The Italian postal service, Poste Italiane Spa (PT), and
Computer Associates entered into a joint venture this week for the development and implementation of an advanced system for network administration, database control, and software applications to run PT’s financial management.
Upon signing the agreement, PT administrative director, Corrado
Passera, said that Poste Italiane would maintain 51 percent of the joint
holding,
while the American company, Computer Associates, will have a 49 percent share.
Last September, shortly after the postal service was sold to private
investors by Italian government, company executives met with Microsoft CEO
Bill Gates to discuss possible electronic solutions to their aged
accounting and data managing systems.
Under state control, the postal
service had lost an average of $1.4 billion a year. Much of this was
accredited to the fact that daily operations like mail sorting, financial
transactions, and general administration was, for the most part, still done
manually.
“We don’t want to raise postal rates,” Corrado said at that time. “What
we do want is to offer additional and faster computer-based services through
Internet access.”
Computer Associates will provide the expertise and technical skills to
bring about these solutions. By the end of 1999, there are plans for 60,000
individual workstations distributed through 14,000 post offices and an
additional 500 in central administration offices.
According to the joint venture agreement, signed by Computer Associates
president, Charles Wang, the U.S. corporation will be responsible for
software, the development project, technical assistance and operational
control on a regional and national level.
Unlike some countries, the Italian post offices provide financial
services in addition to mail delivery. Each month, millions of Italians
receive their pensions and salaries at the post office. Hundreds of
thousands of individuals and businesses have savings deposit plans with the
post office.
In addition, one can pay state and local taxes, utility bills,
traffic tickets, or purchase state bonds and certificates at PT locations.
“We maintain $147.6 billion in savings accounts and take in $400
million in payments each year, while Italy’s entire banking
system takes in only $171 million,” said Passera.
