Universal Postal Union chooses Airclic to enable new postal "Track and trace" service
WAYMAKER 9th October 2001
UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION CHOOSES AIRCLIC TO ENABLE NEW POSTAL “TRACK AND TRACE” SERVICE
Universal Postal Union chooses AirClic to enable new postal “track and trace” serviceBlue Bell, Pennsylvania, 9 October, 2001: The Universal Postal Union, the United Nations agency overseeing the world-wide postal service, announced today that it has selected AirClic to enable a new service giving proof of delivery of international parcels and express mail (EMS) items. Using bar codes read by small scanners attached to mobile phones, postal workers will be able to increase the efficiency an…
Universal Postal Union chooses AirClic to enable new postal “track and trace” service
Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, 9 October, 2001: The Universal Postal Union, the United Nations agency overseeing the world-wide postal service, announced today that it has selected AirClic to enable a new service giving proof of delivery of international parcels and express mail (EMS) items. Using bar codes read by small scanners attached to mobile phones, postal workers will be able to increase the efficiency and service levels of mail delivery using a new, but familiar tool.
Postal operators from the 189 member countries of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), the United Nations agency overseeing the world wide postal service, handle some 430 billion letters and parcels each year. They have consistently made use of advances in transportation technology to serve their customers in over 700,000 postal outlets around the world. A key challenge has been to capture proof of mail delivery accurately, efficiently and in real time, and provide effective tracking to the postal service and the sender. Although International Postal System (IPS) a global central database provided by UPU has been implemented in 42 countries, mail delivery personnel have only been able to enter information in the data base after they return to their base office.
AirClic, a global company providing tools to move the power of the web into people’s hands, is providing enabling technology to UPU’s Postal Technology Centre, which in turn is developing solutions to meet the service needs of UPU members. By giving postal workers a bar code scanner attachable to their cellular phone, they can scan a package and immediately provide information confirming a successful delivery to anyone, anywhere in the world. The mobile bar code scanner wirelessly connects the mail deliverer to the IPS, facilitating the “track and trace” service. The ability to know where each item is at any given time, when it arrived and when it left the sender is now just a scan away. The service is simple to use and cost effective and is expected to have a significant impact on the follow-up of mail.
“At the UPU, we work hard to facilitate the introduction of new global postal services in accordance with the requirements of our member postal operators. By working with technology partners, such as AirClic we can provide Posts with an opportunity to trial new technologies without having to invest valuable time and resources in establishing their own individual relationships”, says Steve Gray, Program Manager E-business at UPU.
The service is based on AirClic’s Click-Thrutm technology, which empowers mobile users with wireless devices to easily access and interact with information and services instantly. Additional features are also being developed based on the requirements of both postal workers and customers.
The new technology will be presented at the Post-Expo 2001 fair in Geneva October 9-11. For more information, see www.postexpo.com
For further information please contact: Marcus Nilsson, Business Development, AirClic Inc., European Headquarters, Sweden. Tel: +46-8-6850747 Mobil: +46 70 589 8947
Steve Gray, Program Manager, e-Business, Postal Technology Centre, International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union, Switzerland. Tel: +41 31 350 3116
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