The ITU and UPU launched "ICTs, New Services and Transformation of the Post," a new publication on information and communication technologies (ICTs) at the World Telecommunication Development Conference in Hyderabad, India, 24 May to 4 June.
The publication features case studies from seven Posts at various stages of economic development and their experiences in adopting ICTs. They include Bhutan, Botswana, Brazil, Italy, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation and Saudi Arabia.
The idea for the publication originated from a 2003 joint project between the ITU, the UPU and the government of India to bring digital technology to the populations of rural and remote areas of Bhutan using post offices as the mechanisms of delivery.The massive success of that project inspired the UPU and the ITU to identify best practices among Posts worldwide.
They wanted to determine how Posts were using modern technologies to improve their traditional services as well as how they were developing completely new services. "We learned a lot and I think, for the countries who read this book, there are many lessons to take from it," said Nils Clotteau, UPU Partnership and Resource Mobilization Expert.
The case studies revealed that ICT-based projects are enriching postal enterprises around the world by enabling them to improve their quality of service and introduce new services in the process.