Tag: USA

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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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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GrayHair Software Selects Raymond Chin to Lead Product and Development Initiatives

Posted by | Nov 13, 2007 | |

GrayHair Software announced today the addition of Raymond Chin as Vice President, Product Development and Management. Mr. Chin is a globally recognized innovator and expert in software development for postal and USPS-related applications, specifically address-related CASS implementation.

Mr. Chin was Director of Product Management for Group1’s Coding Solutions, including CODE-1 Plus, Finalist, Universal Coder, Canadian CODE-1 Plus and AddressNow. Chin is a graduate of Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD, with an advanced degree from George Washington University, Washington, D.C. Raymond and his family currently make their home in Southern Maryland.

Chin added, ” … joining the GrayHair Software team provides an excellent opportunity to capitalize on emerging needs of leading companies to fully use Intelligent Mail Barcodes in conjunction with best practice address validation and correction. In today’s world, mail tracking is critically important; our vision at GrayHair is tracking mail with unparalleled address accuracy, providing companies a streamlined business method for enhanced mail processing. Mailers know the impact this has on Customer-Managed Relationship (CMR) initiatives, and ultimately, ROI for their mail and postage investment.”

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USPS rolls out discounts

Posted by | Nov 13, 2007 | |

With express shipment rate discounts running deep, there’s another competitor tapping the stream – the U.S. Postal Service.

Under new postal regulations released Oct. 29, the USPS will be able for the first time to discount rates for high volume shippers and negotiate special contract terms.

The final rules, released by the Postal Regulatory Commission Oct. 29, also treat Priority Mail and Express Mail as “competitive” products, which means they are exempt from price caps placed on “market dominant” products.

The final rule – issued eight months before a statutory deadline – implements the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006.

Analysts as well as officials from UPS and FedEx say prices have been holding firm – and FedEx recently announced its biggest base rate hike of the decade for 2008.

With the recent tentative pact reached with Teamsters, UPS will be hard-pressed not to follow FedEx with a substantial base rate increase. And, as shippers and their consultants say, the carrier is likely to offer discounts to maintain the customer base.

With the USPS in the mix, the discount competition is going to become even more pronounced.

In some cases USPS is a major customer of the other express carriers. But the postal service announced in September it would be aggressively pursuing the package business – that segment’s profits could be used to bolster letter and other operations.

The USPS also has turned up the heat as a competitor. The postal service this summer announced all-time performance bests for national on-time delivery of first-class mail in the third quarter.

Overnight service was 96 percent on-time, up from 95 percent for the same period last year. Two-day service was 93 percent on-time and three-day service was 91 percent on-time.

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