Swiss Post is expanding its services with new online and mobile applications and through thetakeover of a specialist press distribution company.
Swiss Post said mobile access is part of the company’s strategy of further developing andintegrating physical and electronic worlds in a secure and credible way.
As a new mobile solution, Swiss Post’s new smart phone application will soon provide the first ‘Apps’ to customers that can be used via mobile phones. The new Swiss Post App is useful forinformation purposes complementing the internet portal. Users can benefit from the location search,price inquiries and the shipment tracking functions as important components of the application.
For example, customers can now easily find out via mobile phone where the nearest post office islocated or the working hours of the next express counter. It is also possible to obtain informationabout whether a parcel is already on its way and where the next PickPost point is located to pickit up. Both applications provide a clear navigation, efficient search filter and are based on acard which takes the user’s location into account, if requested. The App also provides informationabout the most important prices for shipping letters and parcels.
The Swiss Post App was developed for iPhones, iPads and android mobile phones and will also beavailable for operating systems such as Symbian and Windows Mobile 7 by the end of 2010. Allenquiries can also be handled via the mobile phone browser. Other innovations are currently beingtested which could be used in future for customers accessing services and ordering via their mobilephones.
Swiss Post’s new product range ‘eSolutions’ launched by its subsidiary Swiss Post Solutions aimsto combine physical and digital mail. The postal operator is thus becoming a hybrid provider forits private and business customers. The Swiss Post Box was launched in summer 2009 as an iPhone appfor business customers. It allows scanning of physical mail upon request and makes it available ona secure internet portal to be archived or deleted afterwards. Mobile access to a personalelectronic mailbox will now be more attractive, thanks to a new price schedule for privatecustomers, as they will pay only for the time actually used.
Meanwhile, as part of the company’s expansion, Swiss Post International has taken over the Swisspress specialist EDIGROUP in Chêne-Bourg, Geneva, with effect from 1 July 2010. With a workforce of22 employees and revenues of CHF 14.7 million, EDIGROUP is the market leader in French-speakingSwitzerland in the marketing and distribution of press publications. EDIGROUP is made up of fourcompanies and is specialised in publisher management concentrating on French-speaking regions.
For possible cost savings, Swiss Post is currently evaluating alternative locations to thepreviously planned «PostParc» head office at a site in Berne for central and administrativefunctions. The construction is to be realised as planned. An alternative location might save costson administrative functions to help make better use of the good pedestrian and central location. Adefinitive decision as to whether the central functions of Swiss Post will be partly or fully movedto other locations is expected to be made in autumn this year.
