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Amailgram is a type oftelegraphic message which is delivered to the recipient by thepost office. Mailgrams are received at a mailgram center by telephone,teletypewriter service or computer. Each message is placed in a special envelope and dispatched to the local post office for delivery with the mail.[1]
Western Union invented the mailgram in 1970 and registered thetrademark "Mailgram".[2] Service viaWestar, Western Union's owncommunications satellite, was introduced in 1974.
The advantage of mailgrams over postal mail is speed and verifiability of transmission. In the late 20th century they were widely used in official notifications andlegal transactions. Their advantage over full-rate telegrams was lower cost while still maintaining the look and feel of an important telegram. The mailgram quickly became a widely used medium for business-to-consumer communications.
AlthoughiTelegram still provides a mailgram service in theUnited States, Western Union discontinued all telegram messaging, including Mailgram, in 2006.
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