FedEx expands global wireless strategy to Middle East

The new technology is also being rolled out across Europe in the UK, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Italy, and France, as part of a global plan to deploy 50,000 devices to FedEx Express couriers in more than 60 countries by 2007.

The FedEx PowerPad increases courier efficiency and enhances customer service by providing near-real-time, wireless access to the FedEx network by enabling couriers to send and receive real-time information when away from their delivery vans

FedEx PowerPad will replace the current hand-held courier device, the FedEx SuperTracker, and will act as a personal gateway to convey data directly to and from the FedEx internal network. Bluetooth wireless technology and a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) connectivity network provide immediate information access, revolutionising the level of service offered to customers by facilitating faster pick-ups and reduced transit times

The initial FedEx PowerPad deployment includes electronic signature capture, electronic pickup manifest, hands-free data transmission and automatic scan transmission. The new device also enables dispatchers to schedule customer pickups faster and more efficiently. Future enhancements will enable couriers to give better customer service and continue to reduce the time needed to process packages from pickup to delivery.

Hamdi Osman, FedEx Vice President for the Middle East, Indian Sub-Continent and Africa said:

"FedEx is continually innovating and designing new technologies to help us provide our customers with ever-greater levels of service, and this is the latest example of this. We have always been a front runner in the wireless technology area, and were the first company to make shipping and tracking information available to customers online at our pioneering website www.fedex.com."

FedEx will have invested more than US $200 million globally over a period of five years in new wireless technologies and service implementation. The company continues to develop and utilize solutions that improve reliability and productivity, and make shipping information readily available to employees and customers worldwide.

FedEx has led the express transportation industry for more than two decades with significant innovations, including COSMOS, DADS, FedEx SuperTracker, FedEx PowerShip and FedEx shipping software.

The company pioneered the use of wireless technology for shipping more than 25 years ago when it created its own private radio network, one of the world's largest. FedEx was the first to offer real-time package-tracking and drop-off location information via most types of PDAs and wireless phones.