Postal News from December 2005:

December 31, 2005 -- According to Barrons, "ask Michael J. Critelli, CEO of Pitney Bowes, the world's largest maker of postage meters, why his company's stock has stalled, and you'll hear an answer tinged with exasperation. "There are some things in business, as in life, that we can't control, especially the stock market, no matter how well we might perform," he says. Particularly frustrating to Critelli is that the malaise of the stock has come while the company has been enjoying solid results and, more important, boasts much improved prospects."

December 31, 2005 -- The Fina ncial Times has reported that "Ministers are to open talks with Royal Mail over its demands for up to £2bn of investment after the postal operator agreed to tough new targets for improving efficiency. The negotiations, which will run well into the new year, are expected to focus on several options, all of which would involve the government, which is the state-owned postal operator's sole shareholder, putting public money into the company."

December 31, 2005 -- The Yorkshire Post has noted that "when the Royal Mail loses its 350-year monopoly this weekend, it will signal the biggest upheaval in this country's postal services since the reign of Charles II. As a result, private companies will now be able to collect, sort and deliver mail in direct competition to the Royal Mail. And while the shake-up may not see rival post boxes being erected on every street corner, it already appears that the long-overdue changes will serve as a force for good for consumers."

December 31, 2005 -- The Sioux City Journal has reported that "A district manager of the U.S. Postal Service said Friday that it is "pure speculation" that Sioux City's mail processing will be moved to Sioux Falls. "All of that is false and totally speculation," said Doug Morrow, Hawkeye District manager for the U.S. Postal Service in Des Moines. Members of the American Postal Workers Union Local 186 have said Sioux City's mail processing could be moved to Sioux Falls after a feasibility study the U.S. Postal Service is conducting."

December 31, 2005 -- According to MCOT.org, "Personal deliveries of greeting cards and presents at the New Year have increased dramatically due to the worldwidfe cost of fuel, depersonalising the traditional holidays for many, according to Thailand's privatised postal service. More Thais have gone 'back to the basics' by returning to using traditional 'snail mail' --that is, the postal services -- rather than in-person deliveries and the hi-tech e-mail deliveries, which are far less personal and quite inaccessible for much of the population." See also the Bang kok Post.

December 30, 2005 -- According to the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, "The U.S. Postal Service is studying if some mail-processing in the city should be moved about 45 miles away to Indianapolis. The goal is to make mail service more efficient, said Bloomington Postmaster Larry Jacobs.Postal workers union leaders fear the change will slow delivery. "We think service is going to suffer greatly," said Kevin McCaffery, maintenance and craft director with Local 2122 of the American Postal Workers Union."

December 30, 2005 -- The latest copy of the National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. electronic governmental affairs newsletter is available on the NAPUS web site.

December 30, 2005 -- The Guardian has reported that "Royal Mail said today that it needed to invest £2bn in modernisation as it braces itself for an onslaught of new competition from January 1. Starting next year, Britain's postal system will be opened up so that rival companies can collect, sort and deliver mail for the first time since the reign of Charles II. No less than 14 companies have registered with regulator Postcomm to handle post in the UK, including German firm Deutsche Post and Dutch postal service TNT." See also The Independent and the Internationa l Herald Tribune.

December 30, 2005 -- The BBC has reported that "The postal service in Chile is investigating whether a woman cheated Santa Claus into giving her family more presents than they deserved. Every year, the post office encourages poor children to write to Santa. Other Chileans then pick up a letter and send the child the requested gift. The grandmother is accused of getting her family to send about 100 letters. The alarm was raised after neighbours saw bicycles, blankets and even a TV, arriving at the woman's home."

December 30, 2005 -- Logistics Management has reported that "Driven by customer demand and a potentially promising way to expand its business, airfreight transportation provider Kitty Hawk has started taking steps to expand its ground freight transportation network. The network, which will comprise 46 North America-based business centers by the end of next quarter, will offer coast-to-coast, scheduled LTL service and better serve the logistics needs of shippers."

December 30, 2005 -- Outlook India has reported that "Assam tea will now be sold through post offices across the country with the launching of a new unique business package `Tea Mail' by the Assam postal circle here today. Chief Postmaster General Assam Circle, S D Das told reporters that tea approved by the Tea Board would be sold through postal network under retail post service "for tea connoisseurs to buy genuine garden fresh Assam tea from the nearest post officies in their states". The pioneering effort was to popularise the state's tea through the vast postal network to other parts of the country upto the district level initially before targetting the rural market later."

December 30, 2005 -- The Caymanian Compass has noted that "A love for people has earned one East End resident correspondence with 315 pen friends from around the globe. Florett shows of a miniature tea–set sent to her by one of her pen friends. Even though her hobby is very costly, housewife Florett Dixon said it is what she loves and to her the money spent is not important. Racking up a postal bill of over $600 in one mailing list, Florett has pen pals from as far as Russia."

December 30, 2005 -- ThisIsMoney has reported that "Royal Mail today vowed to 'fight for every letter' following the New Year's Day postal revolution in which it will lose its 350-year monopoly on deliveries." See also The Scotsman.

December 30, 2005 -- The MidHudson News has reported that "Congresswoman Sue Kelly has added her name to the list of those urging the U.S. Postal Service to preserve the Purple Heart postage stamp in the New Year by issuing a 39-cent version when postal rates increase in 2006. Kelly is pressing the Postal Service to reissue the stamp in 2006, saying it provides the public a valuable way to honor and support U.S. troops and veterans alike. "This stamp should be a continued source of pride for all of those who have worn the uniform, as well as those who support them and their efforts," Kelly wrote today in a letter to U.S. Postmaster General John Potter. State Senator William Larkin and US Senator Hillary Clinton have been leading the charge to save the stamp."

December 30, 2005 -- The United States Postal Service Board of Governors will hold a meeting on Tuesday, January 10, 2006; 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. in Washington, DC, at U.S. Postal Service Headquarters, 475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW., in the Benjamin Franklin Room. Among the topics discussed will be:

Tuesday, January 10 at 8 a.m. (Open)

1.   Minutes of the Previous Meeting, December 6, 2005.
2.   Remarks of the Postmaster General and CEO Jack Potter.
3.   Holiday Mailing Recap.
4.   Committee Reports.
5.   Consideration of Board Resolution on Capital Funding.
6.   Annual Report on Government in the Sunshine Act Compliance.
7.   Fiscal Year 2005 Comprehensive Statement on Postal Operations, including the Preliminary Fiscal Year 2007
      Annual Performance Plan--GPRA.
8.   Capital Investment--Northeast Metro Michigan Processing & Distribution Center.
9.   Election of Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors.
10. Tentative Agenda for the February 7-8, 2006, meeting in Washington, DC.

Tuesday, January 10 at 10 a.m. (Closed)
1.   Filing with the Postal Rate Commission for Extension of Market Test for Repositionable Notes.
2.   Strategic Planning.
3.   Financial Update.
4.   Rate Case Planning.
5.   Labor Negotiations Planning.
6.   Personnel Matters and Compensation Issues.

December 30, 2005 -- The Topeka Capital-Journal told its readers that "Postal rates are going up 5.4 percent on Jan. 8 as a result of a law that will raise money for military pensions. The new law transferred to the Postal Service, and in turn all postal ratepayers, the obligation to make payments to the Treasury for the costs of civil service pensions related to military service and other government service of postal employees."

December 30, 2005 -- The Sioux City Journal has reported that "Members of the American Postal Workers Union Local 186 continue to rally support for the preservation of Sioux City's postmark."

December 30, 2005 -- According to Traffic World:

• The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index rose 5.3 percentage points in December after another month of economic growth, more jobs and lower gas prices. The second month in a row of increased confidence puts the Index at 103.6 (1985=100), up from 98.3 in November. Two other measures rose also. The Present Situation Index surged to 121.5 from 113.2, and the Expectations Index increased to 91.6 from 88.4 last month, the Conference Board said.
• Dutch telecom carrier KPN plans to track the distribution and return of individual mobile phones in a trial it is calling "Tellitrace" with the cooperation of its logistics provider, TNT Logistics.

December 30, 2005 -- CNET News has reported that "Online holiday spending rose 25 percent to 30 percent this year from a year ago, with hot items being computer hardware, consumer electronics and clothing, according to two reports released on Thursday. Clothing was the top seller in terms of dollar amount, at $5.3 billion total, up 42 percent from last year's revenue, the report said. Computer hardware and peripherals showed the most growth, 126 percent, at $4.8 billion. Consumer electronics was the second fastest growing category garnering $4.8 billion, up 109 percent. People spent $3 billion on books online, up 66 percent, and $2.3 billion on products in the toys/video games category of hardware and software, a drop of 9 percent from last year, the study found." See also "Holiday Shopping Soars 30% in 2005; Toy Sales Plunge: Study" and "Half of Consumers Holiday Shopped Online: KPMG" as reported by Direct magazine

December 30, 2005 -- Tr ansport News Network has reported that "The leading express and logistics subsidary of Deutsche Post World Net says the acquiring of the shares is a major coup as PPL is the leading private player in the Czech domestic parcel market, serving customers chiefly from the IT, electronic and pharmaceutical industries. PPL operates more than 450 vehicles from eleven depots across the Czech Republic. Pavel Horak, chief executive officer said the shares being acquired in his company will allow the firm to expand its business in eastern and central Europe, combining DHL's powerful international business with a strong domestic market."

