Royal Joh. Enschedé breathes digital life into stamps.
Haarlem, February 8, 2021. Royal Joh. Enschedé (RJE) worked on various innovations in 2020 that add extra value to the familiar stamp with new technology. From augmented reality to blockchain, RFID and NFC chips. In 2021, five of these productions will be further developed and released by postal organizations all over the world. For consumers, these innovations mean that they can unlock interactive experiences with a stamp, or track and trace their shipment with a stamp. Postal organizations can use digital technology to prevent forgery, optimize processes and offer their customers extra functionality.
For example, in October 2020, PostNL introduced a stamp with Augmented Reality (AR), with which Martin Garrix gives a virtual “living room” concert via an app. With AR, digital experiences can be added to an existing stamp, retaining its value for the recipient and philatelists even after use. This also applies to the “Personal Message Stamp”. A small, invisible NFC (Near Field Communication) chip is incorporated into the stamp, with which the sender can record a message that the recipient can play on the smartphone via the NFC function. In December 2020, the United Nations issued their Crypto Stamp, a physical seal featuring a digital brother linked to the Ethereum block chain network. With a QR code and a number code, ownership is recorded in a personal “wallet”, a digital wallet. The stamp is not only a physical stamp but also a tradable digital collector’s item. The Smart Stamp for Finnish mail has been further developed by KJE and has a 3-way identifier, with which mail items can be tracked and traced. Each stamp has a Datamatrix code and RFID chip. For postal services this offers an alternative to registered mail. In addition to data matrix codes (DMC), the DMC stamp uses special ink that incorporates visible and invisible features into the stamp. With the DMCs, each stamp has one unique code that can be used only once to prevent forgery. With the addition of track and trace functionality, this stamp is unique in its kind and an alternative to registered mail for postal organizations.
“As a manufacturer of valuable printed matter, we have a reputation to uphold. We create extra functionality by adding digital technology. This is how we breathe new life into a traditional product and open up new possibilities, both for consumers and for postal organizations worldwide.”
Gelmer Leibbrandt, CEO Royal Joh. Enschedé
