FRIDAY JULY 15, 2005
NAMMU MEMBERS QUICK TO
RESPOND
With the release of the January
2006 commercial mail rates and specifications, NAMMU members
have been quick to report their continued astonishment at the
lack of mailing industry input to Canada Post’s plans. Chief
amongst the negative feedback points is the “fait accompli” rate
setting process that basically ignores cost accountability, the
value of incentives to volume and profit growth, the role
industry plays in Canada Post’s business success. NAMMU has
implemented an action plan to raise profile and awareness of the
inequities of this rate making process, and present options to
government and Canada Post to profitably involve the mailing
industry in any strategic planning. Read more:
click here.2006 rate package
A
CELEBRATION OF MAIL
The PENTE Corporation will launch
the first wave of promotions for the NAMMU 2005 Mailing Industry
Awards at end July. ( Read more: click here) Bassett Direct is
sponsoring production; Wood & Associates Direct Marketing
Services Ltd. is sponsoring entry processing. The recent release
of the new this year EARLY BIRD Call For Entry form is already
generating response from new and previous entrants. Also new
this year: sub-categories to the 10 major award categories,
providing even more opportunities to enter. The NAMMU Awards
celebrate excellence in the dominant use of the mail channel.
Get ready to strut your stuff. To win, you have to enter!
WWW.NAMMU.ORG Questions:
topten@nammu.org
CANADIANS RELUCTANT TO BUY ONLINE
According to a recently released
Ipsos-Insight survey (Canwest News Service), compared to the
world at 70 per cent, the U.S. at 82 per cent, Canadians lag
behind in Internet purchases at 57 per cent. The results also
demonstrate Canadians lead the world in web banking: compared to
an average of 50 per cent worldwide, 56 per cent of Internet
users in Canada engaged in online banking in 2004. No
explanation was concluded for the differences, however, previous
Canadian surveys have demonstrated Canadians are still not
confident about the security of online purchasing.
NORTH
AMERICAN E-MARKETPLACE
Ottawa has announced an agreement
with Mexico and the United States to work together to strengthen
the reliability of the Internet as a medium for conducting
business across their borders. Canadian Industry Minister, David
Emerson, noted “Electronic commerce is key to economic growth
and international trade for our countries.” The co-operative
venture will focus on dealing with issues such as spam,
electronic authentication and certification, privacy protection,
as well as border practices and procedures. The goal is to
develop a North American online marketplace through increased
transborder e-commerce and digital trade, according to Minister
Emerson. He stated a predictable and secure online environment
will foster the adoption of Internet-based cross-border
commerce.
The announcement was made
at the same time as separate, unrelated surveys were made public
suggesting security concerns, especially identity theft, are
slowing growth in online communications and commerce in Canada
and in other industrial countries.
EPOST
INTEREST SURGES
According to epost President and
CEO, Roger Couldrey, nearly 300,000 Canadians signed up for
Canada Post’s electronic postal payment service in the first
three months of 2005. He credits this surging interest to
epost’s emergence as the dominant player since it acquired its
main competitor, Webdox, in 2004. Couldrey is hoping interest
will snowball this summer as the last of the major financial
institutions integrate their online banking systems with epost,
and word spreads that the number of companies using the service
for billing has reached critical mass. The free service is used
by about 2 million of Canada’s 11 million Internet banking
households. Research cited indicates it takes at least five
electronic bills to interest individuals in subscribing to a
service that allows them to receive and pay bills from any
location where they have online access.
The advantage for billers
is they save money, paying about 40 cents apiece for an
electronic bill vs 70 cents to $2 dollars for “snail mail”,
depending on what’s counted in the cost, according to Couldrey.
Epost has signed up more than 100 companies – many of them major
names – and Couldrey says that translates into seven to 10
pieces of mail the average consumer can receive electronically
each month.
