Will the launch of "De-Mail" drive paperless adoption in Germany and beyond?

Now that Deutsche Telekom has finally moved government-certified secure digital mail solution, De-Mail, from pilot to launch, I predict Germany will see an uptick in consumer acceptance of paperless communications. You know the old saying… a rising tide lifts all boats.

Competition to De-Mail (the solution) is already on the market: DHL Deutsche E-Postbrief, which is compliant with De-Mail, has seen underwhelming user adoption, with analysts citing cost and inconvenience as barriers to adoption.

The specifics of E-Postbrief:

1. Costs around €0.55 per document that is sent


2. Challenges users to onboard vis-a-vis an unwieldy registration process requiring them to obtain a unique email address AND to register with government-issued ID (exactly the same for the De-Mail solution)


3. Has, until now*, included separate encryption and signature options

Most German consumers are customers of either Deutche Post or Deutsche Telekom, but will they use either of the De-Mail compliant solutions?

Probably not. De-Mail and E-Postbrief are secure point-to-point communication solutions that require sign-up by both sender and recipient, using government-issued identification and a completely new email address.

If you are wondering who would actually use such a solution, think “C2B” – consumer to business such as a note to your lawyer, a dispute with your telco.

So, whilst actual volumes will probably be slim, the market itself is slowly becoming educated and accepting of paperless communication.

'PUSH' methodology is ideal for B2B & B2C

For B2B and B2C eDocument Delivery - where outbound volumes are massive, especially eBilling and eInvoicing – a much simpler approach is needed. Onboarding is an intuitive “path-of-least-resistance process" and regular usage requires no initiative.

A highly secure “PUSH” methodology yields user adoption results two to three times higher than average, across industries and regions. “PUSH” sends secure document by email and protects the confidential information by encrypting the document and applying a “shared secret” password to open it. It’s easy to use, aligned with customer preferences, and gets results.

(See my earlier blog post “Innovation Inside – Email on the Edge” for more on the importance of intuitive, path-of-least-resistance methodologies for effective onboarding.)

Our highly secure 'PUSH' methodology drives significant user adoption results, we’re happy to share our success stories with you.

* Interestingly, DHL Deutsche Post spokesman Alexander Edenhofer has just announced that, starting next month, separate encryption and signature options will be removed from E-Postbrief, because Deutsche Post now believed that the platform itself meets the De-Mail protocol’s requirements for transmitting legal documents electronically. So, most likely, prices will also be lowered soon, in order to be competitive with De-Mails price tag of €0 .39 per message.

Keira Holland
striata.com