Study Postal E-Services en

Measuring postal
e-services
development
A global perspective
Acknowledgments
This publication is the result of the collective effort of the
UPUs Electronic Services Group, led by Saudi Arabia and Tunisia,
and supported by the UPU International Bureaus Markets
Development Directorate.
We owe special thanks to the officials of the 94 national postal
operators who took the time to respond to the questionnaire.
Authors
Dr Farah Abdallah and Dr Yuliya Shakurova
Supervision
Paul Donohoe
Several UPU colleagues also helped to make this study possible:
Jose Anson, Nils Clotteau, Ken McKeown, Fredrick Omamo,
Rmy Pedretti, Marie-Odile Pilley and Holly Thvoz.
Graphic design
Beat Felber (artbeat graphic design), Berne, Switzerland
Editing / d esign coordination
Communication Programme
First edition
January 2012
Contact
Electronic Postal Services Programme
International Bureau
Weltpoststrasse 4
3000 Berne 15
Switzerland
T +41 31 350 3111
F +41 31 350 3110
E-mail: info@upu.int
www.upu.int
ISBN: 978-92-95025-20-2
Table of contents
Introduction3
Study objectives and methodology
Study objectives
4
4
Definitions4
Methodology4
Executive summary
1. Global development of postal e-services
Defining the 55 postal e-services
E-post services
E-finance services
E-commerce services
10
E-government services
11
Country-level perspective
12
Development over the years
20
Regional analysis
21
Service level analysis
23
2. Index of postal e-services (PES)

development31
Developing the PES index
31
Measuring and ranking postal e-services

development in UPU member countries
31
3. Drivers and impact of postal e-services

development36
Factors influencing the development
of postal e-services
36
Gross national income per capita
38
ICT regulation
40
Innovation capability
42
Trade barriers
44
Development of telecommunication
infrastructure46
Human capital index
48
E-government index
50
Revenue of the postal operator
52
Discussion56
References60
Introduction
The development of the digital economy has stimulated the

need for Posts to innovate and to develop postal electronic
services. However, the pace, scope and degree of success of
innovation differs among countries, regions and markets. One
of the reasons for this variation is the lack of accurate and
comprehensive information on the type of postal electronic
services provided by Posts, their added value and their impact
on the future business of the Posts.1 Decision-makers and
strategy experts within the sector need this understanding to
determine the appropriate strategy and portfolio of e-services
that should be developed by Posts.

This study aims to answer this need by showing the current
trends in the development of electronic services in the postal
sector worldwide. For this purpose, the study defines, classifies
and measures, for the first time, the different e-services offered
by Posts. In addition, the study aims to support decision-makers
and managers with a novel analysis at the global industry level
reflecting possible international postal e-services of strategic
importance for the industry, and discussing factors facilitating
the development of a worldwide digital postal network.
A UPU-ITU book presents some case studies

of successful postal e-services:
www.upu.int/en/activities/electronic-services/
electronic-services-publications.html
Study objectives
and methodology
The 24th UPU Congress approved resolution C33/ 2008 to study

the deployment and use of electronic services in all UPU member countries, monitor their progress and provide benchmarking
and best practice information.

Consequently, the UPU Electronic Services Group (ESG)
undertook a study among Posts to analyze the state of development of postal electronic services worldwide.
Study objectives
Evaluate the development and strategic importance of
postal e-services at a global level
Benchmark the development of postal e-services in UPU
member countries
Identify and discuss the impact of possible key factors
affecting the development of postal e-services
these services and provide them as one service.1 To assess the

availability and value of these e-services at the country level, a
survey was developed. Responding Posts were asked to indicate
whether they provided each of these services, the services
name, the year of its introduction on the market, and each
services perceived level of strategic importance on a scale from
one to five, with five being the most important. While the study
measures the number of e-services offered by Posts and reflects
their importance from the postal organizations perspective, it
does not assess the success of these services in terms of market
adoption or customer satisfaction. The survey also asked more
general questions related to Posts strategy for the development
of new e-services.
Study participants: The survey was sent by letter to the
Posts in 191 UPU member countries. Restricted unions and
UPU regional project coordinators were informed of the survey.
Participants were asked to return their responses to the UPU
International Bureau by post, e-mail or fax. Ninety-four Posts
responded to the questionnaire.2 The response rate to the
survey was therefore 49%.
Definitions
Definition of postal e-services: In this study, we refer to
postal electronic services (e-services) as services delivered by
Posts to their end customers through information and communications technology (ICT) channels. The Internet is the main
e-service delivery channel, while other telecommunications
channels (e.g. mobile phones, call centres or televisions) are also
considered. The use of ICTs for the sole objective of automating
the internal postal process, such as the use of sorting machines,
is not part of the scope of this study.
Regional groups of countries: Participating countries to the

survey were grouped into regions, based on the UPUs geographical and economic development regions: industrialized;
Europe and Community of Independent States (CIS); Asia and
Pacific; Arab countries; Africa; and Latin America and Caribbean (LAC). Among the 94 survey participants were 21 African
countries, 12 countries from the Arab region, 16 countries
from Asia/Pacific, 16 countries from the Europe and CIS region,
13 Latin America and Caribbean countries, and 16 industrialized
countries.
Definition of Posts: In this study, Posts are the designated

operators of UPU member countries. The postal e-services
provided in a country are considered to be the ones provided
by its designated operator.
1
For instance, two e-services have been identified:

the postal electronic mailbox and the hybrid
mail service. Some postal operators now provide
their customers with an electronic mailbox service
to receive and store their postal e-mail and
have integrated a hybrid mail service into this service,
so that their customers receive a digital version,
in their postal electronic mailbox, of letters
they would normally receive in their physical
mailbox.
Denmark and Sweden Posts sent a single response

as they have merged to form Posten Norden.
In the case of the Peoples Republic of China,
the response from Macao was used. It is referred
to as China (Macao).
Methodology
Designing the survey: Initially, 22 ESG members identified
55 postal e-services to be included in the survey. The e-services
were divided into four categories: e-post, e-commerce,
e-finance and e-government. A Post can integrate some of
Executive summary
This study presents an analysis of the deployment of postal

e-services in UPU member countries. The aim is to understand
the state of development of postal e-services and explore their
drivers and impacts on the postal business.
The studys major findings are as follows:
Postal e-services are growing globally, but there
is a divide between industrialized and developing
countries
The study evaluates the worldwide development of 55
postal e-services. It identifies which services are provided
in each country, facilitating an exchange of knowledge
among Posts and the identification of industry best
practices. The study also shows that the number of
new postal e-services introduced globally is increasing
exponentially. The regional analysis of the development
of these services shows that the industrialized countries
provide, on average, twice as many e-services as developing countries. Special support is thus required from the
UPU to developing countries to enable the implementation of the UPU strategy, based on the development of
a worldwide network with three dimensions: physical,
financial and digital. Finally, the study identifies the
services that are the most developed and strategically
important for postal business. Supporting the interconnection between member countries for these services
should be a priority for the UPU.
The postal e-services index (PES) shows that not all
developing countries are trailing behind
The study develops a benchmark index for the development of e-services in UPU member countries. The
countries ranking according to this PES index shows
that some postal operators from developing countries
are global leaders in providing postal e-services and,
hence, their cases can serve as models for others.
The study also explains how the index can serve as
a reference for implementing certain programmes
of the UPUs Doha Postal Strategy (2013-2016).
Innovation capability influences the development
of postal e-services more than wealth does. The
e-services strategy, management and profits are
still not aligned
The study shows that a countrys innovation capability as
well as the development of regulation and infrastructure
related to ICTs are factors supporting the development
of postal e-services. However, a countrys or a Posts

wealth, as well as the development of e-government
nationally, do not determine the level of development
of postal e-services. The study also indicates that
70 per cent of postal operators are strategically striving
for the development of postal e-services. The transition,
however, is far from being accomplished, and the impact
of postal e-services on a Posts revenue is still modest.
1. Global development
ICTs have drastically changed social and business communication and have engendered a strong decline in the traditional
letter-mail business. In response, postal operators are diversifying and providing new e-services to their customers.

This section introduces a descriptive, comparative
analysis of the current state of development of postal e-services
among countries and regions. First, definitions of the 55 postal
e-services indicators used in the study are provided. The different services provided in each country are then presented.
Finally, a regional analysis of the development of e-services and
their respective importance is shown.
Defining the 55 postal e-services

To measure the development of postal e-services in UPU member countries, these services first have to be defined. Postal
members of the Electronic Services Group (ESG) listed all of
the e-services that they provide. An aggregated list of these
e-services was then prepared, identifying and defining 55 of
them in total. Afterwards, the e-services were classified into
four groups: e-post, e-finance, e-commerce and e-government
services. This was not a straightforward exercise as defining
and categorizing postal e-services is new and some of these
are integrated. For instance, e-commerce services also require
e-finance payment services. Broad consultation with industry
experts and Posts resulted in the proposed definitions and
classification presented in the following tables.
E-post services
Traditionally, postal services have been used to facilitate communication between citizens and businesses via physical means,
such as letters. E-post services are communication services

delivered to customers via ICT means.
Table 1.1:
List and definition of e-post services
Code
Service
Service description
101
Public Internet
access point in post
offices
Customers can access Internet services in post offices.
102
Web information on
services and tariffs
Customers can access information about the different services and products, as well
as the corresponding tariffs, on the Posts website.
103
Postal electronic
mailbox
Enables the sending of electronic messages by an authenticated mailer and the

delivery and storage of electronic messages and information for the authenticated
addressee. Defined in article 14 of the UPU Convention and article RL 256ter of the
Letter Post Regulations.
104
Online direct mail
Delivery of advertising and/or other promotional communications by the Post via

electronic means.
105
Postal registered
electronic mail
A secure postal e-service that provides proof of sending and proof of delivery of an
electronic message and a secure communication channel to the authenticated users.
Defined in article 14 of the UPU Convention and article RL 256bis of the Letter Post
Regulations. A draft UPU functional specification standard (S52) exists.
106
Electronic stamp
Postage that has been electronically paid for and downloaded, for instance through
the Posts website or a smartphone application. The postage is then printed physically
or stored electronically. It constitutes proof of the prepayment of the value of a
postal service. Usually, electronic stamps take the form of a barcode or an RFID tag.
107
Customized electronic
stamps
Electronic stamps designed according to the customers needs and preferences. For
instance, the sender may incorporate a personal image in the stamp.
108
Electronic postal
certification mark
Provides evidentiary proof of an electronic event, in a given form, at a given time,

