Company spending $120m Bluetooth-enabling service centres
Computing, 23 Jan 2003
Logistics company UPS is investing $120m Bluetooth-enabling all of its 1700 service centres.
Over the next five years staff will be equipped with a Symbol Technology Bluetooth scanner that is worn on the wrist, and 802.11b hip-mounted terminals from Motorola, running Windows CE.
The technology will be used for high-speed processing of packages at the centres.
UPS director of electronic commerce Jos Dujardin said the technology is expected to raise productivity and get packages to their destinations faster.
He said Bluetooth was right for UPS, despite slow enterprise take-up elesewhere. 'We don't care, as long as it provides good business benefits,' he said.
UPS drivers are already using GPRS scanners to scan packages. The addition of the Bluetooth terminals will speed the process up further.
UPS transports 13.6m packages across the world every day via its 360,000 staff, 584 planes and 88,000 vehicles.
Technology has been a major part of the company's rise and it spends $1bn a year on IT alone.
UPS chief information officer Ken Lacy explains why Worldport is at the heart of its network.
Intel explains how its Xeon processors can handle data-intensive apps
More thoughts on how servers can help manage overload
Remote access - Three steps to getting connected
3.4 million UK professionals now work from home – is your company equipped?
Cost benefits of a global collaboration network
This white paper is a must read for organisations looking for evidence of the bottom-line benefits of high-definition video and voice communications
Keep up to date with the latest products, services and technologies from the world's leading IT companies; IThound.com brings you over 6,000 white papers, case studies and analyst reports.
We chat to Mike Maddison, UK head of Security, Privacy...
Update designed to give mobile users a richer, more personalised...
More thoughts on how servers can help manage overload
Do you agree?
Have your say on this article