A large number of digital services, designed to take on the same role in the electronic world as the traditional postal mailbox are currently in operation in Europe. The documents received by members of the public through these systems are the ones habitually received in a physical mailbox, namely, invoices,bank statements, receipts, payslips, notifications, etc.
In addition to the reception of documents, electronic safe box systems offer safe, permanent storage services of documents that are of great value to members of the public and businesses and which they want to store in their own personal space.
Although simple in principle, these systems open a broad range of opportunities for the reception and safe keeping of a variety of documents: personal documents, notices and notifications of a professional nature, government notices and notifications, electronic invoices, etc.
In addition to their intrinsic functions of reception and personal storage of messages and documents, these electronic post box/ safe box systems are playing a leading role in the dissemination and socialisation of key-enablers and eGovernment services.
It is highly likely that the link between post box/safe box systems and uses relating to the home and people may open up new prospects with a view to the development of electronic services in line with the targets set out in the Digital Agenda for Europe. Likewise, it is no less certain that post box/safe box systems may become excellent platforms for the dissemination of specifications and regulations deriving from the best practice projects promoted by the European Union.