People will no longer be restricted to buy stamps at post offices during office hours. They can buy electronic stamps anywhere and at anytime in the near future.
The convenient e-stamp service has been provided in the United States since November 1998. Hong Kong Post has invested about one million dollars on providing an e-stamp service. E-stamps service will be introduced in Hong Kong in 2000.
With relevant software, e-stamps can be printed by the printers of personal computers by entering information such as address and item weight.
The computers will calculate correct postage and print stamps onto envelopes, labels or documents.
"We provide e-stamp service because franking machines used today are not the best option. The machines are too expensive and sophisticated," said Mr. Yuk Wai-fung, Director of Electronic Services of Hong Kong Post.
Mr. Yuk continued: "The government's revenue may be increased once e-stamps are adopted, since it is more difficult to cheat by using e-stamp service than using franking machines as each e-stamp carries a unique digital serial number which cannot be altered.
"When the serial numbers on the e-stamps are scanned, information such as senders' identities, recipients' addresses and the time when the stamps are printed will be revealed," Mr. Yuk Wai-fung said.
Companies will benefit too as they can avoid over-posting by using e-stamps. They can post mail with an exact amount of e-stamps, instead of keeping a stock of excessive stamps for postage.
"Individuals will find it convenient to buy e-stamps without going out, especially when they do not have stamps at hand," said Mr. Yuk.
But details of e-stamps such as the printer and computer system requirements, the types of e-stamp software and the payment methods have not been finalized yet.
"When engaging transactions through the Internet, three main problems will occur," Professor Samuel Chanson, the Associate Head of Computer Science Department at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said.
"Authenticity. This means whether the identity a person claim is true.
"Privacy. This means whether the information is secure enough that unauthorized parties cannot gain assess to it.
"Integrity. This means whether the data are protected from unauthorized changing," Professor Chanson explained.
Mr. Yuk stated that, regarding the three problems, a system of Public Key Infrastructure is under development. Costing about $60 million, it is an encryption system for on-line postal services.
"The system provides each person with a pair of electronic keys: a public key and a private key. The keys, just as identity cards, will show the identities of the people." said Mr. Yuk.
But one's private key can be used merely by that person.
To ensure authenticity, the messages are encoded or locked by the senders' private keys.
The recipients can use the senders' public keys to decode or unlock the messages, and thus ensure the senders' identities.
Professor Chanson said: "To achieve privacy, the sender should use the recipients' public keys to encode the messages. Only the recipients' private keys can decode the messages.
"To ensure integrity, the messages should be sent with a 'summary' containing a set of digits generated by computer. The recipients can use the same method to generate another set of digits.
If there is a difference between both sets of digits after an inter-checking, the messages will be probably have been changed by a third party," said Professor Chanson.
With adequate security measures, e-stamp postal service will improve the future postal service.
Will You Collect Both E-stamps and Stamps?
"Yes. E-stamps are worth collecting. The designs of e-stamps, like normal stamps, keep changing and thus are worth collecting. Before e-stamps are available, I will collect more normal stamps that are valuable and better designed," said Miss Ma Pik Kwan, a university student who has collected stamps for seven years.
"Yes, I will. Exchange markets for e-stamps will definitely emerge. Nowadays, stamps possess collection value. E-stamps will possess the similar value too. But stamp collection stores will not take the initiative to buy stamps or e-stamps. Only when there is a demand for them and sure profits will I engage in the business," said Mr. Choi Chuen Mau, the owner of Elegant Stamps and Coins at the Lok Fu Shopping Centre.
"Yes, sure. Collecting stamps and e-stamps is for appreciation rather than for investment, thus I don't overvalue the rarity of stamps when I collect them. Collecting stamps is just a hobby," said Mr. Chui Chung Keung, collecting stamps for over 30 years.
