Swiss Post is bringing a new digital letterbox service to the UK through a licence agreementenabling users to receive mail online in computers, on smartphones, iPads or other electronic
devices.The “Swiss Post Box”, which has been offered by Swiss Post since 2009, will be available tocustomers throughout the UK under the name “ePostbox” from the end of July onwards.
The service will be marketed by the Isle of Man Post Office which will be the first licensedpartner to offer the digital letterbox in the UK. The new version of the digital letterbox uses areverse hybrid mail solution, which has been developed by Swiss Post Solutions subsidiary SwissSignand Siemens Mobility.
Under the system, ePostbox customers can select a correspondence address on the Isle of Man andhave their physical letter mail sent to this address. The letter mail will then be processed in ahighly secure scanning centre on the Isle of Man and delivered to customers by e-mail.
Incoming mail can thus be processed and managed easily and conveniently, anytime, anywhere.Whether physical or digital, an electronic letterbox offers customers maximum freedom andflexibility, Swiss Post said.
The electronic letterbox is one of the ePost products offered by the Swiss Post Group unit SwissPost Solutions which can be purchased by other national postal companies and alternative providers,and offered as part of their own brand. The Isle of Man Post Office is the first licensee of theSwiss Post Box. Swiss Post is currently in negotiations with other interested parties from Europe,South America and Asia via the Swiss Post Solutions subsidiary, SwissSign.
Swiss Post claims to be a worldwide leader with its range of available ePost product licences.The range of products offered by subsidiary SwissSign, for which other postal companies can acquirelicences, includes electronic solutions for secure communication and the hybrid handling ofinformation and processes where both the input and output can take place digitally orphysically.
In the future, postal companies will play an important role as “trusted third parties” on theinternet. Swiss Post said it is well equipped to meet the demand for postal e-products withsolutions for confidential e-mails, digital proof of identity, legally valid electronic signaturesand the electronic letterbox.