December 29, 2005 -- The Angola Press has reported that "Angolan Minister of Post Offices and Telecommunications, Licínio Tavares, said Thursday in Luanda his sector in 2006 will continue with the programme of recovery of the country`s postal network and expansion of its services."

December 29, 2005 -- Business Mailers Review has reported that:

• Relatively strong mail volumes in November 2005 helped the Postal Service overcome a sluggish October and nudge closer to meeting financial projections for the all-important first quarter of the fiscal year.
• November 2004 saw a major jump in mail volume, particularly in Standard Mail, which was 16.8% higher than in November 2003 and First Class, up 12.9% in November 2005 from the previous November.
• Postal officials are hoping to find another way to get the Transportation Dept. (DOT) to give up its regulation of fees for international mail transportation so USPS can competitively bid for airlift on international mail to domestic and international carriers.
• Look for Rep. Tom Davis, R-VA., to hold an oversight hearing on the Postal Service in the winter or early spring in the House Government Reform Committee. This oversight hearing is likely to look more closely at other issues, such as the facility consolidation activities that are moving ahead quickly across the country or the issue of service standards, measurements of standards and communication of those measurements for various mail products.
• The Office of Personnel Management has declined to let USPS take advantage of a provision in the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act that lets employers seek federal rebates if they offer retiree prescription drug benefits that exceed Medicare's offering. OPM is not applying for the rebate for the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, in which USPS is a participant.
• With members of the Board of Governors in short supply, postal officials are getting a bit nervous that the White House has yet to nominate someone to fill one of the five vacancies.
• Comments on the first negotiated service agreement (NSA) show a mix of support and opposition to Bookspan's volume estimates to determine Bookspan's plan.
• The Postal Service is changing its preparation requirements for bundles of Periodicals, Standard Mail and Package Services flat-size mail or irregular parcels on pallets although implementation has been pushed back from the originally proposed March 1 date to May 11.
• Contingency allowances, historically in the 1-3% range, provide for unex- pected occurrences, says IRET Senior Economist Michael Schuyler, are not necessary and can cause the Postal Service to understate certain costs. He thinks the better approach is to draw from cumulative surpluses or engage in short- term borrowing from the U.S. Treasury if a shortfall occurs in between rate cases.
• IRET says that back-to-back rate cases – with one expected to be filed this spring – will take a toll on the Postal Service, which has had to work hard to keep up with the increasing labor costs – costs that all but offset the 10% reduction in the workforce and impressive productivity gains.

Business Mailer's Review is an award-winning, independent biweekly newsletter covering issues of importance to the business mailer. It is regularly cited as among the best sources of postal information. For subscription information, check the BMR web site.

December 29, 2005 -- Newsday has reported that "the Trinidad and Tobago Postal Corporation (TTpost) has made another stride in its quest to secure all incoming mail at Piarco International Airport. TTpost now has access to the airside to meet and retrieve mail from incoming flights. The mail will now be off-loaded directly into TTpost's mail vans and taken to the Customs area for processing and subsequent release to TTpost to sort and deliver to customers. Managing director Ray Philpott said, "A key focus of TTpost is to ensure the mail is delivered safely and in a timely manner to our customers."

December 29, 2005 -- The Memphis Commercial-Appeal has reported that "Most people identify the U.S. Postal Service as the outfit that delivers mail and packages to their homes and businesses, but the U.S. Postal Service in Memphis has been doing more than just delivering mail for many years. One way they give back throughout the year and especially during this joyous season is through the Memphis City Schools Adopt-A-School program. Individual post offices around Memphis have special programs to help less-fortunate people in their communities but the entire Memphis Postal Service adopted Manor Lake Elementary School in Southwest Memphis several years ago. Each year, funds are collected to provide food and toys to the more than 300 children attending the school and the program recently expanded to assist area residents who need help."

December 29, 2005 -- According to UsingRFID, "The future market for inks, substrates and other materials used in printable electronics is expected to reach some US$1.9 billion by 2010, rising to US$8.9 billion in 2013. Over the next eight-years, NanoMarkets expects paper and card to become an increasingly important substrate for printable electronics. This will be required as printable electronics quickly finds its way into smart packaging, greetings cards and other novelties. Printable electronics on a paper substrate may even be the ultimate in electronic paper. To make this happen, however, paper manufacturers will have to come up with special coated papers suitable for taking electronic inks."

December 29, 2005 -- As the Washington Post has noted, "text messaging -- like its older cousin instant messaging -- is giving rise to a new, electronic written culture. A text message sent via mobile phone is usually confined to 160 characters or less and takes several seconds to send. About 7.3 billion text messages are sent within the United States every month, up from 2.9 billion a month a year ago. Text messages feel more personal because the cell phone is always physically close."

December 29, 2005 -- The Las Cruces Sun-News has noted that "A town hall meeting with U.S. Postal Service officials has been canceled. The meeting had been scheduled for 10 a.m. today at City Hall, and Council Chambers had been reserved for the meeting. Postal Service officials in Washington, D.C., apparently had plans to attend, but the meeting was up in the air until the officials' schedules could be confirmed."

December 29, 2005 -- The Ch osen Ilbo has reported that "The Korea Customs Service (KCS) said Thursday that two new kinds of narcotics, narcotic mushrooms and 2C-B, have been intercepted while smugglers were attempting to sneak them into Korea this year. An official at the customs office said they had uncovered 111 cases of drug smuggling this year, and three types of drugs, including narcotic mushrooms, were found for the first time in Korea in a parcel of international mail sent from Canada in November. Smuggling through airports and harbors, which constituted 49 percent of the uncovered drug-trafficking incidents in 2003, dropped to 31 percent this year, whereas smuggling through international postal services and expedited freight services soared from 44 percent in 2003 to 59 percent this year."

December 29, 2005 -- The Financial Times has reported:

• Mini sters are to open talks with Royal Mail over its demands for up to £2bn of investment after the postal operator agreed to tough new targets for improving efficiency. The negotiations, which will run well into the new year, are expected to focus on several options, all of which would involve the government, which is the state-owned postal operator's sole shareholder, putting public money into the company.
• Roya l Mail, the state-owned postal service, expects to lose "billions" of mail items to its rivals over the next 12 months, following the opening up of the market to full competition on January 1. And in the change that will follow the New Year's day revolution in the postal services market, it is business customers that are expected to be in the lead. Companies account for more than 80 per cent of the licensed market: mail costing less than £1 and weighing less than 350g. It is the public's custom, rather than the letters they send, that Royal Mail's 14 rivals will be fighting for. (See also Mail Market Postings.
• The land mark opening of the UK's £6.5bn ($11.2bn) postal services market to full competition on January 1 will take five years to have its full impact, the postal regulator has said. But Nigel Stapleton, chairman of Postcomm, stressed the "pace of change" should be faster than the liberalisation of the UK telecoms and energy markets.

December 29, 2005 -- According to Kyodo, "Major Russian economic daily Vedomosti on Thursday picked Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi as its politician of the year. Koizumi "refused to compromise with the opposition bloc (in his postal privatization drive) and won a landslide victory after dissolving the House of Representatives," it said. "He showed the qualifications that are required of a capable politician."

December 29, 2005 -- The American Postal Workers Union has been informed by the Postal Service that the Bronx P&D Center is under review for possible consolidation.

December 29, 2005 -- The U.S. Postal Service has posted on its web site its financial and operating statements for November 2005.

December 29, 2005 -- The Times of Malta has reported that "A total of Lm3,000 were yesterday distributed among 12 charitable institutions. The money was handed out by Censu Galea, Minister for Competitiveness and Communications, on behalf of Maltapost. Mr Galea said that although this year the stamp Christmas surcharge was not issued, Maltapost, in collaboration with the postal services regulator, allocated Lm3,000 to be shared by a number of institutions. Maltapost's chief executive officer, Joe Gafà pledged his company's commitment to this event for the future."

December 29, 2005 -- In a letter to the editor of the Elmira Star-Gazette, Elmira postmaster Bernard Czechowski wrote: "On any given day, the business and residential customers of Elmira and the surrounding areas deposit approximately 100,000 first-class letters in postal collection boxes, their mailboxes or at a local post office. While some of the letters are staying within the immediate area, the rest are going throughout the country. Instead of having each of the 85 post offices in the 148 and 149 ZIP codes keep their local mail separate from their nonlocal mail, it is far more efficient to send all the mail to the highly automated Rochester Processing and Distribution Center and let machines separate the mail. The machines sort mail at approximately 30,000 pieces per hour. Once the local mail is isolated, it is returned to Elmira to be machine-sequenced in the exact order the carrier delivers the route. For this process to be effective, we need to keep as much of the mail in the automation mail stream. Consolidating the mail in one location and then maximizing the amount of mail sequenced for the carrier reduces manual handling. Sorting the mail by hand is not as efficient and more costly."

