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    The Modern Wisdom of Epostmarks

    Entries in EPM (4)

    Tuesday
    24Nov2009

    Epostmarks Launches Postmarked Email

    DateTuesday, November 24, 2009 at 08:00AM

    New Email Service Offers Protection from U.S. Postal Service  

    ROCHESTER, New York - November 24, 2009 - Epostmarks today introduced Postmarked Email, which combines the protection of the U.S. Postal Service® (Postal Service™) with Goodmail’s CertifiedEmail platform. Postmarked Email safeguards email messages using United States Postal Service Electronic Postmark® (USPS EPM®) technology; an auditable time-and-date stamping service that verifies the authenticity of electronically transmitted documents and files. The combination of CertifiedEmail and EPM® provides legally compliant email messaging, and is fully protected by the Postal Service, the most trusted U.S. government agency.  The business benefits also include cost savings, improved green score cards, and increased consumer trust in online communications.

    Nearly 75 percent of all U.S. citizens are now online, making business-related email convenient for most people, especially for transactional messages such as bills, statements, and notifications. Until now, use of email messaging for private and business matters has largely been avoided due to inherent trust problems related to electronic transmission of private or sensitive messages. With the increasing amount of client communications required by federal laws regulating the financial services, telecommunications, and utilities industries, there exists a significant market need for a trusted electronic delivery method.

    “Postmarked Email lets you send email with all the confidence of paper mail” said Jason Curtis, CEO of Epostmarks, Inc. “By combining the legal strength and enforcement of the U.S. Postal Service with Goodmail’s CertifiedEmail platform, a new benchmark for trust has been established in email.”

    Postmarked Email appears with CertifiedEmail’s widely recognized Blue Ribbon icon in a user's email inbox, and allows protected email to display the widely recognized Postal Service™ eagle logo, enabling users to easily identify Postal Service™ protected email. Electronically tampering with USPS EPM® protected email carries a similar penalty to tampering with traditional mail. By extending legal protections and enforcement to email that are commonly found with traditional mail service, Postmarked Email sets the stage for a new era of greater trust in email messages.

    We are very excited to work with Epostmarks who created such an innovative application of the Electronic Postmark with Goodmail Systems,” said Gregory S. Crabb, Inspector in Charge, Revenue Fraud and Cyber Intelligence, U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “With the federal authority and protection of the Postal Service, Postmarked Email will bring a new level of trust to electronic communications, ensuring a safer online experience for U.S. citizens.”

    Email as a business and transactional tool has traditionally lacked trust in the public eye due to phishers and hackers executing highly publicized online fraud. Postmarked Email eliminates fraud by sending a cryptographically secure token that ensures the authenticity of a message. And, the protection of the Postal Service™ adds a greater level of trust enabling a safe, secure method for digital communications. 

    “Consumer concerns around trust and privacy have slowed adoption of email as the primary way that businesses speak to their customers” said Peter Horan, CEO of Goodmail Systems. “But with EPM® technology, Postmarked Email solves these challenges, offering a comprehensive approach to security and trust that will allow businesses to reduce their cost of communications while also strengthening their relationship with their consumers.”

    Postmarked Email is available everywhere Goodmail’s CertifiedEmail is available (via AOL, Comcast, MySpace, Cox, Verizon, Yahoo and others).

    AuthorWebmaster | Comment2 Comments
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    Friday
    30Jan2009

    How did Maryland and Delaware get Ahead of the Curve?

    DateFriday, January 30, 2009 at 02:03PM

    Maryland and Delaware have a lot going for them: legendary boating, lovely beaches, great fishing, and close proximity to the East Coast's major metro areas. These two states have also have taken a lead role in developing a promising corner of the Internet.

    As I've mentioned before on this blog, the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) represents a cornerstone of the "e" economy. UETA led to the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN) and together these laws have expanded across the entire country to create a foundation for e-business to grow upon. 

    Maryland and Delaware have taken the next step in revising UETA to better serve the evolving eCommerce environment. They have both amended their UETA laws to define electronic messages, protected with an EPM, as the equivalent of U.S. Postal mail. Additionally, these amendments apply to any agreement governed by the laws of those states even if the organizations don't reside there.

    This simple concept--supported unanimously by the legislatures in both states--enables those states to take advantage of existing technology, infrastructure, and policy investments in entirely new ways. The technology, deployed years ago by the USPS, just waits for the right application. The infrastructure of U.S. Postal inspectors, retail outlets and brand awareness stand in the same position. From a policy perspective, this single amendment allows thousands of existing laws and regulations--that all reference mail--to apply. Talk about a highly leveraged move of those legislatures.

    So you ask "What if my state hasn't amended the UETA statute?" Never fear my friends. Most laws and regulations don't require the use of mail exclusively, they just explicitly approve of the mail. The EPM usually fulfills requirements of electronic transactions anyway, it just takes a few extra steps like digging into other parts of the regulation or referencing other laws or precedents. I enjoy explicit approval so much more for ease, clarity, and the peace of mind it provides our customers.

