Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Mobile

    UPS Launches Worldwide Wireless Plan

    By
    Carmen Nobel
    -
    September 27, 2004
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      United Parcel Service of America Inc. is embarking on a worldwide wireless strategy that will streamline operations by keeping better track of packages and employees.

      This is key for a company that delivers 13.6 million packages and documents every day, 93 percent of which include some sort of data capture.

      On the device side, the Atlanta-based company next year will roll out some 70,000 units of the DIAD IV—the fourth version of the Delivery Information Acquisition Device that the majority of UPS drivers use to keep track of customer data and capture electronic signatures.

      The device runs Microsoft Corp.s Windows CE .Net operating system and Intel Corp.s 400MHz XScale processor. It includes 128MB of memory, which is 20 times the capacity of the DIAD III.

      Co-developed with Symbol Technologies Inc., of Holtsville, N.Y., the DIAD IV bests its predecessor with the inclusion of an 802.11b Wi-Fi radio, in addition to a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) or GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) WAN radio, depending on location. Wi-Fi lets drivers download daily manifests, while the WAN connection is used to send real-time data such as route changes. The company is exploring seamless roaming between the WAN and the WLAN (wireless LAN), but officials said theres no pressing need.

      “Right now we just turn off one radio and turn on another,” said Dave Salzman, systems manager at the UPS Ramapo Ridge Data Center in Mahwah, N.J. “You know when youre in the building.”

      The DIAD IV also includes GPS (Global Positioning System) technology. UPS has been tracking packages with scanners since the 1980s, but the DIAD IV rollout will mark the first time the company can track drivers worldwide.

      “It will also be a great aid in training new drivers,” said Bill Davis, industrial engineering supervisor at the companys Birmingham, Ala., facility. “For your new folks, this will assist them in locating hard-to-find houses in rural areas.”

      In addition to ensuring drivers dont get lost, GPS also will aid in on-call package pickups.

      “We can be more efficient to pick the right driver for the right activity,” said David Barnes, vice president of Information Services at UPS.

      UPS also has introduced Bluetooth technology into its product portfolio. Package loaders capture bar codes with a scanner that they wear over two fingers like a ring. Previous versions of the ring scanner had wires that tethered the employees to a computer; Bluetooth unleashes them. Eliminating the cables is supposed to reduce repair costs by 30 percent, officials said. The company plans to deploy approximately 55,000 Bluetooth ring scanners by years end.

      The scanner broadcasts data to a local server via Wi-Fi, making it one of the first devices of its size to incorporate both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Interference between the two can be a problem, so UPS worked with Symbol to synchronize the two protocols with a TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) scheme, officials said.

      Barnes said that “security is a constant concern” when dealing with multiple wireless networks. But, so far, the company is using only WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) on its WLAN, even though this is considered the least secure of the available WLAN security protocols.

      Meanwhile, the company is working on better ways to keep track of packages; the company receives 9.1 million online package requests every day. This involves a comprehensive trial of RFID (radio-frequency identification) tagging, which eliminates the line of sight that bar-code scanning requires. Current trials involve tracking packages in and out of the data center, as well as container sorting and vehicle monitoring.

      UPS is heavily involved in developing standards for RFID, working with organizations ranging from EPCglobal Inc. to the Federal Aviation Administration—UPS is a huge customer of The Boeing Company in Chicago.

      “Our commerce is global commerce, and thats why we need standards that are global in nature,” Barnes said.

      In the meantime, UPS is testing RFID hardware from myriad companies. While the company remains bullish on the technology, officials have been disappointed by the quality of the products—especially RFID tags, which the company tests by running them through a scanner.

      “Right now about 40 percent [of tested tags] dont work,” Salzman said.

      Check out eWEEK.coms Mobile & Wireless Center for the latest news, reviews and analysis on mobile and wireless computing.

      Be sure to add our eWEEK.com mobile and wireless news feed to your RSS newsreader or My Yahoo page

      Carmen Nobel

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×