Hybrid mail is mail that is delivered using a combination of electronic and physical delivery. Usually, it involves digital data being transformed into physical letter items at distributed print centres located as close as possible to the final delivery addresses. An email letter (also L-mail and letter mail is a letter which sent as an email using a computer then printed out and delivered as a traditional (physical) letter. It is a communication means between the virtual cyber- and the material real world. The printer or mail transfer agent prints the electronic mail on paper, the mail transport agent packs it into an envelope and the mail delivery agent or postman delivers it to the receiver's mailbox. Generally there is a fee for this service; however very small amounts and single email letters may be free of charge depending on the service provider.
There is some evidence that posts are increasingly using hybrid mail solutions in the developing world to leapfrog historic lack of investment in up-to-date infrastructure and service quality. This is similar to a country without an extensive land line phone network moving directly to a mobile phone network. Developments in technology are often used by private companies to fill gaps in public postal service. In the UK, there has been a mushrooming of service providers because of the particular regulatory conditions which require Royal Mail to offer advantageous downstream access postal rates to providers of hybrid services.
There are also reverse systems, where handwritten letters can be delivered as email. This mail scanning service, sometimes called letter email, is increasingly popular with businesses and individuals who wish to access their mail from another country. However, special care must be taken to inspect local laws and the service provider's scanning practices to ensure that they are not reading the mail or acting on behalf of the client from a legal standpoint.
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L-Mail, Lmail or "letter mail" is a method of sending a real physical letter via a web page.[1][2][3]
An L-Mail system typically enables individuals and companies to send mail internationally directly from their computers, requiring only Internet access and a browser. In a first step, the user defines the letter format and then composes the text. Subsequently, the data is transmitted via a network to a printing centre chosen by the user, preferably in the vicinity of the addressee, where the letter is printed, put in an envelope and fed into the postal system.
Because letters are posted locally to the recipient, a faster speed of delivery can be achieved than by traditional air mail.[2] With only local postage being paid, costs can also be less than an equivalent air mail letter.[2]
In parallel there is a need to improve standards of data security, simplifying the use of accredited digital signatures and so on. In consequence, both the European Union (through its CEN group) and the Universal Postal Union are taking an increasing interest in hybrid mail standards, both for physical and digital delivery. The UPU has recently launched .post, which is an initiative to take the core postal attribute of trust and extend it from the physical to the virtual world.
The Swiss Post offered the services email letter and letter email (postbutler) until 7 December 2008 20:00 when the email letter was shut down because of small usage and negative customer feedback. Letter email (postbutler) was shut down without notice but is going to be back under yet another different name.
Hotsnail is an Australian online postal mail management service.The services provided include reading, scanning, forwarding, shredding and secure storage for the original documents. Scanning is performed on an automated production line to ensure privacy, and clients identies are verified to prevent misuse.[4]
E-Snailer is a service that allows internet users to send short letters through the US Postal Service for free, after being subjected to advertisements. A postscript is added to each letter, telling the recipient that it was sent via E-Snailer. "A scam".[5]
The Taiwan post office maintains an 'epost' service.[6]
PostGreen is an online Hybrid Mail service. PostGreen allows the sending of post, registered post, email and fax using a PostGreen print driver , a email client, upload on the PostGreen Web site or deposit from a network directory. Users can therefore send post, registered post, email or faxes directly from their business applications, from their word processing software on PC, Mac, Linux, Smartphones or tablets. All documents sent are archived[7]
L-mail is a web-based system providing commercial letter mailing services.
NetGram provides email to postal mail conversion using a unique email alias system for postal recipients. Hard copy recipients are given email addresses which can be repeatedly used to simultaneously transmit physical mail in an email stream.[8]
Other providers e.g., FedEx Office, serve various markets, including military mailing, personal telegram services, business mailing, certified mailing and others.