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Portuguese post office to launch MVNO with PT's TMN by end of 2007

Posted by | Oct 9, 2007 | |

Portugal Telecom SGPS’ TMN wireless unit has signed a mobile virual network operator (MVNO) agreement with Portuguese post office company CTT, Publico reported, citing an unnamed source at CTT.

According to the newspaper, the virtual mobile service will be provided by TMN but will be marketed under a separate brand, to be announced in the next few weeks, and will have its own dialing code.

The service will be distributed through CTT’s 1,000 post office shops across Portugal, and will have a separate customer service structure, the paper said.

The CTT source did not reveal any targets for the service, but said that it would be launched by the end of 2007, Publico added.

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Emirates Post showcases IT solutions at Post-Expo in Barcelona

Posted by | Oct 9, 2007 | |

Emirates Post highlighted its indigenously developed POS (Point of Sale) system that automates postal, at Post-Expo 2007, the leading exhibition and conference dedicated to postal, courier and mailing industries, held in Barcelona, from October 2 to 4, 2007.

The Emirates Post’s POS system has been customized to deliver postal and non-postal services across the postal network in the United Arab Emirates. It enables counter agents to deliver multiple services, with a real-time link to new partners. This is part of the UAE’s drive towards e-Government.

The Emirates Post stand showcased IT solutions as well as stamps issued over the past few years, highlighting UAE culture and history. The stand was visited by several visitors and VIPs, including Mr. Edouard Dayan, Director General of UPU.

Mr. Abdulla Al Daboos, Director General of Emirates Post, said: ‘Post-Expo is a major platform that brings together postal business leaders and technical industry experts. The participants got an opportunity to showcase our postal technology and gain insights into new developments through interaction with post officials from all over the world.’

Mr. Mana Al Suwaidi, Marketing Director, Emirates Post, who took part in the various programs of the Expo, said: ‘It is crucial for Emirates Post to participate in such programs. Mr. Dayan hailed Emirates Post for successfully hosting the UPU Strategy Conference in Dubai in November 2006, and said the event paved the way for laying a strong foundation for the new Postal Strategy that will be unveiled at the UPU Nairobi Congress in 2008.’

Mr. Suwaidi took part in the World Postal Business Forum and technology workgroups that focused on the experiences of global postal operations in technological innovations, solutions and ideas.

At this year’s Post Expo more than 200 companies took part, and over 50 exhibitors showcased technology solutions and services essential for providing best services for package delivery.

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Correos to invest EUR 275 million in 2008

Posted by | Oct 9, 2007 | |

Correos will invest EUR 275.5 million in 2008. This represents an 11.2 pct increase since 2007. This investment is part of the Investment Plan launched in 2005 (with a total amount of EUR 1,000 millions available). The breakdown is as follows: – Infrastructure: EUR 151.4 million – Automatisation: EUR 21.8 million – Informatics technologies: EUR 65.1 million – Other investment: EUR 37.2 million. This involves human resources activities like training sessions as well as security and office equipment. José Damián Santiago, President of Correos, presented congress with the investment plan and also the prediction of incomes, expenses and profits in 2008. Correos are expecting a 5pct income raise; this represents around EUR 2,245.3 million. The company also expect to have expenses for around EUR 2,188.1 million. This will conclude in profits of around EUR 117.8. Correos‘s President also explained to congress that the company will diversify its investment portfolio and launch new services and products for immigrants. For the latter topic, the company announced it will participate in Integra, a specialized international fair for immigrant’s services, to be held in Madrid from 11th to 14th October

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Gordon Brown may inetervene to settle strike dispute

Posted by | Oct 9, 2007 | |

Gordon Brown yesterday threatened to intervene in the post strike if both sides cannot agree.

It came as 130,000 postal staff began a second 48-hour stoppage, which ends tomorrow.

And they threatened to walk out again next Monday in the row over pay, pensions and job cuts.

The PM said: “I want these people back at work. This is a disruption to people’s lives.”

He added that the Government was investing “a huge amount in the postal services” and he could not condone the strike.

Last night hopes of a breakthrough were dashed when talks to resolve the dispute broke down without agreement.

Business leaders urged the Communication Workers Union to abandon their action. They said it was harming business and the economy.

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Consultation starts on changes to Post Office network – East Essex and Suffolk

Posted by | Oct 9, 2007 | |

Post Office Ltd announces plans for East Essex and Suffolk

Post Office Ltd today opened a six week local public consultation on its Area Plan for East Essex and Suffolk. In line with the criteria and factors set by the Government in its response document, DTI The Post Office Network, Government Response to Public Consultation May 2007 (www.dti.gov.uk/consultations/page36024.html) the Area Plan proposes future provision of Post Office® services through a network of 340 branches across the area, resulting in the closure of 67 existing branches.

Under the proposals more than 99 pct of the area’s population will either see no change to their nearest branch, or will remain within one mile (by road distance) of an alternative branch.

In addition to the 340 branches which are proposed to remain in the East Essex and Suffolk areas, Post Office Ltd is proposing to establish 16 outreach services, which would use innovative ways to continue to provide Post Office® services – particularly in smaller communities – where the existing branch is proposed for closure.

Possible types of outreach service in the East Essex and Suffolk areas could include a mobile service visiting small communities at set times, a hosted service operated within third party premises for restricted hours each week, or a partner service within the premises of a local partner (such as a pub landlord).

