Air challenges persist in Russia and CIS markets
Air challenges persist in Russia and CIS markets
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Gilat’s Spacenet subsidiary teams with Verizon Business to provide custom satellite communications network for U.S. Postal Service
Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Spacenet Inc., is working with Verizon Business to deploy a custom satellite network for the U.S. Postal Service. The satellite network will provide high performance broadband communications for over 5,000 Postal Service sites in the continental United States, Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico. In addition, the satellite network will support on-demand back-up communications for a number of larger USPS facilities, as well as portable communications for the US Postal Inspection Service fleet of more than 20 incident response vehicles.
For the USPS custom satellite network, Spacenet is providing a fully managed satellite communications service based on the Gilat SkyEdgeTM VSAT platform and utilizing a combination of individual SkyEdge satellite modems and the router integrated Cisco VSAT Network Module. These technologies offer high performance broadband service for converged communications including simultaneous support for carrier class voice, two-way video, and broadband data.
The USPS satellite network will support a wide range of applications including an innovative video relay service (VRS) for deaf and hard-of-hearing postal employees, multicast content delivery, real-time video broadcasting, VoIP based digital telephone services, as well as routine data transport and point-of-sale transactions. Installation is already substantially under way with all sites expected to be operational by later this fall.
In addition, the network will support the Postal Service demands for continuity of operations by pre-positioning emergency portable VSAT kits in strategically selected locations. These kits provide for rapid deployment to Postal Service facilities should they lose terrestrial voice and data service in the event of a natural or manmade disaster.
Read MorePrintSoft Launches DeskDirect Global Service at Post Expo 2007 for Worldwide e-Posting and Local Print and Delivery of Mail
PrintSoft, a business of Australia Post and established leader in hybrid mail technology and personalized mail solutions, today launches a new service, DeskDirect Global, to provide e-delivery of mail worldwide. The service operates using a central backbone of high-speed servers that collect and aggregate mail from mail originators anywhere in the world and route it to certified mail fulfillment centers as close as possible to the mail’s delivery destination. The result is printed mail that gets to recipients faster, is easier and cheaper to send, and is truly “green,” with an enormously reduced carbon footprint for printed and delivered mail.
PrintSoft is unveiling DeskDirect Global to the postal market and is showcasing its other innovative postal solutions at the International Postal Technology Exhibition – Post Expo 2007 in Barcelona, Spain.
DeskDirect Global offers easy access and new business opportunities to mail originators, mail fulfillment centers and postal administrations in a truly revolutionary business model. The service is backed by the experience of Australia Post and established PrintSoft technology for hybrid mail management. PrintSoft will continue to offer hybrid mail technology solutions, including award-winning PrintSoft DeskDirect, for direct sale and implementation, expanding its leading position in this market. Mail originators, mail fulfillment and delivery providers, and postal administrations now can choose the PrintSoft hybrid mail software solution or service that best meets their needs.
DeskDirect, PrintSoft’s award-winning hybrid mail solution originally introduced in October 2005, has been implemented by postal administrations in multiple countries, and has proven its worth with a return on investment of over 50 pct for ad hoc document production at the majority of installations. Australia Post and its eLetter Solutions mail house, for example, experience millions of dollars in new revenue while providing additional savings to customers in the production and delivery of desktop mail.
Read MoreGerman Study Looks at Adjacent Postal Markets – 1,500 Companies with a Market Volume of EUR 16.5bn
The Federal Network Agency in 2007 commissioned a research project on the markets for upstream and downstream postal services. It has published the findings today. MICUS Management Consulting GmbH analysed the markets for direct mail, transaction printing, address management, mailroom outsourcing, response processing and document storage, collecting data on market volumes, provider structure, pricing and the intensity of competition. The study also looked at the linkage between the areas analysed. The study found there to be around 500 medium-sized and large companies (more than 10 members of staff) and 800 to 1,000 small companies operating in adjacent postal markets, generating a volume of around €16.5bn. Almost three quarters of this volume is accounted for by direct mail services. Currently, a trend towards outsourcing mailrooms can be observed amongst the customers, while providers are seen to be expanding the value chain to increase their margins and strengthen customer loyalty. To date, there has been little analysis of the markets for upstream and downstream postal services. The MICUS study is one of the first to explore these areas. It was occasioned by the Agency’s desire to gather information on the potential for leveraging market power into adjacent areas, so that it could recognise and assess the potential for abuse.
