By Raghav Srikar Sweatcha Suman Sangeetha Shruthi Muttukumari Nagendra kishore

Michael Allocca the president of Ascom Hasler mailing

systems & corporation It is positioned at no. 3 in the U.S market Its competitors are Pitney Bowes, Neopost, Francotyp-Postalia Struggling to improve its position in the wake of technological, market and regulatory changes Core business of the company is telecommunications Various other services are: 1. Carrier access 2. PBX 3. Paging 4. Defense & security systems

 Arthur Pitney and Walter Bowes invented the postage meter in

1920 It is a mechanical device which provides secure storing of fund information, dispensing of postage and printing of indicion envelopes Its a replacement for postage stamps in higher volume mail applications PB is a largest company with market share of 85% Its 3000 patents are acting as entry barriers for other competitors Each year USPS delivers over 100 billion pieces of mail through 38000 post offices to over 130 million delivery points

 Pitney Bowes World Leader in Manufacture and sales of mailing

equipment. In 1998 had total revenue that exceeds $4.2 billion. Revenue from sales and financing of mailing equipment. Related supplies and services and postage meters exceeds $2.7 billion PB number one in office Equipment Industry Group for net operating profit It offers the most compressive product Line including postage Meter Machines, letter folder, inserters, openers, addressing machines and pc based mailing and shipping system No 1 in office equipment 85 % US market share

 Ascom A.G (Ascom) . a $ 52 billion corporation

headquarted in Bern, Switzerland IT Focuses two third of its business in the telecommunication in the areas of carrier access.PBX, paging,defences,securithy systeam and terminals. The Remaining third of its business is in an area is cause Services Automation Which includes .Cash handling systems,Payphone system,Transport review system,and mailing System.

 Neopost based in Paris ,france It is highly technological based company It is the first company to launched electronic postage meter. Products

Letter holders Inserters OEM ing PC-based mail/shipping mgt system Internet Based postage Neopost distribute its product through 22 direct field offices in major markets It has 150 independent dealers

FRANCOTYP-POSTALIA (fp) . It entered the US Market in 1961 It markets its mailling products in 86 countries. FP had taken initiative to built a new modem manufacturing facilities in east Berlin. It launched an extensive new product effort. FP was the first manufacturing to introduce postage meter named Conquest FP entered into strategic partnership with E-stamp.
It has two direct sales offices in the US. It uses the third party to lease its product

 Postage meters were initially mechanical devices which used motor

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

to drive a rotary drum Electronics and availability of microprocessors in1970s brought in key advancements in usage of postage meters which included input, display, calculation and control Mailing machines are used for feeding, ceiling and stacking of mail at various speeds Other peripheral products included Postal scales Folders Inserters Mail openers PC based mail management systems

 Despite huge increase in mail volume there was no change from 100

yrs. In 1969 a self supporting postal corporation came into existence that is USPS (United States Postal Services) In 1993 Marvin Runyon brought in changes which had drastic impact on the postage meter industry Changes by USPS (Decertification Schedule) 1. Placement of new mechanical meters will no longer be allowed 2. Use of mechanical meters for processing mail would have to be removed from service 3. Mechanical meters which can automatically feed, seel and stack mail would have to be removed from service

 USPS regulatory first was a barrier but now encouraged new

entrants and technology 2 new players providing alternatives to postage stamps E- stamp received financing from Microsoft, AT & T and Compaq Stamps.com charge 10% for postage while traditional companies charge 18-25% There business partners include Intel and AOL

 Increase investment in new product development,

manufacturing, marketing and total restructuring of organizations worldwide Partnership with competitors or USPS Usage of funds from the postage business for a new venture Ascom divest from mailing business and concentrate on telecom business