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| Pairing IMD scanner to cell phone enables GPS technology to transmit near real-time tracking data |
New York is one of only five Districts nationwide to be
selected for the initial deployment of the IMD Wireless scanning initiative.
The Global Positioning System (GPS) based program will
provide customers with added visibility and near real-time scan information on
all track-able products.
“Until now, when a Letter Carrier scanned a package as
attempted or delivered, scan information was not available to the customer
until the Carrier returned to the office and downloaded their scanner”
explained Operations Programs
Specialist Khandokar Ali. “With IMD Wireless, scan data will be transmitted
wirelessly every 15 minutes to our Product Tracking System (PTS) and will be
available on the web while the Carrier is still out on the street.”
IMD Wireless works
by pairing the Letter Carrier’s existing IMDAS (Intelligent Mail Data
Acquisition System) scanner to a proprietary
cell phone via Bluetooth technology. Once paired, the cell phone will be
holstered and remain with the Letter Carrier for the rest of the day. When the
Letter Carrier scans an item at a delivery point, the IMDAS scanner
automatically transfers the data through the cell phone to the Local
Intelligent Mail (LIM) Computer, which in turn transmits it to the PTS. The
IMDAS scanner features a communications screen to inform the Letter Carrier of
the status of the device and gives him/her an option to commence data transfer
or postpone it if they are in middle of performing scans.
“It was a simple
learning curve,” said James A. Farley Letter Carrier Calvin Kuang. “It’s a good
tool that will help keep the Postal Service competitive.”
Eight sites in New
York District have initiated deployment of the IMD Wireless program. They are
James A. Farley (10001), Murray Hill (10016), Grand Central (10017), Radio City
(10019), Franklin D. Roosevelt (10022), Ansonia (10023), Gracie (10028) and
Times Square (10036).
There are 17 more
sites in the District and 500 total sites nationwide scheduled to receive IMD
Wireless technology in January.
“We saw an eight
percent growth in package revenue in 2012,” said Manhattan Postmaster Robert
Brown. “This technology will help us further enhance that side of the business
and generate more revenue.”