and involving one or more parties. Defined in article 14 of the UPU Convention and
article RL 256 of the Letter Post Regulations. A draft UPU functional specification
standard (S43) supports this service.
109
Electronic signature
Provides the possibility of digitally signing documents.
110
E-telegram
Provides the ability to compose a telegram electronically, such as by e-mail or SMS,

with the telegram being delivered to the recipient physically.1
111
E-cards
Provides the ability to buy a postcard online, which is then delivered to recipients
by physical or electronic means.
112
Online burofax
Permits the transmission of texts and illustrations true to the original by fax, as
defined in article RL 254 of the Letter Post Regulations.
113
Hybrid mail
(electronic to physical)
Enables customers to send an original message, which is then processed electronically

and converted into a letter-post item for physical delivery to the addressee. Defined
in article RL 253 of the Letter Post Regulations.
www.etelegram.net.mm or
www.webtelegram.poste.tn
Code
Service
Service description
114
Hybrid mail
(physical to electronic)
Enables customers to send an original physical message, which is converted into an

electronic form for delivery to the addressee. Defined in article RL 253 of the Letter
Post Regulations.
115
Postcode lookup
Enables customers to find a postcode online by entering information such as an

address, a company name or a city.1
116
Postal address
validation
Enables customers to verify an address by entering it online to check against a

database of valid street addresses and/or determine an area of uncertainty.
117
Post office location

lookup
Enables customers to search for the address of a post office online by entering
information such as the street, the city or the postcode. Customers can also obtain
additional information about the different products and services provided at the
post office as well as its business hours.
118
Address change online
Enables customers to change their mailing address electronically, including through

an Internet portal.
119
Holding of mail delivery

online
Enables customers to request, by e-mail, online application or phone, the suspension

of mail deliveries to their address and the holding of their mail for a period of time.
120
Track and trace
Enables customers to electronically track and trace a postal item.
121
Electronic notification
to Post of letter needing
to be collected
Customers are able to notify the postal operator electronically (e.g. by SMS text
message or e-mail) about a letter item to be collected from a specific physical address.
122
to addressee that letter
is to be delivered
The Post notifies an addressee electronically (e.g. by SMS or e-mail) about a letter
item to be delivered to a specific address.
123
to sender that letter has
been delivered
The Post notifies a sender electronically (e.g. by SMS or e-mail) that a letter item has
been delivered to a specific address.
124
to Post that parcel needs
to be collected
Customers notify the Post electronically (e.g. by SMS or e-mail) of a parcel item
whose collection from a specific physical address is requested.
125
to addressee that parcel
is to be delivered
The Post notifies an addressee electronically (e.g. by SMS or e-mail) of a parcel item
to be delivered to a specific address.
126
to sender that parcel has
been delivered
The Post notifies the sender electronically (e.g. by SMS or e-mail) that a parcel item
has been delivered to a specific address.
127
Check mailbox contents

online
Enables customers to check the content of their physical mailbox by receiving an

electronic version of their letters or by receiving electronic notification from the
Post of new parcels.
128
Web-based customer
service and contact
Allow customers to contact the Post electronically for a service or information, via
a website, e-mail or telephone.
129
Applications on mobile
devices
Services provided by Posts through smartphone applications.
www2.royalmail.com/postcode-finder
E-finance services
E-finance services are financial services provided by postal
operators to end customers using ICTs. The UPU has developed
regulations for postal payment services provided among Posts.1
Table 1.2:
List and definition of e-finance services
Code
Service
Service description
201
Electronic
invoicing
A service whereby customers receive an electronic invoice for the services and
products provided by the Post.
202
Electronic account
management
Enables customers to electronically manage their financial postal account and carry
out related account operations.
203
Electronic
remittance
A service allowing cash-to-cash money transfers by using electronic money orders

that have replaced ones that are paper-based.
204
Online bill
payments
A service allowing bill payments via the Posts website, entailing development of a
specialized online payment system.
205
Bills
management
Provides the customer with a specialized electronic account for the online payment
and management of bills.
206
E-payment of
water bills
The payment of water supply bills via an online system.
207
E-payment of
electricity bills
The payment of electricity services via an online system.
208
E-payment of
phone bills
The payment of phone services via an online system.
209
Electronic money
transfer
A service allowing account-to-account fund transfers from the sender to the payee
through the Posts.
For more information on e-finance services,

please visit www.upu.int
10
E-commerce services
E-commerce services consist of buying and selling products
and services using ICTs. It involves processing and delivering
purchased items physically or electronically.1
Table 1.3:
List and description of e-commerce services
Code
Service
Service description
301
Online shop for

philatelic products
Customers can purchase philatelic products online and have them delivered to a
302
Online shop
for postal goods
Customers can purchase postal goods online and have them delivered to a physical
303
Online shop for

non-postal goods
Customers can purchase non-postal goods online and have them delivered to a
304
Subscription
for periodicals
Customers can subscribe to periodicals online and have them delivered to a physical
305
E-commerce web-based
customer service and
contact
A service providing the customer with an electronic online account and a unique con-
306
SSL web certificates
The Post issues SSL certificates for securing websites.
For instance, a customer purchasing a music album

could either get the CD delivered physically,
or get the music files delivered and downloaded
electronically.
physical address.
address.
physical address.
address.
tact identifier to manage and trace operations related to an e-commerce transaction.
11
E-government services
E-government services are driven by government and provided through ICT means, using Posts as a trusted third party.
Table 1.4:
List and description of e-government services
Code
401
Service
Service description
Digital identity
The Post issues a digital identity legally identifying its customers. The digital identity
can be secured with a simple electronic authentication using a password or with more
secure authentication technologies using cryptography and public key infrastructure.
402
Driving licence renewal
Customers can renew their driving licences electronically.
403
Online shopping for

tickets to cultural and/or
sports events
A service on the postal website allowing customers to buy and print tickets for
404
Electronic university
registration
Students can register at the university using postal electronic registration systems.
405
Electronic payment of
retirement pensions
Customers are paid their retirement pensions using postal electronic payment systems.
406
Online passport
application
Customers can apply for a passport through the postal website.
407
Management of
patients electronic
medical files
Customers can manage their medical files using specialized postal electronic systems.
408
Electronic medical
certificates
Customers can issue an electronic medical certificate using postal specialized
409
Electronic collection of
public medical fees
Customers can pay their public medical fees using postal electronic payment systems.
410
Electronic export
documents
Customers can electronically provide the necessary information to the requiring
411
Electronic customs
documents
Customers can electronically provide the necessary information to the requiring
cultural and/or sports events.
electronic systems.
authority before sending an item abroad.
authority before importing or exporting an item.
12
Country-level perspective
eb
Australia
Austria
Canada
Denmark & Sweden
France
Germany
Gibraltar
Greece
Italy
Israel
Portugal
Spain
Switzerland
United Kingdom (UK)
United States of America (USA)
E-post
121
120
119
118
117
116
115
114
113
112
111
110
109
108
107
106
105
104
103
102
101
Industrialized
countries
Code
Pu
bli
cI
Table 1.5:
Develpment of postal e-services
in the 94 respondent countries
nt
er
i ne
Po nfor t ac
sta m
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This section presents an overview of the development of postal

e-services in the UPU country members. The matrix seen in Table
1.5 shows the postal e-services provided in the 94 respondent
countries. For each country, the table indicates which of the
surveyed services it offers.

Table 1.5 shows that in the Arab region, Qatar and Tunisia
are very active across most service categories. In Africa, most
activity is in e-post and e-finance, with South Africa leading
the way, followed by Kenya and Gambia. In Asia, where e-post,
e-finance and e-commerce services are well represented, the
E-finance
E-commerce
E-government
411
410
409
408
407
406
405
404
403
402
401
306
305
304
ctr
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Republic of Korea is the leader. However, Posts in Asia do not

offer any of the e-government services surveyed in the study.
In Europe and the CIS, Belarus has the most services on offer,
covering e-post, e-finance and e-commerce. In Latin America
and the Caribbean, postal e-services are not well developed,
except in Brazil and Costa Rica. For the industrialized countries,
most are highly active and offer a high number of e-services.

Information provided in Table 1.5 can also serve as a
tool to facilitate an exchange of technological and commercial
know-how among Posts. Posts looking to develop a specific new
303
302
301
209
208
207
206
205
204
203
202
201
129
128
127
126
125
124
123
122

13
e-service can identify other Posts that have already developed

such a service and contact them to learn from their experience.
For instance, Posts interested in developing a digital identity
service (service 401) could learn from the leaders in this area,
including the Posts of Qatar, Tunisia, Australia, Austria, France,
Italy, Spain and Switzerland.
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
Asia and
Pacific
107
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
106
Tunisia
105
Syrian Arab Republic
104
Saudi Arabia
105
Qatar
104
Lebanon
103
Kuwait
103
Jordan
102
Iraq
101
Egypt
102
Djibouti
101
Comoros
Code
Arab
region
Code
eb
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tro )
Ad fic
v
nic
dr e lo alid
)
e
a
Ho ss c cati tion
ldi ha on
l
n n
Tr g o ge ook
ac f m on up
ka
l
i
Ele nd ail d ne
ctr tra eli
v
o
c
ne ni e ery
ed c n
on
ing ot
lin
e
to ifica
be tio
n
co t
lle o P
cte o
d st o
fl
et
te
r
bli
Table 1.5 (continued):

