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Consultation Starts on Changes to Post Office Network – East Midlands

Posted by | Oct 2, 2007 | |

Post Office Ltd today opened a six week local public consultation on its Area Plan for the East Midlands. 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 360 branches across the area, resulting in the closure of 77 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 360 branches which are proposed to remain in the East Midlands area, Post Office Ltd is proposing to establish 11 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 Midlands 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 detailed Area Plan proposal for the East Midlands area is now available. To obtain a copy visit www.postoffice.co.uk/networkchange or write to Post Office Ltd at Freepost Consultation (no stamp required), or email [email protected] Post Office Ltd is now seeking views on the proposed future service provision in the area, including in particular views on access to Post Office® services, the accessibility of alternative branches to those proposed for closure and the appropriate form of outreach service to be provided. Consultation is due to end on 12 November 2007.

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BT delegation in Algeria to give a boost to pending projects

Posted by | Oct 2, 2007 | |

Experts from British Telecom Group are to visit Algeria early in November after recurrent delays. While, a delegation of both money- transfers groups namely Travelex and Eurogiro.

British Telecom delegation agenda includes talks about partnership project and strategy agreement on technological assistance with Algerie Telecom and Energy and Mines Ministry officials. The talks are meant also to pave the way to settle a training academy of new technologies, as well as opening a BT representation in Algeria.

British Telecom experts are to expose, however, feasibility studies and presenting and audit of accounts of the new technological city of Sidi Abdallah.

In another context, a delegation representing both Travelex and Eurogiro groups, which are among the most important European money transfer companies, are to make a work visit to Algeria early in the upcoming November. Travelex has already proposed during its first visit to both Algerie Telecom and some state-owned banks to integrate in their networks as a first step to enter into the Algerian market.

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UK Post offices 'to be opened in pubs'

Posted by | Oct 2, 2007 | |

Temporary post office branches could be opened in pubs in order to meet government efficiency targets.

That is according to the Post Office’s first batch of local consultations on which branches should be closed under government plans.

They propose that roughly 15 per cent of post offices be closed in order to meet central government targets.

Announced last year by then trade and industry secretary Alistair Darling, the plans, designed to cut losses on the post office network, envisaged a fall in the number of local branches from just over 14,000 to almost 12,000 over an 18-month period.

Published today are the individual plans for post offices in Kent, the east Midlands and an area encompassing eastern Yorkshire, Bassetlaw and north Lincolnshire.

But the Post Office insists that 99 per cent of customers will see no change to their services, with nine in ten people remaining within one mile of a post office.

Under today’s consultation plans, Kent would lose 58 of its 363 post offices, the number of branches in the east Midlands will fall from 433 to 360 and 336 post offices would remain in eastern Yorkshire after 45 are closed.

The plan to open post offices in pubs is among a number of outreach proposals that also include the option of mobile branches.

“Taking the decision to close any post office branch is always very difficult and we know will cause concern to many of our customers,” commented Post Office managing director Alan Cook.

Mr Cook added: “We want to ensure that everyone who uses, relies on or has any concern with post office services is both fully aware of the changes we are proposing to meet government requirements, and able to give views on how accessible services will be in the future.”

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Post Offices launch governmental services in Saudi Arabia

Posted by | Oct 2, 2007 | |

Saudis and expatriates in Riyadh, Jeddah and the Eastern Province can now get driving licenses and vehicle registration (istimara) renewed through post offices, said Dr. Osama Altaf, vice president of Saudi Post Corporation.

“We are now introducing the service in Jeddah and the Eastern Province after its successful operation in Riyadh,” said Altaf. “We have completed preparations to accept applications for the renewal of driving licenses,” he added.

He said post offices in Jeddah started experimental operations on the new service early this week. “Dr. Muhammad Banten, president of the corporation, intends to provide a variety of government services through post offices,” he added.

“Our offices will remain open to receive applications of clients even after office hours,” Altaf said. “We are now providing training to our staff in the Eastern Province with the support of the Traffic Department to extend the service to a large number of people,” he added.

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Microsoft Technology Innovation Helps Bring Postal Industry Into the Electronic Age

Posted by | Oct 2, 2007 | |

How do you send physical mail to a business person whose most frequent address is at 37,000 feet? That may sound like a riddle, but to Earth Class Mail Corp., it’s a serious question.

