Pitney Bowes Inc. sued a California startup whose web site allows homeowners to view images of traditional mail online, and to send document files over the Internet using the postal addresses of recipients.
Westlake Village, Calif.-based Zumbox Inc. stated it is confident it is not in violation of the three patents cited by Pitney Bowes as its own intellectual property. Zumbox has applied for patent protection on its system.
Zumbox (ZOOM-box) says it has a database of 150 million postal addresses, and is soliciting businesses to send bills and notices using its system as a way to eventually replace traditional mailings.
Its system is compatible with small-business accounting systems Microsoft Corp., Peachtree, and QuickBooks, among others, and it offers an application programming interface for custom-built billing software. The system allows businesses to track mailings that are opened and printed, along with other performance metrics.
