Postcomm issues a long term licence to Racer
Postcomm today (26 May 2005) issued a long term licence to Racer Consultancy Management Services Ltd, to provide bulk mail, consolidation and tracked business-to-business services.
Read MoreTag: Europe
Swedish Posten using RFID
The Swedish postal service Posten is using embedded radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in parcels to cut down on internal theft. Posten, which has its headquarters in Stockholm, is testing the technology on high-value and confidential items such as mobile phones, computer equipment and government documents, as a way of detecting whether they have been tampered with. Specially-designed cardboard packaging from Swedish technology firm Cypak contains a microscopic chip and embedded RFID circuits that can store information about the package’s origin, contents and journey. Posten uses RFID readers to enter data into the SecurePak parcel before dispatch, and then reads the data when the package has arrived at its destination to check for any suspicious activity.
Read MoreIrish An Post branded the ‘worst in Europe’ by report
A damning indictment of An Post is revealed in a major new report which warns of the “graveyard decline” of the company if it fails to follow a new vision for its future. The report brands An Post’s company management style as “obsolete” and confrontational and warns that its current pricing policy could create an irreversible spiral of decline in mail volumes and revenue.
The report, ‘An Post – A New Vision’, which was commissioned by the company’s group of unions, says An Post had presided over a continuing decline in mail volumes at a time when there was ample evidence that postal services in other EU countries were enjoying strong growth. And it added An Post’s service was amongst the worst quality in Europe. Calling for changes in work practices, the report also hits out at An Post’s “conflict evoking” management style, which it says belonged to another era.
Shadow Trade & Industry Secretary Willetts says UK Royal Mail sell-off will not deliver
The Conservatives have signalled their opposition to the partial privatisation of the Royal Mail, increasing the political difficulty for the government of accepting the plan favoured by the group’s management. Speaking to the Financial Times, David Willetts, the new shadow trade and industry secretary, said he was “sceptical” about the proposal to transfer a majority stake in the state-owned postal operator to its staff. He warned that the Royal Mail could end up being neither politically nor commercially accountable, in a “sort of limbo, where there’s nobody putting them under pressure to perform”. Ministers are still considering whether to cede to pressure for the scheme from the postal operator. Any such change would require approval by MPs – Tory opposition, allied to a likely Labour rebellion, could make such a vote hard for the government to win.
Read MoreTarget on road to £250m float
Directors at Warrington parcel firm Target Express are mulling a possible flotation of the business in a move that could value it up to £250m.
It is understood the firm’s venture capital investor 3i, which backed a management buyout in 2000, is now keen to exit the firm.
Target Express has appointed advisers Hawkpoint to look at its future and a possible sale is also believed to be high on the list of options.
Sources close to Target Express, confirmed that 3i, which owns 70 per cent of the business, is looking for an exit.
In a statement, chairman David Hoare said: “We are profitable and very cash generative so there is no need to do anything from a funding standpoint. But we always look at ways to increase our business and we will look at the whole range of options.”
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