September 24, 2011
A screen shot of the USPS BlackBerry app
The United States Postal Service is furthering its claim to make its services available on every mobile platform with a BlackBerry application.
USPS? main goal is to put the most important features of a post office on consumers? mobile devices. The BlackBerry app joins the company's other mobile offerings, which include iPhone and Android apps and a mobile-optimized Web site.
"Anything that a customer can do in a post office should eventually be available on a mobile device,? said Joseph Adams, general manager of digital access at USPS, Washington.
Simple mail
The free USPS Mobile app is available in the BlackBerry App store.
The BlackBerry version marks the fourth app that the company has rolled out in the past two years.
With the app, consumers can use GPS to find the nearest post office location and access directions.
Users can also track and confirm packages and look up?ZIP codes.
?For BlackBerry?s user base, USPS makes sense, especially for the more business-drvien services,? Mr. Adams said.
Consumers can find nearby postal services on the BlackBerry app
According to Mr. Adams, both the BlackBerry and Android app will soon have similar, advanced features that are currently available on the iPhone version, including pricing information.
USPS claims that the most popular feature for on-the-go consumers is tracking a package, which is why it has rolled out the specific?function on all of its apps.
Let freedom ring
USPS? BlackBerry app is the most recent example of delivery systems seeing a need for a mobile presence.
Similarly, UPS recently rolled out a new service that lets consumers control their deliveries via alerts (see story).
Additionally, FedEx used a rich-media ad to highlight shipping for the company?s golf club service (see story).
By giving consumers increased access to mail and delivery services via mobile, companies are seeing a direct need from both consumers and feeling pressure to keep up in the industry with competitors.
In the coming months, USPS.com will be relaunching its Web site to include account tracking and history.
The new Web site features will also be rolled out across mobile so that consumers can see one place where?all their activity?is located.
Between mobile and Web initiatives, USPS hopes to provide an entirely digital shipping and?mailing experience because consumers increasingly want their daily errands ? such as running to the post office ? to be made simpler on mobile devices.
?By taking our services to mobile and digital, it provides the USPS the ability to serve consumers in a way they want to be served,? Mr. Adams said.
Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York
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