by Al Sacco

BlackBerry Gets Free UPS App for Shipping, Tracking Packages

News
Dec 15, 2009
Data CenterMobileSmall and Medium Business

UPS customers can tomorrow download a free mobile application for BlackBerry smartphones that offers UPS package shipping and tracking features, as well as a UPS store locator. The new UPS for BlackBerry app will be available for download from RIM's BlackBerry App World mobile app store.

Popular U.S. shipping company UPS will tomorrow release a brand new mobile application for BlackBerry smartphones that lets users track packages sent via UPS, enter shipping information for parcels and locate the closest nearby UPS store, all via BlackBerry.

UPS for BlackBerry Screen Shots
UPS for BlackBerry Screen Shots

The free application will be available some time tomorrow, December 16, 2009, via BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion’s (RIM) BlackBerry App World mobile software store.

The app’s not the first to offer UPS tracking functionality to BlackBerry users; TrakPak for BlackBerry smartphones offers package tracking features for a variety of shipping companies including UPS, USPS, FedEx and DHL. But TrakPak is not free–it costs $10 in the Softpedia.com software shop–and it only offers tracking features, no shipping or store locators options are available.

UPS for BlackBerry app is the first “official” UPS app for RIM smartphones. UPS packages can be tracked via UPS for BlackBerry without logging into a “My UPS” account, but more advanced functionality is available after login, including the ability to create new shipments using the My UPS address book, determine shipping rates and durations, and locate the UPS location nearest to you.

The application also displays users’ history of tracked shipments after logging in, and it automatically refreshes whenever the app’s reopened. UPS tracking numbers also can be nicknamed for quick reference and more.

UPS for BlackBerry will be available tomorrow via App World for the BlackBerry Storm, Bold, Tour and the Curve 8900–it’s unclear which Bold and/or Storm devices are supported, since there are multiple Bold and Storms, but I imagine the newer devices are compatible, i.e., Storm2 and Bold 9700.

And more information on the app can be found on UPS.com.

AS

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