The USPS announced yesterday that they will be ready for Intelligent Mail Barcodes in May 2009.

Speaking to the Mailers’ Technical Advisory Committee here today, Tom Day, Senior Vice President, Intelligent Mail and Address Quality, said the Postal Service will be ready for mail bearing Intelligent Mail barcodes next May as planned.

“We believe the benefits of an information-rich mail stream will be evident for our mailers and the entire mailing industry, and investments to make that a reality will prove to be very much worthwhile,” continued Day. “However, given the volatility of the economy, decreasing mail volumes, and our own financial situation, it would be premature for us to commit to a pricing structure for the Intelligent Mail barcode at this time.”

Intelligent Mail is a comprehensive, integrated program designed to revolutionize all aspects of how the Postal Service accepts, processes and transports mail by using the Intelligent Mail barcode. The Intelligent Mail barcode notifies mailers when a mailing is inducted into the mail stream and allows them to track individual mail pieces as they travel through the postal network.

Ben Cooper sent out a email to The Print Council members today on the update, saying:

The Intelligent Mail Barcode -- or IMB as it is known -- is part of a major effort by the USPS to increase automation and provide mailers and the Postal Service with more feedback about mail.

Major hurdles remain about the IMB, not the least of which is the lack of awareness throughout the printing community and much of the mailing industry about what the program is, how much it will cost to implement and the advantages to do so.

As it stands now, the USPS is not considering postage discounts for using the IMB but may explore additional costs for not using the system or using it improperly.

If implemented in the way the USPS and mailers hope, the IMB can be a rich source of data and information to enhance the effectiveness of mail advertising.

More information about the Intelligent Mail Barcode is available from as Federal Register Notices: Implementation of New Standards for Intelligent Mail® Barcodes (PDF), Implementation of Intelligent Mail Barcodes (PDF), Intelligent Mail barcode specification.