RelayOne
{{Short description|UK email to postal system service}}
{{Infobox brand
| name = RelayOne
| logo = RelayOne_logo.gif
| logo_upright =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption = Logo of RelayOne, 2000
| image =
| image_upright =
| alt =
| caption =
| producttype = Email to postal system service
| currentowner =
| producedby = Royal Mail
| country = {{ubl|United Kingdom|United States}}
| introduced = {{start date|1998}}
| discontinued = {{end date|2000}}
| related =
| markets =
| previousowners =
| trademarkregistrations =
| ambassadors =
| tagline = Welcome to the post office of the future... open for business today
| website = {{url|http://relayone.co.uk/}}
| module =
| module1 =
| footnotes =
}}
RelayOne was an email to postal system service run by the United Kingdom's Royal Mail from 1998 until 2000. The company described it as a modern-day telegram.
History
The service launched in the United Kingdom in March 1998, and by April of that year a United States launch was planned.{{cite news |title=Royal Mail and MS plan US launch for RelayOne |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/royal-mail-and-ms-plan-us-launch-for-relayone/ |access-date=8 April 2023 |work=ZDNET |language=en}}
The service cost £1.50 per page, and up to 50 pages could be sent for £5, which was a significantly higher cost than the price of a postage stamp. The email would be printed by Royal Mail in London and then posted in the regular mail to its recipient.{{cite news |title=A marriage made in cyberspace |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg15821301-000-a-marriage-made-in-cyberspace/ |access-date=8 April 2023 |work=New Scientist}} A selection of greeting cards that could be printed was later added. Royal Mail's technology partner for the system was the American company, Microsoft.
The service was discontinued in 2000 as it was not commercially viable.{{cite news |last1=Richardson |first1=Tim |title=Royal Mail ditches e-mail operation |url=https://www.theregister.com/2000/08/01/royal_mail_ditches_email_operation/ |access-date=8 April 2023 |work=The Register |language=en}} At the time of its demise, RelayOne was handling 400 items a month. Royal Mail did however continue to support a similar free of charge system used to send mail to the British Armed Forces serving overseas.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{cite web|url=http://relayone.co.uk/ |title=RelayOne |publisher=Royal Mail |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000608015506/http://relayone.co.uk/ |archive-date=8 June 2000 |url-status=dead }}
Category:Microsoft email software