LL Optic in talks over South American parcel terminal trials

Lithuanian company UAB LL Optic has said it is in negotiations with two South American posts to supply parcel terminals this summer. The company said it will be running joint trials with the national posts concerned.

The parcel terminals – banks of lockers that provide a secure alternative delivery point for consumer parcels – are branded Loginpost. The terminals can be used to send, collect or store parcels.

LL Optic told Post&Parcel it was not yet in a position to name the posts that will be involved, since negotiations are still underway, but the project is expected to see trials of 10 terminals in each country.

Vilma Bagdonaitė, the LL Optic manager, said: “Similar terminals are used in Chile and Uruguay, but in other countries they are uncommon. I hope that in the near future our project will continue to expand in this continent and we will be able to collaborate with clients in various countries in South America.”

LL Optic is currently developing parcel terminals that could be fully contained without needing an external power supply by using renewable energy technology.

This would be particularly good for a number of South American countries where plenty of sunlight is available.

“It is very important to our company that our technologies would be green and save resources. We have produced a few experimental models that operate without external power supply, because they are equipped with solar panels,” Bagdonaitė explained.

“Our experimental terminals with solar panels could be used in countries that enjoy long hours of daylight. Of course, this is hard to imagine in Lithuania, but over time, as technology advances, we will be able to offer the European market fully self-contained units.”

Hungary

Vilnius-based LL Optic began operating parcel terminals in Lithuania in August 2011, competing in the parcel terminal market against the likes of Austrian firm KEBA, Polish firm InPost, Estonian firm Cleveron and Australian firm TZ Ltd. InPost is already active in the South American market, providing its parcel terminals for Correos de Chile and 4-72 in Colombia.

The Lithuanian firm is now in the process of installing 50 terminals in Hungary, where the company won a tender along with IT firm Getronics.

The firm has also recently won a tender to install 18 parcel terminals in Kazakhstan.

The Hungarian terminals will be integrated into the national postal system, with expectations of being fully implemented later this year.

Bagdonaitė said her company won the Hungarian tender because of its flexible solution.

“It is easily customisable and can meet the needs of practically any postal services company,” she said, adding, “Success in the tender was also determined by the selection of Getronics, a suitable and reliable partner, that acts as the main contractor and we will provide project management and terminal integration services.”

Bagdonaitė said that for Hungarians, the new parcel terminals will provide an alternative to having to collect items from post offices during business hours, or waiting for a courier. Parcels can be collected from the terminals any time of day or night.

She said along with parcel services, the terminals also offer the potential in future to provide other services, such as bill payment.

“These smart terminals are the future not only of postal services, but also of other services, because we want to apply the latest technologies immediately in our everyday lives,” she said.