Tag: Mail Services

US Postal Service extends IT services contract with Nortel Government Solutions

Posted by | Mar 20, 2008 | |

Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stop the U.S. Postal Service. To help keep it that way, the agency has awarded a one-year, estimated USD 6 million IT services contract extension to Nortel Government Solutions.

This extension for services to support the PostalOne! automated mail handling system follows a one-year, USD 9.6 million extension in 2006. Nortel Government Solutions is a U.S. company wholly owned by Nortel.

The PostalOne! system helps integrate and optimize business mail handling, which is a nearly USD 40 billion annual business for USPS. It also provides financial management data, as well as online access to tracking and status information for both USPS and its business customers.

“We’re continuing to work with the Postal Service not only to keep PostalOne! running efficiently, but also to provide new applications and enhancements designed to help raise the level of customer service,” said Chuck Saffell, chief executive officer, Nortel Government Solutions.

Nortel Government Solutions provides software design, secure data management and integration of the PostalOne! system with legacy USPS systems and third-party applications. This includes development and enhancement of mail processing support applications to handle an estimated two million new addresses each year.

Nortel Government Solutions has provided systems and application development, engineering and network administration services for USPS since 1993.

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New parcel services meet booming online demand in New Zealand

Posted by | Mar 20, 2008 | |

Significant growth in parcels due to online trading has sparked new parcel services says New Zealand Post.

Parcels marketing manager Mike Stewart said New Zealand Post’s research found that online traders had particular needs from a parcel service.

These requirements have been incorporated into the new ParcelPostTM range, which starts on 28 March, he said.

“We found there was a real gap in the market for an economic alternative to couriers,” said Mr Stewart.

“E-traders want to know their parcels have been delivered, but they don’t necessarily want to pay a fortune for overnight delivery.

“We’re introducing a tracked parcel service that gives e-traders proof of delivery – but at a cheaper price than courier alternatives.”

A tracked parcel has a barcode on it that’s scanned at various points along its journey. Progress is updated online so that senders will know the time and date when their parcel has been delivered to the door.

The new ParcelPostTM Tracked service takes between 1 and 3 days for delivery with prices starting from $4.00.

Mr Stewart says that easy pricing is another high priority for online traders.
“The ParcelPostTM range has a simple nationwide pricing structure and the pre-paid bags have the pricing printed on them. You know exactly what you’ll pay – and there are no extra charges.”

Mr Stewart said online buyers would also benefit from Post’s new PO Box Priority parcel service, which is delivered overnight for a Standard Post price.

“We’re seen growth in the under 3kg parcels in particular – mainly using FastPost because customers are looking for next-day delivery,” he said.

“The PO Box Priority service also allows you to receive items without revealing your home address, which can be a concern when you’re buying from strangers online.”

Trade Me’s head of commercial Mike O’Donnell said that they were pleased to see the development of new postage solutions for online traders.

“Sending an item to a buyer is often the most time consuming part of an online trade. If the new ParcelPostTM range helps make this easier and more cost efficient for our members, then it has to be a good thing.”

New Zealand’s largest online bookstore, Fishpond, says the new ParcelPostTM Tracked product is exciting for their business.

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Postal Service to remove stamp machines across the country

Posted by | Mar 19, 2008 | |

If you’re wondering what happened to those vending machines that spit out postage stamps at the post office, they’ve been returned to sender.

The U.S. Postal Service has permanently removed the machines from post offices all across the country, including those in the Charleston area.

Customers wanting to avoid standing in line for stamps at the counter could simply feed coins or dollar bills into a machine to buy postage.

Despite their convenience, the postal service did away with them for several reasons, said David Walton, a spokesman for the West Virginia district.

“The machines are obsolete,” Walton said. “They don’t make parts for them anymore, so when they break down, it’s difficult to repair them.”

The stamp machines, which first appeared in the 1970s, broke down quite often, he said.

They also accepted only cash and coins, a problem for many folks who prefer using a debit or credit card for transactions.

Walton said it wouldn’t have been economically feasible to upgrade the machines to allow card use.

Vending machine stamp sales have also declined in recent years, as customers tend to purchase their stamps by other means, Walton added.

Some machines throughout the country averaged only two or three customers a month, he said.

“Overall, they were not generating much business,” Walton said. “There are so many other ways to buy stamps today, and more people are now paying their bills online, using e-mail, phone and fax.”

Stamps are still widely available at some ATM machines, retail stores and online at www.usps.com. Customers can even have their postal carriers drop off stamps at their doors.

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Express gifts for Easter delivery

Posted by | Mar 19, 2008 | |

The U.S. Postal Service is ready to help family and friends separated by distance this Easter season. Gifts can be sent as late as Saturday, March 22, for delivery on Easter Sunday by the Postal Service, the only shipping service that delivers on Sundays. Express Mail, the Postal Service’s premier package service, provides overnight delivery to most destinations nationwide at prices lower than other carriers provide and includes a money-back guarantee, tracking, proof of delivery, and insurance, all at no additional cost.

Unlike the expedited services offered by other companies, Express Mail has no hidden surcharges. Other commercial carriers have increased their rates for 2008 and have surcharges for residential delivery and fuel costs that are often higher than the base price of shipping. Express Mail has just one fixed price to most destinations in the United States.

Customers can even send Express Mail without leaving their homes. By visiting usps.com, customers can print shipping labels and postage for Express Mail and schedule a postal carrier to pick packages up through Carrier Pickup or Pickup on Demand services. Customers can also use usps.com to look up ZIP Codes and find nearby USPS Express Mail collection boxes or Post Offices.

USPS Express Mail includes, at no additional cost, insurance up to USD 100 against loss or damage, proof of delivery, tracking information, and free ecologically friendly packaging.

The Postal Service also offers another value, Priority Mail, with nationwide delivery in two or three days. Customers may choose any of three different flat-rate Priority Mail boxes that will hold a variety of candy and possibly a stuffed bunny.

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Medical tourists need to mind the gap

Posted by | Mar 19, 2008 | |

Post Office® reveals 36 per cent of ‘medical tourists’ fail to check their travel insurance

The ‘health tourism’ industry is increasing at a rate of around 30 per cent per year with over 70,000 people travelling overseas for cosmetic surgery or elective medical treatments last year.

However, new figures released today by Post Office® Travel Services show that over 25,000 of these people are unwittingly putting themselves at risk by failing to buy the correct level of travel insurance cover.

The research reveals that over a third (36 per cent) of those who had travelled abroad for cosmetic or elective surgery failed to check if their insurance policy covered them for claims that could arise from their treatment, including additional periods of hospitalisation resulting from the procedure and replacement flights if their trip was extended. One in five of these people admitted it simply didn’t cross their minds to check the policy while a worrying 16 per cent just assumed they would be covered.
The findings highlight the growing trend of people looking for lower cost treatments abroad. India is currently the top destination for cosmetic and medical surgery, closely followed by Hungary, Turkey, Malaysia and Spain. And with breast implants, cosmetic dentistry, heart surgery and hip replacements costing between 20 and 50 per cent less than private treatment in the UK, it is inevitable that more and more people are prepared to travel the distance for treatment.

A further one in ten people (9 per cent) checked their policy and realised they were not covered yet still chose not to buy additional cover. And women are more bothered by the fact they are not covered than men, as a quarter of female travellers checked their policies and proceeded to get extra cover compared to just 9 per cent of the males.

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