This article was published on January 29, 2013

Swedish digital mailbox Kivra launches app and responsive web design for mobile


Swedish digital mailbox Kivra launches app and responsive web design for mobile

Kivra, the service that hopes to eliminate paper mail, has launched an iOS app and a responsive Web site that should help Swedish folk give up their paper mail habit and go digital.

Back in November, The Next Web noted that Swedish entrepreneur Robert Wahlström, former partner and head of business development of online payment solutions company Klarna, managed to secure more than $2 million in funding for Kivra.

The money has clearly been put to good use and now users can manage their mail on the go.

Kivra lets users create a digital mail box for important documents. The aim is to keep the documents secure, manage them more easily and of course decrease the impact that using paper has on the environment.

It works by convincing others to change their ways and provide digital or interactive versions of the paper documents you more regularly get in the post.

The company also encourages other firms and organisations to change they way they distribute paper documents. An interactive newsletter or an invoice that has links to work completed is much more useful and with digital copies, there’s no need to have a dusty filing cabinet to fill with each new arrival.

kivra mobile screens

Quoting a recent survey by TNS Sifo [SE], commissioned by the Swedish postal service, 84% of the Swedish population wants to be able to choose how they receive communications from companies, organisations and governments.

The green movement in Sweden also supports Kivra as with regular use, it can make a real difference to the amount of trees cut down each year to create things like bank statements, local authority notices and much more.

To use the Kivra app (currently this works in Sweden but the firm is hoping for international expansion sooner rather than later), users need to create a Kivra account that provides a secure code for access. Records are checked to match mobile phone numbers with accounts for verification.

Once you’re registered, you add your email address and you can get notifications each time a new document arrives. Then log into Kivra to see what you have received.

The app sets out your documents in a clear manner and you can always access the account via your desktop or laptop if you need to work with items using a keyboard rather than a touch screen.

Kivra points out that 1 billion window envelopes are sent around Sweden each year. If you’re not a fan of receiving more paper through your letterbox, maybe you should finally nail it closed and consider an app like this one.

➤ Kivra iOS

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 Image Credit: Woozie2012 / Flickr

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