USPS CONTRACTS FOR NEW SCANNERS (MDDs)
After several months of testing and evaluation, including some hands-on device evaluation by rural letter carriers, the USPS has contracted with Honeywell International, Inc. to produce the newest version of a handheld scanning device for rural letter carriers. The Honeywell Dolphin 99EX, called the Mobile Delivery Device (MDD) by USPS, will eventually replace the current IMDs that we are using. The Honeywell device will also eliminate the need for the cells phones that many carriers have been required to carry with them on the route. The Dolphin 99EX combines scanning and data transmission in one device.
The new MDDs will begin roll-out this summer with approximately 75,000 devices being placed on rural and city routes. Most of the initial deployment will go to large metropolitan areas and those areas involved in the delivery of Amazon.com parcels on Sundays. An additional 75,000 devices will be deployed later in calendar year 2014, with the final phase in 2015. All rural and city routes will eventually be using the next-generation scanning devices.
The new Dolphin 99EX has a 3.7 inch color display and is, for all practical purposes, a portable computer.  It features a full keyboard with both numbers and letters. The unit has an ambient light sensor that adjusts the brightness of the screen automatically, making it readable inside a vehicle, inside a dark building and even in direct sunlight. The unit uses advances imaging technology to ensure fast, accurate scanning and has a high tolerance for scanning from different positions and angles. The built-in GPS capabilities allow the Dolphin to utilize mapping and guidance software, but the USPS has not yet determined what software will ultimately be installed.
For durability, the Dolphin is built to withstand daily use and even an accidental drop. Battery life should never be a problem as the units are designed to last all day on a single charge.
Of special interest to rural carriers is the fact that the new device will be used to collect data for the Evaluated Compensation System Time Standards Project (the engineered study), underway as directed by Arbitrator Clarke.
As additional information becomes available, we will provide it to our Membership.
via News Info.