December 29, 2005 -- The Frederic ksburg Free Lance-Star has reported that "A Stafford County man's 87-year-old mother, who is in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, wrote more than 150 checks to various mail-order companies over a two-month period before her son realized what she was doing. Martin Davis, an inspector with the U.S. Postal Service's Washington Division, investigates such operations. These junk-mail companies are very profitable, he says. "It's a science," Davis said. "They identify people who fall for this stuff, some people just can't throw it away."

December 29, 2005 -- The Associated Press has reported that "The National Mediation Board on Wednesday rejected a bid by pilots for UPS Inc. to be released from federal mediation over contract talks with the company. The pilots union had threatened to go on strike within 30 days, if the request had been granted. The union said the board's decision does not decrease the likelihood of a strike, while the company said it believes the two sides can still resolve their differences in mediation."

December 29, 2005 -- GovExec.com has reported that:

• The New Year brings a new pay system for employees at the Government Accountability Office. The GAO, which has been a leader in federal personnel reform and holds an exemption from most civil service rules, is introducing market sensitivity to its pay scale.
• President Bush issued an executive order Thursday evening formally granting wh ite-collar federal employees a 3.1 percent average pay raise in 2006.

December 29, 2005 -- According to the Federal Times, "Most federal employees will receive pay raises ranging from 2.83 percent to 5.62 percent in 2006."

December 29, 2005 -- As The Economist has noted, "outside a 14th-century cottage on the edge of a muddy track, five miles from the nearest town, a little red van stops six days a week. Its driver calls out a greeting and occasionally passes over a letter. This is Royal Mail at its finest and its least cost-effective. Rain or shine it visits each home in these rugged hills on the border between England and Wales, delivering letters for the same 30p stamp that it charges to carry mail across London. Soon it won't just be little red vans. Accompanying the broken resolutions and hangovers of New Year's Day will be the end of a 350-year monopoly and the opening of Britain's mail market to competition."

December 29, 2005 -- According to Lloyd's List, "GLOBAL logistics operators look increasingly like Russian dolls: inside every supply chain giant lurks a series of smaller takeover trophies."

December 28, 2005 -- Traffic World has reported that "Mortgage lender ABN AMRO Mortgage Group has extended its 90-day free credit monitoring service to one year after DHL lost and then found a computer tape containing sensitive customer information."

December 28, 2005 -- According to Capitol Hill sources, recommendations from the following reports of studies of the U.S. Postal Service conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) are still considered "open":

• U.S. Postal Service: Purchasing Changes Seem Promising, but Ombudsman Revisions and Continued Oversight Are Needed
• U.S. Postal Service: Guidance on Suspicious Mail Needs Further Refinement
• U.S. Postal Service: Physical Security Measures Have Increased at Some Core Facilities, but Security Problems Continue
• U.S. Postal Service: Better Guidance Is Needed to Ensure an Appropriate Response to Anthrax Contamination
• U.S. Postal Service: USPS Needs to Clearly Communicate How Postal Services May Be Affected by Its Retail Optimization Plans
• Contract Management: Postal Service's National Office Supply Contract Has Not Been Effectively Implemented
• U.S. Postal Service: More Consistent Implementation of Policies and Procedures for Cash Security Needed
• United States Postal Service: Opportunities to Strengthen IT Investment Management Capabilities
• Diffuse Security Threats: USPS Air Filtration Systems Need More Testing and Cost Benefit Analysis before Implementation
• Postal Service: Progress in Implementing Supply Chain Management Initiatives GAO-04-540 May 17, 2004
• U.S. Postal Service: The Service's Strategy for Realigning Its Mail Processing Infrastructure Lacks Clarity, Criteria, and Accountability

December 28, 2005 -- Ananova has reported that "The German post office has started giving mail workers lessons in canine psychology. Official say the number of dog attacks on postmen this Xmas were the lowest in 10 years after the lessons."

December 28, 2005 -- As the USPS has put it, "The results are in – the U.S. Postal Service ended 2005 with a record sixth consecutive year of growth in productivity, wiped out its debt and delivered fifty percent more mail to 32 million more homes and businesses than it did 20 years ago while doing it at 1985 staffing levels. These results are highlighted in the just released 2005 Annual Report of the U.S. Postal Service. The report is available online at http://www.usps.com/history/anrpt0 5/. "These remarkable results reflect the strong efforts throughout the entire organization to remain focused on the transformational strategies we identified in 2002," said Postmaster General John E. Potter and Board of Governors Chairman James C. Miller III." A complete copy of the report in a .pdf file format is available on the USPS web site.

December 28, 2005 -- The Twin Falls Times News has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service is currently making a study into certain operations at the Twin Falls post office. USPS officials notified labor officers for the American Postal Workers Union about the four- to six-week study earlier this month. The Postal Service's search for greater efficiencies could mean consolidating certain mail process operations. Among the 10 locations around the U.S. possible for belt-tighening is the Twin Falls station, which could move processing tasks to Boise. Whether in the private or public sectors, you can't quarrel with a need for efficiency and streamlining operations. As a federal agency and government-owned corporation, the U.S. Postal Service can and should use the same methods to cut costs while maintaining services. But without sounding too territorial, the pattern of population growth in Twin Falls and surrounding areas should support a postal office station with processing operations, and possibly expanding them in the future. It's worth questioning whether a shift of those duties to Boise would result in some delays for local mail customers."

December 28, 2005 -- The Exeter Express Echo has noted that "Post bosses have admitted paying out thousands of pounds in compensation to Exeter householders for mail which never turned up. According to new figures released by Royal Mail, thousands of residents in the EX postal area had to be compensated for lost or very late post. The company, which is due to lose its monopoly on postal services on Sunday - January 1 - paid out a total of £98,382 to customers in the city during 2004 and 2005. The figures show that Royal Mail received 3,898 complaints about lost post from people living in the EX postcode between April, 2004, and March, 2005."

December 28, 2005 -- According to the Associated Press, "Richard Davis gets a little embarrassed when he's called the poster child of the post office. Not that he minds being a representative of the U.S. Postal Service. He's worn the blue uniform for almost 19 years and was "really touched" to be named one of the best retail clerks in the nation. He believes the honor - and the title of retail ambassador - belong to all those employees who'd like to stamp out the image of someone going postal."

December 28, 2005 -- AS the Nor theast Mississippi Journal has noted, "Mississippians, like all other U.S. Postal Service customers, will pay more for everyday mailings, starting Jan. 8, 2006. This time, the increase isn't driven by postal service losses or inefficiencies. It's the law. Nobody is what could be described as happy about the rate hike, but USPS isn't the only carrier increasing costs to consumers. UPS and FedEx also will raise rates next month."

December 28, 2005 -- The Wiscon sin State Journal has noted that ""Mailings can be a very effective way of doing business," said Terri Bouffiou, customer relations coordinator for the Madison branches of the U.S. Postal Service. But she added, "as well as a big cost to a company." Mailing-services companies' assistance may be more important and timely beginning next month, when postal rates rise by about 5 percent."

December 28, 2005 -- The Oak Park Journal has wondered: "What would Christmas be like, if Christmas cards had never been invented? Prior to the year 1843, any greetings given for this holiday would have been letter-written. The first Christmas card was created that very year, 162 years ago, in England. That greeting was printed on postcard-size paper stock, but delivered in an envelope."

December 27, 2005 -- According to Linn's postal aficionado Bill McAllister, the U.S. Postal Service, which historically had nothing to do with the Pony Express, other than having to endure its existence as an express competitor, is busy trying to trademark as many "Pony Express" logo variants as it can. Apparently, it has other commercial designs in mind.

December 27, 2005 -- The Parkersburg News and Sentinel has noted that "The orders come in and the shipments go out. Flowers, teddy bears and keepsake and collectible items are shipped out daily from Sandy's Florist. The items go to locations all across the nation from the store's Marietta and Belpre locations. The items are followed shortly by their paper bills, all courtesy the United States Postal Service, where most postal rates and fees will increase by approximately 5.4 percent starting Jan. 8. "This affects us quite a bit," Joe Flaherty, owner of Sandy's Florist, said about the upcoming increase. In addition to shipping merchandise and mailing bills, the shop sends out mailing advertisements."

December 27, 2005 -- From the Federal Register: "The Postal Service proposes a new marking requirement for Bound Printed Matter machinable parcels consisting of multiple pieces secured with transparent shrinkwrap. Under our proposal, mailers must use a firm optional endorsement line or apply a pressure-sensitive firm bundle Label F. The new marking will enable our automated equipment to recognize that a Bound Printed Matter parcel is intended for a single address. Comments must be received on or before January 26, 2006. The USPS proposes to implement these changes on May 11, 2006."

December 27, 2005 -- The Marine Corps News has noted that "For the vast majority of Marines and sailors in the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), e-mail and internet access is a rare luxury few can enjoy, especially as the unit begins conducting combat operations in Iraq's Al Anbar Province. Therefore, it is still the hand-written letter, often dog-eared and stained by constant reading and rereading, that links deployed Marines and sailors to their lives outside a combat zone. Unfortunately, the time it takes for mail to travel from the United States to Iraq often means that the information in letters, notes, and cards is a bit dated by the time it reaches its addressee. To combat this problem and provide a much-appreciated morale boost for deployed Marines and sailors, MotoMail, short for ‘Motivational Mail,' was introduced. MotoMail provides a direct link to the service member. Although hosted on a commercial web domain, MotoMail is a Marine Corps-sponsored, internet-based letter writing system that often puts letters and notes of encouragement in the hands of Marines and sailors within 24 hours."

