FedEx shipping through Outlook

Shippers can now connect directly to FedEx Corp.’s transportation services via Microsoft Office Outlook, one of the world’s largest email applications.

Using FedEx QuickShip – an add-in that uses web services to provide fast and easy access to FedEx shipping functions and can be downloaded from fedex.com/quickship –shippers can generate labels, track packages, check rates, schedule pickups and find FedEx drop-off locations while still inside their Outlook 2003 or 2007 e-mail application, said David Zanca, FedEx’s senior vp of e-commerce technology.

They simply right-click on an existing contact and choose “ship” from the menu, with shipments then “stored” in a task view allowing users to conveniently recall and sort previous shipments, he added.

“We are providing FedEx customers with another convenient option to choose how they access and connect to FedEx services,” noted Zanca. “Our vision is to allow our customers, whether small businesses or global corporations, to be able to work more effectively, be more productive and reduce the effort required to ship.”