MessageLabs, the leading provider of messaging and web security services to businesses worldwide, today announced the results of its MessageLabs Intelligence Report for May 2008. Analysis highlights that spam levels are back on the increase with levels reaching 76.8 percent of all emails in May, heights not experienced since early 2007. The rise in spam, according to MessageLabs, is due to the change of tactics adopted by the spammers this month, moving further away from reliance on new and undetectable email attachments and moving toward the exploitation of free, mainstream hosted services such as Google Docs and Calendar and Microsoft SkyDrive.
Charleston Water System encourages conservation of its precious liquid resource. But customer Greg Yancey was surprised to learn that the utility doesn't offer electronic billing, an environmentally friendly service that not only saves paper but also reduces costs and pollution associated with preparing and sending bills through the mail. "They ask their customers to conserve water," Yancey said. "So doesn't it make sense for a public utility to do the same with trees?"
According to Chartwell's latest report, Web-based Customer Service in the Utility Industry 2008, more utilities are attracting customers to self-service transactions on the Internet by broadening their online services.
The study shows that during the last year, utilities have expanded their Web-based menus to customers and include more services such as bill payment, bill presentment, eBill signup, view payment history, view energy usage and bank drafting signup. These six services are available on Web sites at least 70 percent of organizations across North America.
The inroads that electronic billing is making into the conventional world of paper billing are due to increasing appreciation of the major benefits the technology brings to banks, financial service providers and utilities - reduced cost, instant delivery, faster payment and direct marketing opportunities. Alison Treadaway, managing director of e-billing specialist Striata, says cost reduction has the biggest impact for any organisation implementing electronic billing.
