Posts Tagged "Internet"

Should the Postal Service Use the Internet to Meet its Service Obligations?

on May 2, 2011 in Ideas Worth Exploring | 2 comments

President Obama’s State of the Union address in January included the announcement of the National Wireless Initiative, which would expand wireless broadband coverage to 98 percent of the population within 5 years. With that large percentage of the population on the verge of being wired, could such a network be leveraged by the U.S. Postal Service to modernize its obligation to deliver mail to every household in America?

The initiative provides financial incentives for private industry to expand wireless broadband infrastructure. The incentives are necessary because building a nationwide, interconnected communications network is cost prohibitive in some areas of the country. Once constructed, though, this network will be used by government agencies for a number of purposes including coordinating emergency response and communicating important information directly with citizens.

The Postal Service must provide universal service to every address in the United States under the Universal Service Obligation (USO). The USO requires that Americans have ready access to postal products and services through postal carriers, collection boxes and post offices. It also requires the Postal Service to deliver the mail to every street address, six days a week.

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Bridging the Digital Divide

on Feb 24, 2011 in Ideas Worth Exploring | 5 comments

How has the digital age changed your life? Do you still shop in a store or buy online? Get the newspaper delivered or have an online subscription? Read hard copy books or use an e-reader? If you chose the digital options, you are not alone. You may be a digital native, one of those who are most comfortable working in a digital environment.

The Internet and the digital economy are fundamentally changing communications, transportation, and commerce. This “digital revolution,” in combination with the great recession of 2008 to 2009 has affected postal operators all over the world causing a steep decline in the volumes of personal, business, and advertising mail. This shift from the physical will only accelerate as digital natives become more prominent in the workforce.

In a white paper released today, the Office of Inspector General analyzed the changing digital landscape as the first in a series of papers on the Postal Service role in the digital age; here is a sample of the key trends:

1. There is a progressive shift from the physical to the digital by business, government, and consumers.

2. Control has shifted from the sender to the receiver.

3. The Internet has evolved from mass broadcast media to personalized conversations.

4. Explosive growth of mobile devices increases consumption of content “on the go”.

5. E-commerce is growing rapidly but has not reached its full potential.

6. Mobile commerce is positioned to grow significantly in the U.S. market.

7. Digital technologies have facilitated global commerce.

Click-N-Ship® — Have You Used It?

on Mar 9, 2009 in Products & Services | 16 comments

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) independently audits the efficiency and effectiveness of Postal Service programs such as the online shipping solution Click-N-Ship®. However, OIG employees are also customers of the Postal Service, with their own experiences. Tara, a member of the OIG’s Communication team, tried Click-N-Ship® over the holidays and volunteered to write about her experience.