Cox Business, an offshoot of the third-largest cable TV company in the United States, has started offering RPost’s registered e-mail solution to expedite the processing of service orders previously executed with paper contracts sent via postal mail or fax.

The new capability is designed to make business transactions more efficient and convenient for the customer and to reduce the use of unnecessary paper.

Cox is currenly deploying the solution in specific markets. All of its service areas will be operational by the end of June.

RPost lets Cox close contracts by e-mail and provides the assurance of “legal proof” via an electronic audit trail that records the delivery transaction, electronic signature, content of the electronic contract and official time the deal was closed. The electronic process expedites service order completions by eliminating fax and mail delays and accelerates bookings for revenue recognition purposes.

RPost requires no software downloads or click-throughs to web sites, which makes it easier for Cox customers to use.

“Cox Business’ move to electronic contracting eliminates complexity for our customers and allows them to be more productive by enabling an inexpensive close-by-e-mail solution,” said Bob Hattori, Cox’ vice-president of operations. “As a service provider, we also have the potential to cut days off the order process by eliminating the need for our business customers to print contracts, sign in ink and fax or mail them back.”
 
RPost says its pay-as-you-go services include legal proof of email content, delivery and time-stamping. Expanded services include eContracting and e-signing, end-to-end e-mail encryption, PDF conversion, information leak protection by metadata scrub, and the ability to add blind content to copied recipients. Offered at a flat per e-mail price, which is about the cost of a postage stamp, RPost services have been tested, accredited and used daily by the US federal government since 2003.

“While e-mail is used widely across corporate America, most professionals still print contracts, sign them manually and ship them via express delivery. With RPost, businesses can save time and money, and minimize paper waste by using e-mail for even the most significant communications,” said Zafar Khan, CEO of RPost. “Our customers focus on the benefits of closing the deal faster, cutting costs, and maintaining a robust electronic record. RPost automatically returns a transaction and e-signature record in the form of a Registered Receipt e-mail that can be authenticated at any time and therefore is admissible should a legal challenge arise.”

Cox Business provides a voice, long distance, data, highspeed Internet and video services to more than 240,000 business customers in its markets across the US, including small businesses, multi-location enterprises, regional healthcare providers and federal, state and local governments.

In 2007, Cox became the first multiple system cable operator to enter the top tier of US business Ethernet providers, according to the Vertical System Group.