Connecting with Your Community
Connecting with Your Community by Michael Furey, District Manager Northern Virginia District and Kathy Hinton, National Sales Manager, Corporate Business Solutions
Read MoreTag: USA
Ulrich Gygi wins the Industry Leadership Award at the 2008 World Mail Awards
Dr. Ulrich Gygi, CEO of Swiss Post, was honored with the Industry Leadership Award at the 2008 World Mail Awards in Budapest. The award, which is sponsored by Pitney Bowes, was presented to Dr. Gygi by Patrick Keddy, President Pitney Bowes International.
CEO of Pitney Bowes, Murray Martin said: “We’ve been involved in the World Mail Awards since its inception and are very pleased to sponsor the Industry Leadership Award. This award recognizes individuals who have contributed to the success of our industry and helped shape the future of global postal systems.”
The Judging Panel said it recognized Dr. Gygi for his leadership and steady transformation of Swiss Post into a more efficient and cost-effective entity. “In addition to domestic operational and financial success, Dr. Gygi has also demonstrated creativity and initiative by forming strategic partnerships in international markets,” said David Treworgy, the non-voting chair of the judging panel.
The winner was selected through an independent Judging Panel consisting of seven distinguished individuals in the postal and mail industry:
Jean-Paul Bailly, CEO of La Poste and 2007 award winner
Helge Israelsen, CEO of Post Danmark and a previous award winner
Graeme John, Managing Director of Australia Post and a previous award winner
John E Potter, Postmaster General and CEO if the United States Postal Service, and a previous award winner
William Tan, former CEO of Singapore Post
Elmar Toime, former CEO of New Zealand Post and a previous award winner
Dr. Klaus Zumwinkel, former Chairman of Deutsche Post World Net and a previous award winner
Pitney Bowes will also make a charitable donation or provide funding for an educational initiative of Dr. Gygi’s designation
Read MoreSiemens wins USD 245 million order from USPS for 550 Mail Sorting Systems
Siemens announced today that it has been awarded a USD 245 million contract from the United States Postal Service (USPS) for 550 Advanced Facer Canceller Systems (AFCS) 200 to replace and modernize its existing fleet of AFCS. The AFCS currently being used has been in service for almost 20 years and is used by the Postal Service (TM) to cancel First-Class mail.
In addition to the design, build and installation of the replacement machines, the contract includes the delivery of ancillary equipment, spare parts, training and complete integrated logistics support services. Siemens and USPS engineers worked together to develop a system that integrated all the technical requirements of the USPS with the state-of-the-art developments in mail processing technology.
The AFCS 200 will use the Siemens Advanced Color Reader (ACR) to detect and lift the address and other mail piece information for automatic reading. The ACR’s greater capabilities will not only enable greater reading performance but also streamline the overall system design.
This will be the first system in the USPS fleet to use Siemens’ channel gate technology. The channel gate improves on traditional diverters by actually modifying the path of the letter through the machine rather than deflecting it in a particular direction. The new technology greatly increases the throughput of the machine and will be a major contributor to the cost savings the USPS anticipates in the deployment of the AFCS 200.
Production and installation of the AFCS 200 order is expected to be completed by March, 2011.
Read MoreU.S. Postmaster General Embraces Change
Postmaster General John Potter told more than 3,000 people attending the National Postal Forum to look beyond the current economic downturn and continue to transition mail into the 21st Century.
Potter provided the Forum’s keynote address, discussing technology, environmental concerns and changes in federal law that gave the Postal Service greater pricing flexibility. The National Postal Forum is the mailing industry’s premiere trade show and event.
Consumer and business need for speedy and reliable service is growing. For mail to continue to be relevant, the industry must change to continue to provide business solutions.
Potter spoke about new technologies that are providing these solutions — Intelligent Mail Barcode and the Flat Sequencing System (FSS). FSS is new technology that will speed the sorting and delivery of large envelopes, catalogs and magazines, quadrupling productivity. FSS machines also will be able to read the Intelligent Mail Barcode, allowing mailers and the Postal Service to track mail throughout the sortation process, improving service and reducing costs to mailers and consumers.
He also encouraged mailers to respect consumer interest and concerns about the environment when creating and sending mail. Eco-friendly practices, programs and services are key to the future of the industry as more consumers chose to do business with companies that embrace green practices.
That future also includes dramatic changes created by the Postal Law of 2006. The law enables the Postal Service to more effectively compete in the shipping market, providing unprecedented pricing flexibility for package services.
Read MoreBorderlinx announces agreement with Citibank Singapore and DHL Express
eCommerce business Borderlinx has signed an exclusive five year agreement with Citibank Singapore Ltd to enable Citibank customers in Singapore access the U.S. eTail market. In addition, Borderlinx has signed a five year contract with DHL Express.
Citibank and Borderlinx’s agreement gives shoppers in Singapore the opportunity to access the very best range of products from U.S. eTailers, and take advantage of lower prices. This service – ‘GlobeShopper’ – provides Singaporeans the convenience and flexibility to shop on US websites that do not either ship to locations outside of the US, or accept foreign-issued credit cards. GlobeShopper includes a free concierge service and the opportunity to consolidate shipments – giving Citibank customers further cost savings.
Borderlinx has a range of solutions that eTailers can take advantage of. These can either be integrated directly into their transactional platforms, or can operate as a stand alone system used directly by the consumer without impacting the eTailer’s existing systems, processes or manpower. Borderlinx’s service enables an eTailer’s products to be immediately available to the international marketplace. Consumers using the service can order from multiple eTailers, and consolidate and store their purchases at a single point prior to shipping, thereby reducing unit shipping costs.
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