Tag: Domestic

At its meeting on 29 October 2007, the Board of Directors of Swiss Post appointed Markus Zenhäusern as Head of Finance and as a member of Executive Management effective 1 June 2008. He replaces Hans-Peter Strodel, who will retire on that date.

In appointing Markus Zenhäusern, 45, the Board of Directors has selected a distinguished financial specialist with a broad range of experience in controlling, international finance and accounting, as well as in transfer price systems and the integration of companies in the context of mergers and acquisitions. After graduating from the University of St. Gallen with a degree in business administration, Markus Zenhäusern took a PhD at the University of Fribourg.

Hans-Peter Strodel left the private sector in 1995 to join what was then Switzerland’s PTT administration as Director of Finance and Controlling and was appointed Swiss Post’s Head of Finance in 1996. In this capacity he served as a member of the Executive Management from 1 January 1998 onward. As Head of Finance, he was responsible for the establishment of modern accounting and management information systems as well as insurance and risk management as the basis for the new Group financial management. The strategic reorientation of Swiss Post’s real estate operations formed a further focal point of his work.

During this period, Swiss Post Group saw its sales grow from CHF 5.6 billion to nearly CHF 9 billion, while Group profit increased from CHF 239 to more than CHF 800 million and Swiss Post’s scope of consolidation expanded from just over a dozen to nearly 100 companies in 19 countries.

Swiss Post is issuing the world’s first stamp with an integrated BeeTagg, combining a conventional stamp with ultra-modern technology. Swiss Post’s partner in this first tagging venture is Schweiz Tourismus, which is using the stamp and integrated BeeTagg as part of its winter advertising campaign. The mobile tagging solutions have been developed by Swiss Post subsidiary yellowworld AG.

Some time ago, a new application was developed for the mobile phone, increasing its versatility even further. The new technology is called mobile tagging and is available regardless of which service provider the user has chosen. It enables the user to establish a connection to a predefined and mobile-friendly web page via their mobile phone. The BeeTagg is a two-dimensional code that looks like a honeycomb and functions in a similar way to a bar code. The user simply installs the free BeeTagg reader, then scans the tag incorporated into the Swiss Post stamp with the camera on their mobile phone. The reader recognizes the tag and connects the phone to a predefined web page.

Similar codes have long been used in Japan, but what distinguishes the BeeTagg from these is the fact that it was developed and optimized specifically for mobile tagging. The BeeTagg does not look like a conventional technical barcode. It can incorporate logos, pictures and text. As even tiny BeeTaggs can still be read, they are particularly suitable for products with densely packed information, for example stamps, newspapers or packaging.

Mobile tagging has enormous potential and opens up new methods of marketing and communication. By incorporating BeeTaggs into adverts or billboards, companies can enter into contact with potential customers and direct them to their websites.