December 27, 2005 -- According to the Arizona Republic, "The holiday crunch came to a head Saturday as hundreds of people waited in line to pick up packages at a UPS distribution center in Phoenix."

December 27, 2005 -- The Slovene Press Agency has reported that "Apart from holding talks with several potential strategic partners we are also considering acquiring a postal service in one of the countries of the former Yugoslavia, Ales Hauc, director of the Post of Slovenia told the daily Vecer on Wednesday, 21 December. According to Hauc, the liberalisation of the Slovenian postal market after 2009 will enable any company, if approved by the telecommunications watchdog APEK, to enter the postal services market in the country. He told the Maribor-based daily that the Post of Slovenia will link up with a foreign strategic partner to be fully prepared when that time comes. Hauc, however, did not specify the company that the Post is negotiations with on partnership. He explained only that he has held talks with "the biggest players in the sector", such as the postal services in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and others."

December 27, 2005 -- According to the Slidel l Sentry-News, "Covington Postmaster Dale Goff has been elected president of the National Association of Postmasters of the United States. After a two-year national campaign following his term as secretary-treasurer for NAPUS, Goff garnered endorsements from every state postmaster, then ran unopposed for the term to be served from 2006-2008. Hehttp://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEQ20051226004225&Page=Q&Title=O RISSA&Topic=0 is eligible to serve in the office for two terms, if re-elected."

December 27, 2005 -- NewIndPress has reported that "The stalemate between the State Government and the Postal Department over payment of commission on sale of revenue stamps has finally come to an end with the former agreeing to the new commission rate."

December 26, 2005 -- TMCNet has reported that "The government Monday named Naoki Tanaka, president of the 21st Century Public Policy Institute, as head of a committee to be created on April 1 to supervise the process of the privatization of Japan's postal services."

December 26, 2005 -- According to Newszap:

• Mail problems can be resolved: Postal officials need residents' input.
• More than 25 U.S. Postal Service letter carriers gathered outside Cactus Postal Station, 2901 E. Greenway Rd., Dec. 15, to let the public know why snail mail is crawling slower than ever around the Valley, including some parts of Northeast Phoenix. "The problem is: staffing," said Doug Sage, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers branch 576."

December 26, 2005 -- As the Trenton Times has noted, "More than 100 of those iconic blue U.S. Postal Service mailboxes we've all used have disappeared from sidewalks throughout central New Jersey this year, but neither thieves nor pranksters are to blame for the vanishing act. Rather, the Postal Service itself has taken the mailboxes out of commission after determining their locations didn't drum up enough business to justify their continued use. "The economic situation is what's driving it," said George Flood, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service in New Jersey. "We're looking at every possible way to cut costs."

December 27, 2005 -- According to Linn's postal aficionado Bill McAllister, the U.S. Postal Service, which historically had nothing to do with the Pony Express, other than having to endure its existence as an express competitor, is busy trying to trademark as many "Pony Express" logo variants as it can. Apparently, it has other commercial designs in mind.

December 27, 2005 -- The Parkersburg News and Sentinel has noted that "The orders come in and the shipments go out. Flowers, teddy bears and keepsake and collectible items are shipped out daily from Sandy's Florist. The items go to locations all across the nation from the store's Marietta and Belpre locations. The items are followed shortly by their paper bills, all courtesy the United States Postal Service, where most postal rates and fees will increase by approximately 5.4 percent starting Jan. 8. "This affects us quite a bit," Joe Flaherty, owner of Sandy's Florist, said about the upcoming increase. In addition to shipping merchandise and mailing bills, the shop sends out mailing advertisements."

December 27, 2005 -- From the Federal Register: "The Postal Service proposes a new marking requirement for Bound Printed Matter machinable parcels consisting of multiple pieces secured with transparent shrinkwrap. Under our proposal, mailers must use a firm optional endorsement line or apply a pressure-sensitive firm bundle Label F. The new marking will enable our automated equipment to recognize that a Bound Printed Matter parcel is intended for a single address. Comments must be received on or before January 26, 2006. The USPS proposes to implement these changes on May 11, 2006."

December 27, 2005 -- The Marine Corps News has noted that "For the vast majority of Marines and sailors in the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), e-mail and internet access is a rare luxury few can enjoy, especially as the unit begins conducting combat operations in Iraq's Al Anbar Province. Therefore, it is still the hand-written letter, often dog-eared and stained by constant reading and rereading, that links deployed Marines and sailors to their lives outside a combat zone. Unfortunately, the time it takes for mail to travel from the United States to Iraq often means that the information in letters, notes, and cards is a bit dated by the time it reaches its addressee. To combat this problem and provide a much-appreciated morale boost for deployed Marines and sailors, MotoMail, short for ‘Motivational Mail,' was introduced. MotoMail provides a direct link to the service member. Although hosted on a commercial web domain, MotoMail is a Marine Corps-sponsored, internet-based letter writing system that often puts letters and notes of encouragement in the hands of Marines and sailors within 24 hours."

December 27, 2005 -- According to the Arizona Republic, "The holiday crunch came to a head Saturday as hundreds of people waited in line to pick up packages at a UPS distribution center in Phoenix."

December 27, 2005 -- The Slovene Press Agency has reported that "Apart from holding talks with several potential strategic partners we are also considering acquiring a postal service in one of the countries of the former Yugoslavia, Ales Hauc, director of the Post of Slovenia told the daily Vecer on Wednesday, 21 December. According to Hauc, the liberalisation of the Slovenian postal market after 2009 will enable any company, if approved by the telecommunications watchdog APEK, to enter the postal services market in the country. He told the Maribor-based daily that the Post of Slovenia will link up with a foreign strategic partner to be fully prepared when that time comes. Hauc, however, did not specify the company that the Post is negotiations with on partnership. He explained only that he has held talks with "the biggest players in the sector", such as the postal services in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and others."

December 27, 2005 -- According to the Slidel l Sentry-News, "Covington Postmaster Dale Goff has been elected president of the National Association of Postmasters of the United States. After a two-year national campaign following his term as secretary-treasurer for NAPUS, Goff garnered endorsements from every state postmaster, then ran unopposed for the term to be served from 2006-2008. Hehttp://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEQ20051226004225&Page=Q&Title=O RISSA&Topic=0 is eligible to serve in the office for two terms, if re-elected."

December 27, 2005 -- NewIndPress has reported that "The stalemate between the State Government and the Postal Department over payment of commission on sale of revenue stamps has finally come to an end with the former agreeing to the new commission rate."

December 26, 2005 -- TMCNet has reported that "The government Monday named Naoki Tanaka, president of the 21st Century Public Policy Institute, as head of a committee to be created on April 1 to supervise the process of the privatization of Japan's postal services."

December 26, 2005 -- According to Newszap:

• Mail problems can be resolved: Postal officials need residents' input.
• More than 25 U.S. Postal Service letter carriers gathered outside Cactus Postal Station, 2901 E. Greenway Rd., Dec. 15, to let the public know why snail mail is crawling slower than ever around the Valley, including some parts of Northeast Phoenix. "The problem is: staffing," said Doug Sage, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers branch 576."

December 26, 2005 -- As the Trenton Times has noted, "More than 100 of those iconic blue U.S. Postal Service mailboxes we've all used have disappeared from sidewalks throughout central New Jersey this year, but neither thieves nor pranksters are to blame for the vanishing act. Rather, the Postal Service itself has taken the mailboxes out of commission after determining their locations didn't drum up enough business to justify their continued use. "The economic situation is what's driving it," said George Flood, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service in New Jersey. "We're looking at every possible way to cut costs."

December 24, 2005 -- The Associated Press has reported that "The union representing United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) pilots said Thursday it will ask for release from federal mediation so it can strike, citing three years of contract negotiations with the world's largest shipping carrier that have failed to reach an agreement. The comments by the Independent Pilots Association weren't unexpected after talks between the two sides concluded Thursday without reaching a deal."

December 24, 2005 -- From the PR Newswire: "As part of sustained efforts to introduce efficiency and speed of mail to members of America's Armed Forces serving overseas in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, the U.S. Postal Service and the Department of Defense today announced a contract award that will provide an end-to-end network solution for all mail to civilian and military personnel deployed in the Middle East and Persian Gulf areas."

December 24, 2005 -- The Periodical Publishers Association has reported that "Royal Mail has confirmed that it will not be making an announcement regarding the 2006/7 tariff before Christmas. The intention is to make an announcement in mid-January. With Royal Mail yet to confirm whether it intends to accept Postcomm's price control proposals, the implications in terms of likely price increases for 2006/7 are still very uncertain."

December 24, 2005 --  Gulf Times has reported that "THE 16th meeting of GCC postal officials has recommended the establishment of a Gulf postal company and set up a team to study its feasibility in collaboration with the GCC general secretariat. Participants at the meeting, which concluded on Thursday, also recommended the establishment of a company for land transport of postal parcels among GCC countries with a view to alleviating financial burdens on customers and increasing postal corporations' revenues."

