[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 162 (Monday, August 21, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50723-50724]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-21160]


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POSTAL SERVICE


Plan for Secure Postage Meter Technology

AGENCY: Postal Service.

[[Page 50724]]


ACTION: Notice of proposed plan with request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Postal Service recently completed the first phase of a 
plan to remove insecure postage meters from the marketplace with the 
decertification of mechanical postage meters. The proposed plan for the 
second phase, the retirement of manually reset electronic meters, was 
published for comment May 1, 2000. While these comments are under 
review, the Postal Service is publishing notice of additional phases of 
the proposed plan for secure postage meter technology. Upon completion 
of the phases of this plan all meters in service will offer enhanced 
levels of security, thereby greatly reducing the Postal Service's 
exposure to meter fraud, misuse, and loss of revenue.

DATES: Comments must be received October 5, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to the Manager, Postage 
Technology Management, U.S. Postal Service, Room 8430, 475 L'Enfant 
Plaza SW, Washington DC 20260-2444. Copies of all written comments will 
be available at the above address for inspection and photocopying 
between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nicholas S. Stankosky, (202) 268-5311.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1996 the Postal Service, in cooperation 
with all authorized postage meter manufacturers, began a phaseout, or 
decertification, of all mechanical postage meters because of identified 
cases of indiscernible tampering and misuse. Postal revenues were 
proven to be at serious risk. The completion of this effort, which 
resulted in the withdrawal of 776,000 mechanical meters from service, 
completed Phase I of the Proposed Plan for Secure Technology. Phase II 
of the Proposed Plan, the retirement of electronic meters that are 
manually set by postal employees, was described in the Federal Register 
on May 1, 2000. Additional phases of the Proposed Plan are described in 
the current notice.
    It is the Postal Service's intent to make this an orderly process 
that minimizes impacts on meter users. Notification of additional 
phases of the proposed plan is published at this time to give both 
postage meter manufacturers and postage meter users ample time to make 
timely and intelligent decisions on the selection of postage meters and 
associated mailing equipment. Given the rapid pace of new technological 
developments for secure postage meter technology, meter manufacturers 
should not offer, and customers should not accept, leases for postage 
meter equipment of more than five (5) years' duration.
    Phases III and IV of the Postal Service proposed plan for secure 
postage meter technology affect non-digital, or letterpress, meters 
that are remote set under the Computerized Meter Resetting System 
(CMRS). If such a meter has a timeout feature, which automatically 
disables the meter if it is not reset within a specified time period, 
it is called an enhanced meter. Phase III of the proposed plan is to 
end the placement of non-enhanced CMRS letterpress meters by June 2001. 
Phase IV of the proposed plan is to end the placement of enhanced CMRS 
letterpress meters by December 2003.
    A final plan will be published after all comments have been 
received and reviewed by the Postal Service.

Stanley F. Mires,
Chief Counsel, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 00-21160 Filed 8-18-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-U