TO ENHANCE POSTAL SERVICE LOCKER LOGISTICS. Logibag, the locker management and service company that is a subsidiary of ByBox Ltd, has won a new contract with LaPoste to supply, install and maintain an undisclosed number of its Cityssimo V2 postal lockers at locations across France.
The contract has been signed with Coliposte, the parcel division of LaPoste following successful trials with the Cityssimo Version 1 locker during 2006.
The first order forming part of the new contract has been received and the V2 units are scheduled for installation in August. The lockers will be used to facilitate consumer deliveries, i.e. those times when it is more convenient to collect a parcel from a locker in a chosen location than wait somewhere for it to be delivered – a service that is becoming increasingly popular in Europe.
To maximise the efficiency, practicality and effectiveness of LaPoste's parcel delivery and collection service, the Cityssimo V2 locker has been extensively upgraded and now features a redesigned central consol that links to bespoke software developed specifically to meet LaPoste's requirements. And whilst the V2 will continue to run an embedded Linux operating system, it will move to a PC-based hardware architecture to enable the easy connection of peripherals.
Meanwhile, the consumer interface has been improved and now includes a 15-inch colour touch-screen that will accept credit card payments and print self-adhesive postage labels for parcel shipping applications.
Welcoming the new contract with LaPoste, Logibag General Manager Fabien Pichet said: "The new business increases our footprint in the postal services sector and rewards the efforts of everyone in the company involved in the earlier trial.
"I know that our capacity for rapid development coupled with the achievement of better service levels during the course of this project were greatly appreciated by LaPoste and were a significant factor in its decision to award us the contract.
"The contract highlights our rapid growth in this industry, where our sales increased seven-fold last year, and ensures we stay on course to double revenue as forecast this year. The award of a prestigious contract from a top-tier postal partner will also enable Logibag to drive technology forward in the postal market by integrating new functionality and software that can shape future standards.
"We already manage 1000 lockers in and around Paris for postal services companies, and with their success and our continuing drive to develop better products and work ever more closely with customers I believe this order will be the first of many for our new generation of postal lockers," he adds.
Logibag is also a growing force in the railway industry where its left luggage lockers can be found at stations throughout Europe. It has contracts with French railway company SNCF and Decatel, the agent for the SNCB Belgian railway network, as well as with the Spanish railway network. Logibag also manages the left luggage locker business of several other railway station operators.