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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 62 (Friday, March 30, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 19391]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-7359]

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POSTAL SERVICE

Notice of Proposed Intelligent Mail Indicia Performance Criteria 
With Request for Comments

AGENCY: Postal Service \TM\.

ACTION: Proposed change.

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SUMMARY: The Postal Service is updating and consolidating the product 
submission procedures for Postage Evidencing Systems (PES). This 
involves the replacement of the current Information-Based Indicia 
Performance Criteria (IBI PC) with new Intelligent Mail Indicia 
Performance Criteria (IMI PC).

DATES: Copies of the proposed IMI PC will be available effective March 
30, 2012. Comments on the proposed IMI PC must be received on or before 
May 30, 2012.

ADDRESSES: To receive a copy of the proposed IMI PC, mail or deliver 
written requests to: USPS Payment Technology/Attn: Marlo Kay Ivey, 475 
L'Enfant Plaza SW., Room 3660, Washington, DC 20260-4110. To comment on 
the proposed IMI PC, mail or deliver written comments to the Manager, 
Payment Technology, USPS, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Room 3436, 
Washington, DC 20260-4110. Copies of all written comments will be 
available, by appointment, for inspection and photocopying between 9 
a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the Payment Technology 
office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marlo Kay Ivey, Business Programs 
Specialist, Payment Technology, U.S. Postal Service, at 202-268-7613.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Current product submission procedures and 
the IBI PC are approximately 10 years old and have had little or no 
substantive updates since being initially provided to the PES (postage 
meter and PC Postage[supreg]) industry. The PES environment has changed 
substantially with availability of new technology to offer new PES 
products designed to meet new customer needs for access to postage. In 
addition, changes within the United States Postal Service[supreg] 
(USPS[supreg]) infrastructure have taken place to provide enhanced 
opportunities for PES providers to propose new concepts, methods, and 
processes to enable customers to print pre-paid evidence of postage 
while improving the efficiency and effectiveness of Postal Service 
operations.
    The Postal Service proposes to replace the current PES product 
submission procedures and the IBI PC with the proposed IMI PC Document 
(the ``Document''). This Document is comprised of four volumes to 
support the USPS PES Test and Evaluation Program (the ``Program''). The 
intent is for the volumes to fully support each other but not be 
redundant in content.
    Volume I--PES Requirements. Provides the PES industry and test 
laboratories with the information, requirements, and guidance necessary 
to develop new PES, and provides reference for guidance for current 
approved PES for interim changes, as determined necessary, to maintain 
interoperability with the USPS systems and processes.
    Volume II--IMI Requirements. Provides the minimum required 
information, both human- and machine-readable, for all pre-paid 
evidence of postage produced by a PES. Also provides the reporting 
requirements for all supporting data systems used by USPS to manage the 
program.
    Volume III--Test and Evaluation Requirements. Provides for 
laboratories certified by National Institute of Standards and 
Technology (NIST) to perform Federal Information Processing Standard 
(FIPS) 140-X testing, and provides PES testing entities with guidance 
on test and evaluation procedures that a PES system must undergo to 
receive USPS approval.
    Volume IV--PES Test and Evaluation Program Requirements. Provides 
the Program and logistical processes that are required for a PES to 
obtain approval from USPS, as well as the requirements for the 
evaluation and submission of changes and updates to a previously 
approved PES.

Stanley F. Mires,
Attorney, Legal Policy & Legislative Advice.
[FR Doc. 2012-7359 Filed 3-29-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P
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