Pu
14
Bhutan
China (Macao)
Iran (Islamic Republic)
Lao PDR
Maldives
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Republic of Korea
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Tonga
E-post
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
301
302
303
304
305
306
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
301
302
303
304
305
306
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
ctr
Ele onic
ctr no
Ele onic tific
ctr no atio
Ele onic tific n to
ctr no atio ad
ctr no atio se see
n
k
a
eb ilb ati
t
pli d c nt se se el
n be de
e
c
n e
o
l
a
a
v
ar l i
co d
ctr in
ob rvic
c
s
v
e
l h to llec
as be ted
ctr ac ng ev d c
be de
c
i
o
o
c
en liv
es nt
On nic oun
ac
de ere
lin re t m
t
liv d
m
eb
a
i
er
Bi
ed
lls ill p ttan nag
e
ma ay ce
me
me
En
n
pa ag
t
e nts
y
E- men men
pa t
of t
y
E- men wa
pa t
of ter
y
Ele men ele bills
ctr t o ctr
i
f
On onic ph city
lin m one bill
s
e s on
On h ey bill
lin op
tra s
e
f
On sh or p nsfe
lin op hil r
e s fo ate
Su
r
bs hop pos lic p
cri fo ta ro
E- pti r n l g du
co on o oo ct
nm
d s
SS me for p pos s
L w rce er ta
l
i
git er -b al ds
al tifi as s
Dr ide ca ed
t
ivi
n nti es cust
om
On g lic ty
er
lin en
se
e s ce
Ele h
rvi
r
ce
ctr opp ene
w
an
o
i
n
n
a
Ele ic g
d
l
co
ctr un for
nt
o
i
t
v
ac
On nic er ick
t
lin pa sity ets
e
M pa yme reg to c
an ss nt ist ul
ra tu
p
s
a
an
ctr en pp etir
d/
t
or
sp
p
ctr m at ion nt
or
e
p
i
o
e
d
ts
e
Ele nic ica nts
ns
ev
ion
ctr co l c e
en
e
l
l
s
ts
i
o
ctr ex on cat n
on po of e ic m
ic rt
ed
cu do pub
ica
sto cu lic
l fi
ms me me
les
do nts dic
a
cu
l
fee
me
s
nt
s
Ele
E-finance
15
E-commerce
E-government
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
Latin America
and
Caribbean
109
Uzbekistan
108
Ukraine
107
Turkmenistan
106
Turkey
107
Tajikistan
106
Slovakia
105
Russian Federation
104
Poland
105
Malta
104
Lithuania
103
Kyrgysistan
103
Hungary
102
Cyprus
101
Bulgaria
102
Bosnia Herzegovina
101
Belarus
Code
Europe
and CIS
Code
eb
cI
nt
er
i ne
Po nfor t ac
sta m
a ces
On l ele tion s po
lin ctr on int
o
e
sta ec ma ic os
e
t
t
x
c
d
ctr ist il
t
e
ar es
o
iff
Cu nic red
s
sto st ele
a
Ele miz mp ctro
nic
ctr ed
e
ma
Ele onic lect
il
ctr po ron
E- onic stal ic st
te
le sig cer am
ca
re tio
rd
n
On s
ma
lin
rk
eb
Hy
u
br ro
id fa
Hy ma x
br il
id (
Po ma elec
stc il tro
n
o (
Po de phys ic t
sta loo ica o p
h
ele al
st dre
of ss
c
tro )
Ad fic
v
nic
dr e lo alid
)
e
a
Ho ss c cati tion
ldi ha on
l
n n
Tr g o ge ook
ac f m on up
ka
l
i
Ele nd ail d ne
ctr tra eli
v
o
c
ne ni e ery
ed c n
on
ing ot
lin
e
to ifica
be tio
n
co t
lle o P
cte o
d st o
fl
et
te
r
bli

Pu
16
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Costa Rica
Dominica
Ecuador
El Salvador
Guatemala
Mexico
Netherlands Antilles
Panama
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Uruguay
E-post
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
301
302
303
304
305
306
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
301
302
303
304
305
306
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
ctr
Ele onic
ctr no
Ele onic tific
ctr no atio
Ele onic tific n to
ctr no atio ad
ctr no atio se see
n
k
a
eb ilb ati
t
pli d c nt se se el
n be de
e
c
n e
o
l
a
a
v
ar l i
co d
ctr in
ob rvic
c
s
v
e
l h to llec
as be ted
ctr ac ng ev d c
be de
c
i
o
o
c
en liv
es nt
On nic oun
ac
de ere
lin re t m
t
liv d
m
eb
a
i
er
Bi
ed
lls ill p ttan nag
e
ma ay ce
me
me
En
n
pa ag
t
e nts
y
E- men men
pa t
of t
y
E- men wa
pa t
of ter
y
Ele men ele bills
ctr t o ctr
i
f
On onic ph city
lin m one bill
s
e s on
On h ey bill
lin op
tra s
e
f
On sh or p nsfe
lin op hil r
e s fo ate
Su
r
bs hop pos lic p
cri fo ta ro
E- pti r n l g du
co on o oo ct
nm
d s
SS me for p pos s
L w rce er ta
l
i
git er -b al ds
al tifi as s
Dr ide ca ed
t
ivi
n nti es cust
om
On g lic ty
er
lin en
se
e s ce
Ele h
rvi
r
ce
ctr opp ene
w
an
o
i
n
n
a
Ele ic g
d
l
co
ctr un for
nt
o
i
t
v
ac
On nic er ick
t
lin pa sity ets
e
M pa yme reg to c
an ss nt ist ul
ra tu
p
s
a
an
ctr en pp etir
d/
t
or
sp
p
ctr m at ion nt
or
e
p
i
o
e
d
ts
e
Ele nic ica nts
ns
ev
ion
ctr co l c e
en
e
l
l
s
ts
i
o
ctr ex on cat n
on po of e ic m
ic rt
ed
cu do pub
ica
sto cu lic
l fi
ms me me
les
do nts dic
a
cu
l
fee
me
s
nt
s
Ele
E-finance
17
E-commerce
E-government
Angola
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Chad
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Kenya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Nigeria
Rwanda
Sao Tom and Principe
South Africa
Tanzania (United Rep.)
Zimbabwe
E-post
121
120
119
118
117
116
115
114
113
112
111
110
109
108
107
106
105
104
bli
eb
cI
nt
er
i ne
Po nfor t ac
sta m
a ces
On l ele tion s po
lin ctr on int
o
e
sta ec ma ic os
e
t
t
x
c
d
ctr ist il
t
e
ar es
o
iff
Cu nic red
s
sto st ele
a
Ele miz mp ctro
nic
ctr ed
e
ma
Ele onic lect
il
ctr po ron
E- onic stal ic st
te
le sig cer am
ca
re tio
rd
n
On s
ma
lin
rk
eb
Hy
u
br ro
id fa
Hy ma x
br il
id (
Po ma elec
stc il tro
n
o (
Po de phys ic t
sta loo ica o p
h
ele al
st dre
of ss
c
tro )
Ad fic
v
nic
dr e lo alid
)
e
a
Ho ss c cati tion
ldi ha on
l
n n
Tr g o ge ook
ac f m on up
ka
l
i
Ele nd ail d ne
ctr tra eli
v
o
c
ne ni e ery
ed c n
on
ing ot
lin
e
to ifica
be tio
n
co t
lle o P
cte o
d st o
fl
et
te
r
Pu

103
102
101
Code
18
Africa
E-finance
E-commerce
E-government
411
410
409
408
407
406
405
404
403
402
401
306
305
304
303
302
301
209
208
207
206
205
204
203
202
201
129
128
127
126
125
124
123
122
ctr
Ele onic
ctr no
Ele onic tific
ctr no atio
Ele onic tific n to
ctr no atio ad
ctr no atio se see
n
k
a
eb ilb ati
t
s
e
d
pli
c nte sen ee l n be de
c
o
l
a
a
v
ar l i
co d
ctr in
ob rvic
c
s
v
e
l h to llec
as be ted
ctr ac ng ev d c
be de
c
i
o
o
c
en liv
es nt
On nic oun
ac
de ere
lin re t m
t
liv d
m
eb
a
i
er
Bi
ed
lls ill p ttan nag
e
ma ay ce
me
me
En
n
pa ag
t
e nts
y
E- men men
pa t
of t
y
E- men wa
pa t
of ter
y
Ele men ele bills
ctr t o ctr
i
f
On onic ph city
lin m one bill
s
e s on
On h ey bill
lin op
tra s
e
f
On sh or p nsfe
lin op hil r
e s fo ate
Su
r
bs hop pos lic p
cri fo ta ro
E- pti r n l g du
co on o oo ct
nm
d s
SS me for p pos s
L w rce er ta
l
i
git er -b al ds
al tifi as s
Dr ide ca ed
t
ivi
n nti es cust
om
On g lic ty
er
lin en
se
e s ce
Ele h
rvi
r
ce
ctr opp ene
w
an
o
i
n
n
a
Ele ic g
d
l
co
ctr un for
nt
o
i
t
v
ac
On nic er ick
t
lin pa sity ets
e
M pa yme reg to c
an ss nt ist ul
ra tu
p
s
a
an
ctr en pp etir
d/
t
or
sp
p
ctr m at ion nt
or
e
p
i
o
e
d
ts
e
Ele nic ica nts
ns
ev
ion
ctr co l c e
en
e
l
l
s
ts
i
o
ctr ex on cat n
on po of e ic m
ic rt
ed
cu do pub
ica
sto cu lic
l fi
ms me me
les
do nts dic
a
cu
l
fee
me
s
nt
s
Ele

19
20
Development over the years

Posts are increasingly responding to their customers needs by
providing them with new postal e-services. Figure 1.1 shows
that the number of new postal e-services being introduced
globally each year is increasing. It is clear that the introduction
of new postal e-services continues to grow exponentially.

In 1996, around five new services were introduced globally. Just

over 20 new services were introduced in 2001, compared to 50
in 2006 and 85 in 2010.

In the four years between 2007 and 2010, the number
of postal e-services introduced globally almost tripled, from
33 to 85 per year, showing that Posts worldwide are stepping
up their efforts to bring new services to market.
Figure 1.1:
Number of postal e-services
introduced globally each year
100
82
85
80
53
60
52
36
34
40
23
25
11
2010
1995
1990
33
2005
11
2000
20
38
55
50
21
Regional analysis
The provision of postal e-services varies considerably among
different regions. Figure 1.2 shows the percentage of postal
e-services provided by each region compared to the overall
number of such services provided worldwide.

Industrialized countries appear to be the most active in
this area. The 16 industrialized countries that participated in
the survey provide around 32% of all postal e-services offered
globally.

