UPS has deployed a new-generation handheld computer, the DIAD V, for its drivers around the world, using Gobi radio technology which can switch cellular carrier instantly if one carrier’s signal is lost.
The fifth version of the Delivery Information Acquisition Device, developed by Honeywell, has a colour display and microprocessor with expanded memory to support driver training and future applications including navigation. For example, the DIAD V could be used to enable maps to help a driver avoid a traffic jam.
It also features a multi-dimensional imager that can read codes such as existing UPS linear barcodes and the UPS MaxiCode.
UPS’s global network uses previous versions of the device to facilitate some 32.1 million online tracking requests daily. It also enables UPS operators to communicate customer requests while the UPS driver is on road.
The UK and Germany are the first two countries in Europe where UPS is rolling out the new technology. When worldwide deployment is complete in 2013, some 100,000 units will be in use.
