AREAS OF BUSINESS

POSTAL AND BUSINESS SERVICES

Postal and Business Services include the letter post, express delivery, logistics, parcels and philately activities carried out by Poste Italiane SpA and certain subsidiaries, in addition to the activities conducted by various units of the Parent Company for BancoPosta RFC and the other segments in which the Group operates.
Legislative Decree 58/2011 provides that Poste Italiane SpA is the universal postal service provider for fifteen years from 30 April 2011. The efficiency of provision of the service is verified every five years by the Ministry for Economic Development, based on an assessment performed by the regulator (AGCom - the Italian Communications Authority). Letter post includes Poste Italiane SpA’s traditional postal services, direct marketing and innovative services for paper-based as well as electronic communications in addition to e-Government services. Postel SpA provides communications services to businesses and public entities, offering a full range of services including mass printing and enveloping, electronic document management, direct marketing and commercial printing.
The Express Delivery and Parcels business relates to express delivery products offered on the deregulated market by Poste Italiane SpA to retail and SME customers, and by SDA Express Courier SpA to business customers. SDA also provides its customers with integrated solutions for distribution, logistics and catalogue sales. The provision of standard parcel services falls under the Universal Service obligation (USO).
Consorzio Logistica Pacchi ScpA supplements and oversees the activities of consortium members (Poste Italiane SpA, SDA Express Courier SpA, Postel SpA and Mistral Srl) relating to: the collection, sorting, transport, processing and delivery of parcels; integrated logistics and storage activities; handling and transport (by land and/or air) of postal items; printing and enveloping; Electronic Document Management; e-procurement.
With the aim of creating a single document management hub, as well as consolidating all integrated logistics activities at SDA, with the creation of a technical courier expertise centre that takes advantage of synergies between Italia Logistica's technical expertise and SDA’s transport network, the following initiatives were implemented:

  • on 18 February 2015, PostelPrint SpA acquired 20% of Consorzio Logistica Pacchi ScpA from SDA Express Courier SpA;
  • on 31 March 2015, Postel SpA signed an agreement to acquire Italia Logistica Srl's1 “Physical Document Management” business unit, with effect from 1 April 2015;
  • on 30 April 2015, PostelPrint SpA was merged with and into Postel SpA. For tax and accounting purposes, this transaction was effective from 1 January 2015;
  • on 26 May 2015, a deed was signed to merge Italia Logistica into SDA Express Courier. For tax and accounting purposes, this transaction was effective from 1 June 2015.

PosteShop SpA sells various types of product to retail customers through dedicated channels (the website www.posteshop.it, paper catalogues and periodic flyers). In 2015 the company was engaged in finalising initiatives aimed at rationalising its operations ahead of the merger with and into Postel SpA, approved in December 2015. For tax and accounting purposes, this operation will be effective from 1 May 2016.
Postecom SpA develops and manages information systems, primarily for Group companies, for the purposes of implementing the digital transformation. The main areas of specialisation relate to digital communication and certification services, payments and e-commerce, and e-Government projects, especially regarding healthcare and local taxation.

As noted previously, there are a number of Group companies that provide support services for letter post, express delivery, logistics, parcels and philately:
Mistral Air Srl provides air mail services to Poste Italiane SpA (in conjunction with Consorzio Logistica Pacchi ScpA) as part of its postal service operations, in addition to air freight and passenger services for other customers.
Europa Gestioni Immobiliari SpA (EGI) operates in the real estate sector, managing and developing properties through urban and property redevelopment, with a view to their commercialisation (leases and sales). Due to the nature of the properties, the service is mainly provided to large customers, often public entities. The company also offers property management services to Group companies and external customers.
Poste Energia SpA procures energy for the Poste Italiane Group, acting as a wholesale purchaser, and deals with energy saving projects for Poste Italiane SpA.

  • on 6 October 2015, Poste Italiane SpA transferred its 100% interest in Poste Energia SpA to EGI SpA;
  • on 3 December 2015, Poste Energia SpA was merged with and into EGI SpA. For legal, tax and accounting purposes, the transaction was effective from 31 December 2015.

