LONDON, June 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal Mail has chosen Zebra Technologies as the provider of its new hand-held devices, called Postal Digital Assistants (PDAs), following a supplier selection process led by BT.
The provision of the 76,000 next-generation TC75 devices is at the centre of a £130 million technology investment programme which will be implemented over five years. The investment is part of Royal Mail's budgeted expenditure.
The PDA investment will transform operational efficiency in the processing, delivery and collection services of Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide. Roll-out of the devices will begin in summer 2015.
The new next-generation TC75 devices will:
- Improve customer service by providing sender and recipient with greater visibility on the journey of their parcels. The PDA will be used to scan all barcoded items from processing to delivery
- Deliver a better customer experience on the doorstep as a result of the larger HD screen with improved signature capture technology
- Increase operational productivity with faster scanning, extended 10-hour battery life and robust, lightweight units.
Zebra Technologies was selected following a competitive process and extensive laboratory testing by frontline staff and across multiple scenarios to ensure the suitability of the technology.
The supplier selection and procurement process was led by BT on behalf of Royal Mail, and forms part of its managed service agreement with Royal Mail. BT will also provide on-going maintenance for the devices through its Field Force Automation service.
The new PDAs and technology is aligned with Royal Mail's investment in automated parcel sortation, which also involves scanning technology and is being rolled out at around 20 of the UK's busiest Mail Centres.
Commenting on the appointment, Nick Landon, Managing Director of Royal Mail Parcels, said: "This is an exciting phase in the transformation of our parcels service. The launch of our new hand-held devices will deliver immediate impact for our customers, and our postmen and women. We are pleased to be supported by Zebra and BT as Royal Mail continues to innovate and preserve our leading position in the UK parcels market."
Emer Timmons, President, BT Global Services UK, commented: "Businesses perform best when their people and technology work in harmony to achieve their goals. So we worked with Royal Mail to understand the needs of its postmen and women and used this insight to test competing devices. We found that Zebra's TC75 was an excellent match and our BT Field Force Automation team is now looking forward to rolling it out with Royal Mail nationwide."
Anders Gustafsson, Chief Executive Officer, at Zebra Technologies, added: "The TC75 enterprise mobile computer, designed for field service and direct delivery use, will help Royal Mail achieve its goal to provide mobility to its staff while improving the quality of services and the handling of registered mail and parcels. This is a key milestone in our long-term relationship with BT and Royal Mail, and we are confident in the benefits this solution will provide Royal Mail in achieving enterprise asset intelligence."
For more information contact:
Claire Burgess on 07753 461658 or claire.burgess@royalmail.com
Media and Industry Analyst Contact:
Valerie Berrivin
Zebra Technologies
+33 607 956 184
valerie.berrivin@zebra.com
About Royal Mail plc
Royal Mail plc is the parent company of Royal Mail Group Limited, the leading provider of postal and delivery services in the UK and the UK's designated universal postal service provider. UK Parcels, International and Letters ("UKPIL") comprises the company's UK and international parcels and letters delivery businesses operating under the "Royal Mail" and "Parcelforce Worldwide" brands. Through the Royal Mail Core Network, the company delivers a one-price-goes-anywhere service on a range of parcels and letters products. Royal Mail has the capability to deliver to more than 29 million addresses in the UK, six days a week (excluding UK public holidays). Parcelforce Worldwide operates a separate UK network which collects and delivers express parcels. Royal Mail also owns General Logistics Systems (GLS) which operates one of the largest ground-based, deferred parcel delivery networks in Europe.
About BT
BT's purpose is to use the power of communications to make a better world. It is one of the world's leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in more than 170 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to its customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband, TV and internet products and services; and converged fixed/mobile products and services. BT consists principally of five customer-facing lines of business: BT Global Services, BT Business, BT Consumer, BT Wholesale and Openreach.
For the year ended 31 March 2015, BT Group's reported revenue was £17,979m with reported profit before taxation of £2,645m. British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York. For more information, visit www.btplc.com.
About Zebra Technologies
Zebra ZBRA makes businesses as smart and connected as the world we live in. Zebra tracking and visibility solutions transform the physical to digital, creating the data streams enterprises need to simplify operations, know more about their businesses, and empower their mobile workforces. For more information, visit www.zebra.com/possibilities.
Royal Mail is a trading name of Royal Mail Group Ltd. Registered number 4138203.
Registered in England and Wales. Registered office: 100 Victoria Embankment, London, EC4Y 0HQ
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150609/221878
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SOURCE Zebra Technologies; Royal Mail
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