Editing United States Postal Service (section)

=== Alternative transmission methods ===

The Post Office Department owned and operated the first public [[telegraph line]]s in the United States, starting in 1844 from Washington to Baltimore, and eventually extending to New York, Boston, Buffalo, and Philadelphia. In 1847, the telegraph system was privatized, except for a period during World War I, when it was used to accelerate the delivery of letters arriving at night.<ref>{{cite web |title=Telegraph: Early Postal Role |website=Postal History |publisher=USPS |date=July 2008 |url=http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/telegraph.pdf |access-date=April 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531004552/http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/telegraph.pdf |archive-date=May 31, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Between 1942 and 1945, "[[V-Mail]]" (for "Victory Mail") service was available for [[military mail]]. Letters were converted into [[microfilm]] and reprinted near the destination, to save room on transport vehicles for military cargo.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/v-mail.pdf |website=Postal History |title=V-Mail |publisher=USPS |date=July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090508223612/https://www.usps.com/postalhistory/_pdf/VMail.pdf |archive-date=May 8, 2009 |access-date=July 8, 2011}}</ref>

In 1970, Western Union in co-operation with the Postal Service introduced the "[[Mailgram]]", a special type of [[telegram]] offered by Western Union intended for bulk mailing to multiple addressees. The sender would contact WU and submit to them the message to be sent and a list of addressees to mail the requested Mailgrams to. The message and address data were then sent electronically over Western Union's terrestrial network normally used for standard telegrams, with WU's [[Westar 1]] satellite used instead starting in 1974 with its launch, for Mailgram transmission to participating Postal Service centers, who would then print and mail the Mailgrams to the requested addressees.

Similar to WU's Mailgrams was Electronic Computer Originated Mail, offered by the Postal Service from 1982 to 1985. Also known as [[E-COM]], it too was used for bulk mailings. Text was transmitted electronically to one of 25 post offices nationwide. The Postal Service would print the mail and put it in special envelopes bearing a blue E-COM logo. Delivery was assured within two days.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/ecom.pdf |title=E-COM, Electronic Computer Originated Mail |date=July 2008 |access-date=July 8, 2011 |publisher=USPS |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090508223733/https://www.usps.com/postalhistory/_pdf/ECOM.pdf |archive-date=May 8, 2009}}</ref>

To improve accuracy and efficiency, the Postal Service introduced the [[Intelligent Mail barcode|Intelligent Mail program]] to complement the [[ZIP Code]] system. This system, which was intended to replace the deprecated [[POSTNET]] system, allows bulk mailers to use pre-printed bar codes to assist in mail delivery and sorting. Additional features, called Enhanced, or Full-Service, Intelligent Mail Barcodes allow for mail tracking of bulk mail through the postal system up to the final delivery Post Office.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usps.com/election-mail/creating-imb-election-mail-kit.pdf|title=Intelligent Mail|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120830001120/https://www.usps.com/election-mail/creating-imb-election-mail-kit.pdf|archive-date=August 30, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>