December 24, 2005 -- The Peninsula has reported that "The Universal Postal Union (UPU) is developing an electronic network to link some 120 countries across the globe that would facilitate speedier remittances of money orders from migrant workers, Edouard Dayan, Director General, UPU, said here yesterday. The organisation's fund to help underdeveloped countries to establish a modern postal system, he said, had witnessed a 250 per cent increase in revenues this year."

December 24, 2005 -- UPS< /a> has said the federal mediator in charge of negotiations between UPS and the Independent Pilots Association (IPA) has put the talks in an indefinite recess.

December 24, 2005 -- The Guernsey Press and Star has reported that "GUERNSEY POST'S ‘watchdog' could cut back on its monitoring because the utility is working so well."

December 24, 2005 -- MSNBC has noted that "a standard card needs a 55 cent stamp in Germany. Across Europe, only Denmark's 58 cent postage is more expensive, according to a study this month by the Free and Fair Post Initiative, an association of postal users and private-sector postal operators. Then there is the challenge of sticking the right stamp on your missive. Deutsche Post has 64 different postal tariffs. Some of the rates are quirks of a bygone age. Deutsche Post still charges lower postage for the delivery of books, on the grounds that the dissemination of the printed word, and more widespread literacy, is a moral crusade that should be encouraged."

December 23, 2005 -- The latest issue of the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:

• As consumers hurry to use up those 37-cent stamps, business mailers are working on more complex preparations for the looming postal rate change early in the New Year.
• The Association for Postal Commerce believes the USPS must provide incentives, such as negotiated service agreements, to encourage direct mailers to use Standard Mail.
• In a December report, the Government Accountability Office said although the Postal Service has implemented many positive changes to streamline its regulations and structure, it is concerned about the USPS's regulatory change related to its new ombudsman.
• In his latest paper, economist Michael Schuyler of the Institute for Research on the Economics of Taxation says back-to-back postal rate increases could create greater financial pressure on the Postal Service than would a larger increase followed by several years of stable prices.
• Canada Post and UPS are embroiled in a legal battle over the North American Free Trade Agreement.
• Columnist David Andelman talks about his experiences with the U.S. Postal Service, and how the USPS shapes up, or doesn't.
• A national consumer group takes a look at the merits of package delivery services and their prices.
• One of the latest in the series of background papers being prepared as part of the Pitney Bowes research project on Electronic Substitution for Mail.
• New bundle prep rul. USPS releases six-month RPN data. Postal Service denied Medicare drug subsidy. Internet use shortens holiday lines at post offices. UPS, pilots still at odds over labor contract. Share of unionized workforce in U.S. continues to fall. United Nations partners with DHL for disaster relief. Hiersteiner receives Envelope Manufacturers' top honor.
• CheckFree, others could benefit from rate increase as more Americans look to bank online.
• Russia Post's profits plummet for 2005. Lawmakers say Royal Mail's pension deficit needs government action. German couriers file EU complaint against Deutsche Post for VAT exemption. French banks file EU complaint against La Poste. TNT acquires German delivery firm. TNT names new CFO. U.K. online sales up.

Who handles the distribution of the PostCom Bulletin?
 Why, it's NETGRAM, of course. Read more about it.

December 23, 2005 -- According to the Daily Breeze, "Young buyers view physical mail differently than their parents. They've grown up with computers, e-mail, cell phones and text messaging and hardly ever use mail to write personal letters or other correspondence. As a result, nearly all of the mail they receive has a commercial purpose. They look forward to receiving it and rely on it as a source of new products, services and other opportunities they might be interested in. A variety of new studies by research firms such as InnoMedia, comScore Networks and NuStats are showing that young consumers love getting snail-mail. They seem to appreciate and respond to the physical connection that instant electronics don't provide. About 70 percent to 80 percent of younger consumers sort their mail immediately and nearly two-thirds say they read some type of advertising mail each week."

December 23, 2005 -- The Amarillo Globe News has carried a story, "U.S. Postal Service is right on the money," which shows the spirit of Christmas is still alive.

December 23, 2005 -- The Naples News has reported that "three sites — Zazzle.com, Stamps.com and Endicia.com — report that sales have increased substantially with holiday orders."

December 23, 2005 -- Business News Americas has reported that "Brazil's national post office (Correios) is planning a tender for a five-year data transmission contract worth up to 420mn reais (US$181mn)."

December 23, 2005 -- Les Echos has reported that "La Poste, the French public post office, will be headed by chairman Jean-Paul Bailly for a further term following parliament's ratification."

December 23, 2005 -- Les Mondes has reported that "French banking groups BNP Paribas, Banques Populaires, Credit Agricole and Societe Generale are putting pressure on the European Commission to reach a decision on the postal bank to be created by La Poste, the French national postal service group."

December 23, 2005 -- the Irish Times has reported that:

• The performance of An Post in delivering mail has deteriorated, with only 74 per cent of postal items delivered by the next working day, a new survey has found.
• Up to 500,000 pieces of mail destined for Ireland were stranded in London yesterday, according to a statement issued by An Post.

December 23, 2005 -- ThisIsMoney has noted that "Britain's mail service is poised for a revolution that will see 'independent' post boxes for letters appearing for the first time. Royal Mail's 370-year monopoly on stamped letter delivery finishes on New Year's Eve. And for the first time since the reign of Charles II, rival companies will have the legal right to collect, sort and deliver first and second class letters."

December 23, 2005 -- NewIndPress has reported that "The Citizens' Voice Club has appealed to the Central government to retain postcard as the cheapest medium of communication of the poor."

December 23, 2005 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that:

Global express company FedEx has reported its latest quarterly results. Its revenue increased to $8.09 billion, up 10% from $7.33 billion the previous year whilst operating income rose to $790 million, up 32% from $600 million. This resulted in an operating margin of 9.8% compared with last year's 8.2%. Management put the strong performance down to its broad portfolio of transportation services, a disciplined pricing approach and strong productivity gains. The company is also benefiting from solid economic growth in the U.S. and Asian economies, which it expects to continue in 2006.
DHL, DPWN's logistics subsidiary, is developing a 43,000 square feet (4,000 m2) regional hub at the Queen Alia Airport, Jordon, to be operational before the end of 2006. The hub will act as a link between the Middle East, Europe and North Africa facilitating trade for DHL express services, with onsite customs clearance.

December 22, 2005 -- From the C anada NewsWire: "Last week a private trade tribunal in Washington D.C. concluded its hearing into a complaint filed by United Parcel Service (UPS) against the federal government under Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). UPS claims Canada Post has an unfair advantage when delivering parcel, express and courier services that compete with private courier services. It has consistently failed to persuade Canadian politicians or regulators that its complaints have any merit. Now it is hoping for a different result before an international tribunal established under NAFTA investment rules. Both the American and Mexican governments have an opportunity to file briefs by January 28, 2006. The federal government and UPS have one final chance to file material on February 24, 2006. Then the three-person tribunal will begin its deliberations. A decision is expected later next year."

December 22, 2005 -- Traffic World has reported that "UPS and its unionized pilots today were concluding three days of contract negotiations as pilots claimed they will seek a release from mediation if no settlement is reached. The Independent Pilots Association said the chance for a settlement "is in UPS's court."

December 22, 2005 -- RIA Novosti has reported that "Russian mail company Pochta Rossii said Thursday its net profit would fall by 73% in 2005 year-on-year to 244 million rubles (about $8.5 million). General Director Igor Syrtsov said that the drop in net profit was attributable to a doubling of worker's salaries and an almost five-fold rise in investment in the development and modernization of the postal service. According to Syrtsov, the company received most of its profit through non-postal services like money transfers, rent and utility payments, and subscription services."

December 22, 2005 -- The latest copy of the National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. electronic governmental affairs newsletter is available on the NAPUS web site.

December 22, 2005 -- UsingRFID has noted that "The future market for inks, substrates and other materials used in printable electronics is expected to reach some US$1.9 billion by 2010, rising to US$8.9 billion in 2013, according to a new report from market research firm NanoMarkets."

December 22, 2005 -- La Tribune has reported that "The district court in Nanterre, near Paris, has suspended the restructuring plan of Chronopost, the express parcel subsidiary of the French post office, La Poste. The court found irregularities in the way in which the Chronopost works council was informed about the plan, which includes 540 job cuts."

December 22, 2005 -- According to D ow Jones, "On the busiest shipping day of the year, U.S. package shippers said Tuesday that, due to the New York City transit strike, they had suspended guarantees on when they could deliver packages to businesses and consumers in the city. To cope with extra car traffic during a transit strike by the Transport Workers Union Local 100, the city restricted delivery trucks' access to bridges and tunnels that connect Manhattan to area airports. United Parcel Service (UPS) said thousands of parcels were stranded early Tuesday at Newark's Liberty airport, the UPS hub for New York City. The city restricted trucks' access to Manhattan during the morning rush hour, between the hours of 5:00 am and 11:00 am."

December 22, 2005 -- News.com.au has reported that "The Marshall Islands have been literally bombarded with air mail when a cargo door popped open on a Boeing 727 as it was taking off from the central Pacific state. Hundreds of kilos of letters and packages spilled from the Asia Pacific Airlines plane on Wednesday into people's backyards and a lagoon near Majuro International Airport. Majuro airport manager Art Coburn said the plane banked seconds after takeoff and a trail of mail floated from the door."

