Package-delivery giant United Parcel Service has rolled out UPS Mobile for Android, its third mobile application that lets users ship and track packages and find the nearest bricks-and-mortar location.

The Android application is the latest in a suite of mobile applications that UPS has developed for shipping decision-makers such as small business owners and on-the-go professionals including salespeople and repair specialists.

?The UPS Mobile App for Android is part of UPS' overall mobile strategy to use the latest technology to make the lives of our customers easier by making UPS services as accessible as possible,? said Donna Longino, spokeswoman for UPS, Atlanta. ?Our mobile strategy is to support the most widely used platforms by our customers through apps or Web sites.

?UPS will continually evaluate new platforms and devices to support our customers using the mobile channel,? she said. ?Mobile is a great way to extend the UPS brand because?like the UPS brand?mobile technology is all about access and convenience.

?We have greater access than anyone in our industry and mobile simply extends that accessibility.?

UPS claims to be the largest package delivery company worldwide specializing in supply chain and freight services. The company serves more than 200 countries and territories.

In addition to the UPS Mobile downloadable applications for the Android, BlackBerry and iPhone, UPS also offers a mobile site at http://m.ups.com with similar features that can be accessed from any smartphone or device with browser-access to the Internet. 

Last December, UPS sponsored National Public Radio?s mobile Web site, which had just launched (see story).

What can mobile do for brown?
The Android application joins other UPS Mobile applications for Apple?s iPhone and Research In Motion?s BlackBerry, which are also targeted to consignees who benefit from the ability to quickly track shipments from their mobile device.

Available as a free download in Android Market, the new UPS application enables Android users to track and create shipments using the My UPS address book, calculate shipping rates and time-in-transit and then find the nearest UPS location.

Mobile technology is about efficiency, access and convenience, so it is a good fit for the UPS brand, according to the company.

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

However, when users are logged in, the application shows a history of tracked shipments. It automatically refreshes when the application is opened.

UPS tracking numbers can also be nicknamed for quick reference.

Android users can access their My UPS Address Book and Preferences and create shipping labels that can be emailed in a PDF file for printout.

Once the label is printed, customers can use the application's ?find locations? feature to zero in on a UPS drop-off location.

?We're getting the word out through a number of internal and external channels,? Ms. Longino said. ?The majority of the external promotion is via online advertising and both mobile and PC-based paid search.

?We'll also promote the app via UPS.com and our customer communications channels, including Compass, an online magazine available to our customers,? she said. 

Ship shape
In advance of this past holiday season, UPS launched its shipping application for the iPhone (see story).

In December, UPS extended its mobile shipping capabilities to BlackBerry devices (see story).

?With mobile access, UPS is available anytime, anywhere,? Ms. Longino said. ?The free UPS Mobile Apps for Android, iPhone and BlackBerry provide our customers with convenient tracking, shipping and finding UPS locations.

?UPS? iPhone and BlackBerry apps are a clear success, with hundreds of thousands of downloads in the first few months, catapulting them into the top of the list of free business apps,? she said.