First introduced in France, Germany and the United Kingdom in 2007, and a year later in the Czech Republic, Italy and Poland, UPS Widget was created to connect cross-culturally. The tool has already been downloaded about 180,000 times and its dedicated Web site has received millions of visits, helping thousands of customers track packages and save time in receiving shipping information. In the coming weeks, UPS is making an enhanced widget available in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Russia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Denmark, Norway and Finland.

This hardworking animated assistant tracks both inbound and outbound shipments using UPS Quantum View Notify® technology to prompt shipment exceptions and delivery notifications.

This free tool also delivers information about UPS services and promotions directly to the desktop. For example, UPS Widget can share the UPS holiday (package) pick-up and delivery schedule and “how to” demos for new UPS products or enhancements. 

Users can store up to 75 tracking numbers at a time and access useful UPS links including ‘calculate time and cost’ and ‘create a shipment’.  RSS feeds can also be customised. Enhancements to UPS Widget include proactive notifications, colour coding for quick viewing of shipment status and the ability for users to unlock different characters through UPS promotions. This version is now also available to MAC users.

UPS Widget is easy to install and directions can be found at a new website, http://www.ups.com/widget. For existing myups.com customers, no additional registration is necessary and same user ID and password can be used to run UPS Widget. For new customers, registration is simple and quick, and allows UPS Widget to send more relevant and customised messages to users.

Visitors to the Web site can also configure a UPS Widget character and submit it to a worldwide gallery, so Widget fans can see activity across markets.

“UPS Widget is perfect for low volume shippers or receivers who are not yet ready for our more elaborate tracking tools, but want the convenience of tracking from their desktop,” says Yannick Mooijman, vice president marketing, UPS Europe.  UPS created the tool to be most useful to front office personnel handling infrequent shipping tasks within small- to medium-sized businesses, but customer feedback indicates UPS Widget is enjoyed by a broader audience.

UPS (NYSE: UPS) is the world's largest package delivery company and a global leader in supply chain and freight services. With more than a century of experience in transportation and logistics, UPS is a leading global trade expert equipped with a broad portfolio of solutions. Headquartered in Atlanta, USA, UPS serves more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.