June 2002

ByBox, the company developing locker-bank solutions for unattended business or consumer deliveries, has enhanced the control system it uses to communicate with the boxes. It can now use GSM or GPRS mobile phone networks as well as fixed land lines. Chief executive Stuart Miller says this is a "significant step" for the company, allowing it to break free from the constraint of having to incorporate a fixed connection.

In technical terms, the new solution is based on GSM/GPRS/Ethernet router hardware and software designed by DCT, which is linked to a Sony Ericsson GSM module. The DCT system includes that company's own Lightfoot 32-bit Java-enabled microprocessor, which has been adopted to provide compatibility with modern wired and wireless networks.

ByBox is planning to roll out several hundred of its locker banks, and the latest system should give it more flexibility in selecting sites for them.