There are times when the concept surrounding a company’s products or services is difficult to understand. This is (at least in part) one of those times, but the primary piece of news here is that Earth Class Mail received $13.3 million in funding.
Now, on to the concept. Earth Class Mail essentially allows people to access their physical mail online. A P.O. box will become a user’s mailing address; Earth Class Mail will then scan unopened pieces of mail, and post pictures to an online account. Users can choose whether the service should shred, recycle, archive, forward, or open and scan the mail at that point.
Got the mechanics? Good. As for who would use Earth Class Mail, germophobes and hemophiliacs were the first groups that came to mind. But frequent travelers, military personnel, and business owners (among others) might also benefit from the service.
Privacy is, of course, a top concern, and the official website dedicates around 450 words to the issue. Every person will have to decide for themselves whether they’re comfortable with the Earth Class Mail idea, yet a goodly number of precautions are in place.
Which allows us to return to the $13.3 million. It seems like a reasonable amount, compared to what vaguely-named, vaporware-oriented companies can receive. And as documented by Aliza Earnshaw, it was Ignition Partners, at which Vanessa Fox currently works, that provided the funding.
