2 Read and translate the text. Promoting and developing new products and services

Small packets, international reply coupons, EMS and money orders are some of the products and services that have been promoted by the UPU. With 190 mem­ber countries expressing their needs and those of their customers, the organization encourages the develop­ment and use of new products and services to meet customer requirements around the world. The UPU also develops innovative and effective services for Posts themselves through its Telematics Cooperative and Postal Technology Centre, which strive to develop new technologies for mail tracking, the electronic exchange of funds and electronic mail security. Mindful of the technological and financial constraints faced by many of its member countries, the UPU is quick to develop or adapt software applications to meet the specific needs of Posts. This has made it possible for develop­ing countries to acquire systems for tracking mail and transferring funds (International Postal System and International Financial System). The electronic postmark, developed by a handful of industrialized Posts, has also found a home in the UPU, which is try­ing to extend its use to developing Posts which would otherwise not have the means to adopt it. The UPU has also cre­ated products such as the POST'Code, postal addressing system and the Uni­versal List of Localities to ensure better mail targeting by Posts and customers.

"With rapid technological change, the UPU's presence is important to collect ideas from members and translate those into products that satisfy customers changing needs."

Rehema Makuburi, Manager, International Postal Affairs, Tanzania Post

3 Write out other unknown words and word expressions and learn them.

4 Find Russian equivalents.

Small packets; money orders; telematics cooperative; the electronic mail security; system for transferring funds; International Financial System; the electronic postmark; The Universal List of Localities.

5 Find English equivalents.

Международные ответные купоны; почтовый технологический центр; электронный обмен денежными переводами; развивающиеся страны; система почтового слежения; международная почтовая система; почтовая система адресования; быстрые технологические изменения.

6 Answer the questions.

1 The UPU develops effective services for Posts themselves through its Telematics Cooperative and Postal Technology Centre, doesn’t it?

2 Is the UPU trying to extend the electronic postmark?

3 What kind of product has the UPU also created?

4 Is the UPU’s presence important to collect ideas from members?

7 Give a summary of the text.

Lesson 10

1 Study the following words.

guidelines	рекомендации
to enable	давать возможность
imminent	неминуемый
creation	создание
revenue	годовой доход
to highlight	выделять, выдвигать на первый план
illegal	нелегальный
to anticipate	предвидеть
to influence	влиять
innovation	новшество, инновация.

2 Read and translate the text.

Sharing knowledge and in­formation

The UPU monitors developments in the postal sector, analyzes market trends and studies market condi­tions, recommends guidelines to be followed and facilitates the ex­change of intellectual and statistical data enabling Posts throughout the world to adapt to imminent changes. With the creation of the Direct Mail Advisory Board, many countries are now mak­ing use of the resources, seminars and workshops available to them to de­velop this sector and generate additional revenue. In cooperation with the World Associ­ation for the Development of Philately, the UPU has highlighted the problem of illegal postage stamps in an effort to find a solution to a situation that seriously harms the Post's image and results in significant loss of revenue. Finally, the UPU produces an entire series of publications on mail guidelines and postal statistics, including The World Guide to Direct Mai! Marketing and The Postal Industry in an Internet Age (see www.upu.int/publications/en/index.html for a complete list).

"By offering a range of exchanges between all postal sector players, the UPU should be a prime vehicle for anticipat­ing and influencing change in the postal market... In order to take on all forms of innovation, the UPU will need to help member countries perfect their knowledge of the market and customer needs and develop a forward-look­ing vision in order to raise the sector's performance level." Edouard Dayan, Director of European and Interna­tional Affairs, La Poste (France).