This week at POST-EXPO 2007 — an international postal technology conference held in Barcelona, Spain — new and innovative offerings are being showcased that address this question. Earth Class Mail’s solution is a Web-based software system, developed on Microsoft .NET, that seeks to do for postal mail what cellular technology did for telephone calls: make it mobile by making it digital.

Earth Class Mail’s software is a compelling example of the kind of innovation Microsoft champions through a postal vertical industry team within its public-sector organization. Focused on meeting the needs of the worldwide postal industry, this team aims to apply Microsoft’s solutions, technologies and global partner network to help postal service providers and organizations gain new efficiencies and business opportunities in the Internet era.

To learn more, PressPass spoke with Maxim Lesur, Worldwide Postal Industry managing director at Microsoft. Ron Wiener, CEO of Seattle-based Earth Class Mail, joined in the discussion.

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Velocity Systems Adds St. Louis & Kansas City MO as Franchise Markets

Posted by | Oct 2, 2007 | |

Velocity Express Corporation, the nation’s largest provider of time definite regional delivery solutions, announced today that its subsidiary, Velocity Systems Franchising Corporation (VSFC), has signed an agreement with Delivery Logistics Inc. to become a Velocity Express franchisee in St. Louis and Kansas City, MO.

“By partnering with Jim Pepper and his company Delivery Logistics Inc, we can now provide branded Velocity Express services in St. Louis and Kansas City, thus creating a significant competitive advantage for our Company and providing our customers with new alternatives in two key Midwest markets. We are pleased to have Jim and his team at Delivery Logistics as a Velocity licensee,” stated Stuart Hyden, Senior Vice President of Franchising Operations.

Delivery Logistics President & CEO Jim Pepper commented: “The Velocity vision is clearly cutting edge and forward thinking with the engineering and introduction of franchise partnerships to time sensitive parcel and courier logistics. In my 25 years experience in the industry I have never been as excited to build a relationship as I am today with Velocity. When it comes to technology, efficiency, service and rate containment, it would certainly appear that Velocity has the market cornered.”

About Velocity Express

Velocity Express has one of the largest time definite nationwide delivery networks, providing a national footprint for customers desiring same day service throughout the United States. The Company’s services are supported by a customer-focused technology infrastructure, providing customers with the reliability and information they need to manage their transportation and logistics systems, including a proprietary package tracking system that enables customers to view the status of any package via a flexible web reporting system.

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Geodis buys Germany's Rohde & Liesenfeld for 77 mln euro

Posted by | Oct 2, 2007 | |

French transport group Geodis said it has acquired its main freight forwarding partner Rohde & Leisenfeld of Germany for 77 mln eur, giving it an enterprise value of 90 mln.

R&L, which is expected to achieve 2007 net revenue of 270 mln eur, operates mainly in Germany (34 pct of revenue), Latin America (17 pct), South Africa (16 pct) and Australia/New Zealand (14 pct). It has 710 employees.

The acquisition of R&L will broaden the geographic reach of the Geodis Wilson network, which will gain a significant position in Germany, thereby making Geodis Wilson a major player in German freight forwarding, Geodis said.

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Postal Service Manager Featured in “Women worth Watching”

Posted by | Oct 1, 2007 | |

Pritha Mehra, the Postal Service’s manager of marketing technology and channel management, has been recognized nationally by the Profiles in Diversity Journal special issue celebrating the achievements of leading women executives.

“Women Worth Watching” are nominated by colleagues, peers and mentors for showing outstanding initiative and professional achievements. The special issue, to be published this month, focuses on executive’s contributions in helping an organization achieve company-wide goals and her ability to mentor other women toward success.

Mehra’s current project is focused on leveraging technology, including the Postal Service’s Intelligent Mail barcodes, to make sure mail remains a key communications medium in the digital age.

As manager of marketing technology and channel management, Mehra provides leadership significantly improved how business mail is handled, with work focusing on new technologies that increase customer convenience.

She was integral in expanding PotalOne!, an “e-Documentation system” that allows business mailers to submit postage statements electronically and gain online access to postal accounts 24 hours a day, seven days a week. PostalOne! streamlines acceptance and verification of mail, and allows automatic postage payment, mail entry scheduling and status reports on mail.

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