Mailgram
A Mailgram is a type of telegraphic message which is transmitted electronically from the sender to a post office and then printed and delivered to the recipient via postal means.
Western Union invented the Mailgram in 1970.[1] Service via Westar, Western Union's own communications satellite, was introduced in 1974.
The advantage of Mailgrams over postal mail was speed and verifiability of transmission; they were widely used in official notifications and legal transactions. Their advantage over full-rate telegrams was lower cost while still maintaining the look and feel of an important Western Union Telegram. The Mailgram quickly became a widely used medium for business-to-consumer communications.
Although iTelegram still provides a mailgram service in the United States, Western Union discontinued all telegram messaging, including Mailgram, in 2006.
References
- ↑ Oslin, George P. (1999). The Story of Telecommunications: From the Deep South to the Top of the Big Apple. Mercer University Press. p. 417. ISBN 978-0-86554-659-2. Retrieved 2009-02-01.
External links
- iTelegram Mailgram description
