United Parcel Service has extended its mobile shipping capabilities to Research In Motion?s BlackBerry devices.

The new UPS application ships and tracks packages and finds the nearest UPS location. It is free to download.

?As with the UPS Mobile app for iPhone launch, this launch is about making the lives of our customers easier by making UPS services as accessible as possible,? said Donna Longino, a spokeswoman for UPS, Atlanta. ?The UPS Mobile app for BlackBerry is a first-to-market solution that addresses a need our customers have to access UPS on the go.?

UPS is a worldwide package delivery company. The company serves more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

The convenience factor
Consumers can track shipments using the My UPS address book, calculate shipping rates and time-in-transit.

The new UPS Mobile application does not require log-in for tracking.

But, when consumers are logged in, the application shows a history of tracked shipments and automatically refreshes when the application is opened.

UPS tracking numbers can be nicknamed for quick reference.

BlackBerry consumers can use their smartphones to access their My UPS Address Book and Preferences to create shipping labels.

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

After printing the labels, customers can use the application's Find Locations feature to easily find a UPS drop-off location.

The UPS Mobile application can be used on the BlackBerry Storm, BlackBerry Bold, BlackBerry Tour and the BlackBerry Curve 8900.

UPS Mobile also recently launched an iPhone application.

The iPhone application lets consumers with a My UPS account create shipping labels that can be emailed in PDF format for printing. Consumers can also track their history of shipments (see story).

Last year UPS updated its mobile site as the holiday rush began.

To obtain shipping information while on the go, UPS upgraded UPS Mobile, its suite of mobile shipping applications that is compatible with most mobile platforms, online browsers and devices, including the Apple iPhone (see story).

Ms. Longino said that the BlackBerry and iPhone applications have the same fundamental features.

However, the mobile site is session-based.

?You log into the session, perform your functions and log out,? Ms. Longino said.

Tracking on the mobile site does not require a log-in.

UPS said that it is primarily targeting the small business segment and on-the-go professionals, such as field service technicians or sales people in larger firms. 

Ms. Longino said consumers will find the UPS Mobile app for BlackBerry useful, particularly at this time of year when they are busy shipping holiday packages to friends and family.

UPS sees the mobile channel as a marketing platform.

?The very best marketing we can do in this space right now is provide useable apps,? Ms. Longino said. ?Utility is a key message.

?On the advertising front, we're testing the channel,? she said. ?UPS has done some mobile site advertising and sponsored mobile apps for the New York Times and NPR.

?We're evaluating those results.?