There is quite an even spread of activity across the Europe
and CIS, Arab, Asia and Africa regions, but at a lower level
than in the industrialized countries.1 Sixteen countries from
the Europe and CIS region provide 18% of all postal e-services,
while 16 Asian countries, 21 African countries and 12 Arab
countries each provide around 14% of all postal e-services.
Finally, the Latin American and Caribbean region lags behind
Latin America and Caribbean

7%
The different types of postal e-services are also not equally

developed among the worlds regions. Figure 1.4 presents the
average number of postal e-services provided per country in
each category.

E-post services are the most widely developed. E-government services appear to be most provided by the Posts of
industrialized and Arab countries. E-commerce services are very
limited in African, Arab and Latin American and Caribbean
countries, with Posts providing no more than one service on
average. E-financial services are insignificant in Latin American
and Caribbean countries.

Consequently, it is clear that the UPU should support
developing countries in offering postal e-services to reduce
the digital postal divide and increase the resources put into
implementing the UPUs strategy where the development of a
Figure 1.2:
Percentage of postal e-services
provided in each region compared
to the overall number of postal
e-services provided worldwide.
Africa
13%
Asia
15%
Industrialized
32%
Arab
15%
Europe and CIS

18%
the rest of the world, with only 7% of the postal e-services

worldwide being provided by the 13 countries that responded
to the survey.

Figure 1.3 indicates the average number of postal
e-services provided per country in each region. The graphic
shows that a Post from an industrialized country provides at
least twice the average number of postal e-services than a Post
from any other region.
Table 1.5 indicates which countries belong

to each region
worldwide postal network aligning its physical, electronic and

financial dimensions is seen as crucial for the sectors survival.
Moreover, the low level of e-government services offered by
Posts shows that the Posts traditional role of facilitating
communication between the government and citizens in
the physical world is not recognized by governments when
considering electronic communication.
22
Figure 1.3:
Average number of postal
e-services provided
per country by region
25
23
20
15
13
12
10
9
5
0
Industrialized
Europe and CIS
Arab
Asia
LAC
Africa
Figure 1.4:
Average number of postal
e-services provided per country
for each category of e-services
16
15
14
12
10
8
7
E-post
Industrialized
E-finance
Europe and CIS
Arab
2
1
2
1
E-commerce
Asia
2
0
0
E-government
LAC
Africa
23
Service level analysis

This section provides an analysis of the regional development
of the 55 postal e-services indicators. The aim is to identify
the most developed and strategic e-services regionally, as well
as globally.

Figures 1.5 show the regional development of each of the
e-post, e-finance, e-commerce and e-government services
and their respective strategic level of importance. The level of
regional development of an e-service is calculated on the basis
of the number of countries in a specific region offering the
e-service. The average strategic importance of an e-service is
calculated as the mean of the strategic importance level of that
service, as indicated by the Posts in the survey.

The figure indicates that the most developed e-post services
internationally are track and trace (120), hybrid mail (113), post
office location lookup (117) and postcode lookup (115). It also
shows that some services are more regional. For instance,
Internet access in post offices is developed in Africa (101) and
online bureaufax (112) is more prevalent in the Latin American
and Caribbean region. Some services seem to be particularly
developed in industrialized countries, such as e-cards (111),
online direct mail (104), postal registered electronic mail (105)
and applications using mobile devices (129).

As for e-finance services, electronic money transfers are the
most widely provided service (209), but their importance is
limited in European and industrialized countries compared to
the other regions of the world. The online bill payment service
(204) is not widely offered around the world, but it is considered the most strategically important e-finance service by the
respondent Posts.
Online philatelic shops (301) and e-commerce web-based

customer service (305) are the most developed e-commerce
services. Although less widely provided, online shops for postal
goods (302) and SSL web certificates (306) appear to be of
considerable importance for the postal business. Although
e-commerce services appear to be not well developed in
African countries, they are considered to be of high strategic
importance by the Posts of that region.

Finally, figure 1.5 shows that the electronic customs declaration
document (411) is the most developed and important e-government service, followed by digital identity (401), electronic
payment of retirement pensions (405) and electronic customs
documents (410).
24
Figure 1.5:
Number of countries
providing postal e-services
by type and region
E-post
Service code
129
128
127
126
125
124
123
122
121
120
119
118
117
116
115
114
113
112
111
110
109
108
107
106
105
104
103
102
101
Number of countries providing the service

2
2 111
4
2 1
11 2
2 1
17
2
2 1
11
14
21
13
12
12
12
5
4
12
14
10
5
8
9
7
1
12
11 2
13
13
10
5
1 2 1
1 2
2 2
1 2
4
111
2 3
11
6
2
7
4
12
13
10
Africa
14
20
Arab
14
14
1 2
30
Asia
40
50
Europe and CIS
60
LAC
70
Industrialized
80
25
Average strategic importance of service

3.0
4.0
3.7
4.3
3.8
4.3
3.5
2.0
3.0
4.0
3.7
3.5
4.5
4.0
3.0
3.8
4.5
3.7
4.0
3.4
3.0
3.5
3.0
3.0
1.0
3.0
4.5
4.0
3.0
2.8
1.0
1.0
4.0
3.6
4.0
3.3
4.3
3.5
Hybrid mail (electronic to physical)
3.6
Online burofax
3.8
4.0
2.0
2.0
4.5
4.5
2.4
1.7
Electronic stamp
3.4
Online direct mail
3.3
Postal electronic mailbox
4.5
2.5
Postal registered electronic mail
4.2
3.3
4.1
3.4
10
2.3
Customized electronic stamps
3.1
2.0
2.0
4.3
3.9
Electronic postal certification mark
2.0
5.0
2.8
Electronic signature
4.1
4.1
4.0
3.4
E-telegram
2.4
2.0
3.0
3.0
Hybrid mail (physical to electronic)
3.6
E-cards
4.3
4.5
2.7
3.0
3.8
3.5
Postcode lookup
2.3
3.7
3.5
Postal address validation
3.5
3.8
4.7
3.5
5.0
4.0
4.0
4.3
2.0
4.5
3.5
3.5
2.7
2.5
3.5
4.8
3.8
Post office location lookup
3.3
4.8
3.9
4.6
Address change online
3.8
3.6
4.5
5.0
5.0
2.5
3.6
3.7
Track and trace
4.4
Holding of mail delivery online
5.0
4.0
4.3
3.8
4.6
3.1
2.7
4.3
Electronic notification to Post of letter

needing to be collected
4.7
2.3
5.0
Electronic notification to addressee that letter

is to be delivered
2.8
4.3
3.5
4.0
Electronic notification to sender that letter

has been delivered
3.0
4.0
4.8
Electronic notification to Post that parcel needs

to be collected
3.3
3.3
3.0
3.5
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
Electronic notification to addressee that parcel

is to be delivered
3.7
4.5
Electronic notification to sender that parcel

has been delivered
3.9
3.3
3.5
3.7
Check mailbox contents online

3.5
3.7
4.0
Web-based customer service and contact
4.0
3.7
3.8
3.7
3.5
2.5
4.0
1.0 1.0
3.7
5.0
Applications on mobile devices
3.0
3.8
3.7
3.0
2.0
3.3
3.0
Service description
Web information on services and tariffs
4.2
Public Internet access point in post offices
1.7
15
20
25
30
26
Figure 1.5 (continued):

Number of countries
providing postal e-services
by type and region
E-finance
Service code
209
208
207
206
205
204
203
202
201

10
2
1
E-commerce
306
305
304
303
302
301
E-government
411
410
409
408
407
406
405
404
403
402
401
11
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
30
40
50
60
70
80
30
40
50
60
70
80

11 2
1 2
5
12
5
4
0
Service code
0
Service code
11
3
6
8
10
8
10
20
13

1 2
1111
11
11
2
1111
1
4
3
2 1
2
3
10
Africa
20
Arab
Asia
Europe and CIS
LAC
Industrialized
27

4.1
4.8
Service description
4.3
4.8
3.3
4.3
4.5
4.7
3.5
4.2
4.5
5.0
3.5
4.2
4.0
3.5
4.0
3.05.0
4.0
4.8
3.8
4.3
3.7
4.0
4.0
E-payment of water bills
3.9
Bills management
4.0
3.5
E-payment of electricity bills
3.9
3.3
3.0
2.3
5.0
5.0
Electronic remittance
3.5
2.5
Electronic account management
4.4
2.5
10
Online bill payments
4.0
4.3
2.7
E-payment of phone bills
3.9
3.3
3.0
2.3
3.4
3.3
4.7
3.5 5.0
4.8
3.3
Electronic money transfer
Electronic invoicing
3.9
15
20
25
30

4.0
4.0
4.5
3.7
4.0
3.0
5.0
4.0
3.5
3.8
5.0
4.0
3.2
5.0
3.7
4.0
3.7
3.0
E-commerce web-based customer service and contact
4.1
Subscription for periodicals
2.8
2.0
4.0
Online shop for non-postal goods
2.8
3.0
4.3
10
4.3
3.7
2.0
3.8
4.0
3.5
3.7
4.2
Service description
SSL web certificates
Online shop for postal goods
3.4
3.5
Online shop for philatelic products
3.1
15
20
25
30

4.5
4.5
3.0
4.5
4.5
3.0
2.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
2.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
2.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
3.5
1.0
4.7
3.0
4.7
3.0
4.0
4.7
3.0
2.0
3.0
Electronic collection of public medical fees

Electronic medical certificate
Management of patients electronic medical files
3.5
3.5
10
Electronic payments of retirement pensions
3.0
Electronic university registration
1.0
2.0
3.5
Online passport application
3.0
2.0
3.5
Electronic export documents
4.2
2.7
4.0
3.0
Electronic customs documents
4.5
2.3
3.5
3.5
4.0
3.0
3.5
3.5
Service description
Online shopping for tickets to cultural

and /or sports events
1.8
2.0
2.0
Driving licence renewal
2.0
Digital identity
4.4
15
20
25
30
28
From an international perspective, figure1.6 visually portrays

the 55 postal e-services, taking into account their global mean
level of importance1 and the number of countries providing
each of them. The vertical and horizontal lines on the scatter
plot respectively indicate the mean level of strategic importance
of a postal e-service and the average number of countries providing it. Generally, the more a service is considered important,
the more it is provided.

