Today it is announced that Isle of Man Post Office's revolutionary new digital product, "ePostbox" is now available to a global audience.
Last year, Isle of Man Post Office signed a landmark contract with Swiss Post to launch ePostbox - a product that introduces a radical new way for customers to receive their mail. For many residents on the Isle of Man, ePostbox has changed the traditional way of receiving mail. For the very first time, customers subscribing to ePostbox have been given total control over each piece of mail they receive wherever they are in the world. Customers are able to fully access and manage their physical post using their smart phone, PC and once an account has been set up, also via an iPhone and Blackberry App.
The customer is alerted each time a new piece of mail has been received at their ePostbox address and is able to view a scanned image of the front and back of each envelope. They then make a decision on whether to open and scan, securely destroy, forward to an address of their choice anywhere in the world or archive the contents electronically.
Mike Kelly, Chief Executive of Isle of Man Post Office said:
"This is a very exciting time for the future of Isle of Man Post Office as we launch our first digital mail product worldwide. Electronic mailboxes are the future and will go from being a niche product to a service for the wider public - this is the first stepping stone towards achieving that. It is an important time for the future of our postal industry. Swiss Post has extensive knowledge in the delivery of electronic mail and is widely recognised as one of the most innovative postal administrations in Europe and we are delighted to be working with them."
This partnership brings a significant amount of kudos to the Island as Isle of Man Post Office continues to position itself as an innovative and forward-thinking Post compared to its counterparts. It is also important to recognise that the Isle of Man has established a reputation as a regulatory jurisdiction of high standing. Since launching the product locally, Isle of Man Post Office has reviewed its own regulatory guidelines and liaised with local regulatory bodies in order to be in a strong position to deliver this service seamlessly to individual clients on a global scale. Initially trialled locally, it has also given the progressive postal administration time to take the opportunity to refine the product based on customer needs and valuable feedback.
In 2009, SwissSign (a subsidiary of Swiss Post) introduced their Swiss Post Box service, the first product on the market to digitalise physical mail. Isle of Man Post Office became the first Post in the world to purchase a license for the "white labelled" version of Swiss Post Box known as ePostbox.
ePostbox will undoubtedly appeal to a wide variety of customers, but will be predominantly aimed at English speaking expats around the world, frequent travellers, multiple homeowners, students, military and customers who are away from home for extended periods of time.
Lisa Duckworth, Commercial Director of Isle of Man Post Office said:
"We continue to enjoy a unique and trusted relationship with our customers, as our successful IMS Mailing division and numerous accreditations has proven. We are delighted we can assure customers around the world that ePostbox offers the same level of trust and security when it comes to digital communication and we were extremely proud to be the first postal administration to purchase this unique Swiss Post product under licence."
The close working arrangement with Swiss Post is a major step forward for Isle of Man Post Office. Mail volumes over the last few years have continued to decline, therefore the business has made a significant investment in this project as it seeks new ways of generating additional and continued revenue - it is expected ePostbox will contribute to this. Isle of Man Post Office and Swiss Post share similar views on the long-term vision and strategies required for the sustainability of the postal industry and both have recognised that Posts must fully embrace the new advances in technology, to keep up with the latest trends in digital communication.
Benoit Stroelin, Head of Swiss Post Box and Member of the Board at SwissSign (a subsidiary of Swiss Post) said:
"We strongly believe that connecting the ample and long standing competence in 'physical logistics' with the profound knowledge of secure, digital communication and digital identities in the net, is the missing part to make life of mobile people easier and will be an important business area for innovative postal operators." He added: "An important new role for a postal operator will be the "trusted third party in the net". It is critical for a Post's future to build up a digital reputation today and to provide convenient services, translating the 'old world' into the new digital age."
Customers can start using this unique product by signing up today and visiting www.epostbox.com. Apps for iPhone and Blackberry are also available online from the respective Apple and Blackberry stores.
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