Every part of the globe represented in World Mail Awards shortlist

With four major new sponsors and two new awards, this year's World Mail Awards ceremony promises to take things to a new level of recognition of excellence and best practice in the worldwide postal industry. Each year, the judge's task of selecting the short lists becomes progressively more difficult.

Now in their 8th year, the World Mail Awards have rapidly grown in both prestige and breadth of coverage, with twelve awards to be presented in London on 21 May, before a large audience of worldwide senior postal executives.

Each panel of judges had a large number of high-quality submissions to sift through before the 3 or 4 short listed in each category could be settled on. These deliberations have resulted in a total of 38 finalists for the Awards, reflecting both the geographical diversity of the applicants and the variety of products and services submitted by operators and suppliers to the mail industry.

This year's categories and shortlists are as follows:

Corporate Social Responsibility – sponsored by DHL Global Mail
• Brazil Post for its Postal Bank project
• Oxygen for its Postscooter initiative using Light Electric Vehicles to deliver post
• Royal Mail Group for its Corporate Social Responsibility programme
• Saudi Post for its Postal Addressing System

Customer Service – sponsored by Western Union
• Canada Post Corporation for its Customer Value Management program
• DHL Global Mail for Direct Marketing Facts 2006 tool
• Brazil Post for its Correios Logística Reversa service

e-Commerce – sponsored by Saudi Post
• Cendix for its Channel Marketing Portal
• Deutsche Post AG for its ADDRESSDIALOG project
• Strålfors / Sweden Post for its Combi Solution

Growth (new award for 2007) – sponsored by Q-Post
• Aramex International for its SHOP&SHIP mailbox system
• DHL Global Mail for its global letter-writing club LetterNet
• Innovapost for its Direct Marketing Online™ service
• Royal Mail for its Contact and Sort It Magazines

Innovation – sponsored by Emirates Post
• ampm for its delivery tracking solution eyeTrack
• Portugal Post for its digital mail service ViaCTT
• Japan Post for its Addressee Changing Service
• Solystic for its Virtual ID-tag system

People Management – sponsored by Australia Post
• Masterlink Express for its ''Talents' Maker” management academy training program
• Norway Post for its Post Contact Center
• Royal Mail for its Apprentice Scheme

Quality – sponsored by Magyar Posta
• Portugal Post for its digital mail service ViaCTT
• DQM Group for its Royal Mail Business Changes File (BCF)
• Singapore Post for SingPost Quality Excellence

Retail Project (new award for 2007)
• Aramex International for its SHOP&SHIP mailbox system
• IBM for its Automated Postal Center (APC) created for the U.S. Postal Service
• Swiss Post for its Ymago programme

Security – sponsored by Royal Mail
• Canada Post for its Integrated Risk Management process
• Hungary Post for its Authentication and Content Protection security solution
• Royal Mail for its Mail Integrity Programme
• U.S. Postal Inspection Service for its NLECC Alarm Program

Technology – sponsored by Intermec
• Portugal Post for its digital mail service ViaCTT
• Lyngsoe Systems for its AMQM™ solution for monitoring Quality of Service
• Denmark Post for its GIS route planning system
• Spain Post for INTEGRA, its strategic project of Information Technology

Transformation – sponsored by IBM
• Canada Post for its Customer Value Management Program
• Saudi Post for the creation of NAQEL
• South African Post Office for the Transformation of the South African Post Office

The remaining award, Industry Leadership sponsored by Pitney Bowes, is judged using different criteria so no shortlist will be released. The winner will be announced at the ceremony along with the other awards.

The distinguished panel of independent judges will meet a few hours before the ceremony, to finalise their decisions and choose a winner for each award. The 2007 World Mail Awards will be presented at the Gala Dinner in the Champagne Suite of the Novotel Hotel & Conference Centre in Hammersmith on 21 May.

Seats at the Gala dinner are becoming limited so delegates are advised to book their places quickly either at www.mailawards.com or by contacting the awards team at Triangle on +44 (0)870 950 7900.