December 22, 2005 -- This Day has noted that "The postal sector is one of the core infrastructure sectors of the economy. Improved efficiency and customer responsiveness in this sector has the potential to stimulate growth, to promote globalization and to facilitate the rise of e-commerce. Across the organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) of which Nigeria is a member, traditional state owned and regulated public utility industries have been transformed by reforms, which have fundamentally changed the way these industries are regulated. The former reliance on State control and regulation has given way to greater reliance on competition and market forces, which has lead to greater focus on efficiency, innovation and meeting the needs of consumers."

December 22, 2005 -- From Business Wire: "Research and Markets (http://www.researchand markets.com/reports/c30021) has announced the addition of Courier & Express Services Market Report 2005 to their offering. In 2004, the value of the UK courier and express services market increased by 2.6% to GBP 14.4bn. The national post sector lagged behind the rest of the market, with growth of 2.1%, and the strongest growth was seen in the other courier and express services sector, with a 3.5% increase. The market covered in this report is the UK market for courier and express services, defined as the business sector that supplies the need for rapid collection and delivery of documents and packages, including the national post. Items covered by this definition include mail, parcels and other items with a high value-to-weight ratio and a time-sensitive delivery requirement."

December 22, 2005 -- A sia Pulse has reported that "Postal service PT Pos Indonesia, telephone cellular operator PT Telkomsel and PT Gapura Angkasa have engaged in strategic cooperation in fulfilling their respective commitment to guarantee the quality of their public service, comprising the telecommunications service, the postal service and the cargo transport service. Cooperation between PT Pos Indonesia and Gapura Angkasa is focused on the sending of highly valuable goods by aircraft so as to expedite the transport of goods in various areas, which is required to support the acceleration of national development, according to information from PT Pos. PT Pos Indonesia and PT Telkomsel have agreed to cooperate in the provision of the warehousing service for equipment to be used in the construction of Telkomsel infrastructures, especially in the locations of the assets of PT Pos throughout Indonesia. Cooperation between PT Pos and Telkomsel also includes the provision of service applying the cellular network by giving auto-refill service to Telkomsel's customers and allowing bank transactions through all post offices."

December 22, 2005 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "DHL, the express and logistics subsidiary of DPWN, has acquired Czech based express company PPL CZ. Based in Prague, PPL is the leading private player in the Czech domestic express parcel market, serving customers mainly from the IT, pharmaceutical and electronic industries. PPL operates more than 450 vans and 11 depots across the Czech Republic."

December 22, 2005 -- The BBC has reported that "The postal services watchdog has urged the Royal Mail to introduce tighter controls after a postman was convicted of stealing chequebooks in a £20m scam. Postwatch wants the firm to shore up its recruitment, vetting and training procedures among all staff coming into contact with post."

December 21, 2005 -- Traffic World has reported that:

• FedEx Corp., saying its business surged along all its major service lines, saw profits jump 33 percent to $471 million in its fiscal quarter ending Nov. 30 and forecast gains ahead under what the company called a strong shipping economy.
• FedEx says it handled a one-day record 8.9 million express and parcel shipments on Monday, and that 1.1 million shipment orders came through the Internet. The National Retail Federation said this week that more than half the country's online retailers this month reported growth of greater than 20 percent over last year.

December 21, 2005 -- Xinhua has published "Figures of First National Economic Survey: income, profits of enterprises in transport, storage, postal service sector."

December 21, 2005 -- The Register has reported that "Belgian daily De Tijd is to be distributed electronically in what is claimed to be the first complete solution for portable electronic reading and writing. Available from April 2006, the Iliad platform allows for customised versions of an electronic reader that can be created for special markets. Tomorrow's paper will be digital."

December 21, 2005 -- CNET News has reported that "Time Warner on Wednesday said it has named former HBO chief Jeffrey Bewkes its new president and chief operating officer. At the same time, the company announced that Don Logan, chairman of Time Warner's Media & Communications Group, which oversees America Online and the company's publishing and cable ventures, would be retiring at the end of the year."

December 21, 2005 -- The European Commission has approved, under the EC Treaty rules on state aid, the transfer of the banking and financial business of the French Post Office (La Poste) to its subsidiary, Banque Postale. Following a thorough analysis, the Commission has found that the operation as such will not confer an economic advantage on Banque Postale. The French authorities have entered into commitments ensuring this outcome. The associated issues, not directly linked to the transfer, such as the special right to distribute the "livret A" (a tax-free savings account for which La Poste has enjoyed a special distribution right since 1881), the unlimited state guarantee granted to La Poste and the welfare schemes for La Poste employees reassigned to Banque Postale, will be examined separately.

December 21, 2005 -- The Postal Service has distributed a 2006 PostalOne! rate case implementation document to help mailers prepare for the upcoming rate change.

December 21, 2005 -- The Olympian has reported that "A story praising the productivity of a Tumwater mail processing plant has been withheld from publication because it could have undermined the U.S. Postal Service's efforts to transfer mail cancellation services to Tacoma, a union official charged Tuesday. Clint Burelson, president of the American Postal Workers Union's Olympia local, said the Postal Service had planned to run a story in an employee publication in December on productivity levels at the Tumwater plant, according to a hard copy of an e-mail Burelson received during the weekend."

December 21, 2005 -- Eyefortransport has reported:

As London prepares to double the city's congestion charging zone by extending it westwards in 2007, Tom Bell, managing director of TNT Express Services UK & Ireland, argues that businesses will suffer an intolerable financial burden unless such schemes are standardised.
As the world's trade ministers meet in Hong Kong this week for the WTO's sixth Ministerial Conference, FedEx Corp is pushing for negotiators to conclude the Doha Round successfully in 2006, as scheduled.

December 21, 2005 -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has launched a new web site call Fe dEx Watch. Teamsters vice president and parcel division director Ken Hall told his members that "The Teamsters support the FedEx Express workers who have found themselves with no other way to address the discrimination by FedEx but through the class-action lawsuit now before the U.S. District Court for Northern California. FedEx is making promises to its customers this holiday season. But according to the hard working FedEx employees in this lawsuit, FedEx daily breaks its promise to its African-American and Latino workers who work hard all year for lower pay, work under insults and racist comments and work to get ahead but are denied opportunity."

December 21, 2005 -- As Forbes has noted, "At many points along the way, logistics and the supply chain are still encumbered by paper documents. Now, IBM's Global Logistics, after looking at their trading system, has decided to take on this paper trail with all its complexities and inefficiencies."

December 21, 2005 -- The Sioux City Journal has reported that "Carol Boellstorff, a member of the American Postal Workers Union Local 186, pickets in front of Sioux City's Main Post Office on Tuesday. "I'm out here because I serve Siouxland for the United States Postal Service, and I think it's important to keep our postmark and to keep our community's identity," Boellstorff said. Sioux City postal workers delivered a message along with the mail on Tuesday. Members of the American Postal Workers Union Local 186 picketed in front of the Main Post Office in an effort to preserve Sioux City's postmark."

December 21, 2005 -- According to the San Francisco Chronicle, "So far, e-commerce shoppers have spent 16 percent more during the first six weeks of the holiday season in comparison to last year, tallying $18.6 billion in online sales, according to a report by Goldman, Sachs & Co. A Jupiter Research study predicted that online shopping in November and December would increase 18 percent over last year and eventually hit $26 billion. In virtually every sale, the work of shipping the goods falls to UPS, FedEx and other delivery companies, many of which have added thousands of workers and ramped up their operations to handle the growth. Both UPS, which delivers about 60 percent of the Internet purchases, and FedEx have surpassed internal holiday goals due mostly to the rise of e-commerce."

December 21, 2005 -- RTE Business has noted that "Dublin-based ChangingWorlds has been selected as a finalist in the 2005 DHL Export Awards. The awards recognise Irish small and medium sized enterprises who demonstrate excellence in their exporting efforts."

December 21, 2005 -- The Bohol Chronicle has reported that "Two investigators from the office of the postmaster general arrived here yesterday afternoon to dig deeper into the reported mail pilferages."

December 21, 2005 -- Daiji World has reported that "‘Postal Finance Mart' a facility offering all banking solutions under one roof, will be shortly initiated at the Balmatta post office."

December 21, 2005 -- The Times of Malta has noted that "We are meant to feel upbeat about the government's privatisations. They are intended to roll the government back from areas where the private sector can perform better. They will provide the financial resources by which the government could cut the national debt. Not only will privatisation make Malta more efficient; new investment will emerge, thereby generating new jobs. The "privatisation" of the postal service went spectacularly wrong. In double quick time, the Gonzi administration had to acknowledge that the passage to New Zealand ownership and management was a total flop."

December 21, 2005 -- From PR Leap: "BCC Software, a BÖWE BELL + HOWELL Company and a leading developer of high-performance solutions for professional mailers, announces an upcoming addition to BCC's family of TrayMate thermal sack- and tray-tag printers. Among the advantages of the new TrayMate 3 over its predecessor, the original (and now discontinued) TrayMate printer, are improved speed, added barcode functionality, optional accessories, and a more competitive price."