These results on the international development of postal
e-services as well as their related strategic importance assist
in the following:
1. Determinin g which postal e-services are widely developed and strategically important for Posts. In particular,
the upper right-hand corner of the graph in figure1.6
indicates the services that are the most developed and
important, including:
a) e-post services: track and trace (120), web information
on postal services and tariffs (102), hybrid mail (113,
114), postcode lookup (115), post office location lookup
(117), postal address validation (116), electronic customer
service (128);
b) e-finance services: electronic money transfers (209),
electronic remittances (203), online bill payment
(204), e-payment of water, electricity and phone bills
(206/207/208);
c) e-commerce services: online philatelic shops (301), webbased customer service and contact (305), online shop
for postal goods (302).

Accordingly, the UPU could study the possibility of developing related international postal e-services for interconnecting member countries.
Mean level of importance is calculated based on

the survey data. However, this information should
be read cautiously, since the data on relative
importance of a service is not available for all
countries. A higher participation rate in answering
the survey would improve the reliability of graphical
analysis.
2. Determining which postal e-services are strategically

important for the sector. These services appear in the lower
right-hand corner of the graph in figure 1.6. Although they
are considered strategically important by Posts, they have
a relatively low level of development:
a) e-post services: postal registered electronic mail (105),
electronic postal certification mark (108), electronic
signature (109), online address change (118), SMS/e-mail
notification for a Post to collect a parcel (124), SMS/email notification for an addressee that a parcel has been
delivered (126);
b) e-finance services: electronic invoicing (201), electronic
account management (202), bill management (205);
c) e-commerce services: SSL web certificates (306);
d) e-government services: electronic customs documents
(411), electronic export documents (410), digital identity
(401).

Financial and knowledge support is required to help the

international development of these postal e-services.
3. Determining which postal e-services are widely offered

even though their importance is relatively low or depends
on specific regional and country-level factors. These are,
in particular, the services in the upper left-hand corner
of the graph in figure1.6. For instance, the provision of
a public Internet access point (101), the postal electronic
mailbox service (103) and online shops for non-postal goods
(303) seem to be widely developed but of low importance
on average. The observations in figure 1.5 showed that
the provision of a public Internet access point (101) is of
great importance in the African countries, but is of less
importance in the industrialized and Asian countries. One
possible explanation is that governments and citizens in
Africa consider post offices to be vital access points to ICTs,
while in other regions access for citizens to ICT infrastructure
is more widespread. On the other hand, the postal electronic mailbox (103) and online shops for non-postal goods
(303) appear to be more widespread in Europe and in the
industrialized countries (figures 1.5), while their strategic
importance still varies among these countries and therefore
depends on country-level factors.
29
Figure 1.6:
Worldwide development of postal
e-services versus the mean
level of their respective importance
80
101 Public Internet access point in post offices
102 Web information on services and tariffs
103 Postal electronic mailbox
104 Online direct mail
105 Postal registered electronic mail
106 Electronic stamp
107 Customized electronic stamps
108 Electronic postal certification mark
109 Electronic signature
110 E-telegram
111 E-cards
112 Online burofax
113 Hybrid mail (electronic to physical)
114 Hybrid mail (physical to electronic)
115 Postcode lookup
116 Postal address validation
117 Post office location lookup
118 Address change online
119 Holding of mail delivery online
120 Track and trace
121 Electronic notification to post of letter
needing to be collected
122 Electronic notification to addressee that
letter is to be delivered
123 Electronic notification to sender that letter
has been delivered
124 Electronic notification to Post that parcel
needs to be collected
125 Electronic notification to addressee that
parcel is to be delivered
126 Electronic notification to sender that parcel
has been delivered
127 Check mailbox contents online
128 Web-based customer service and contact
129 Applications on mobile devices
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
Electronic invoicing
Electronic account management
Electronic remittance
Online bill payments
Bills management
E-payment of water bills
E-payment of electricity bills
E-payment of phone bills
Electronic money
120
70
102
301
302
303
304
305
Online shop for philatelic products

Online shop for postal goods
Online shop for non-postal goods
Subscription for periodicals
E-commerce web-based customer service
and contact
306 SSL web certificates
60
401 Digital identity

402 Driving licence renewal
403 Online shopping for tickets to cultural and/
or sports events
404 Electronic university registration
405 Electronic payment of retirement pensions
406 Online passport application
407 Management of patients electronic
medical files
408 Electronic medical certificates
409 Electronic collection of public medical fees
410 Electronic export documents
411 Electronic customs documents
115
117
50
209
305
301
40
128
101
113
203
30
116
208
206 207
103
204
107
Number of countries providing e-services
20
302
303
114
201
124
125
129
110
123
111
408
407
10
202
411
104
127 106
405
403
109
118
205
304
112
126
105
122
409
121
119
108
306
401
410
0
404
406
402
2.5
3
4.5
3.5
Average importance of e-services ( 1 Lowest, 5 Highest)

E-post
E-finance
E-commerce
E-government
11 Services
Mean
30
To conclude, the level of postal e-service development is quite

heterogeneous at the current stage of this study. The questionnaire provides evidence that there are countries providing an
almost exhaustive list of available e-services to their customers, some countries providing more e-services of a particular
type, and some countries with a nearly non-existent e-services
sector. Therefore, to access the scope of further global sector
development, closer attention should be paid to the following
issues: developing countries, in particular in the African and
Latin American and Caribbean regions, require special support
from the UPU to develop electronic services and networks. As
a priority, the UPU needs to interconnect some of the postal
e-services that are developed globally and considered strategically important by setting up the required regulation, standards
and technical applications.

As regards postal e-services that are strategically important but less widely provided, the UPU may need to support its
member countries and the industry through market development studies and the hosting of knowledge-exchange forums
related to these services.

The findings are only indicative from a global perspective,
but a deeper business analysis should be performed by postal
operators when developing a specific service.
31
2. Index of postal e-services

(PES) development
Benchmark indices are commonly used to measure progress

in countries social and economic development.1 This study
constitutes a first attempt to develop an index for measuring
the development of postal e-services in UPU member countries.
In this section, the methodology used for developing the postal
electronic service index (PES index) is first presented. The index
measuring the development of postal e-services in the countries that responded to the survey is then developed, and the
countries are ranked accordingly.
Developing the PES index

The 55 postal e-services are used as the set of variables to
construct the PES index. The method of principal component
analysis (PCA) has been applied to aggregate the information
based on the set of variables into one PES index measure. First,
PCA is used to compose three individual indices for e-post,
e-finance and e-commerce based on the variables of the
respective electronic postal service group.2 Then, PCA is used
to transform these three indices into one PES index.

Why choose this method to construct the PES index? The
PCA statistical multivariate technique allows a set of observations of possibly correlated variables to be converted into a set
of values of uncorrelated variables called principal components.
This transformation is defined in such a way that the first principal component has as high a variance as possible. Therefore, the
first component aggregates most of the information contained
in the original set of variables. This first component is used in
the current study as the resulting index. It is the measure of
this component that is used as a single indicator for the level of
development of the e-services in the countries that responded
to the survey.
For example, the United Nations E-government

Development Index (UN, 2010), the International
Telecommunication Unions ICT Development Index
(ITU, 2010) or the World Banks Logistics Performance
Index (Arvis et al., 2010). For the list of various
indices established in the literature see Rorissa et al.
(2011)
The e-government group is not considered

because there were too few data observations for
this group.
It should be noted that all variables used in the construction

of the basic three indices (e-post, e-finance and e-commerce
indices) have a discrete binary nature, i.e. the variable is coded
to be 1 if a service is available, and 0 if it is absent. However,
distributional assumptions of PCA imply normality for the input
data (Jollife, 2002). The main implication of the violation of
normality assumption for index construction is the bias in the
proportion of the explained variance used for the principal component estimation (Kolenikov and Angeles, 2009). Nevertheless,
given that we are mostly interested in PCA as a descriptive
technique for the country ranking, it does not provide specific
problems for the interpretation (Jollife, 2002). Additionally,
Kolenikov and Angeles (2009) suggest that using PCA based
on ordinary binary variables is acceptable for ranking purposes.
Measuring and ranking postal e-services