Study (in German)
Read MoreExpress Europe adds Nordic partners
Net Express Europe (NEE), an alliance of independent parcel carriers, has added new partners to cover the Nordic region.
Nordic Express, based in Malmö, has been appointed the organisation’s agent for Sweden, Norway and Finland. NEE described the company as one of Sweden’s fastest-growing transport companies.
Denmark is now covered by 1Step, a Copenhagen-based parcels carrier with operating centres across the country.
Read MoreDatascanning takes over Vester Kopi's scanning contracts
With effect from 1 October 2007, Vester Kopi a/s has sold its scanning contracts to Data Scanning A/S, which is a fully-owned subsidiary of Post Danmark. As at the same date, Data Scanning takes over all relevant personnel and equipment.
The agreement means that, in future, all Vester Kopi’s scanning jobs will be performed by Data Scanning.
CEO William Schulin-Zeuthen, Vester Kopi: “In Vester Kopi we have made the strategic decision to concentrate on the original basis of our business, which is all types of graphical production and digital document handling – the areas in which we have our core competencies. We have chosen Data Scanning as our strategic partner because they have expertise that supplements our business excellently.”
The agreement gives Vester Kopi’s customers access to central scanning with capture of data of their own choice. This is possible because of flexible services aimed at both small and large enterprises.
CEO Niels Frost Larsen, Data Scanning: “The combination of the two companies’ competencies enables us to provide a broader range of products while at the same time strengthening the quality and security of our services. We can offer tailored solutions to Vester Kopi’s customers, which mean that they do not have to buy scanning equipment and software or to build up their own competence in this area.
Future scanning jobs will be performed at Data Scanning’s three large scanning centers in Copenhagen, Fredericia and Aarhus. Data Scanning has 140 employees, all of whom work exclusively with data capture and the digitalization of documents.
Read MoreParents pick USA as ‘most wanted’ destination in holiday half term report
The USA is now the ‘most sought after’ half term holiday destination for families, according to a new survey by the Post Office, in which long haul locations – America, the Caribbean and Australia – took three of the top four places¹.
Parents of schoolchildren aged between 5-18 years were asked where they would most like to visit with their children for one week over half term, if money were no object. The United States proved clear favorite with 42 per cent of the total vote.²
Its strong performance was boosted by the popularity of long-time family favorite Florida, which accounted for 61 per cent of the American vote and a staggering 26 per cent of the overall total – despite a flight time in excess of seven hours. Understandably the allure of Orlando’s Disneyworld had a marked impact on the Florida vote.
Indeed, the strength of sterling against the US dollar saw Post Office sales of the currency increase by over 13 per cent when compared with summer 2006.
Altogether long haul destinations took five of the top ten places – with the Caribbean in third place, Australia at number four, New Zealand at seven and Canada at ten – despite the long flight times involved. One week in Australia, for example, would involve a cool 24 hours in the air each way and yet it is one of the most desirable family destinations for a week-long family break.
Long haul destinations accounted for 57 per cent of the 60 destinations named by respondents to the Post Office survey. Among the more adventurous choices by parents were Alaska, Botswana, Chile, China, Fiji, Macchu Pichu in Peru and San Diego.
Leaving aspirations aside, the Post Office holiday survey, conducted by YouGov, revealed that traditional favorites Spain and France still head the list of half term breaks actually booked by families. The USA is in third place indicating that the gap between reality and aspiration may be closing.
Read MoreUS ecommerce sales see a 6% spike in Q2
There were no major holidays and it was a bit early to be planning for a summer vacation. Still, Q2 was a good quarter for e-tailers and merchant websites in the US. According to a recent report from the US Census Bureau, ecommerce sales saw a 6% spike over Q1.
Year over year (YoY) that is an increase in sales of just over 20%. Ecommerce sales reached USD 33.6 million while total retail sales reached more than USD 1.01 billion. Ecommerce sales accounted for 3.3% of total retail sales for the quarter.
According to a recent study from Tealeaf Technologies, 42% of consumers who have problems completing a transaction online have abandoned that site in favor of a competitor site. What is more shocking, though, is that more than 80% of those studied said, they have had transaction problems on a website.
With sales continuing to increase, merchants need to be more vigilant than ever about the software and information on their websites. Product details, pricing and customer service will cause consumers to change merchants sites but having good cart technology, making it simple to contact the company and ensuring prices are marked correctly will keep them coming back for more good deals.
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