The Government has already undertaken a 12 week national consultation before reaching a decision to reduce the UK wide network of Post Office branches by up to 2,500 from its current level of over 14000 while continuing to provide funding (subject to state aid EU clearance) to support a more sustainable network in the future. The proposals now published support the national accessibility criteria introduced by the Government.
Under the area plan proposals 92.7 pct of the area’s population will see no change in their nearest branch. A further 6.5 pct live less than one mile by road distance from the nearest alternative branch, with 2.7 pct within half a mile.

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Lifestyle banking at your service

Posted by | Oct 9, 2007 | |

BankWest joins the growing list of banks and wealth management firms eager to retain customers and win new ones by providing finance-related services in a more relaxed setting, complete with a place to read, cafe and even a mini-shop to buy office stationery.

While lifestyle banking is not new, with some branches decked out like airport lounges complete with a Starbucks café, BankWest takes the promotional strategy a step further by introducing what it calls “retail-inspired” branches. For example, weekday closing hours will be extended to 5.30pm (other banks have done this) and branches will be open on weekends.

But in what it claims is an Australia first, the new BankWest “stores” will sell non-financial products such as books, wallets, address books, writing pads, business card-holders and key-rings.

And just like the children’s play areas common in retail stores, BankWest stores will also feature kids’ entertainment areas and play café-style music.

The bank’s strategy comes at a time when the lines are blurring between how a retail store and a traditional bank operates. In the UK, grocery chains such as Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s have started offering financial products such as credit cards and insurance. WestBank reverses that trend by selling non-financial products. The strategy has worked spectacularly with the likes of the Australian Post Office and Starbucks expanding into books and CDs.

“People will always need banks, but I’d expect that what a bank looks, feels and smells like will change fairly radically. The bank of the future is a combination of convenience and experience,” said trend forecaster Richard Watson of the Future Exploration Network. His comments also reflect the emergence of mobile banking, where people would rather do their banking transactions in the comforts of their own home rather than in an office.

However, the formula is not foolproof. Financial services group Superwoman is yet to gain traction despite opening a head office in the Sydney CBD that is decked out in funky furniture and had planners available after work hours or during lunchtime, supposedly ideal for the CBD’s female workers.

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World Post Day 2007: postal services a driver of economic development

Posted by | Oct 9, 2007 | |

Last 9th October it was the World Post Day, the Universal Postal Union is drawing attention to the importance of ensuring that all the world’s citizens have easy access to postal services.

Universal postal service, a catalogue of postal services to which citizens have access, is often considered from a political or social point of view. But the universal postal service must also be seen in terms of its economic benefits, as UPU Director General Edouard DAYAN stressed in his annual message to the organization’s member countries.

“The universal postal service contributes to a country’s economic efficiency, and providing it across borders to all businesses and all citizens helps to promote the integration of markets. In a highly competitive international environment, the universal postal service provides companies and individuals with ready access to domestic markets. It is also a key facilitator of trade between countries, or between regional economic blocs.”

DAYAN reminded member countries of the importance for citizens of being able to access postal services everywhere on a given territory. “If postal deliveries, or access to postal financial services, were to be restricted to the main urban centres, this would leave millions of people and businesses dangerously sidelined and unable to participate in the economic activity of their country,” he said.

Day after day, some five million employees process and deliver millions of letters and parcels. With more than 660,000 offices, the Post forms the single largest physical distribution network in the world.

Governments, regulatory authorities and public and private postal operators all work alongside the UPU to improve the efficiency of the universal postal service for everyone’s benefit. The worldwide distribution in July of more than 2.5 million copies of the latest Harry Potter book, the development of an international network giving access to affordable, reliable money transfers, or the reconstruction of postal installations in Liberia, a country which is getting back on its feet after 14 years of civil war, are all examples of how the postal sector contributes positively to the global economy.

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Sberbank Chief Removed, Sent to Post Office

Posted by | Oct 9, 2007 | |

President Vladimir Putin on Monday removed Andrei Kazmin as chief executive of Sberbank and appointed him to head the country’s loss-making postal service, which is set for an overhaul.

Kazmin’s departure from Sberbank — the latest in a string of personnel shake-ups since the appointment of Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov last month — had been widely predicted. German Gref, the liberal former economic development and trade minister who resigned last month, has been tipped as the favorite to take his place.

In a televised meeting, Putin agreed to a proposal by Zubkov to move Kazmin to Russian Post. The state company, which runs a giant network of offices, recorded a loss of USD 112 million last year and is ripe for an overhaul.

In making the proposal, Zubkov referred to Kazmin’s service as Sberbank chief executive since 1996 and said his achievements there were “not bad.”

Kazmin’s new area of responsibility will be “enormous,” Putin said, because Russian Post has 40,000 offices, twice as many as Sberbank runs.

Kazmin will replace Russian Post director Igor Syrtsov, who asked to step down, IT and Communications Minister Leonid Reiman said in an e-mailed statement late Monday.

In his new job, Kazmin could oversee a major revamp of Russian Post. In November, the Cabinet approved a five-year, 50 billion ruble (USD 2 billion) program to upgrade the company. The IT and Communications Ministry, the Economic Development and Trade Ministry and the Finance Ministry were due to submit an action plan by June 1.

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