Volly adds more mailers ahead of digital mailbox launch
Pitney Bowes now has more than 50 agreements in place for mailers representing more than 6,000 companies and consumer brands, to make use of its forthcoming digital mail service, Volly. The US company said at the end of last week that its client roster includes firms mailing more than 7bn pieces of transactional mail each year.
Volly, which will provide a secure, closed digital mail system that keeps out spam and allows consumers to manage and store their electronic documents as well as pay their bills online, is due to launch later this year.
The new service was originally due to launch in the autumn of 2011, but this has now been put back to the second half of this year, giving extra time to build up the number of mailers using the service.
Volly’s launch will come following US rivals Zumbox and Manilla, who launched respectively in 2009 and 2011.
Independent firm Zumbox revealed plans last week to considerably ramp up its operations with a fresh injection of investment. Hearst Corporation’s Manilla revealed last week that it has now achieved the milestone of signing up a million consumers, while its service supports more than 2,000 service providers.
Quantity
Volly executives said about delaying their consumer launch that they want to ensure consumers start receiving mail items digitally as soon as they sign up for a Volly mailbox.
The firm said last week it was pleased with its progress so far, although a spokesman could not provide further detail to Post&Parcel on when the service would be launched, beyond confirming it would be later in 2012.
Chuck Cordray said aggregating enough information within the Volly service was key to its future success.
“The value proposition for any digital mailbox hinges on content: having the right bills, statements and other information in sufficient quantity to simplify the consumer’s daily life.
“We are well-positioned for Volly to become the digital mailbox of choice when it launches to consumers,” added Cordray.
Some of the most recent service providers to sign up to Volly include Alison Payment Systems, Broadridge, IMS Inc., FSSI, NEPS, Superior Mailing and Systemware.
Systemware, Inc., which was the 50th partner to sign on to use Volly, is also a technology partner for the digital mail platform, and will integrate its own Digital Mail Gateway system with the Volly system.
The Digital Mail Gateway turns print streams of statements, bills and shareholder communications into an encrypted digital file for sending into a consumer’s digital mailbox.
Dan Basso, CEO at Texas-based Systemware, said: “By adding the Volly support to our Digital Mail Gateway solution, we are able to make it even easier for corporations to add this new, exciting delivery channel to its customers.”
