With a Little Help From Their Friends

Global Express Guaranteed: USPS teamed up with DHL Worldwide Express Inc. in April 1999 to offer this international service, formerly known as Priority Mail Global Guaranteed. Initially, the alliance was aimed at documents only. In October 2000, it was expanded to a full package delivery service. It offers date-certain delivery to more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. USPS handles the packages domestically and DHL provides international transport and delivery.

Parcel@Home: USPS and Emery Worldwide partnered to make it easier for high-volume computers, home electronics and other catalog and Internet shippers to reach consumers. Emery drops large volumes of packages downstream at regional postal centers. Letter carriers haul them the last mile to customers' homes. The deal is limited to products weighing up to 70 pounds.

@home:A 'last-mile' delivery partnership with Airborne Express. It's structured the same as Emery's Parcel@Home.

Priority Mail processing: In 1997, USPS hired Emery to transport, sort and distribute Priority Mail packages along the East Coast. Emery opened 10 processing centers and hired thousands of employees. Now, Emery wants out of the 10-year contract, saying it's underpaid.

Mover's Guide and change-of-address notification: In 1993, Targeted Marketing Solutions Inc. (now called Imagitas) took over responsibility for printing and mailing change-of-address forms to movers. It also created the Mover's Guide, which provides moving tips and direct-to-consumer advertisements from move-related companies. The partnership won a Hammer Award for reinventing government in 1997 and saves USPS millions of dollars a year.

Stamps: Faced with declining stamp sales, USPS in 1997 launched a retail partnership with Warner Brothers. Not only did Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck become hallmarks on stamps, but a promotional tie-in also had USPS selling Looney Tunes shirts, baseball hats, ties and wrapping paper.

PC Postage: Linking with Stamps.com and E-Stamp, USPS allows customers to apply for digital certificates allowing them to purchase electronically stored postage.