(Internet + Post = ePost)
By: Prashant H. Pandya

There is no branch of the Public Service that comes into such close contact with the people as the Post Office. Though Postal Service is accepted as a routine convenience, the posting and receiving of letters has now become old fashioned for those who are trapped in World Wide Web. The advent of Internet has changed the way in which we communicate.

"Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est. - Knowledge itself is power." - F. Bacon. If Bacon's observation is true, then the Internet's vast growing web of knowledge is a tremendously powerful resource, and computers are rapidly becoming the power brokers of our future. The first step on the Information Highway is an e-mail. As you know e-mail, is an electronic typewritten form of letter writing, that can be transmitted anywhere in the world, to single or multiple other email addresses, in seconds, and at a cost of pennies. It is a unique and powerful form of communication that is growing rapidly, and has several valuable features.

Are you too lazy to write a real letter? Got friends and relatives who are not online? Well you can get in touch with them cheaply and easily now...". Knowledge and economics have combined to break the old traditional postal system. Go to Letterpost.com, type a letter (don't get nervous; it seems just like E-mail), and the kind folks at the other end will print it out, put it in an envelope and plop it in a mailbox. Simple. Donal O'Mahony, a computer scientist, dreamed up the idea on sabbatical from Trinity College in Dublin who is now a visiting scholar at Stanford University. Anshe Limited, the e-commerce division of a Postal Solutions Company based in Dublin, Ireland launched Letterpost (www.letterpost.com) in February 1999. The company has developed secure e-commerce architecture and a set of products for deploying postal solutions on the World Wide Web. It's a service that allows you to send letters anywhere around the world simply by filling out a page on the World Wide Web. It allows you the same ease of communication that you are used to with email, but lets you reach everyone - even people who don't have access to email. Inventor of e-mail, "Ray Tomlinson" would have never thought of delivering email at doorstep just like a snail mail.

The efforts for making the Indian postal services 'techno-savvy' began in the early 90s. Now Indian Postal department has also launched a major innovative system of bridging "email" and "snail mail". "ePost" combines modern Internet technologies and the conventional postal system so that you can send messages straight from your desktop to a recipient who doesn't have email. This pilot project has been launched by India Post as a joint venture with M/s Nettlinx Ltd., Hyderabad. A pilot project of ePost has been launched in four postal circles viz. Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala and Maharashtra including Goa. Based on the experience this would be extended to the rest of the Country.

Individuals who own Internet and wish to use ePost can register themselves online. Free registration is available at the web site www.indianpostoffice.net. The user will get an unique ePost id (eg. user@indianpostoffice.net). From this account user can send and receive email free of cost like any other email accounts. However using ePost is chargeable and user has to make pre payment for the same. Those who do not have Internet connections can hand over their messages at e-post Centre for transmission to the addressee served by the designated ePost Centre. Messages handed over at the ePost Centre addressed to email addresses may also be sent by the ePost Centre. Messages can also be scanned and despatched.

Every ePost Centre in five states is given an email id. This id is based on the Pin Code of that post office. The e-mail ID for each delivery post office is epost(Pin)@indianpostoffice.net. Thus email ID of Fateganj, Vadodara 390002 is epost390002@indianpostoffice.net. Similarly that of Mumbai GPO is epost400001@indianpostoffice.net.

Like snail mail, the ePost messages should be addressed following the prescribed Pin Code number. However it will be transmitted to the ID of the ePost Centre under whose jurisdiction PIN Code of the delivery offices has been placed. For example message for T. B. Sanatorium S.O., Vadodara 390021 will be transmitted to the ePost ID of Fateganj H.O. 390 002 at epost390002@indianpostoffice.net. At identified ePost Centres the mails are downloaded, printed and sent out for delivery through itself as well as all other delivery sub-offices under its jurisdiction. The messages are printed on A4 size computer stationery and enclosed in specially printed window envelopes. ePost Messages are delivered at the addressed premises as well as through Post Box where P. O. Box is mentioned.

Tariff for ePost is Rs. 10 per page of A4 size for the messages presented at ePost Centre for transmission or for the despatch from any Computer System to ePost Centre. Those who do not have the connectivity to Internet can use this facility at ePost Centres by paying prescribed charges. Those who have Internet connectivity can avail this facility by making prepayment by Credit Card or Pre Paid Cards. Online Credit Card payment facility is available at the site www.indianpostoffice.net. Credit Card payments must be in multiples of Rs 50/- with a least amount of Rs 250. This transaction will attract a surcharge of 6%. Pre Paid Cards are available at all districts Head Quarters/Head Post Offices throughout the country in the denominations of Rs. 250, Rs. 500, Rs. 2000, Rs. 5000 and Rs. 10,000. Pre Paid Cards contains secret Code number, which is to be entered on the web site for getting the credit of said amount. A minimum payment of Rs. 250 is to be made. For getting your account credited you have to go to the web site www.indianpostoffice.net and instruction mentioned on the site are to be followed. Once you have successfully completed your transaction and your account is credited with the specific amount you can start using ePost service of India Post. As and when you use the ePost service the account would be maintained for you and you can know your balance, number of messages sent etc. You can even track the message history including date of printing of message, date of delivery etc.

ePost can be sent to either single or multiple recipients. An Address Book service has been provided for this purpose. To select recipients mark the Check Boxes against each of the recipient and click on send ePost button. All the selected recipients will be displayed in the ePost page. You can also send to single recipients who are not in the address book. You have to type the address details. The Pin codes are automatically displayed based on your choice of location.

The ePost ensures safe, secure and enjoyable experience on the Internet. This is done by means of having Entrust.net's globally accepted 128-bit SSL (SECURE SOCKET LAYER) WEB SERVER CERTIFICATE. A web server certificate enables secure, confidential communication between a browser and a server. It ensures that the data is passed on securely over the web and it reaches unscathed to the appropriate destination that it is meant for, thus ensuring that none of your valuable information is lost or misused.

Indeed, keeping pace with the changing technology and time Indian Post Office has come a longway from the Bullock Cart train carrying mail to ePost service. The adaptability of the Post Office with the modern technology has been remarkable.

"People says letter-writing is a lost art." I am sure it will be found again on the Internet with a launch of ePost. Have a letter writing experience with logging on to www.indianpostoffice.net. This site will enable your PC to replace the postbox and the franking machine and next generation ePost will be at your desktop.

Article by: Prashant H. Pandya

This article is originally published in the Souvenir of "INPEX EMPIREPEX-2001", a National Philatelic Exhbition held at Nashik.