More businesses are angling to turn the delivery of mail and packages into a digital process, Fast Company reported recently.
One company charges customers to receive their mail at a California location, where employees scan each envelope and package and upload the information online. Customers can then decide whether to have the mail opened and scanned, forwarded or trashed.
Other companies are using “cloud” storage systems to digitize business correspondence, personal mail and packaged merchandise.
The article also highlights Real Mail Notification, a USPS service that was tested recently in Northern Virginia and will expand to New York City this fall.
The program emails customers a digital preview of their daily mail, comprised of images taken during the sorting process. Businesses can work with the Postal Service to add interactive options to the email alerts.
Doug Breaker, the chief executive of one of the digitized mailing services, said it’s encouraging to see so many companies moving into this area.
“That’s a sign that this is an important market, where others see opportunity as well,” he said.