development in UPU member countries
Table 2.1 provides a ranking of the UPU member countries that
responded to the survey based on the level of development of
postal e-services in these countries. In particular, the ranking
was performed according to the values of the PES index, which
by composition follows a normal distribution from negative
to positive values, centred at zero. The table also shows how
countries are ranked in each category of postal e-services. These
individual indices were used to create the overall PES index.
32
2.
Index of postal e-services (PES) development
Table 2.1:
Postal electronic services index
PES rank
Country name
PES index
E-post rank
E-finance rank
E-commerce rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
Switzerland
4.32
Belarus
4.09
Italy
3.45
2
5
7
8
3
15
1
4
6
14
12
10
9
23
20
35
13
28
24
48
11
22
17
26
30
27
18
53
16
19
36
40
47
39
55
50
56
52
49
42
33
38
58
45
77
29
67
1
2
4
8
10
5
19
17
47
9
21
60
22
7
16
11
35
36
32
28
34
3
59
30
12
25
40
6
82
91
13
20
18
15
14
33
31
68
24
57
27
53
37
49
29
74
23
2
1
9
3
17
8
22
23
5
12
11
6
25
16
13
10
20
7
15
4
32
37
14
19
35
26
29
44
24
21
84
42
48
92
47
33
34
18
39
31
58
41
45
49
36
40
71
Germany
3.23
Qatar
2.98
Tunisia
2.85
France
2.65
Korea (Rep.)
2.43
United States
2.36
Canada
2.28
Sweden & Denmark
2.00
Austria
1.99
Spain
1.94
Singapore
1.92
Australia
1.86
Slovakia
1.75
Portugal
1.50
China (Macao)
1.44
Brazil
1.28
Thailand
1.28
South Africa
1.26
Greece
1.19
Israel
1.09
Ukraine
1.02
Russian Federation
0.73
Costa Rica
0.66
Saudi Arabia
0.59
Kenya
0.53
Hungary
0.44
United Kingdom
0.32
Egypt
0.23
Turkey
0.20
Jordan
0.19
0.13
Kyrgyzstan
0.12
Uzbekistan
0.08
Maldives
0.02
Lithuania
-0.03
Mauritius
-0.06
Cyprus
-0.12
Nepal
-0.16
Poland
-0.34
Sri Lanka
-0.45
Bosnia Herzegovina
-0.46
Malawi
-0.47
Iran (Islamic Rep.)
-0.59
Burkina Faso
-0.59
2. Index of postal e-services (PES) development
PES rank
Country name
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
Mozambique
33
PES index
-0.60
Gambia
-0.60
Bulgaria
-0.62
Mongolia
-0.65
Mexico
-0.69
Djibouti
-0.69
Nigeria
-0.70
Uruguay
-0.71
Malta
-0.72
Bhutan
-0.72
Myanmar
-0.75
Namibia
-0.76
Tanzania (U. Rep.)
-0.79
Guatemala
-0.81
Lebanon
-0.82
Botswana
-0.92
Argentina
-0.93
Madagascar
-0.93
Rwanda
-1.00
Cameroon
-1.06
Comoros
-1.09
Mali
-1.18
Chad
-1.18
Pakistan
-1.22
Kuwait
-1.22
Papua New Guinea
-1.24
Gibraltar
-1.27
Lao PDR
-1.29
Tajikistan
-1.29
Ghana
-1.29
Zimbabwe
-1.30
Guinea
-1.37
El Salvador
-1.44
Bolivia
-1.54
Neth. Antilles
-1.54
Philippines
-1.54
Ecuador
-1.62
-1.62
Dominica
-1.62
Angola
-1.64
Panama
-1.69
Sao Tome & Principe
-1.69
Tonga
-1.69
Turkmenistan
-1.69
Syrian Arab Republic
-1.69
Iraq
-1.69
E-post rank
E-finance rank
E-commerce rank
43
25
51
21
59
74
62
37
34
46
60
69
57
41
44
31
32
66
61
64
68
75
76
65
85
80
70
92
90
84
54
78
63
71
72
73
81
79
82
83
89
93
88
87
86
91
41
76
89
67
73
26
44
79
70
51
48
61
39
75
64
66
88
38
50
58
55
56
52
87
42
54
69
46
43
45
62
92
93
83
90
86
84
85
81
77
71
63
72
65
80
78
61
51
28
79
27
76
38
43
52
65
56
30
68
53
46
60
80
75
57
93
78
74
81
50
63
59
55
87
73
83
64
54
67
69
85
88
91
77
72
89
70
66
90
82
86
62
34
2.
Index of postal e-services (PES) development
Conclusions
1. The Posts of developing countries such as Belarus, Tunisia,
Brazil, Ukraine, Costa Rica and South Africa could serve as
industry leaders in the area of postal e-services. In future,
case studies developed around the strategy, management
and market-value proposition underlying these Posts business success could be useful for other Posts.
3. The PES index could serve as an information tool for industry

decision-makers to monitor, over time, the development of
Posts electronic business worldwide.
4. The PES index could also support the implementation of
programmes included in the UPU Doha Postal Strategy for
2013-2016, as it helps to:
2. The Posts diversification strategy in the different segments

of the electronic service market, mainly e-post, e-finance
and e-commerce, varies among countries. Some of these,
such as Switzerland, Belarus, Germany, Italy and Canada,
prefer to diversify gradually in each of the market segments,
while others prefer to focus their diversification strategy on
a particular market. For instance, some Posts, such as those
of France, Qatar, Korea (Rep.) and Spain, have mainly diversified in the e-post market, while others, in Macao (China),
Brazil, Thailand and Austria, for example, have prefered
to diversify in the e-commerce market. Finally, Posts from
countries including Greece and the Russian Federation have
decided to focus on the e-finance market. Future research
could explore factors determining Posts diversification
strategy in each of these markets.
a) identify the countries with a low PES index to support

them in using ICTs and diversifying and modernizing their
services (programmes 1.4 and 3.1);
b) identify the countries with a high PES index to increase
awareness of the role of the sector in the digital economy
and provide information on best practices in the sector
(programmes 2.1 and 2.5); and
c) identify the countries that are the most active in e-commerce to interconnect them and facilitate international
e-commerce (programme 3.4).
The PES index by construction is strongly

correlated with the e-post (+0.89), e-finance (+0.78),
and e-commerce (+0.89) indices
35
36
3. Drivers and impact

development
Understanding the factors supporting the development of

postal e-services is crucial in forging a Posts diversification
strategy in the digital area. This understanding helps to
determine when to diversify and how to support the strategys successful implementation. Our assumption is that such
knowledge could help decision-makers in assessing whether
the current conditions in their respective countries support the
implementation of a diversification strategy. And it is important
for decision-makers to understand the diversification strategys
impact on the organization and performance of Posts.

This section first studies the possible influence of some
country-level factors on the development of postal e-services.
It then discusses the impact of the development of e-services
on the postal business.
Factors influencing the development

The study has identified a list of potential factors affecting
the development of postal e-services. Given the studys
international nature, the list has been restricted to factors for
which data sources can be found worldwide. Table 3.1 defines
the factors and their data sources. Then, a correlation analysis
has been performed to investigate the relation between these
factors and the PES index, which measures the development
of postal e-services.1
3. Drivers and impact of postal e-services development
37
Table 3.1:
Potential factors influencing
the PES index
Factor
Short name
Description
Source
GNI per capita
GNI
Gross national income

per capita in USD
World Bank databank

Available at
http://data.worldbank.org
Regulation
on ICT
ICT regulation
Measure for a country's laws relating

to the use of ICT (e.g. electronic
commerce, digital signature, consumer
protection). Assessment based on
seven-point scale
(1 = non-existent; 7 = well developed)
Global Information
Technology Report
2009-2010;
Dutta and Mia (2010)
Innovation
Measure the ways of developing

technology in a country. Assessment
based on seven-point scale
(1 = exclusively from licensing;
7 = pioneering own new products)
The Global
Competitiveness Report
2010-2011;
Schwab (2010)
Trade barriers
Trade barriers
Score for competition limitation

due to trade barriers. Assessment based
on seven-point scale
(1 = strongly limit; 7 = do not limit)
World Bank databank

Available at
http://data.worldbank.org
Telecommunication
infrastructure
index
Telecom
Index combined from five

telecommunication services affordability
indicators, including Internet users,
fixed telephone lines, mobile subscribers,
personal computers, and fixed broadband
per 100 inhabitants
UN E-Government
Survey 2010
Human capital index
Human capital
Index combined from two indicators

for the level of education, including
adult literacy rate in %, and combined
gross enrolment ratio for primary,
secondary, and tertiary schools in %.
UN E-Government
Survey 2010
Government
online services index
E-government
Score for online services provision

by national governments, based on a
survey
UN E-Government
Survey 2010
Operating revenue
Revenue
Operating revenues of postal operator,

SDR
UPU postal statistics,

available at www.upu.int
38
Gross national income per capita

A higher level of economic development is usually associated with a higher demand for provision of various services.
Therefore, one would expect a positive correlation between a
countrys income and a Posts ability and willingness to provide
postal e-services. Figure 3.1 plots the PES index of Posts in
relation with the log of country gross national income (GNI)
per capita in 2008. The regression line shows the predicted PES
index compared to the log of country GNI. It reveals a positive
association between the PES index and the countrys level of
economic development. It also shows that some countries with
relatively low GNI, such as Belarus and Tunisia, have a very
good PES index, above the predicted value of the regression
line. Similarly, it shows that some countries, such as the United
Kingdom and Cyprus, with a very high GNI, are not diversifying
their postal businesses, and their PES index is situated below
the predicted value of the regression line.
Kenya
Egypt
Kyrgyzstan
Uzbekistan
Nepal
Mozambique
Gambia
Malawi
Sri Lanka
Nigeria
Djibouti
Burkina Faso
Mali
Comoros
Postal E-Services Index
Tanzania
Madagascar
Rwanda
Mongolia
Bhutan
Cameroon
Papua New Guinea
Ghana
Philippines
Bolivia
Chad
Guinea
Tajikistan
Lao PDR
Pakistan
Iraq
Syria
Sao Tome and Principe

6
Log (Gross National Income per capita in 2008)
El
39
Figure 3.1:
Scatter plot of the relationship
between the PES index of a
country and the countrys gross
national income per capita
Switzerland
Belarus
Italy
Germany
Tunisia
Korea (Rep.)
Canada
USA
Austria
Sweden & Denmark
Portugal
Singapore
Australia
Spain
Slovakia
South Africa
Thailand
Brazil
Greece
Israel
Ukraine
Saudi Arabia
Costa Rica
Hungary
Russia
United Kingdom (UK)
Jordan
Turkey
Maldives
Lithuania
Mauritius
Cyprus
Poland
Bosnia Herzegovina
Iran
Bulgaria
Lebanon
Uruguay
Namibia
Argentina
Botswana
Guatemala
Mexico
uinea
El Salvador
Angola
Ecuador
Tonga
Dominica
Turkmenistan
8
Panama
-2
9
PES Index
10
11
Regression line
40
ICT regulation
Figure 3.2 presents the correlation between a countrys PES
index and the measure of the development of regulations
related to e-services. This measure is provided by the World
Economic Forum and INSEAD report (Dutta and Mia, 2010),
and represents an index based on subjective evaluation (from
non-existent to well developed) of the laws relating to the
use of information and communication technologies, including
electronic commerce, digital signatures and consumer protection. The scatter plot reveals a positive correlation between
the development of postal e-services in a country and existing regulation on e-services. Consequently, decision-makers
consider that there is a strong role for the postal sector to
play in the development of regulated e-services, such as digital
signature or secure e-commerce.
Gre
Ukraine
Russia
Kyrgyzstan
Nepal
Malawi
Mongolia
Mozambique
Namibia
Burkina
Faso
Bosnia Herzegovina
Botswana
Guate
Madagascar
Cameroon
Chad
Zimbabwe
Ghana
Bolivia
Ecuador
Kuwait
Argentina
Country score for the Laws relating to ICT
M
Pakistan
Tajikistan
Syria
Tanzania
Figure 3.2:
Scatter plot of the relationship
between the PES index of a
country and the measure of
the development of regulation
related to information and
communication technologies
Switzerland
Italy
Germany
Qatar
Tunisia
France
Korea (Rep.)
Canada
USA
Sweden & Denmark
Spain
Australia
Slovakia
Portugal
South Africa
Greece
Austria
Singapore
Thailand
Brazil
Israel
Hungary
Kenya
Saudi Arabia
Egypt
Costa Rica
United Kingdom (UK)
Turkey
United Arab Emirates

