In order to encourage mailers to convert to the Full-Service Intelligent Mail® barcode, the Postal Service is proposing to offer a Full-Service Technology Credit. This credit is intended to help offset the investment required to implement the necessary hardware and software infrastructure changes to support Full-Service mailings.

If approved, the Technology Credit Promotion will run from June 2013 to June 2014. Actual Tech Credits, which can range from $2,000 to $5,000, will be awarded to mailers who meet certain volume and eligibility requirements. For full details, visit usps.com.

In response to Congressional action, the Board of Governors of the US Postal Service has decided to delay plans to adopt a new delivery schedule this August. The proposed plan would have provided for mail delivery Monday through Friday and package delivery Monday through Saturday.

In a statement released, the board commented: “Although disappointed with this Congressional action, the Board will follow the law and has directed the Postal Service to delay implementation of its new delivery schedule until legislation is passed that provides the Postal Service with the authority to implement a financially appropriate and responsible delivery schedule. The Board believes that Congress has left it with no choice but to delay this implementation at this time. The Board also wants to ensure that customers of the Postal Service are not unduly burdened by ongoing uncertainties and are able to adjust their business plans accordingly.”

Every year, headlines remind us that that mail center managers are not only responsible for processing mail; they need to take steps to provide for the security and safety of staff and mail recipients.

In January 2013, The US Postal Inspection Service released a Guide to Mail Center Security (Pub166). Here, experts from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service highlight ways you can assess your risks, secure your mail center from theft, screen for package bombs and explosives, and protect your team from hazardous substances.

As an organization, Pitney Bowes has been at the forefront of mail security for decades. We recommend that facility managers take time to understand the risks that suspicious mail can pose to their people, their facility, and the business processes they support. Consider how you can implement a screening process that’s right for your organization. For some, the screening process may be as simple as just spending a few extra seconds looking at each letter as it is being sorted. For others, the process may involve robust secure mail services, which could include a specially designed offsite facility, complete with x-ray equipment, biohazard detection systems, chemical sensors, and decontamination equipment. In all cases, the process must be capable of dealing with the current level of risk to the organization and be capable of rapid upgrade in the event that the threat posed by suspicious mail changes quickly.

Technology and changing consumer expectations are helping to transform mail into an even more powerful communications channel, Postmaster General and CEO Patrick Donahoe told the nation’s largest annual gathering of mailing industry leaders.

“As the mailing industry, we must continue to work to drive innovation and leverage data and technology to improve the consumer experience and grow revenue," Donahoe said in his keynote address at the National Postal Forum. “Our challenge as an industry is to shape those moments when people are experiencing mail, and make them more powerful in the future. That’s part of getting our game on — shaping our future and building excitement about the power of mail and the future of mail.”

Mail already has an advantage over other ways of communicating, Donahoe said, because it is tactile and encourages users to interact with it. “People slow down and absorb what they receive. They process it. They retain it,” he said. To strengthen that experience, Donahoe urged the mailing industry to focus on four key ideas: making mail more personally relevant, more actionable, more functional and more creative.

Leaders from Pitney Bowes were on hand, leading a dozen sessions on topics ranging from Intelligent Mail® implementation and list hygiene to direct mail effectiveness and ways to leverage USPS pricing strategies. At the Pitney Bowes booth, show attendees got a first-hand look at innovative solutions including White Paper Factory™ Solutions, SendSuite® Live shipping management, pbSmart™ Codes and the RISO ComColor® Series printers.