Symbol Supplying European Logistics Leader TNT With Global Bar Code Scanning System to Improve Efficiency.HOLTSVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 7, 1998--Symbol Technologies (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : SBL SBL Society of Biblical Literature SBL Symbol Technologies, Inc. (NYSE symbol) SBL Spamhaus Block List SBL Space-Based Laser SBL Securities Borrowing and Lending SBL Supreme Beings of Leisure (band) ) today announced it is providing TNT TNT: see trinitrotoluene. TNT in full trinitrotoluene Pale yellow, solid organic compound made by adding nitrate (−NO2) groups to toluene. , Europe's market leader in global express, logistics and international mail distribution, with a high-capacity bar code scanning system for the automatic processing of consignment notes which will increase efficiency, accuracy and maximize customer service. The new system, which replaces a manual key entry process and ensures accurate consignment data, uses PDF (Portable Document Format) The de facto standard for document publishing from Adobe. On the Web, there are countless brochures, data sheets, white papers and technical manuals in the PDF format. 417, the two-dimensional bar code standard developed by Symbol Technologies and LS 4804 handheld laser scanners. It has been installed at TNT's international distribution depots world-wide. Eric Klappers, project manager, operations systems development, TNT, commented, "The new PDF417-based solution gives faster, more reliable service to TNT's customers. It replaces a slower, error-prone, manual key entry consignment notes system. In addition, it gives easy access to TNT customers to tracking and tracing In logistics, tracking and tracing is the concept of locating property that is being forwarded from an origin to a destination through various hubs and passing along spokes, and determining the location and other status of such object. information. For TNT, PDF417 provides the perfect solution for the automatic transfer of transaction data for its customers who cannot support EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) The electronic communication of business transactions, such as orders, confirmations and invoices, between organizations. Third parties provide EDI services that enable organizations with different equipment to connect. today. In this way, PDF417 technology enables TNT to bring the benefits of digital data communications data communications, application of telecommunications technology to the problem of transmitting data, especially to, from, or between computers. In popular usage, it is said that data communications make it possible for one computer to "talk" with another. to the maximum number of customers." Using TNT's Partnership Express Windows-based software dispatching system, users enter each parcel's delivery details on-screen on·screen or on-screen adj. & adv. 1. As shown on a movie, television, or display screen. 2. Within public view; in public. . The system then prints a complete daily consignment note on A4 plain paper using any ink jet See inkjet printer. or laser printer. On this note, Symbol's PDF417 two-dimensional bar code symbol, containing all key consignment details, is also printed. The consignment note is collected by the TNT driver, together with the parcels and any other shipping documents. When the driver returns to the depot, the note is passed to the back office for processing. The PDF417 symbol is read using a Symbol Technologies LS4804 high-speed hand-held laser scanner connected to a workstation terminal. In less than a second, the complete consignment details are captured and transferred directly to the TNT system. "Over the next 10 years, the Symbol PDF system will provide an excellent complement (to EDI) for TNT customers who do not use the Internet or EDI," said Alessandro Isidoro, business development manager of new markets and technologies, Symbol Technologies. Chris Carter, project manager customer interface technology, TNT, said, "TNT will soon introduce many other features to its PC-based products, like Partnership Express. These features will offer customers direct access to the status, the location and prices of their consignments and give them the possibility to calculate global standard rates for sending their consignments. "TNT is also considering the possibility of extending the use of Symbol's PDF system and scanners to other TNT applications." About PDF417 Developed by Symbol Technologies, PDF417 is a high-capacity symbology sym·bol·o·gy n. 1. The study or interpretation of symbols or symbolism. 2. The use of symbols. symbology 1. the study and interpretation of symbols. Also called symbolism. that allows more than one kilobyte (thousand bytes). For technical specifications, it refers to 1,024 bytes. In general usage, it typically refers to an even one thousand bytes (see kilo). Also KB, Kbyte and K-byte. See space/time. (unit) kilobyte - (KB) 2^10 = 1024 bytes. See prefix. of information to be encoded in less than one square inch of space. The information can be decoded and quickly accessed through traditional laser scanning, similar to retail bar code scanning. An entire database, such as a shipping manifest, instruction sets or driver's license information can be encoded and quickly decoded with PDF417. Symbol Technologies Inc. is a global leader in mobile computing and communications systems with innovative customer solutions based on wireless local area networking for voice and data, application-specific mobile computing and bar code data capture. Symbol's wireless LAN solutions are installed at more than 30,000 customer locations worldwide and support more than seven million Symbol scanners and hand-held computers. Symbol provides point-of-activity computing solutions for retailing, transportation and distribution logistics, parcel and postal delivery, healthcare, manufacturing and other industries. Customer information is available from Symbol at 1-800-722-6234 and at http://www.symbol.com. |
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