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February 7, 2012
New postal era beckons as official documents go electronic
Published: 13 Jul 10 10:50 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/sci-tech/20100713-28469.html
Major German email providers are readying themselves for the new De-Mail system that will let users send letters and documents over the web that are just as legally binding as printed material delivered by post.
- Email 'snowball' creates Bundestag chaos (26 Jan 12)
- Deutsche Post rejects EU demand to repay €1 bln (25 Jan 12)
- Kim Dotcom denied bail in New Zealand (25 Jan 12)
Deutsche Telekom announced Tuesday it was taking registrations. Customers with @t-online.de email addresses can sign up – initially for free, though registration will likely cost money eventually.
In recent weeks, email providers GMX and Web.de, both part of the German web firm United Internet, began taking registrations.
And Deutsche Post is set on Wednesday to launch its E-Postbrief system.
De-Mail will not come into full use, however until 2011. First, the lower house of parliament, or Bundestag, has to pass a law compelling users to register and prove their identities to prevent false or malicious documents being sent – or real documents being received by users intent on committing fraud.
Reinhard Clemens, head of T-Systems, which is Deutsche Telekom’s IT division, estimated up to 10 billion letters currently being sent by post each year could be switched to De-Mail. The system could also replace certified mail, whereby the recipient has to sign to receive the document.
He said the system would be a particular boon for business customers.
External link: Official De-Mail information (in German). »
DDP/DPA/The Local (news@thelocal.de)
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Your comments about this article:
How would they put a "rejected" inked stamp on an email document. I would venture a bet that every email document will be printed on paper just to put a hard copy on the shelf , another copy to send a reply back to the sender and maybe one to buckpass upstairs.
I'm convinced - no, really! - that this will all work out fine. Surely you've come to realise by now that hi-tech means "can-do-tech" in Germany. There's enough innovation here and trust in the internet that things like this simply work.
I can't wait to use it... fan-bloody-tastic!