In an industry as technologically dependent as ours, there’s simply no substitute for having a “seat at the table” where tomorrow’s innovations are planned and implemented. I’m delighted to share the news that BCC now has not only one seat at that table, but three.

Last week Shawn Baldwin, BCC Director of Programming, was named co-chair of the Mail.XML work group for IDEAlliance, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing core technology with a tremendous impact on postal processes. This has never been more true than with the inception of Intelligent Mail®, the USPS® initative that is already redefining the practical applications of mail—and which all but requires the use of IDEAlliance’s Mail.dat® and Mail.XML protocols to realize its potential in real-world mailing scenarios.

BCC has been well represented in IDEAlliance and other foundational postal-industry organizations for years. The announcement of Shawn’s appointment, for instance, came along with the news that Bob Schimek (BCC Vice President of Software Engineering) and Chris Lien (Executive Vice President) would continue in major advisory roles with that organization. Similarly, our involvement with the Mailers’ Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) and the Mailing & Fulfillment Service Assosciation (MFSA) has been long and fruitful.

These affiliations help BCC maintain a proper sense of the ever-changing directions taken by our industry, and to offer insights on behalf of our customers that can influence which way that wheel turns. Of course, a primary advantage of heightened industry awareness is in how it helps us develop forward-thinking solutions for our customers. The closer our involvement at this high level, the greater the benefits to users of Mail Manager and other BCC solutions.

I hope you’ll all join me in congratulating Shawn, Bob and Chris on this impressive recognition of their mailing acumen. With stewards like them, the postal industry is in exceptional hands.