(UAE)
Jordan
Mauritius
wana
41
Poland
Lithuania
Cyprus
Sri Lanka
Mexico
Gambia
Guatemala
Nigeria
Bulgaria
Malta
Uruguay
Mali
kistan
Philippines
Dominica
El Salvador
Panama
-2
4
PES Index
Regression line
42
The scatter plot in Figure 3.3 shows the strong relation between
a countrys innovation capability and its ability to develop new
postal e-services. Dutta and Mia (2010) data for a countrys
innovation score represents a subjective evaluation of the possibility of developing technology, ranging from 1 (exclusively
from licensing and imitation) to 7 (by conducting research and
pioneering new products and processes). Therefore, Posts in
countries with fewer obstacles to innovation may perform
better in the provision of postal e-services.
Slovakia
Thailand
Greece
Costa
K
Turkey
Egypt
Kyrgyzstan
Nepal
Jordan
Mauritius
Mexico
Mozambique
Guatemala
Bosnia Herzegovina
Burkina Faso
Rwanda
Namibia
Botswana
Mali
Chad
Zimbabwe
El Salvador
Angola
Syria
Dominica
2
Country score for the capacity for Innovation
4
1
5
6
7
8
9
12
2
3
Ghana
Bolivia
Ecuador
10
11
Kuwait
Tajikistan
Pakistan
Philippines
Panama
13
Figure 3.3:
Scatter plot showing the
relationship between the PES
index of a country and the
countrys capability to innovate
Switzerland
4
Italy
Germany
Qatar
Tunisia
France
Korea (Rep.)
USA
Canada
2
Spain
Singapore
Austria
Sweden & Denmark
Australia
akia
Portugal
nd
Brazil
South Africa
Israel
Ukraine
Russia
Costa Rica
Saudi Arabia
Kenya
Hungary
Lithuania
United Kingdom (UK)
Cyprus
Poland
es
43
Sri Lanka
13
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Lebanon
Madagascar
Cameroon
Malawi
Bulgaria
Mongolia
Iran
8
9
10
11
12
13
Nigeria
Argentina
Gambia
Uruguay
UR of Tanzania
Malta
-2
4
PES Index
Regression line
44
Trade barriers
Figure 3.4 reveals a positive relationship between the development of postal e-services and the variable representing trade
barriers. This variable, based on the World Economic Forum
survey (Schwab, 2010), evaluates the limitation of competition
due to trade barriers, from 1 (strongly limit) to 7 (do not limit).
Therefore, fewer trade barriers may be associated with higher
levels of postal e-services implementation.
B
Ukraine
Russia
Kyrgyzstan
Malawi
Iran
Nigeria
Argentina
Mo
UR of
Rwanda
Chad
Mali
Tajikistan
Bolivia
Ecuador
Angola
Dominica
2
Competition limitation due to trade barriers
wi
geria
45
Figure 3.4:
relationship between the
PES index of a country and
the countrys trade barriers
Switzerland
4
Italy
Germany
Qatar
Tunisia
France
Korea (Rep.)
USA
Canada
Sweden & Denmark
Austria
Spain
Slovakia
Australia
Singapore
Portugal
Brazil
Thailand
South Africa
Greece
Costa Rica
Kenya
Saudi Arabia
Hungary
Jordan
Egypt
United Kingdom (UK)
Turkey
Lithuania
Nepal
Mauritius
Sri Lanka
Bosnia Herzegovina
Mozambique
Mongolia
Uruguay
Bulgaria
Namibia
UR of Tanzania
Madagascar
wanda
Mali
Pakistan
Guatemala
Zimbabwe
Philippines
Syrian AR
Israel
Cyprus
Poland
Gambia
Burkina Faso
Malta
Mexico
Cameroon
Lebanon
Botswana
Kuwait
Ghana
El Salvador
Panama
-2
PES Index
Regression line
46
Development of telecommunication
infrastructure
Figure 3.5 shows the strong relation between a countrys PES
index and the index measuring its development of the telecommunication infrastructure. This latter index, provided by the
United Nations E-Government Survey (UN, 2010), is based on
data provided by the International Telecommunication Union
on Internet users, fixed telephone lines, mobile subscribers,
personal computers and fixed broadband per 100 inhabitants.
Belarus
Tunisia
Brazil
Thailand
South Africa
Ukraine
Costa Rica
Kenya
T
Egypt
Jordan
Uzbekistan
Kyrgyzstan
Nepal
Malawi
Mozambique
Burkina Faso
Djibouti
Bhutan
Myanmar
Rwanda
Chad
Mali
Guinea
Angola
Turkmenistan
Bosnia
Herzegovina
Sri Lanka
Mongolia
Madagascar
Cameroon
Iran
Mexico
Lebanon
Gambia
Namibia
Botswana
Guatemala
Pakistan
Kuw
El Salvador
Bolivia
Tonga
Iraq
El Salvador
Ecuador
Panama
.05
47
Figure 3.5:
relation between the PES
index of a country and the
countrys telecommunication
infrastructure index
Switzerland
Italy
Germany
Qatar
France
Austria
USA
Canada
Singapore
Spain
Slovakia
Korea (Rep.)
Australia
2
Sweden &
Denmark
Portugal
zil
Greece
Israel
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Hungary
Turkey
United Kingdom (UK)
Lithuania
Maldives
Mauritius
a
a
Cyprus
Poland
an
Mexico
n
Uruguay
Malta
Bulgaria
Argentina
Kuwait
dor
Dominica
-2
.1
.15
.2
.25
Telecommunication infrastructure index

PES Index
Regression line
48
Human capital index

Figure 3.6 shows the quadratic regression line of the PES index
with the human capital index. This index is a combination of
school enrolment rates (including primary, secondary and high
school enrolment) and adult literacy rates (UN, 2010). A possible
explanation for the quadratic functional dependence between
the development of postal e-services and the educational level
in a country is that once a countrys human capital attains a
certain level, the speed of e-service adoption by the population
is higher, leading to a bigger supply of postal e-services. This
finding raises the question of the possible role of developing
postal e-services related to education in countries where the
human capital index is low.
Mozambique
Burkina Faso
Gambia
Mali
Chad
Guinea
.1
Human capital index
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
.15
49
Figure 3.6:
Scatter plot of the PES index
of a country and the countrys
human capital index.
Switzerland
Belarus
Italy
Germany
Qatar
Tunisia
France
Korea (Rep.)
USA
Canada
Sweden & Denmark
Singapore
Austria
Spain
Australia
Slovakia
Portugal
South Africa
Thailand
Brazil
Ukraine
Israel
Greece
Costa Rica
Turkey
Egypt
Hungary
Jordan
Kyrgyzstan
Mauritius
Bosnia Herzegovina
Rwanda
Cameroon
Ghana
Angola
Comoros
Lao PDR
Iraq
Poland
Iran
Guatemala
Botswana
Zimbabwe
PES Index
Mongolia
Mexico
Uruguay
Namibia
Lebanon
Bulgaria
Malta
.25
Argentina
Tajikistan
Kuwait
Bolivia
Panama
Philippines
El Salvador
Dominica
Ecuador
Syria

.2
Cyprus
Sri Lanka
Tanzania
Madagascar
Nigeria
Djibouti
Lithuania
Maldives
Myanmar
Malawi
United Kingdom (UK)
Uzbekistan
Nepal
Bhutan
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Kenya
Turkmenistan
Tonga
.3
-2
.35
Quadratic regression line
50
E-government index
Figure 3.7 shows that one may expect a positive linear relation
between the development of e-government services and that
of postal e-services.
Costa
Kenya
Turkey
Nepal
Bosnia Herzegovina
Mozambique
Gambia
Burkina Faso
Iran
Cameroon
Chad
Guinea
Panama
Ecuador
.2
E-government index
.4
key
ran
ma
51
Figure 3.7:
Scatter plot of the PES index of a
country and the countrys index
for online government services.
Switzerland
Belarus
Italy
Germany
Qatar
Tunisia
France
USA
Korea (Rep)
Canada
Sweden & Denmark

Austria
Singapore
Spain
Slovakia
South Africa
Thailand
2
Australia
Portugal
Brazil
Greece
Israel
Russia
Costa Rica
Ukraine
Saudi Arabia
Hungary
Kyrgyzstan
United Arab Emirates

(UAE)
Jordan
Egypt
Mauritius
Maldives
Uzbekistan
Sri Lanka
Mongolia
Uruguay
Lebanon
United Kingdom (UK)

0
Lithuania
Cyprus
Poland
Bulgaria
Malta
Mexico
Argentina
El Salvador
Kuwait
Bolivia
Philippines
Dominica
-2
.6
PES Index
.8
Regression line
52
Revenue of the postal operator

Finally, the relationship between the development of postal
e-services and the wealth of a Post is explored. Figure 3.8
indicates that there is a positive relationship between a Posts
operating revenue and the provision of postal e-services.
Figure 3.9 shows this relationship for each region. In Africa,
the figure shows that the PES index is strongly related to the
Posts operating revenue, except for South Africa and Kenya,
which have better results than predicted according to their
revenues. In the other regions, the PES index of most of the
Posts is below the predicted value, showing that the agenda for
the development of postal e-services is still in its infancy. Some
countries are performing better compared to their financial
capability and, as such, can serve as examples for other Posts
in their respective regions, for example Tunisia, Korea (Rep.),
Singapore, Macao (China), Belarus, Slovakia, Russian Federation,
Costa Rica, Brazil, Switzerland and Italy. Other countries need
more support for developing postal electronic services, such
as Ghana, Syria, Guinea, Tajikistan, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and
the United Kingdom.
Russia
Kyrg
Maldives
Uzbekistan
Nepal
Mala
Mongolia
Djibouti
Bhutan
Mozambique
Rwanda
Comoros
Chad
Guinea
Tonga
10
Operating revenue in 2008 (logarithm), SDR
Mali
Lao PDR
Tajikistan
El Salvador
Angola
15
53
Figure 3.8:
Scatter plot of the PES index
of a country and its designated
operators revenue
Switzerland
Belarus
Italy
Germany
Tunisia
France
Korea (Rep.)
Canada
Australia
USA
Sweden & Denmark
Austria
Slovakia
Spain
Singapore
Portugal
Macao
Brazil
Thailand
Ukraine
South Africa
Greece
Costa Rica
Kenya
Kyrgyzstan
Hungary
Lithuania
Mauritius
Burkina Faso
Malawi
Poland
Uruguay
Cyprus
Malta
Bulgaria
Nigeria
Guatemala
Mexico
Argentina
Botswana
Tanzania
Ghana
Bolivia
United Kingdom (UK)
Turkey
Jordan
Cameroon
Papua New Guinea

