The Virtual Post Office: Best citizen-focused project in 2006

Correos has received recognition for its track record and efforts with two new awards: the 2006 Fundetec Award for the 'Best Citizen-focused Public Administration Project', for the 'Virtual Post Office', and the 'Best Logistics Management Award', which is given out each year by Grupo Negocios' Dinero magazine. These awards are in addition to others that the postal service has received recently, such as the 2006 Dirigentes Award, in the "Quality" category, the AUTELSI Award, for the mobility project to equip letter carriers with PDAs, an initiative that was also a finalist for the Computing Awards, which recognise the best projects each year in the application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Correos chairman José Damián Santiago received the first of the awards yesterday from the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and the Information Society, Francisco Ros, during an event that took place at the Real Fábrica de Tapices ("Royal Tapestry Factory") in Madrid.

The Fundetec Awards recognise the initiatives promoted by non-profit entities and public institutions that encourage the development of the Information Society and the use of ICTs and bridge the digital gap in Spain. Fundetec is a foundation comprised of patrons from the public sector (Red.es) and the private sector (El Corte Inglés, HP, Intel, Microsoft, Telefónica or Caja Madrid, among other firms), and its main objective is to contribute to the promotion of the Information Society in Spain through initiatives that favour access to the ICTs by citizens, companies and institutions.

The 2006 Fundetec Award for the 'Best Citizen-focused Public Administration Project' was given to the 'Virtual Post Office', which enables citizens and companies to complete the traditional formalities at a Correos branch on the internet, without leaving their home, in a convenient and efficient way.

This project is part of the INTEGRA plan for the modernisation and complete computerisation of the company, and it is an example of Correos’ dedication to the use of ICTs.

This Correos 'Virtual Post Office' responds to the changes and new demands of the citizens, offering the technological resources necessary to complete a wide variety of formalities on the postal website. Citizens can use their computers to access a particular post office, at www.correos.es, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, where they can send letters, personalised postcards, telegrams, certified deliveries, notices, postal orders and burofax. The website also provides all types of postal information (postal code and branch locator, delivery tracker, cost calculator, etc.).

The online services at Correos streamline any type of formality and are enjoying growing demand. Its functions and simplicity of use have helped many of the services to grow exponentially. In 2006, users sent 201,436 letters, 14,662 postcards, 36,519 online telegrams, 70,752 burofax and electronic postage was used for 847,930 deliveries. These figures represent a 112% increase compared to 2005 in digital postal deliveries through this virtual office, 65.3% in online telegrams, whilst the monthly average for burofax in 2006 was 5,896.

At the end of last year, the Virtual Post Office added the e-postal order to its catalogue of services, which has had an excellent reception among customers and users. In 2007, the offer was increased with the personalised stamp, 'Tu Sello', which has also been well received: after just two months in service, over 1,800 orders have been processed. This equates to the printing and sale of 6,890 sheets and 172,250 stamps within this service that enables companies and individuals to design their own stamps on the internet.

The best logistics

Meanwhile, Correos has won the 'Best Logistics Management Award' at the 12th edition of the Dinero Business Awards. This is public recognition of the work carried out by companies as creators of wealth and backbone structures of society. The awards ceremony took place on Thursday the 22nd at the Madrid Stock Exchange, and was presented by the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Trade, Joan Clos. In addition to Correos, whose award was accepted by the chairman of Correos chairman, Inditex, Telefónica, Renfe and Ferrovial, among others, also received awards.