economic growth. This is where the Hybrid Mail product comes in – to provide a seamless, cost-efficient solution to mailroom challenges.
She admitted that the postal business is facing challenges, which include small shop space for customers, old and dilapidated infrastructure, staff shortages (in some instances driven by the ill health of employees), lack of appropriate business information and communication technologies infrastructure and financial constraints.
Botswan Post Board Chairman, Martin Mokgatlhe, said the Post Office continues to re-examine itself on an on-going basis, adding that early this year, its five-year strategic plan known as Pinagare was reviewed.
Botswana Post has signed an agreement with Sandulela (Pty) Ltd. to sell airtime in selected 38 post offices.
Mokgatlhe saluted institutions who have taken up Hybrid Mail facilities. These include the Botswana Telecommunication Corporation.
The Botswana Building Society (BBS) is also using Hybrid Mail for printing and mailing customer's statements. Native Impressions use Hybrid Mail for packaging materials on behalf of its clients.
Mokgatlhe urged the business community to fully utilise all the products and services offered by Botswana Post, especially Hybrid Mail for reducing mailing production time and costs, eliminating mail collection, sorting and delivery costs, and shortening delivery time because of its direct routing to mail centres. As one of the oldest establishments in public services, BotswanaPost has 119 post offices and 75 postal agencies countrywide.
With such a network of post offices, Botswana Post is able to connect local customers to each other every day and to over 660 000 post offices worldwide, providing a variety of services under the physical, electronic and financial dimensions of a worldwide postal communications network.
Worldwide services through BotswanaPost include letter and parcel mail, Express Mail (EMS), money transfer services, e-mail and Internet access through BotswanaPost's Business and Kitsong Centres and courier Services through Botswana Couriers.
Agency services are provided on behalf of the Department of Social Services for the payment of social benefit grants (Dituelo tsa Bagodi le tse dingwe), and Botswana Savings Bank for banking services.
