PaketButler: The Internet of Things on your doorstep

• A connected parcel mailbox that accepts parcels when no one is home
• Holds returns for convenient pickup by delivery service
• Convenient solution for consumers, craftspeople and self-employed persons thanks to digitization

Never miss another delivery: The PaketButler parcel mailbox – now available in Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, and Bonn – accepts parcels when no one is home. No more waiting for the parcel carrier, no more having to arrange extra deliveries. Self-employed persons and craftspeople will especially appreciate not having to worry about missed deliveries. Their PaketButler accepts their urgent shipments – such as spare parts and tools – even when they're away making service calls. PaketButler: a practical system built around machine-to-machine (M2M) communication.

The delivery gets made even when no one is home

Germany's parcel-delivery sector handles some 2.8 billion items every year. And the numbers of shipments keep growing. In 2015, Germans spent 65.34 billion euros on online purchases, enabling online sales to account for 11.7 percent of total retail sales volume. And what is online shoppers' favorite shopping day? Thursday. And why is that? Because online shoppers think that making their purchases on Thursday gives them the best chance of being home when their items are delivered – which is then on the weekend. This is important because the online retail sector, now operating with near-perfect speed and precision, still has a problem beyond its control: customers who are not at home. Failed deliveries frustrate consumers and are expensive for parcel services. This is where PaketButler – secure, reliable and convenient – comes in.

Smart, thanks to an integrated SIM chip

PaketButler is rugged, tear resistant and fireproof, and it is large enough for parcels up to size XL (30x50x70 cm). When it is not being used, it can easily be folded up to save space. It comes with an integrated SIM chip that enables it to communicate both with the consumer and the delivery service. In other words, PaketButler informs the consumer, via messaging to his/her smartphone, as soon as his/her parcel has arrived. Needless to say, the M2M system includes a smartphone app for both iOS and Android.

More convenience for consumers

On the day he is expecting his delivery, the consumer simply puts the PaketButler box in front of his home or office door and then secures it by placing the tear-resistant belt between door and frame. The deliverer places the parcel in the PaketButler and locks it to make it theft-proof. Then, PaketButler automatically informs the recipient, via push message, that his parcel has been delivered. Only the intended recipient – or a person he has authorized – can then open the box, because opening it requires entry of a PIN number that the recipient manages via the app. And by the way: The PaketButler system is available for use by all delivery services.

Now what, if you find you don't like your purchase after all? PaketButler offers great convenience here as well. Simply affix the return/shipping label to the parcel, place the parcel in the box and use the app to order DHL pickup. The delivery service then promptly picks up the parcel.

Retailers can use the PaketButler system to receive deliveries of merchandise. To make that possible in each case, a retailer simply provides the delivery service with a one-time PIN number that the service can then use to open the PaketButler and place merchandise in it.

Available as of August 15 in all Telekom Online Shops

Deutsche Telekom has developed the PaketButler system in close cooperation with feldsechs service Gesellschaft, located in Hamburg, and is introducing it to the market in close cooperation with DHL Paket. The innovative system has been tested by 200 Zalando customers, prior to its market launch. In a first step, PaketButler will be offered in Hamburg, Munich, Cologne and Bonn. Later on, it will be made available nationwide. It may be purchased for a one-time charge of 249 euros or rented for 7.99 euros per month (for a 36-month rental period). Under both options, the PaketButler system itself is insured to a value of 180 euros, and items placed in the box are insured to a value of 750 euros.

The PaketButler system is available for purchase from Deutsche Telekom as of August 15, 2016; to purchase, go to www.telekom.de /PaketButler. The PaketButler can also be purchased from feldsechs, ‎at www.paketbutler.com, and via the DHL online marketplace at www.allyouneed.com.