UPS working with Latch on smart-access delivery pilot in New York City
UPS has begun a pilot with Latch smart access devices to enable deliveries to apartments in New York City.
In a statement issued today (17 July), UPS said it began preliminary tests in Manhattan earlier this year and has now expanded to Brooklyn. The company added that it may “eventually” offer the service “in markets throughout the US”.
“The use of smart access devices on doors of apartment and condominium buildings is a big step forward for the package delivery business,” Jerome Roberts, UPS vice president of global product innovation. “It can be difficult to securely deliver packages in high-density, multi-family urban residences, especially when people are not at home. Smart access devices give us a keyless way to deliver packages to buildings and leave packages safely in lobbies or building package rooms. For our customers, it gives them peace of mind that their package will be waiting for them when they get home.”
UPS explained how the system works: “A UPS driver taking packages to a Latch-enabled building receives a unique credential on a handheld UPS DIAD (Delivery Information Acquisition Device). The credential works only for a specific building receiving deliveries. Any time a driver uses a credential to enter a building, Latch records the entry digitally to create an audit trail that identifies the user and the time of access, establishing a secure record of the transaction.
“Latch’s smart access system lets residents and others use smartphones to unlock doors throughout a building, including at the main entrance. An embedded wide-angle camera within each device captures a visual record of every interaction by a non-resident that authorized users can monitor from the Latch mobile app. UPS, however, is using Latch systems only to enter buildings, not individual apartments. Residents can use Latch to enter the building and to manage guest access. To manage deliveries, they use the UPS My Choice mobile app or website.”
Click here to view a video about the UPS/Latch pilot.