PosteTutela SpA offers secure funds logistics services (transport, escort, custody, currency counts), fixed and mobile security, as well as all types of surveillance and protection of sensitive data. These services are provided to Poste Italiane's operating units and customers outside the Group, for whom it primarily carries out the movement of cash and valuables. PatentiViaPoste ScpA is a not-for-profit, joint-stock consortium that serves as a jointly owned vehicle for its shareholders (Poste Italiane SpA, Postecom SpA, Dedem Automatica Srl and Muhlbauer ID Services GmbH) in managing and fulfilling the contract regarding the centralised printing, distribution and delivery of European driving licences and vehicle registration certificates.
The not-for-profit consortium, PosteMotori, serves as a jointly owned vehicle for its shareholders (Poste Italiane, Postecom, KPMG Advisory SpA and Integrazioni & Sistemi) in managing and fulfilling the contract regarding management and remittance services for payments, by road users, for the services provided by the Department of Transport.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

The Financial Services segment primarily regards the BancoPosta RFC offering, which is regulated by Presidential Decree 144 of 14 March 2001, as amended. These activities include: management of private and Public Administration customer deposits and the related investment, postal savings deposits issued by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (Savings Books and Interest-bearing Postal Certificates), collection and payment services, the sale and distribution of financial products issued by banks and other finance companies authorised to provide investment services, and electronic money services via the issue of debit and prepaid cards.
The Bancoposta function, partly by coordinating the operations of a number of Group companies and without affecting the operational autonomy of these companies, in compliance with the relevant legal and regulatory requirements, is responsible for creating, designing and managing the Group’s financial product and service offerings, as well as checking the compliance of insurance products. In addition, the function is responsible for processing the related products and services, partly through the coordination of local operating centres, including:

  • three Unified Service Automation Centres, where the payment slips for bills paid at post offices are processed;
  • two Centres for the processing of cleared cheques;
  • two Multi-service Centres located in Turin and Ancona, which carry out certain back-office processes (fraud analysis and management, credit checks, the management of payment orders for legal and other expenses, as well as postal savings products).

The activities of the segment also include the management of public funds carried out by Banca del Mezzogiorno – MedioCredito Centrale SpA, the promotion of mutual funds carried out by BancoPosta Fondi SpA SGR, and the distribution of asset management products by Anima Holding SpA, an independent asset manager. Poste Italiane acquired a 10.32% interest in Anima Holding SpA from Monte Paschi Siena SpA (BMPS) on 25 June 2015 for a total consideration of €210.5 million, equivalent to a price of €6.80 per share.
This is broadly in line with the average market price of the investee’s shares on the Milan Stock Exchange during the month prior to the agreement, executed on 14 April 2015. The agreement will also result in Poste Italiane’s inclusion in the shareholders’ agreement that BMPS has previously entered into with Banca Popolare di Milano (BPM), which owns 16.85% of the investee.
The transaction is highly significant and confirms Poste Italiane's commitment to the asset management sector, which is one of the strategic pillars underpinning the Group's Business Plan.

INSURANCE SERVICES

The Insurance Services business is run by the Postevita insurance group, a registered insurance group that includes the parent, Poste Vita SpA, and its subsidiary, Poste Assicura SpA. The Group operates in the life and non-life insurance business.
given the strategic objective of broadening the group’s offering of health insurance for individuals and groups of people, on 4 November 2015 Poste Vita SpA completed the acquisition of a 100% interest in S.D.S. System Data Software Srl, which in turn owns a 100% interest in S.D.S. Nuova Sanità Srl. The SDS group provides services and manages claims on behalf of, among others, private health funds that offer private health cover (above all the Fasi and Faschim funds). The group also designs, develops and maintains management software and provides IT services for businesses.

OTHER SERVICES

The Other Services segment includes Poste Mobile SpA and Consorzio per i Servizi di Telefonia Mobile ScpA.
PosteMobile is the Group’s mobile operator which, in keeping with its planned development, has gradually switched from being an Enhanced Service Provider (or ESP) to operating as a Full MVNO (a Full Mobile Virtual Network Operator).
Consorzio per i Servizi di Telefonia Mobile ScpA is responsible for providing Poste Italiane with electronic communications networks and the related platforms, systems and terminals, by coordinating, organising and managing the resources, equipment and people made available by consortium members. The consortium is also responsible for supplying the related mobile, fixed-line, integrated and value added services.

 

(1) Italia Logistica Srl provides integrated logistics, document management and technical courier services (logistics management and the installation and maintenance of electronic equipment, primarily for work stations) for Group companies and external customers.