Kiruba Shankar
11/2/99
Recently approved by the US. Postal Service, Stamps.com and E-stamp.com are the new, easy, convenient, and cost-effective ways to send mail. An increasing number of small-business owners, unable to afford the high cost of postage meters, are giving online postage a stamp of approval. For them, it means saving money and time. In addition, this self-service method is available 24 hours a day.
While this method has already started functioning in the USA, it would take some time to come to India. But with India keeping abreast with the latest Internet technologies, Electronic stamps may come to India sooner than we think. Lets take a look at the technology and the advantages of Electronic stamps.
What do I need?
If you have a PC, a laser or ink-jet printer, and an Internet
connection, you can enjoy unlimited access to postage from your
desktop 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - every day!
How do E-Stamps work?
There are two main players in the electronic stamps space. One is
stamps.com which uses only software and the other E-stamp.com,
which uses a combination of software and hardware. In this
article let's take a look like at the second player, E-Stamp.com.
E-Stamp Internet Postage consists of software and a small, but highly secure device - about the size of a roll of stamps -- that sits on the back of your PC. Its called an electronic vault, because that's where your postage money is stored. Buying postage is easy and convenient. You just connect to e-stamp.com, buy postage via electronic funds transfer from your bank account or credit card and then download your postage (up to $500) into the electronic vault.
And this is where E-Stamp delivers a big benefit. Because of the electronic vault, you don't have to connect to the Internet each time you need a stamp. The postage is stored right on your PC, ready to be used. So you can log off the Internet and use your phone line for other things, like faxing and running your business. This is what makes E-Stamp so easy and convenient to use.
What are the advantages of using Electronic stamps ?
1) Conveniently Print postage using your existing PC and
laser or inkjet printer.
In all probability , you already possess all the hardware you
need to use the stamps.com service. A PC, Inkjet or a Laser
printer and an Internet connection. That's it. If you are using
the E-Stamp.com service, you only need to buy an extra hardware
called 'Electonic Vault', something like you printer cable pin.
2) Convenient Mail Delivery Options.
You get three different options. First Class mail ( 3 days ),
Priority Mail ( 2 Days ) and Express ( overnight delivery ). You
also get the regular benefits like delivery confirmation,
certified mail and return-receipt.
3) Ship and track packages from your home or office .
Just print the postage stamps , fill out a form drop it in your
nearest mailbox. It's that easy. You can even track Express Mail
packages using the Internet and confirm delivery with Priority
Mail packages.
4) Have stamps 24 hours a day.
You can have the electronic stamps anytime of the day, any day of
the year . Use your credit card to buy a little or a lot. You'll
never run out of postage again..
5 ) Ensure the highest levels of security and privacy.
The Electronic Stamp system meets the US federal government's
most stringent computer security standards. In fact, the US
Postal System has tested the system for almost 3 years. It's
safer than online banking. Additionally, your address books and
mailing logs are stored locally on your PC and are only
accessible by you.
6) A cost-effective solution relative to traditional meters
Stamps.com service fees are a fraction of traditional postage
meter costs. No long-term leases, no hardware rental costs .
Calculate exact postage every time with our postage calculator
and integrated digital scale.
7) Online Address Correction.
Minimize money lost on mail sent to incorrect addresses with
online address correction. Enjoy the convenience of Internet
Postage without the costs of a meter.
8) Produce professional looking mails.
Produce high quality, professional looking mail. You can even add
your business logo or message to any envelope you print.
9) Perform easy and efficient high-volume mailings.
By using electronic stamps, it's easy and convenient for you to
perform high-volume mailing. Select groups of addresses and
rapidly print them out on sheets of labels or using an envelope
feeder. Whether you're sending out marketing brochures, invoices,
holiday cards or wedding invitations, electronic stamps meets all
your needs.
ŠAnkur Jain 1999