UPS EXPANDS MAIL SERVICES

UPS EXPANDS MAIL SERVICES    United Parcel Service said Thursday it has created three new services through acquisitions and initiatives to help customers better manage their mail functions.
   Atlanta-based UPS said the services will provide expedited delivery times, production efficiencies and cost savings for first-class and standard mail generated in the United States.
   Hybrid mail allows corporations to electronically send data for large time-sensitive monthly mailings, such as utility bills or mortgage statements to Mail2000, which UPS acquired earlier this spring in a cash transaction. Bethesda, Ma.-based Mail2000 electronically sorts the data and sends it to one of five regional Mail2000 production facilities where bills are printed and then inserted into the U.S. postal system nearest the final destination. The process saves up to 9 cents per piece and cuts delivery time by 50 percent or more.
   Through the acquisition of Global Management Services LLC, known as RMX, in a cash transaction, UPS provides expedited delivery of 'flats,' or mail that is larger than a letter but smaller than a parcel, such as annual reports and prospectuses. RMX presorts pieces by ZIP Code and puts the pieces into the U.S. postal system nearest to final delivery. The process saves 15 to 30 percent on postal rates and cuts transit time, making delivery time comparable to first-class mail.
   Mail2000 and RMX are now wholly owned subsidiaries of UPS. Terms of the deals were not disclosed.
   UPS has also launched UPS Presort, a contract service being piloted in several Georgia locations. The service targets small and medium-sized businesses that typically do not meet the volume requirements for postal discounts and are usually forced to dispatch someone to take the company's mail to a post office each afternoon.
   UPS Presort allows a UPS driver to pick up outgoing mail along with UPS packages. UPS consolidates the mail from a number of customers and tenders it to a presort company that sorts the mail and delivers it to the U.S. Postal Service, allowing customers to take advantage of postal discounts.