Digital Post Australia customers can now use digital postbox

Digital Post Australia announced the private launch of its digital postbox service less than one week after a federal court dismissed a complaint against the company by Australia Post.

The private launch is open by invitation to employees of businesses that have signed agreements to deliver digital mail. Digital Post Australia said 500 people registered in the first 24 hours of the launch. The service rolls out to the public later this year.

Australia Post had said the name Digital Post Australia infringed its trademark because it was too similar to its own. But a federal court disagreed last week. Australia Post is developing a rival secure digital inbox service with Telstra.

Digital postbox services are different from email in that they allow organisations to send sensitive information securely over the Internet. To prevent spam, the services allow only vetted senders to send messages.

“Our private launch marks an important milestone in the digital transformation of postal communications in Australia and puts our country on the map as a leader in the digital postal space,” said Digital Post Australia chairman, David Hynes.

In addition to the private launch, Digital Post Australia appointed Randy Dean as CEO. Dean previously was senior vice president of digital postal mail at Zumbox, which is a Digital Post Australia technology partner based in San Francisco. Dean previously worked for LivingSocial and America Online.

“Postal services are one of the few remaining areas that have not experienced digital transformation to meet the needs of the digital consumer,” Dean said. “In the same way that the music, photo and book and print media industries have undergone massive change, physical mail is poised for a digital transformation that will bring tremendous convenience for consumers and extraordinary opportunities for businesses.”

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