WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service stepped up construction of its Information Platform today by obtaining funding approval from the Board of Governors to invest in computer technology that will provide real-time mail flow information for both large volume mailers and postal management. Large volume mailers will be able to track their mail as it flows through the automated mailstream, while allowing postal management to better match equipment and staffing to workloads, improving productivity and reducing operating costs. Approval was also obtained to invest in technologies that will replace existing accounting and employee timekeeping systems. The enhancements will provide more detailed information in near real-time while reducing the need for administrative positions. Today's automated sorting equipment funding approval will upgrade 300 existing Integrated Data Servers (IDS), a primary source of operational and mail sorting data for the Information Platform and include purchasing 25 new systems to support emerging Postal and customer data requirements.