UPS is extending its UPS Mobile suite of applications and mobile Web site content to customers in Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada.

The Web site and native smartphone applications let customers ship and track packages as well as find the nearest UPS location. The announcement was timed to coincide with the holiday season, when shipping and tracking is top of mind for consumers.

?As a global logstics provider, UPS's mobile strategy has to include customers outside the United States,? said Donna Longino, PR manager at UPS, Atlanta. ?Extending the UPS mobile Web site and UPS Mobile apps to customers in key markets outside the U.S. is a natural extension of our strategy to make UPS accessible anytime, anywhere.
 
?Mobile technology is all about access and convenience ? which is important to our business customers year-round,? she said. ?Shipping and tracking is certainly more top of mind with consumers during the holiday season and UPS Mobile Apps can help consumers keep track of the packages they're shipping to friends and family everywhere.?

Mobile suite
The mobile Web site, http://www.m.ups.com, and the UPS Mobile applications for Android, BlackBerry and iPhone enable users to track shipments, create shipments using the My UPS address book and calculate shipping rates and time-in-transit.

No login is required for tracking on m.ups.com and the UPS Mobile applications.

But when customers are logged in, tracking history displays and is automatically refreshed.

UPS tracking numbers also can be nicknamed for quick reference.

Customers can use their smartphones to access their My UPS Address Book and Preferences and create shipping labels for document and non-document shipments worldwide.

Shipping labels can be emailed in a PDF file for printout.

As an added feature of the UPS Mobile applications, customers can use their device?s GPS capabilities to find the nearest UPS location.

International strategy
The site at http://www.m.ups.com is now available for customers in the U.S., Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada.

The updated UPS Mobile application for Android is now available on Android Market in the U.S., Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada.

The updated UPS Mobile application for BlackBerry is now available on App World in the U.S., Germany, Britain, Italy and Canada and in January 2011 in France.

In less than one year, UPS? applications have surpassed the 1 million download mark in the U.S.

"Our mobile technology is targeted to consumers and busy on-the-go professionals like technicians, small business owners and salespeople, who need mobile access to UPS shipping and tracking services,? Ms. Longino said.

?UPS is a global enterprise servicing customers around the world,? she said. ?We make our technology solutions available to customers worldwide ? our mobile technology is no exception."

Final take
Here is a review of UPS Mobile by AppVee  

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