December 21, 2005 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:

The German Association of Courier, Express and Postal Service Providers (BdKEP e.V.) has filed a complaint with the EU commission against Deutsche Post AG's exemption from VAT.
TNT Post has extended its German mail network by means of a further acquisition. On Monday, a TNT spokesperson announced that the Stuttgart-based MailXpress (2004 turnover: 0.7m euros) had been taken over.
According to the German government's monopoly committee, the aim of creating a both fair and functional competitive situation as laid down in the Postal Act has still not been fulfilled. In the eyes of the committee, abolition of the exclusive license must take first priority.
Schweizerische Post and the regulator PostReg have settled their differences on the subject of universal service costs. In future, the post will show its profit in a more transparent way.
Austria's Osterreichische Post AG has reported in increase in both turnover and profit for the first nine months of the current financial year. Despite these figures, Austrians are likely to be facing an increase in postage rates. [Sounds like they've learned something from the USPS.]
The Spanish government wishes to speed up postal market liberalisation and reduce the dominance of Correos y Telëgrafos and is now acting as a role model in this context.
The French parcel service Exapaq (2004 turnover: 192m euros) appears to have become the acquisition target of both La Poste (France) and Royal Mail (Britain).
Due to Deutsche Post's persistent problems in the express segment, the company is forced to carry out a considerable downward adjustment of its profit expectations for the segment.
Continuous losses have caused Osterreichische Post to decide to wind up its Slovenian parcel service Yellogistics. Instead, the post intends to develop the Slovenian market via a joint venture with TNT. The post has reconfirmed its expansion plans, including Bulgaria, Romania and the Czech Republic.
Experts unanimously consider RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) a good and expedient consignment tracking and tracing tool for special uses. TNT has recently produced another example to prove its value: last week the integrator presented a new system developed on behalf of a worldwide manufacturer of medical diagnostic products, in which transponders control the set and constant temperature of the consignment. TNT had already employed the technology for the controlling of a computer manufacturer's supply chain.
Karl Kern, Schweizerische Post board member with responsibility for the branch network, has handed in his resignation.
TNT has appointed Henk van Dalen to succeed Jan Haars as financial director.
Helen Weir has joined the board of Royal Mail from the banking world. The post further announced the creation of a new position on the board: Stephen Agar, currently Royal Mail's Regulatory Affairs Director, has been appointed Director of Wholesales, dealing with letters which are collected and sorted by Royal Mail's competitors before being handed to Royal Mail for final mile delivery.

The MRU, founded in 1992, is the only consultancy in Europe, which has specialised in the market of courier-, express- and parcel services. For large-scale shippers and CEP-services in particular, the MRU provides interdisciplinary advice for all major questions of the market, as there are for example market entry, product design, organisation, and EDP.To learn more about the stories reported above, contact CEP News.

December 21, 2005 -- From the Federal Register: "The U.S. Postal Service has published a final rule that changes preparation requirements for bundles of Periodicals, Standard Mail, and Package Services flat-size mail or irregular parcels on pallets. The rule gives the conditions under which mailers must prepare an area distribution center, bulk mail center/ auxiliary service facility, or sectional center facility pallet with 250 or more pounds of bundles. Effective Date: May 11, 2006."

December 21, 2005 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that:

DHL will be the exclusive domestic express carrier for electronic payment technology provider Encore Payment Systems.
DPWN has appointed John Allan to the company's Management Board. Allan will be in charge of the Group's enlarged logistics business following the acquisition of Exel.

December 21, 2005 -- As Business Week has noted, "Companies' financial obligations to retiring workers -- in the form of pensions -- have come into the spotlight recently. And despite concern that the pension plans of many companies suffer from underfunding, Americans can take some comfort in the fact that pension funding is regulated by the government and financial accounting oversight bodies. But another, lesser-known obligation may pose an even bigger problem for Corporate America -- funding shortfalls for post-retirement health plans."

December 21, 2005 -- The U.S. Postal Service has filed with the Postal Rate Commission its First Semiannual Data Collection Report on Repositionable Notes. The data show that RPNs were used on 867 mailings, representing a volume of 40,861,329 pieces, and a total revenue of $574,015. To put this into some perspective, the U.S. Postal Service is a $70 billion organization.

December 21, 2005 -- According to the Institute for Research On the Economics of Taxation (IRET), "In 2005, the Postal Service asked the Postal Rate Commission (PRC), the independent federal agency that regulates postal rates, to approve a rate increase. The PRC held hearings and several months later gave the Postal Service most of what it sought. With only a few exceptions, the rate hike will be approximately across the board and roughly 5.4% for most Postal Service products. The price of a first-class stamp will rise from 37¢ to 39¢. There are positive aspects to the rate case but also negative ones. The increase is relatively modest, about half the size of general price inflation since 2002, when postal rates last rose. Since the early 1970s, postal rate increases have closely matched the inflation rate. On the other hand, postal rates may soon begin rising more quickly. The Postal Service is already gearing up for the next rate case, which is expected to be a major one, and will probably submit its request in 2006."

December 21, 2005 -- According to KTIV-TV News, "Sioux City's post mark may soon disappear, and several postal workers could be forced to move out of Sioux City."

December 21, 2005 -- As News 8 Austin has noted, "Some companies will mail unsolicited goods to consumers with the intent of generating more business. Federal law prohibits mailing unsolicited goods, except "free samples" or goods sent by a charity soliciting donations. Accordingly, if you receive unsolicited merchandise, you may treat it as a gift and the company sending the item cannot bill you, regardless of its value."

December 21, 2005 -- Canadian Transportation & Logisitcs has reported that "FKI Logistex® has announced the appointment of Wes Goode, Jr. to the position of vice president, airport systems, in the company's North American Airport, Post and Parcel division. A material handling industry veteran, Goode worked for the United States Postal Service (USPS) in various technical and management capacities from 1988 until moving to FKI Logistex. Most recently, Goode directed multiple strategic initiatives to re-engineer distribution and delivery systems at the USPS, and led the implementation of multiple automation, operational and logistics projects."

December 21, 2005 -- The Irish Examiner has reported that "The cost of posting a letter will remain at 48 cent, but the price for mailing a parcel is set to more than double." See also the Sunday Business Post.

December 21, 2005 -- The Louisville Courier-Journal has reported that "In final preparation for what their union paints as a showdown next week with UPS, pilots picketed yesterday outside the UPS Store on East Broadway. A dozen uniformed pilots representing the Independent Pilots Association took part in the informational picket, and IPA President Tom Nicholson warned that the union would ask to be released from federally mediated negotiations Friday if UPS "does not come to the table and produce a contract that we can ratify." See also the Appleton Post-Crescent.

December 21, 2005 -- The Scotsman has reported that "Bulk mail users who have received poor service from Royal Mail are in line for new compensation payments following a High Court ruling yesterday. In a victory for the postal service's business customers, Postwatch, also known as the Consumer Council for Postal Services, won a legal challenge against Postcomm, the UK regulatory body." Wow! This would be a great policy for the U.S. too! Unfortunately, you first have to have standards of performance and systems to measure performance against standards before you can determine the quality of mail service rendered. At present, for most "bulk mail," the U.S. Postal Service has neither.

December 21, 2005 -- Financial Times Deutschland has reported that "TNT, the Dutch postal service operator, is planning to take over Mailxpress, a postal company operating in Stuttgart, Germany. Mailxpress currently serves 120 business customers in the Stuttgart area and employs just under 110 staff."

December 21, 2005 -- The Kuwait News Agency has reported that "Postal officials from GCC states will hold a meeting here on Wednesday to discuss several issues including the impact of liberating global commerce on postal services in Gulf countries. Chairman of Qatar's public institution for postal services, Mohammed Al-Ali said in a press statement that the two-day meeting would also discuss quality control and standardization of postal services in GCC states."

December 20, 2005 -- Firstlog ic, Inc., a global provider of commercial mail and data quality software solutions, earlier this week released upgrades of Firstlogic's PAVE™ certified commercial mail software systems that fully support USPS postal rate and statement changes scheduled to take effect Jan. 8, 2006. Available via e-fulfillment or direct ship, Firstlogic's software is delivered early to provide mail houses, direct marketers and printers adequate time to install and test the software's support of the new postal rates, and allowing commercial mailers the benefit of advising their clients how the postal rates will impact their business and budgets."

December 20, 2005 -- As the Gloucester County Times has noted, "Instant communication available through e-mail, text messaging and cell phones may be the quickest method of sending holiday greetings this time of year, but for many the preferred method is still the way of the snail."

December 20, 2005 -- The Associated Press has reported that "Denmark's national postal service, Post Danmark A/S, won EU regulatory approval Tuesday for its plans to buy a 49 percent stake in Belgium's La Poste-De Post. Post Danmark and its minority shareholder CVC Capital Partners are paying the Belgian state euro300 million (US$361 million) and will help modernize the service." See also Brussels Review.

