Courier and Express Update – UPS, TNT, Hermes and HP news

A round-up of more courier and express delivery news from around the world…

UPS My Choice proves attractive to US consumers

UPS said today that its “My Choice” service has now attracted nearly one million customers to sign up for easier parcel delivery since its launch back in October.

The company said the success “significantly” surpassed original predictions for the new offering, demonstrating the huge attraction for consumers in technology that can make their lives easier.

UPS My Choice comes in basic and premium versions, with the free basis service offering to send out telephone, email or text messages the day before a parcel is due to arrive, with options for recipients to reschedule or reroute a package for a small fee. The premium membership costs $40 a year, and offers more control of delivery arrangements.

TNT Express opens retail outlet in central Jeddah

TNT SAB Express has launched a new retail outlet on a busy street in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The outlet on Sari street brings TNT’s range of express services to the centre of Saudi Arabia’s second largest city, and the largest port on the Red Sea. It opens frmo 8am to 8pm from Sunday to Thursday.

Nael Attiyat, the sales and marketing director for TNT SAB Express, said: “This new facility is another step in our development of the privince. The location has been selected for its central location and ease of accessibility for our clients.”

Hermes Germany celebrates 15 years of luggage courier service

Hermes German has been marking 15 years since it started up its luggage courier service in Germany, allowing German rail passengers to have suitcases and other items sent home.

The company said this week it has now delivered 20m items on the service, run in cooperation with Deutsche Bahn, the German national railway company. With a EUR 13.80 starting price, the service aims to make a railway journey more comfortable, but it has also proved popular with those perhaps less able to cope with heavy luggage, with more than a quarter of its users being over the age of 70.

Frank Iden, the Hermes Germany CEO, said: “The luggage courier service we provide with Deutsche Bahn has captured the spirit of the times. It is so important to develop services that enable the target group a particularly uncomplicated and comfortable journey, and especially today because older people are so mobile and more active than ever before.”

Saudi express firm opts for HP technology

SMSA Express Trans. Co., Ltd., the largest courier service network in Saudi Arabia, and a FedEx Express licensee, is to use HP Converged Infrastructure to upgrade its IT systems.

The company is replacing its legacy servers with HP Integrity and ProLiant server blades, while using the HP Converged Infrastructure platform to run resource planning and customer relationship management systems for the network of five major hubs, multiple depots, 650 vehicles and 1,500 staff.

Eng. Majed Alesmail, deputy managing director of SMSA Express said technology was playing a key role in his company’s business development and expansion. He said: “The new HP Converged Infrastructure is designed to provide high availability for all our hosted applications, and we anticipate a dramatic improvement in performance as a result.”