Tag: Worldwide

European public postal operators show support to 2020 EU emissions target

Posted by | Jan 23, 2008 | |

PostEurop, the association of European public postal operators reiterates today its support to the 2020 EU emission target. 14 of its members have already agreed to an ambitious average 10pct reduction of their greenhouse gas emissions over the next five years and more PostEurop Members are expected to commit to the voluntary programme.

The European Commission has agreed this week on a package of proposals that will deliver the European Council’s commitments to fight climate change. The proposals demonstrate that the targets agreed last year are technologically and economically possible and provide a unique business opportunity for thousands of European companies. As agreed by its leaders in March 2007, the EU seeks to reduce greenhouse gases by at least 20 pct by 2020.

The postal sector in Europe, through the very nature of its activities, has an impact on the environment, mostly in the form of greenhouse gas emissions. Most of these CO2 emissions result from the use of road transport, aviation and building energy usage also contributing significantly.

There is however considerable scope for improvement and as a vital sector of the European economy, the postal sector is committed to providing an example, by working closely with customers, suppliers and other stakeholders in order to reduce the whole sector’s impact in Europe and worldwide.

Elaborated by PostEurop’s Environment Working Group under the authority of the Social Responsibility Committee, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Programme is fully in line with the Kyoto Protocol and the European Climate Change Programme targets. Its aim is to measure and assess the reduction efforts of participating postal operators and to create synergies by exchanging best practices in that field.

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Kumho-Asiana Offers USD 4.2 Billion for Korea Express

Posted by | Jan 17, 2008 | |

Kumho-Asiana Group, owner of South Korea’s largest builder and second-biggest airline, bid more than 4 trillion won (USD 4.2 billion) for control of Korea Express Co. to add cargo-delivery and warehousing services.

The group offered in the “lower range of 4 trillion won” and is set to be named as the preferred bidder, Oh Min Seok a spokesman judge at Seoul Central District Court, said by phone today. The bidding group includes about 10 companies, not all of which are controlled by Kumho-Asiana, he added.

The bid is at least 70 percent higher than the court’s minimum for South Korea’s biggest logistics company, in receivership since 2001. Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co., Kumho-Asiana’s largest affiliate, fell the most in three years in Seoul trading on concern the deal may damp earnings growth.

Kumho-Asiana Group, which also owns Asiana Airlines Inc., received the highest score in an initial evaluation of four bids submitted for the Korea Express stake, the Seoul Central District Court said today. The group may be named as preferred bidder as soon as tomorrow.

Kumho-Asiana Group, controlled by Chairman Park Sam Koo, is South Korea’s seventh-biggest family-run industrial group by assets, with 35 affiliates as of Jan. 2, according to South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission. Along with Samsung Group and LG Group, it is one of the country’s so-called chaebols that grew up after the Korean War.

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USPS announces two new shipping initiatives (U.S.)

Posted by | Jan 17, 2008 | |

The U.S. Postal Service announced today that its Board of Governors approved two new initiatives to grow its shipping business and revenue. A new, larger Priority Mail Flat-Rate Box enables customers to ship 50 percent more than with the current box. It will be offered at a discount to overseas military addresses, a postal first for the armed forces. The agency also announced a new Sunday and holiday delivery price for Express Mail. Customers can begin using the new boxes March 3, the same day the premium takes effect.
The current flat-rate box, which gives customers a single, predetermined rate regardless of the weight or delivery zone, was introduced in November 2004. The new, larger box extends the agency’s successful flat-rate offerings, providing more choices for small businesses and consumers.
The new Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate Box (12″ x 12″ x 5½”) can be used for both domestic and international shipments. This extends the flat-rate price and ease-of-use benefits to international shippers. There is also a 5 percent online discount.
All Postal Service Priority and Express Mail packages and envelopes are environmentally friendly, exceeding the highest standards for recyclability.
The Governors also approved a USD 12.50 premium for Sunday and holiday Express Mail delivery. The premium, equal to competitor surcharges for Saturday delivery, reflects the unique delivery option the Postal Service provides on Sundays. As an alternative to Sunday, customers can choose Monday delivery at the standard Express Mail price.

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Japanese express service ties create strange bedfellows

Posted by | Jan 14, 2008 | |

The shifting express landscape in Japan is producing some unusual alliances. Concern about the international integrators encroaching on their turf has induced domestic rivals to form pacts with one another.

On December 18, All Nippon Airways, Kintetsu World Express and Nippon Express signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a joint venture company for international business-to-business express delivery service in Asia. Operations of the new company are slated to commence on April 1 of this year.

ANA will have a 34 percent stake in the new company and Nippon Express and Kintetsu will each take 28 percent, with the remaining 10 percent going to other forwarding companies.

The partners pointed to growth of international logistics and the need for integrated strategic distribution services as the main reasons for their alliance. They stressed the need in Asia for reliable logistics services that can support businesses with rapidly expanding production bases.

The new partnership seems to be a conflict of interest for ANA, which already formed a joint venture cargo airline with Japan Post that took to the air last year with a fleet of B767 freighters. However, the new carrier, which flies to a number of Asian destinations as well as to the US, has signalled that Japan Post’s volumes are not enough to fill the aircraft, so it has been looking for partners to generate more cargo. A planned partnership between Japan Post and TNT has failed to materialise.

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Wincor Nixdorf and DigitalPersona Partner for retail POS systems

Posted by | Jan 14, 2008 | |

Wincor Nixdorf has formed a partnership with globally-recognized biometric authentication solutions provider DigitalPersona to set new standards for POS technology.

Through this alliance, Wincor Nixdorf and DigitalPersona are able to provide advanced POS solutions to their respective clients by incorporating DigitalPersona’s biometric fingerprint solution into Wincor Nixdorf’s TP.net POS software platform. With this integrated solution in place, retail employees can log in and out of each shift, sign on to casher’s stations and log into back office terminals by simply scanning their finger, eliminating the need for employee badges, sign-on cards and all hardware associated with these items. The technology also enables retailers to more accurately monitor employee behavior, decrease payroll fraud and maintain timekeeping integrity in their stores.
Wincor said additional benefits to retailers incorporating this integrated solution include:

Providing a more secure network by using fingerprint authentication rather than static numerical pass codes or key entry for various managerial tasks.
• Significantly increasing the speed of each transaction throughout a retail chain, ultimately delivering a strong ROI.
• Eliminating “buddy punching”
• Reducing shrink opportunities
• Improving overall profitability/return on investment
• Achieving regulatory compliance (PCI, SOX)
• Gaining credible evidence for lawsuits
“By adding fingerprint authentication to Wincor Nixdorf’s TP.net solution, retailers improve their profitability, gain greater accountability and simplify compliance efforts,” said Jim Fulton, vice president of marketing at DigitalPersona. “In addition, employees enjoy the ease and convenience of not having to carry keys or swipe cards.”

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