Tag: North America

Postal Service Governors decide future pricing to follow new regulations (US)

Posted by | Nov 15, 2007 | |

The Postal Service Governors announced today future prices will be adjusted using new regulations issued by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) on Oct. 29. Consistent with the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006, future price increases will be capped at the rate of inflation for mailing services.*

The Governors had the option of filing one last rate case under the regulations used since 1971 but voted to proceed with the new pricing regulations.

“We thank the Postal Regulatory Commission for completing the new rules eight months ahead of the statutory deadline,” said Postmaster General John E. Potter. “This delivers one of the main goals of the new law for business mailers—a predictable price schedule.”

The new pricing regulations give the Postal Service added flexibility for shipping services.** “We intend to use this new flexibility to grow our competitive business,” said Potter, “offering volume discounts and contract pricing.”

“There are still many details to be worked out, but we look forward to partnering with the PRC and our customers to maximize the advantages of the new pricing rules,” Potter said.

*Mailing services include First-Class Mail, Standard Mail and Periodicals.
**Shipping services include bulk parcels and expedited package services such as Priority Mail and Express Mail.

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Pitney Bowes (US) to Cut 1,500 Jobs

Posted by | Nov 15, 2007 | |

The Stamford-based mail and document-managing company announced it will take a charge of between USD 300 million and USD 400 million to write off inventory and leases of equipment that is discontinued. And it will cut 1,500 jobs, about 4 percent of its work force, as it outsources manufacturing work and streamlines management.

Pitney Bowes, which began its shift to digital mailing technology in 2002, is reacting as much to changes in the U.S. Postal Service on which its business relies as to technological advances such as Internet mail tracking, Web-based postage sales and computer networks.

Shares of Pitney Bowes rose 16 cents to USD 38 Thursday.

The company also announced that it expects results between a loss of 17 cents and a profit of 4 cents per share for the fourth quarter and a profit of USD 1.76 to USD 1.97 for the year. In October, Pitney Bowes forecast net income of 66 cents to 70 cents per share.

Excluding extraordinary items, the company said it still expects to earn 67 cents to 71 cents per share for the fourth quarter. Analysts expected a profit of 69 cents a share, according to a survey by Thomson Financial.

Martin, without being specific, also said Pitney Bowes will consider alternatives to its U.S. management services business. The business, which brings in about USD 1 billion in annual revenue and employs 12,000 workers, provides mailroom and copy center services to large corporations, federal agencies and law firms.

Analyst Shannon Cross of Cross Research said she expected some action by Pitney Bowes following disappointing third-quarter earnings last month. The company’s USD 127.6 million in profits was down about 16.5 percent, from USD 148.6 million in the same quarter last year. Per-share earnings sunk to 58 cents, from 67 cents in the third quarter of 2006.

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Canada Post Seeks to Help Canadian Businesses Garner More Value for Their Mail at 'Make a Great Statement' Executive Forum

Posted by | Nov 15, 2007 | |

In Canada and the U.S., more than 19 billion paper bills are mailed out by businesses every year. And what many businesses are now realizing is that those 19 billion statements they’ve been mailing out to their customers every month actually present an overlooked wealth of opportunities to build loyal relationships with their customers, and gain an advantage over their competitors so that they can attract new customers.

Speaking to Senior Marketing executives at the Make a Great Statement Executive Forum in Toronto, Cheryl Persad, vice-president of Enterprise Sales at Canada Post said, “85 per cent of Canadians say they prefer to receive bills and invoices by physical mail, and 72 per cent of Canadians feel that mail is the best way to receive important information. And for communicators, mail not only reaches 100 per cent of Canadian households, but 86% of Canadians open and read their mail the same day they receive it.”
Businesses are discovering that statements can be an effective part of their organization’s integrated communications plan… statements are a regularly-scheduled, one-on-one meeting they can have with their customers every month. Each statement can be a personalized, relevant, customized marketing tool that companies can use to retain customers, increase customer satisfaction and even increase revenues, through cross-selling and up-selling opportunities.

To help identify what makes a Great Statement, Canada Post commissioned a study to look at more than a hundred statement designs. The study asked six firms that specialize in statement design to come up with a comprehensive list of best practices and characteristics of what they thought made a well-designed statement. The six firms identified 76 key features, which can be clustered into three broad themes: relationship builders, brand enhancers and cost-savers.

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U.S. domestic mailing and shipping prices return for two Pacific Island nations

Posted by | Nov 14, 2007 | |

Businesses and consumers will soon be able to ship to the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) at U.S. domestic prices.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will reinstate ZIP Codes and domestic-rate services for nearly 170,000 people in these two Pacific Island nations effective Nov. 19, 2007.

“This change will expand the Asia-Pacific market for U.S. mailers and shippers,” said USPS Global Business Managing Director and Senior Vice President Paul Vogel. “At the same time, it will help these two island nations grow their economies.”

As former Trust Territories of the United States, the FSM and RMI were served by USPS with domestic prices and mailing standards through Jan. 8, 2006. International rates were being phased in, as the two nations took steps to become more self-sufficient. However, technological and other challenges have presented obstacles for the countries — which together encompass more than 630 small islands across 1 million square miles in the Pacific.

“The two governments will continue to pursue long-term solutions,” said Vogel. “In the meantime we are returning domestic prices and services to help keep their residents and businesses connected to the wider global economy.”

Vogel noted that developing trade and tourism is a top priority for the region, particularly in aquaculture and agriculture. “The FSM and RMI have excellent opportunities to pursue,” Vogel said. “Offering dependable and affordable USPS mailing and shipping services will help them develop their economies.”

The FSM and RMI are located just above the equator, extending some 4,500 miles southwest from Hawaii.

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SteelCloud 'Delivers' for the U.S. Postal Service

Posted by | Nov 13, 2007 | |

SteelCloud, Inc., a manufacturer of embedded integrated computing systems, announced today it successfully completed the October 2007 delivery of more than 1,600 ruggedized systems as part of its approximately USD 8 million contract with the United States Postal Service. The U.S. Postal Service Flats Recognition Improvement Program (FRIP) required SteelCloud to design, manufacture and ship embedded integrated computing systems that incorporate upgraded processing capability as well as active cooling and filtration techniques into the chassis in order to cope with significant industrial environment intrusion such as mail nap, paper dust and heat. In addition, the SteelCloud specialized servers were designed to withstand shock and vibration normally found in industrial automation applications.

“This was a significant accomplishment of our Engineering and Manufacturing Teams over a very short period of time. The recent delivery of our very reliable ruggedized systems is the latest chapter in our ongoing commitment to the U.S. Postal Service. Over the last several years SteelCloud has delivered over 25,000 purpose-built ruggedized servers in support of multiple postal automation applications within the United States Postal Service,” said Robert Frick, SteelCloud president and CEO. “Successful execution of this challenging project is a testament to our ISO certified Quality Management System and our program lifecycle management process which distinguishes SteelCloud from its competitors.”

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