Ecuador
Panama
Dominica
Syria
-2
15
20
PES Index
25
Regression line
54
Figure 3.9
Scatter plot of the PES
index of a country and its
Posts revenue by region
Africa
Arab region
Tunisia
South Africa
Kenya
Postal E-services Index
Jordan
25
Burkina Faso
Nigeria
Namibia
Mauritius
Malawi
Mozambique
Rwanda
Guinea
Mali
Chad
10
Djibouti
Cameroon
Tanzania
Botswana
Ghana
Comoros
Syria
Angola
15
20
Europe
and CIS
25
10
15
20
25
Latin America
and Carribean
Belarus
Slovakia
Brazil
Ukraine
Russia
Cyprus
Uzbekistan
Kyrgyzstan
Costa Rica
Hungary
Turkey
Lithuania
Uruguay
Guatemala
Poland
Bolivia
El Salavador
Saint Kitt
and Nevis
Bulgaria
Malta
Tajikistan
Mexico
Argentina
Dominica
Ecuador
Panama
10
15
20
25
10
15
20
25

PES Index
Regression line
55
Asia and Pacific
Korea (Rep.)
2
Singapore
Macao
Thailand
Maldives
0
Nepal
Mongolia
Bhutan
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Tonga
-2
Lao PDR
10
15
20
Industrialized
countries
Switzerland
Italy
Germany
Canada
Sweden & Denmark
USA
Spain
Greece
Austria
Australia
Portugal
United Kingdom (UK)
-2
10
15
20
25
56
Discussion
What country-level factors influence

the development of postal e-services?
The above results show that there is a positive relationship
between the different country-level factors identified in the
study and a countrys development of postal e-services. Table
3.2 summarizes the correlation between the different factors.1
It shows in particular that the innovation capability of a country,
the development of its telecommunication infrastructure and
the development of regulation related to e-services are factors

strongly facilitating the development of postal e-services. The
revenue of the postal organization, the competition limitation
due to trade barriers and the human capital index of the country
seem to affect the PES index less.
PES index
Log_GNI
0.64
ICT regulation
0.70
0.75
Innovation
0.79
0.70
0.77
Trade barriers
0.4
0.55
0.59
0.4
Telecom
0.69
0.91
0.83
0.82
0.56
Human capital
0.47
0.75
0.44
0.50
0.30
0.66
E-government
0.62
0.71
0.67
0.63
0.37
0.75
0.59
Log_revenue
0.59
0.73
0.52
0.63
0.39
0.60
0.44
0.0
Correlation refers to a statistical relationships

involving dependence between two factors.
The closer the correlation variable is to
one, the stronger the dependence between
the two factors becomes.
Log_revenue
E-government
Human capital
Telecom
Trade barriers
Innovation
ICT regulation
Log_GNI
PES index
Table 3.2:
Correlation matrix of the
country-level factors
influencing the PES index
57
What factors internal to Posts influence

the development of postal e-services?
Figure 3.10:
E-services are part of the
business strategy of the post
Strategy
Respondents were asked in the questionnaire whether postal
e-services were part of their business strategy and goal. Figure
3.10 shows that 71% said this was the case. A more detailed
analysis of the results shows that countries that answered
negatively have a PES index below the mean, except for two
European countries.
No
29%
Yes
71%
Financing
Respondents were also asked whether they had increased
the funds normally dedicated to the development of postal
e-services. Figure 3.11 indicates that only 32% said they had
increased the funds attributed for developing new postal
e-services. The results therefore show a discrepancy between
Posts strategy and vision for developing new e-services and
their financial commitment to implement both.
Market development
Respondents were asked if they were developing market strategies for new postal e-services. Only 36% of respondents said
they are developing new market strategies for e-services. A
detailed analysis shows that in all regions, the countries pursuing new market strategies for developing e-services are rare.
Figure 3.11:
Posts increased their budget
for the development
of new postal e-services
No
68%
Yes
32%
58
Organization management
Internal factors impact level on PES
Respondents were asked if new business departments had been

established to implement their postal e-services strategy. They
were also asked whether they had recruited individuals with
specific know-how relating to the digital world. Only 30% of
the respondent Posts have created new business departments
dedicated to e-service developments or employed individuals
with new know-how. These results show that postal operators are slow in adapting their organization to the new digital
agenda.
Table 3.3 shows a low significant correlation between the

described organizational factors and the PES index of the Posts.
This indicates that there may be internal barriers to innovation
related to the organizational routines of Posts which hamper
the development of novel e-services.
PES index
Telecom
Trade barriers
Innovation
ICT regulation
Log_GNI
Strategy
Table 3.3:
Correlation matrix of the organizational
factors influencing the PES index
Strategy
0.36
Funds
0.44
0.33
Market development
0.39
0.38
0.60
New department
0.48
0.26
0.55
0.47
New know-how
0.40
0.25
0.63
0.55
0.76
59
What impact does the development

of postal e-services have on revenue?
Conclusion
Respondents were asked to indicate the contribution of postal
e-services to the organizations total revenue. Only 30% of
them answered this question. On average, postal e-services
contribute only around 1.5% of a Posts total revenue. Therefore,
the impact of postal e-services on the Posts business revenue
is still not clear. This may be explained by the fact that Posts
investment in the technological development of e-services is
new and some time is required to achieve a certain return on
investment. It could be interesting in future research to monitor
the evolution of this return over the years. It is also worth noting that three Posts mentioned that postal e-services currently
contribute between 20% and 50% of their total revenue.

In conclusion, Posts are increasingly aspiring to develop their

electronic business agenda. However, the number of postal
e-services currently provided still varies significantly among
countries. We are still far from having a clear understanding of
the factors relating to the Posts environment or organization
which affect the development of postal e-services. The reason
is that the postal electronic business is still in its infancy and
currently contributes very little to postal revenue. However, the
study provides evidence that a countrys capacity for innovation
and the development of ICT regulations and telecommunication infrastructure are important factors that support Posts in
developing new e-services. The study also shows that some
Posts in developing countries have become industry leaders in
the provision of postal e-services, suggesting that the wealth
of a country or a Post is not the only factor determining the
capability to innovate in postal e-services. Finally, the study
strongly suggests that Posts still have to make considerable
efforts to adapt their organizational management to digital
business.
60
References
Arvis, Jean-Francois, Mustra, Monica Alina,

Ojala, Lauri, and Ben Shepherd, 2010,
Connecting to Compete 2010.
Trade Logistics in the Global Economy,
The World Bank.
Dutta S. and Mia I., 2010,
Global Information Technology Reports
2009-2010. ICT for Sustainability,
World Economic Forum, Geneva,
Switzerland.
ITU, 2010, Measuring the Informational
Society, International Telecommunication
Union, Geneva, Switzerland.
Jolliffe, I. T., 2002, Principal Component
Analysis, 2nd edition, Springer, Heidelberg
and New York.
Kolenikov, S. and Angeles, G., 2009,
Socioeconomic Status Measurement
With Discrete Proxy Variables: Is Principal
Component Analysis a Reliable Answer?
The Review of Income and Wealth,
Series 55, Number 1, March.
Rorissa A., Demissie D., and Pardo T., 2011,

Benchmarking e-Government:
A comparison of Frameworks for Computing
e-Government Index and Ranking,
Government Information Quarterly,
In Press, Corrected Proof, Available
online 11 May 2011, ISSN 0740-624X, DOI:
10.1016/j.giq.2010.09.006.
Schwab K., 2010, The Global
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a time of financial and economic crises,
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United Nations, New York.
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Measuring postal

1. Global development of postal e-services

Defining the 55 postal e-services

Development over the years 

Service level analysis

2. Index of postal e-services (PES)

Measuring and ranking postal e-services

3. Drivers and impact of postal e-services

Gross national income per capita

Revenue of the postal operator

The development of the digital economy has stimulated the

A UPU-ITU book presents some case studies

The 24th UPU Congress approved resolution C33/ 2008 to study

these services and provide them as one service.1 To assess the

Regional groups of countries: Participating countries to the

Definition of Posts: In this study, Posts are the designated

For instance, two e-services have been identified:

Denmark and Sweden Posts sent a single response

This study presents an analysis of the deployment of postal

of postal e-services. However, a countrys or a Posts

Defining the 55 postal e-services

1. Global development of postal e-services

such as letters. E-post services are communication services

Customers can access Internet services in post offices.

Enables the sending of electronic messages by an authenticated mailer and the

Online direct mail

Delivery of advertising and/or other promotional communications by the Post via

Provides evidentiary proof of an electronic event, in a given form, at a given time,

Provides the possibility of digitally signing documents.

Provides the ability to compose a telegram electronically, such as by e-mail or SMS,

Enables customers to send an original message, which is then processed electronically

1. Global development of postal e-services

Enables customers to send an original physical message, which is converted into an

Enables customers to find a postcode online by entering information such as an

Enables customers to verify an address by entering it online to check against a

Post office location

Address change online

Enables customers to change their mailing address electronically, including through

Holding of mail delivery

Enables customers to request, by e-mail, online application or phone, the suspension

Track and trace

Enables customers to electronically track and trace a postal item.

Check mailbox contents

Enables customers to check the content of their physical mailbox by receiving an

Services provided by Posts through smartphone applications.

1. Global development of postal e-services

A service allowing cash-to-cash money transfers by using electronic money orders

The payment of water supply bills via an online system.

The payment of electricity services via an online system.

The payment of phone services via an online system.

For more information on e-finance services,

1. Global development of postal e-services

Online shop for

Online shop for

SSL web certificates

The Post issues SSL certificates for securing websites.

For instance, a customer purchasing a music album

tact identifier to manage and trace operations related to an e-commerce transaction.

1. Global development of postal e-services

Driving licence renewal

Customers can renew their driving licences electronically.

Online shopping for

Customers can apply for a passport through the postal website.

1. Global development of postal e-services

Defining the 55 postal e-services

Development over the years

Service level analysis

Gross national income per capita

Revenue of the postal operator