System and method for communications with postage meters

摘要

In a communications system, a host computer in a data center communicates with a multiplicity of electronic postage meters via telephone dial-up lines to conduct telemeter setting (TMS) transactions. Through the communications, the host computer may collect statistical data from each meter, and may impose a cumulative postage amount limit, a time limit and/or a piece limit on the meter. To ensure security and data integrity, the communicated data between the meters and the host computer is selectively encrypted and/or authenticated.