Online post office
Encyclopedia
An online post office is a commercial mail receiving agency
that implements the concept of hybrid mail
, enabling conventional mail
to become electronic, or electronic correspondence to be printed and mailed at a remote location. As paper correspondence becomes inconvenient for businesses that are evolving to maintain a paperless office
, services have emerged to outsource the task of scanning snail mail
as it arrives. Some online post offices will scan envelopes for subscribing customers, and offer handling options (E.g. whether to scan the contents, store, or shred them). Some providers will systematically scan and make the contents immediately available.
In contrast, L-Mail is designed for senders, enabling mail to go from an electronic form to conventional mail. Some online post offices will offer a send feature as a companion service. Sending mail electronically and having it printed close to the delivery point shortens the time it takes the correspondence to reach the recipient.
Commercial mail receiving agency
A commercial mail receiving agency , also known as a mail drop, typically operates as a Private Mail Box Operator.A customer of a CMRA can receive mail and other deliveries at the street address of the CMRA rather than the customer's own street address...
that implements the concept of hybrid mail
Hybrid mail
Hybrid mail is mail that is delivered using a combination of electronic and physical delivery. Usually, it involves digital data being transformed into physical letter items at distributed print centres located as close as possible to the final delivery addresses...
, enabling conventional mail
Mail
Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...
to become electronic, or electronic correspondence to be printed and mailed at a remote location. As paper correspondence becomes inconvenient for businesses that are evolving to maintain a paperless office
Paperless office
A paperless office is a work environment in which the use of paper is eliminated or greatly reduced. This is done by converting documents and other papers into digital form. Proponents claim that "going paperless" can save money, boost productivity, save space, make documentation and information...
, services have emerged to outsource the task of scanning snail mail
Snail mail
Snail mail or smail is a dysphemistic retronym—named after the snail with its slow speed—used to refer to letters and missives carried by conventional postal delivery services. The phrase refers to the lag-time between dispatch of a letter and its receipt, versus the virtually instantaneous...
as it arrives. Some online post offices will scan envelopes for subscribing customers, and offer handling options (E.g. whether to scan the contents, store, or shred them). Some providers will systematically scan and make the contents immediately available.
In contrast, L-Mail is designed for senders, enabling mail to go from an electronic form to conventional mail. Some online post offices will offer a send feature as a companion service. Sending mail electronically and having it printed close to the delivery point shortens the time it takes the correspondence to reach the recipient.