Innovative Service to Roll Out to Consumers in Fall, 2012
STAMFORD, Conn., April 04, 2012 - Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE:PBI) today announced that Australia Post has selected the Volly™ secure digital delivery system from Pitney Bowes Inc. to power the Australia Post Digital Mailbox service that is planned to roll out to households across Australia later this year.
Under the agreement, signed earlier this month, Pitney Bowes will provide Australia Post with the software, technology and mailer-integration infrastructure to begin secure, digital delivery of content from business mailers in the Commonwealth. When the Australia Post Digital Mailbox launches, mailers will be able to send mail in either digital or physical form to those consumers who opt-in to the service.
“We are pleased that Volly will be the engine behind Australia Post’s latest digital technology initiative,” said Pitney Bowes Chairman, President and CEO Murray Martin. “They reviewed our offering thoroughly over many months, and their endorsement of our technology highlights its quality, security, and ability to help deliver a seamless digital customer communications experience to mailers and consumers alike.”
“Australians are demanding more options for how to do business with the companies they use, including Australia Post,” said Australia Post Managing Director and CEO Ahmed Fahour. “We are excited to incorporate Pitney Bowes’s customer-friendly, highly-secure technology into our digital mailbox, which will be available to every Australian later this year.”
Australia Post will be the first national postal service to incorporate Volly into its digital offerings. Australia is among the world’s twenty largest markets for physical mail, and Australia Post delivers more than five billion pieces of mail annually to more than ten million households.
The Volly™ secure digital delivery service was announced to mailers in the United States in early 2011. Since then, more than forty large mailers in the U.S. have signed up to offer the service, representing thousands of consumer brands and billions of pieces of mail. Pitney Bowes expects to make Volly available to consumers in the U.S. later in 2012. Using the Volly™ secure digital delivery service, consumers will be able to receive, view, organize, manage, pay and store bills, statements and other content from the companies they do business with. The Volly™ service consolidates this information from multiple providers, reducing the consumer’s need to visit multiple websites or send physical checks through the mail.
“All players in the customer communications delivery value chain will be impacted by digital mailbox services as volumes shift, the economy changes, and new competitors, partners, and suppliers emerge,” stated Matt Swain, associate director of document outsourcing at research firm InfoTrends. “With today’s announcement, Pitney Bowes emerges as an international force in the digital mail delivery market while Australia Post demonstrates its commitment to the space.”
Australia Post is a leader among posts worldwide in adopting new technologies and services to meet the needs of its customers. Just last month, it announced an expansion of its 24-hour superstores to thirty new locations across the country. The new superstores will feature self-service terminals, parcel lockers, and a concierge to help customers.
About Pitney Bowes:
Delivering more than 90 years of innovation, Pitney Bowes provides software, hardware and services that integrate physical and digital communications channels. Long known for making its customers more productive, Pitney Bowes is increasingly helping other companies grow their business through advanced customer communications management. Pitney Bowes is a $5.3 billion company with 29,000 employees worldwide. Pitney Bowes: Every connection is a new opportunity™. www.pb.com