    Here's a list from Section 18 of the US Code where the USPS has jurisdiction to enforce protection of the EPM in any state:

    18 U.S.C. - 1028. Fraud and related activity in connection with identification documents and information
    18 U.S.C. - 1029. Fraud and related activity in connection with access devices
    18 U.S.C. - 1030. Fraud and related activity in connection with computers
    18 U.S.C. - 1343. Wire Fraud
    18 U.S.C. - 2701. Unlawful Access to Stored Communications  
    18 U.S.C. - 2510. Definition of "electronic communications"

    Maybe you would expect these policy advances from states known for their nature and leisure...but they seem to have figured out more than just fine living. They've figured how to live fine while keeping an eye on continuing such a lifestyle in the future. Way to go Del Mar.

    AuthorAdam Grossman | Comment1 Comment | Reference2 References
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    Monday
    22Dec2008

    No News Like Good News

    DateMonday, December 22, 2008 at 09:59AM

    While fleeing 8 ½ inches of Rochester snow—which would turn into 15 inches before the storm blew over—I received notice from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) indicating their authorization for the Electronic Postmark (EPM) service to continue. December 19, 2008 will live in the annals of Epostmarks history as major victory and turning point in our development.

    The decision came after a difficult proceeding where a small, albeit vociferous, cadre of time stampers argued that the EPM unfairly competed with their business. By garnering support from industry (including Microsoft, Goodmail, Striata, GovDelivery, and Iconix) and government (including legislators from Delaware and Maryland) we were able to overcome these objections.

    After a full debate spanning nearly a year, the Commission established foundational concepts regarding the EPM which put to rest questions asked of me previously by customers, investors, and others. Firstly, they recognize that within the private sector “[no business] has the trustworthiness associated with the Postal Service’s brand; and none has the law enforcement capabilities”. Additionally, they recognize the strategic benefit of the EPM indicating that it “provides a technological platform that may serve as a foundation for digital applications offering the trust of the Postal Service”. These conclusions from a Federal regulatory body confirm what we already knew—that the role of the USPS brand in the electronic world includes all of the trustworthiness and enforcement capabilities of the physical world.

    PAEA (pronounced "paella"; short for Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act...more) resulted in the legislative branch exerting influence on the future of USPS. With this decision,the executive branch explicitly recognizes the EPM is part of that future and establishes a firm standing for both regulatory and legislative support.

    My team at Epostmarks has spent a number of years positioning ourselves to leverage this decision into a successful enterprise. The USPS now has a clear path to move forward and our commitment to the platform will enable quick action.

    2009 is shaping up to be a great year!

    AuthorAdam Grossman | CommentPost a Comment | Reference1 Reference
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    Thursday
    31Jul2008

    Mmmmm Paella

    DateThursday, July 31, 2008 at 10:21AM

    I recently participated in a docket before the Postal Regulatory Commission to review all non-postal services as directed by the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA pronounced Paella). This post serves as a short backgrounder for anyone interested in finding out what is going on with this docket and how it will impact the USPS and Epostmarks.

    In a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on January 31, 1995, then-Postmaster General Marvin T. Runyon called on the recently elected Republican Congress to enact new laws that would fundamentally change the way the United States Postal Service (USPS) was structured, set postal rates, introduced new services and products, and managed its labor force. "We've got a '70s law that isn't cutting it in the '90s . . . ,” Runyon told his audience. “We need to fix it and fix it now."1

    Dubbed Postal Reform prior to its passage PAEA was 12 years in the making. This law was passed in late 2006 during the lame duck session after a resounding change to democratic control of congress. Many organizations had publicly given up on the possibility that the bill would pass amid attacks from the National Association of Letter Carriers and United Parcel Service.

    So what did PAEA actually do? One thing it didn't change was the core mission of USPS to provide reliable universal service at affordable rates. It was a rather comprehensive overhaul of USPS operations though and provided the following major changes:

    • Established the new Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) that replaced the old Postal Rate Commission. The new PRC has broader regulatory authority
    • Defined Postal and Non-Postal Services for the first time
    • Divided USPS business into market-dominant and competitive products
    • Established new, flexible, and different pricing systems for each of these product groups
    • Replaced break-even financial requirement with one that allows retained earnings (profit)

    One of the requirements of the newly formed PRC was to review all non-postal services and for any service that was in operation prior to January 1, 2006 and determine if the service should continue taking into consideration 1) the public need for the service; and 2) the private sector's ability to meet that public need.

    The Electronic Postmark is considered a non-postal service under the new definition so fell under this review. While I feel confident that the PRC will allow the EPM program to continue there is some push-back from other industry participants that could influence an alternative decision. Epostmarks would suffer a serious blow if the EPM program were discontinued but this provides us an opportunity to discuss publicly why we believe so strongly in the value of USPS in the electronic realm.

    AuthorAdam Grossman | CommentPost a Comment | Reference3 References
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