December 20, 2005 -- Bloomberg has reported that:

Deutsche Postbank AG, Germany's biggest consumer lender by clients, agreed to pay 986 million euros ($1.18 billion) to its parent Deutsche Post AG for taking over management of 850 branches in a bid to boost earnings.
Prime Minister Tony Blair's government should help meet the 4 billion pound ($7.1 billion) pension-fund deficit of Royal Mail Group Plc, the state-owned postal service, a committee of lawmakers said. Royal Mail delivers 82 million letters and packages a day and is planning to increase prices to raise about 2 billion pounds. That money is needed to cover part of the pension liabilities and to buy more efficient sorting equipment as the government opens the postal market to competition Jan. 1.

December 20, 2005 -- The National Association of Major Mail Users (NAMMU) is building on the positive momentum of the 2004 ground-breaking report: Canada Post and The Mailing Industry: Shaping The New Business Model, with its IMPACT 2006 report and resultant practical initiatives. The Canadian mailing industry by many accounts is increasingly marginalized by the strategic and practical initiatives of its largest supplier, Canada Post Corporation. NAMMU is focusing attention and awareness on three key business drivers: the rate setting process, incentives and cost accountability; meaningful consultation and win-win impact; fair business practices. The IMPACT 2006: Gateway to Positive Change forum held in August 2005 surfaced practical issues and initiatives that can have an immediate and positive impact for the mailing industry and Canada Post. One important factor identified was the rising cost of interface with Canada Post particularly with the reduction of incentives. The industry churn created by the introduction of credit authorization in September emphasized the need to address this rapidly growing interface cost immediately, and induction issues were selected as the first priority to examine.

December 20, 2005 -- According to the K night-Ridder news service, "FedEx, UPS, DHL and the post office have all lined up to get a piece of the holiday pie."

December 20, 2005 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that:

The latest installment of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations has concluded in Hong Kong. However after six days of at times acrimonious talks, many analysts have dismissed the resulting trade deal as purely symbolic and doing little to move the process on.
DHL's Saudi Arabian subsidiary SNAS/DHL has won a contract with the National Commercial Bank (NCB). SNAS/DHL's express and logistics services will support the operations of all the bank's branches.

December 20, 2005 -- The Guardian has reported that "The postal regulator Postcomm's decision to open the postal market to full competition from the beginning of next month is today criticised as "untimely" by a committee of MPs. In a report published today on Royal Mail after liberalisation of the market, the trade and industry committee warns that Royal Mail "has been asked to prepare for competition at a time of great commercial uncertainty". MPs say that at a time when Postcomm is reviewing the price that Royal Mail can charge for its regulated services, the company is facing "huge challenges in addressing its pensions deficit and investment needs". See also the Daily Mail.

December 20, 2005 -- From the Business Wire, "Smart Document Solutions (SDS), the world's largest healthcare document processor, has partnered with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to provide enhanced tracking and reporting for medical records processed for requesters. SDS is introducing this enhanced level of visibility at no charge to its member-clients through its proprietary tracking software, eSmartLog. SDS can now track each request further using the newly released USPS Confirm(R) Delivery Notification (Confirm). This system provides SDS with near real-time tracking information on release-of-information requests being processed and sent through First-Class Mail(R). The new system provides tracking throughout the nationwide network of local postal sorting offices equipped with the Confirm scanning technology."

December 20, 2005 -- The Fina ncial Times has reported that "Helen Weir, finance director of Lloyds TSB, is joining the board of Royal Mail as the state-owned postal service looks to raise £2bn through a share issue to employees."

December 19, 2005 -- Here's one perspective on the NAFTA case involing Canada Post and UPS:

"If Canada Post wants to act like a courier company, it should play by the same rules that apply to other courier companies.

"The traditional argument for a state-run monopoly mail delivery service rests on the necessity of universal service, even where it is unprofitable. But there is no similar argument to support state involvement in profitable express or courier services. Nonetheless, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers insists that Canada Post needs the revenue from express and courier services to pay for its universal mail delivery. This is something like a government saying it needs to sell fancy bottled water to pay for water- treatment facilities and pipes. if mail is a necessary public service, governments should pay for it out of user fees and tax revenue.

"If Canada Post insists on competing with private courier companies, it should not use its privileged Crown corporation status as a means of seeking advantage in the marketplace. It is not in the public interest to undercut viable private-sector businesses. The courier UPS is challenging Canada Post under the rules of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The company is seeking compensation, arguing that Canada Post has an unfair advantage because it can piggy-back its courier service on its mail network, including its sorting facilities and outlets.

"NAFTA critics argue that international free-trade agreements shouldn't dictate the terms of Canada's public services. They're right. But overnight delivery of last-minute Christmas gifts isn't a public service."

December 19, 2005 -- The Envelope Manufacturers Association's Global Envelope Alliance (GEA) has released a report entitled, "Changes in the Global Paper Industry: An Assessment of Brazil, Russia, India, and China." This report examines top level trends and makes some assessments on how the downstream converting industry would be impacted by movements in production capabilities out of developed nations and into developing nations. The Global Envelope Alliance produced this report in response to comments raised concerning the impact of paper technology and manufacturing developments in Brazil, Russia, India, and China on the envelope manufacturing industry. This report is free to all GEA members and is available to purchase to EMA members for $100 and to non-EMA members for $300. To obtain a copy of this report, please contact Kim Moses by email or call +1 703-739-2200.

December 19, 2005 -- The Washington Post has reported that "A request by the U.S. Postal Service for a Medicare prescription drug subsidy, projected to save postal customers at least $250 million annually, has been denied by the Bush administration. Officials decided that the Postal Service will not be allowed to receive a subsidy because it participates in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, which is not taking the subsidy."

December 19, 2005 -- The Arizona Republic has reported that "There's little rain, sleet or snow. But more postal carriers in the Valley must now deal with the gloom of night. Some Valley residents, from Avondale to Mesa, are getting their government checks, medical bills and personal letters late, if they receive them at all. The mail backlog is severe enough that letter carriers in some parts of the Valley are delivering until midnight, prompting an outcry from residents and the workers' union representatives who say they are spread too thin."

December 19, 2005 -- According to the Oshkosh Northwestern, "Our U.S. Postal Service has that ages old reputation for never letting bad weather get in the way of delivering the mail. This year, the Oshkosh postal workers have definitely been noticed in their outstanding efforts to set a new theme to the meaning of "holiday cheer." Postal workers have been making parcel deliveries on Sundays, much to the delight of local residents. We're sure this also reduces weekday pressure on postal carriers to focus more on letter delivery. The added extra touch of dishes of cookies available at the post office have made those long lines seem a lot shorter this year. To everyone at the postal service who participated in these extra efforts of good service, you deserve a Winnebago Well Done for you have done your community proud!"

December 19, 2005 -- CentralOhio.com has reported that "Postal unions are concerned a new survey could result in future delays in delivery service for county residents. Gerald Corns, president of the local 535 American Postal Workers Union, said he fears changes in how Zanesville mail is sorted could slow down daily delivery times and eliminate one-day deliveries within city limits. Coshocton mail, which is already sorted in Zanesville, could now be sent on an even longer journey to Columbus for sorting."

December 19, 2005 -- Transp ort Intelligence has rpeorted that "DHL has signed a long term partnership agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). It is hoped that the partnership will enable aid to be delivered more quickly to remote disaster areas immediately following a catastrophe."

December 19, 2005 -- According to the Canberra Times, "Australia Post has found no explanation for the loss of a 13-album Beatles collection posted from the Kaleen Post Office on July 25. Neither can Australia Post staff explain why the article was not scanned into its computerised system. The registered parcel was not delivered to the required address and Australia Post refused to fully compensate the woman who sent the records."

December 19, 2005 -- Cities.Expre ssIndia has reported that "All India Postal Employees Union today held a meeting at Central Postal Office under the presidentship of Pradeep Kumar Sharma, Circle President. After discussing the problems of the postal employees, the union leaders warned the government that if their demands were not fulfilled they would go on indefinite strike in the month of February."

December 18, 2005 -- According to ChallengerNKY.com, "The share of the nation's workforce represented by union members has declined steadily since it hit 20.1 percent in 1983, the first year federal tracking data became available. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) figures-compiled from monthly surveys of 60,000 households-show union membership nationwide had fallen to 12.5 percent in 2004. 36.4 percent of public-sector employees nationwide were union members in 2004, compared to 7.9 percent of private-sector employees. In 2003, union members accounted for 37.2 percent of public-sector employees and 8.2 percent of private-sector employees." Not surprisingly, the largest number of public union members in Kentucky were postal employees.

December 18, 2005 -- We bIndia123 has reported that "Moving at a bristling pace, India Post set up several overseas projects including four post offices in Maldives and stepped up competition at home by initiating several new schemes for its sizeable customer base at home."

December 18, 2005 -- Taiwan News has noted that "Christmas is just around the corner, and it is time once again to fulfill one of our family's traditions - sending Christmas cards by post or what is now called "snail" mail. Sending postal mail to the Philippines is quite a "nightmare."

December 18, 2005 -- According to The Scotsman, "Royal Mail is expecting a boost to its bottom line following a sharp rise in the number of parcels it is handling from internet retailers such as Amazon and eBay. The new business is expected to be worth several million pounds in revenue for Royal Mail, which has undergone major restructuring and sacked more than 30,000 staff in the last three years."

December 18, 2005 -- The Bohol Chronicle has reported that "the lousy postal service just ordered the right man to rectify the inefficiency and odorous malevolence that is