Royal Mail has ordered 25,000 CN3 mobile computers as part of its investment in new technology and will start supplying the devices to postmen and women this summer.
Robin Dargue, chief information officer of Royal Mail Group, said: We embarked on a series of trials across the UK late last year to test the suitability, compatibility and benefits of a postal digital assistant for both our customers and our staff. The feedback from both groups was extremely positive especially when it came to ease of use of the CN3.
Royal Mail has 14,300 Post Office branches and eight regional distribution centres. It delivers 80 million items a day to 28 million addresses across the UK.
The CN3 computers will enable postmen to collect signatures on the handheld device and send them via GPRS wireless technology to the sending customers, who will confirm the delivery, and view the signature. The company says this can be done within 15 minutes.
Pat Byrne, president and CEO of Intermec, said: As the global supply chain continues to evolve, in-transit visibility will have a significant impact on improving customer service and revenue generation.
The CN3 includes four integrated radios including GPS. It also runs Windows Mobile, which supports direct push wireless email.
The US-based Intermec develops, manufactures and integrates supply chain management tools. Its core technologies include RFID, mobile computing and data collection systems, bar code printers and label media.
