RUMOURS OF the humble letter’s demise proved even more exaggerated than usual yesterday in Germany with the launch of a new hybrid e-mail-to-letter service.
De-Mail allows registered users send an e-mail that is delivered to the recipient as a letter, printed out at a nearby service centre.
If both sender and recipient are registered with the service, the letter remains in the internet and no paper is required.
With its mix of old and new technology, the service permits users to submit legal documents and contracts via De-Mail – and receive a docket confirming delivery.
“Legally binding communication via the internet is long overdue and the gain in security and efficiency can become a driving force for the entire economy,” said Reinhard Clemens, board member of the Deutsche Telekom telecoms company. He predicted the service will be popular with private users – people can now e-mail friends and family who are not online – but also in cost-conscious companies.
“There is an extremely high level of interest in De-Mail among companies, public institutions and other organisations.”
Launched yesterday, more than 100,000 Germans have already registered their e-mail address with the new De-Mail service.
Deutsche Telekom hopes that, within the next five years, a fifth of Germans will use this route to contact government agencies and businesses.
The federal government has calculated that using De-Mail will save it up to €40 million a year posting over 17.5 billion letters.
It has another interest in the service: each De-Mail letter is registered as delivered almost immediately and the sender can see when exactly the recipient collects the communication. Gone are the days of claiming the threatening letter from the welfare office didn’t arrive.
Deutsche Telekom says that the service offers several benefits over e-mail, notably security and reliability, as all providers interested in using the service have to go through IT data security certification. Private users have to present their ID card with application form to register for the service.
“The new service offers a higher level of security thanks to its ability to unambiguously identify the parties involved,” said the company.
“The new service will prevent data from being intercepted, falsified and tapped.”
Registered users are encouraged to set up an online personal document folder containing electronic versions of important documents such as birth certificates and passports, giving them access from anywhere in the world.