U.S. Postal Service creates 'first-class' e-mail
Big screens, small gadgets and fast wireless connections are getting much attention at the Comdex technology trade show this week, but a mundane product quietly unveiled at Microsoft’s booth might have more of an impact on the average computer user.
On display was an electronic stamp the U.S. Postal Service plans to sell to certify authenticity and delivery time of e-mail.
The technology, called “electronic postmarks,” will not necessarily end the era of free e-mail. But it does create a “first-class” version with a small delivery charge.
The postmarks are likely to be used to transmit sensitive documents, for instance, to authenticate the sender and reassure the recipient.
The plan is to have e-mail-postage software available in the next 30 to 45 days. At first, it would be an add-on to Microsoft’s popular Outlook e-mail-management software.
Later, it would be bundled into the new version of Microsoft’s Office suite due next summer. When loaded, it would appear as several buttons on the Outlook control panel.
Users would pay the Postal Service from a penny to $2, depending on the volume of use, to add an official stamp of authenticity, said Michael Wolf, who developed the product for AuthentiDate of New York.
After two years of working with the Postal Service, AuthentiDate was awarded a contract in July to run the service and use its network to issue, verify and store the certificates of authenticity.
Memo: Business
Copyright Ottawa Citizen 2002
