Itella to trial newspaper reading with electronic device

Finnish operator Itella will test newspaper reading with the electronic iPad reading device at the end of the year. The test will be executed in cooperation with the Borgåbladet newspaper.

In the test, the electronic version of the newspaper will be delivered to NetPosti, an electronic mailbox provided by Itella. The objective is to involve five to ten mail recipient households who already participate in the experiment carried out in Anttila, Porvoo, concerning the electronic delivery of letter mail.

“Newspapers in electronic reading devices are already common in many countries. With the Borgåbladet newspapers and those reading it, we want to try out how suitable newspaper reading with an electronic device is in Finland. We will also obtain experiences on whether Finns have an interest in and a need to use the reading method enabled by the new technology. We believe that the test will also more extensively benefit the Finnish media sector as it considers operating models of the future,” said Tommi Tikka, development director.

“Participating in the test is a valuable opportunity for us to try out new means of reaching our readers,” said Stefan Holmström, editor-in-chief of Borgåbladet.

In the experiment, launched in the Anttila area in Porvoo, the participants received their letters in electronic format in NetPosti. The experiment involved a total of 140 companies and households in the area. The participants have been mainly satisfied with the new way of receiving letter deliveries, and the experiment has already been modified according to the feedback given by the customers.

“It is great that Borgåbladet joins in. There are residents in Anttila in Porvoo, who have a positive attitude towards testing something new, and they see that in this way, they can contribute to the progress of development. We believe that a sufficient number of interested participants will also be found to read their newspaper in electronic format,” said Tikka.