ViaPost innovates with Post Over Internet Protocol

Those who say that traditional mailing will eventually give way to email may need to reassess with the arrival of a new postal system, which instead of trying to battle with the Internet, has actually utilised digital technology to provide quicker, cheaper and more eco-friendly postal mailing.

Merging ‘snail mail’ with online technology is postal distribution company ViaPost. Launched in June 2008, ViaPost describes its service as POIP (Post, as opposed to voice, Over Internet Protocol).

ViaPost works by users downloading ViaPost’s driver. Users write a letter and then ‘print’ to the ViaPost driver, which sorts the mail by postcode. The file is sent digitally to one of ViaPost’s six locations, nearest to the postcode, to be printed and mailed. Royal Mail is responsible for the final delivery.

The system is suitable for companies of all sizes, but especially SME’s that may not have systems in place to manage their print. It is suitable for business mailings, such as letters, invoices and statements, and ViaPost plans to increase this offering to DM and transpromo mailings.

ViaPost can be used by UK businesses or international operations, but post can only be sent to UK addresses. There is no limit to the volume of mail a company can send.

The company has partnered with advertising agency Publicis to help ensure the printing side runs smoothly. ViaPost is also one of Microsoft’s five strategic partners, it says, which helps ensure the software is compatible with Windows XP and Vista. ViaPost’s driver is not compatible with Macs, but Mac users will be able to log into ViaPost’s portal to upload documents.

Simon Campbell, CEO of ViaPost, says: “Around 9% of all mailings start out as an electronic document, so why not keep it electronic for as much of the supply chain as possible, instead of trucking it around the country?”

Keeping the documents electronic for as long as possible can offer a wide range of cost, time, environmental and security benefits, he says.

Using ViaPost is significantly cheaper than companies doing their own printing, as 27p is the standard price of a one-page black and white letter, while one page of colour costs around 35p.

Campbell says: “Our standard price is around 27p for the mailings to be delivered within 48 hours. So we offer a first class service for the cost of a second class stamp.” He adds that Royal Mail states a maximum of three days for first class mail, meaning ViaPost is potentially faster to deliver.

ViaPost offers savings, Campbell says, as its clients save the cost of paper, press maintenance, toner, stationery, franking and the time spent handling this internally. There are also green benefits to be considered, as ViaPost reduces the amount of post travelling around the country.

It currently has six print locations, in Leeds, south London, Bristol, Nottingham and Edinburgh. The company plans to increase the number of locations to around 20, further reducing the distance travelled by its post.

ViaPost’s software automatically checks that the postcodes entered are valid, ensuring that every printed product produced can be delivered, which saves paper and helps customers clean up their databases.

It has also conducted an audit with Carbon Planet, which found ViaPost produces 80% less carbon emissions than other forms of traditional mailings.

Customers can be reassured that their post is safe, as all files are 128 bit SSL encrypted. Unlike traditional mailing methods, customers can also track letters along the supply chain, and as there are less steps in the chain, post is less likely to get lost.

ViaPost may offer all these benefits to users, but it also ensures that it does not compromise quality. Xerox iGen 3 presses are used by all of ViaPost’s print partners and colour standards have also been created by ViaPost, which the print partners must match.

With Ben Way, who has run many companies and was the Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2000 winner, founding ViaPost in 2007, and David Bland, former chairman of PostWatch for the south east of England also on board, Campbell says that the company was able to look at the postal service with fresh eyes and spend time researching how the system could be improved.

Despite only launching recently, ViaPost is already looking at ways to further improve the service for its customers. Campbell says it plans to increase the mailing format available, as currently all mailing must be A4 size, in a C5 envelope and a maximum of eight pages. It also aims to print and deliver international mail.


• www.viapost.com