US Postal Service failing as dot.com?

The US General Accounting Office has been trying to find out if the Postal Service's e-commerce efforts are profitable but cannot come to a conclusion as the post office has not kept sufficient records of its expenses or activities. The Postal Service reportedly does not know if its e-commerce activities, such as eBillPay, are making or losing money, but economists question whether the organization, whose importance and status have plummeted with the growth of the Internet, should be competing with private efforts.

In a related story, the Postal Service and FedEx are discussing a partnership that would give the post office access to the private company's expertise and air transportation network in return for delivering FedEx's slower ground traffic. UPS has harshly criticized the alliance and questions the judgment of FedEx for trusting the post office to deliver its packages in a professional and timely manner.

To read about the post office e-commerce audit, click newsBytes.com. For information on the USPS, FedEx deal, go to computerworld.com.