RM upgrades hand-held devices as tech strategy continues

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Royal Mail has announced it will be using Zebra Technologies' hand-held devices across its operations, as part of the delivery group's £130 million five-year tech investment programme.


Royal Mail is looking to improve customer service on the doorstep, boost operational efficiency and give consumers greater visibility of their parcel orders after its latest investment in technology.

The business is set to roll-out new hand-held devices across its workforce later this summer, as part of a wider £130 million technology investment programme taking place over the next five years.

Some 76,000 of Zebra Technologies' TC75 devices, or Postal Digital Assistants (PDAs), have been chosen by Royal Mail for the task, and it is hoped the larger HD screen with improved signature capture technology – as well as the faster scanning and ten-hour battery life – will help boost service levels from a customer and operational perspective.

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 also has a role to play in on-going maintenance for the devices through its Field Force Automation service.

Royal Mail said that the new PDAs are aligned with its automated parcel sortation, which also involves scanning technology and is being rolled out at around 20 of the UK's busiest Mail Centres.

Nick Landon, managing director of Royal Mail Parcels, commented: "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."

Since floating on the stock market at the end of 2013, Royal Mail has been investing in new technology as it looks to establish its position in the fast-changing home delivery market. For example, click & collect facilities have been installed across its estate, enabling online retailers to offer their customers the option of collecting their purchases in 10,500 Post Office branches nationwide.

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Royal Mail selects Zebra Technologies to supply new hand-held devices

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.”
Ends

For more information and images contact:
Claire Burgess on 07753 461658 or claire.burgess@royalmail.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.

About Zebra Technologies
Zebra (NASDAQ: 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.

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TC70 / TC75 TOUCH COMPUTER
CUTTING EDGE FAST DATA ACCESS

https://www.zebra.com/content/dam/zebra_new_ia/en-us/solutions_verticals/product/Mobile_Computers/Hand-Held%20Computers/TC75/photography-product/TC75_front-319.png/_jcr_content/renditions/xcq5dam.thumbnail.319.319.png.pagespeed.ic.SJIMVuWFIZ.pngWork more efficiently and better serve your customers by giving your employees enterprise-class handheld computers that survive life in the field or shop floor, communicate and access information in real time - yet are every bit as refined as a consumer device.

The TC70/TC75 is the professional-grade Android device built from the ground up for the entrerprise.

4G/LTE (TC75 only) and 8.02.11a/b/g/n connectivity for anywhere, anytime access to information
Zebra's Mobility Extensions (Mx)
Mobility DNA, a suite of moiblity enabling applications, development tools and utlities
Most advanced scan engine with longer range date capture capability
Rugged and ready for every day enterprise use inside and outside the four walls


FEATURES & BENEFITS
Android KitKat fortified for the enterprise with Mobility Extensions (Mx) and Mobility DNA
Every TC70/TC75 ships with Mobility Extensions (Mx), a series of features that transform Android™ from a consumer operating system (OS) to a true enterprise-class OS, enabling enterprise-class security and device management, as well as support for enterprise data capture capabilities. Streamline your path to mobility with the complete, yet simple, Mobility DNA. Including off-the-shelf, end-user apps; robust administration utilities and effortless app development tools, all of which integrate with our mobile devices, this suite of mobility solutions is the fastest, most comprehensive way to go mobile.

Maximum data entry flexibility with an industry-leading dual mode touch panel
Let your users choose their preferred data input pair: finger and gloved finger, or finger and stylus — ideal for crisp signature capture. The intelligent 4.7 in. display automatically adjusts as needed, unlike competitive devices that require setting adjustments every time the user switches data input method.

World-class data capture
The integrated enterprise-class imager offers Zebra’s proprietary PRZM Intelligent Imaging technology, a megapixel sensor and advanced optics, which work together to deliver data capture performance in a class of its own. With both the TC70/TC75, workers can capture 1-D and 2-D barcodes in virtually any condition at lightning speed. Coupled with SimulScan Document Capture, workers can simultaneously capture bar codes, text fields, phone numbers, images, signatures and even check boxes in the time it takes to press a button, improving invoicing speed, order speed and more. The 8 MP camera enables the easy capture of high-resolution photos, signatures, videos and more, allowing you to capture more types of business intelligence to streamline more business processes. The front camera allows workers to place a video call to get the on-the-spot assistance they need. And Near Field Communications automates identity verification at facility entry points.

Comprehensive audio functionality for a new level of voice flexibility
With up to four times the loudness of popular smartphones and noise cancelling technology, the TC70/TC75 provides crystal clear audio on both ends of every call. Support for Workforce Connect Push-to-Talk Express and Pro provides an instant connection to co-workers in the field, plus supervisors and other support staff back in the office creating a highly collaborative workforce that can respond instantly to customer needs.

A robust accessory family to tailor the TC70/TC75 to meet any enterprise need
The comprehensive family of accessories includes a snap-on magnetic stripe reader for mobile payment, a holster, a hand strap, a snap-on trigger handle and more, allowing you to easily tailor the TC70/TC75 to meet the needs of many different types of users performing many different types of tasks. And multi-slot battery chargers and the unique ShareCradle — a multi-slot cradle that can accommodate the TC70/TC75 and future Zebra mobile computers — make backroom management easy and cost effective.

Rugged and ready for all-day every day enterprise use
The TC70/TC75 is ready for the demands of everyday life in the business world. Tested and proven to operate reliably after multiple 8 ft./ 2.4m drops to concrete and 2,000 consecutive 3.2 ft./1 m tumbles in our punishing tumble test. With IP67 sealing, you get a device that is dust-tight and can survive complete immersion in water, making it ideal for use in the retail backroom, warehouse floor, field service, transportation and logistics, in outdoor shopping areas or outside on a receiving dock. The Corning Gorilla Glass touch panel and scanner exit window bring a new level of durability to two of the most vulnerable components.

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[DB1100]

I'm going to try and hold back my excitement on this till it arrives and the battery lasts more than a couple of hours.

[halfull]

going to be fun watching some get to grips with this.