Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2009/12/11/parcelforce_upgrade_windows_7/
Parcelforce to drop Windows 7 compatibility through letterbox in New Year
Should old Vista, Linux acquaintance be forgot?
Posted in OSes, 11th December 2009 07:02 GMT
Parcelforce plans to overhaul its website early next year to allow Windows 7 users to access its service.
As we reported yesterday, The Royal Mail's parcel delivery website has been upsetting some Windows 7 fans, because the service doesn't support Microsoft's latest operating system.
Customers have been struggling to access the service and some have been shuttered out of Parcelforce's website altogether, because Windows 7, Vista and Linux platforms "failed to meet the necessary requirements" to enable punters to make a transaction.
Royal Mail told us that the state-owned company planned a much-needed upgrade to Parcelforce.com early in 2010.
"Parcelforce Worldwide continually strives to improve the excellent service it offers its customers and we have scheduled a change which will enable Windows 7 to be used for our ad-hoc collection booking system for early in the New Year," the Royal Mail told The Register.
As we predicted yesterday, Parcelforce is currently advising those would-be retail customers who can't use the firm's website to pick up the phone instead.
Royal Mail claimed its account customers weren't affected by the incompatibility cockup, because they can be setup to use the company's "WDM Online dispatching system", which supports Windows 7.
The parcel carrier blamed poor timing on the reasons behind its decision to not immediately provide support for Windows 7 when it was released to retail on 22 October.
"We implement a systems 'change freeze' during the busiest time of the year leading up to Christmas to ensure the integrity of our service during this time," it said.
"It is unfortunate that the release of Windows 7 has coincided with this and our priorities recently have been to ensure the smooth implementation of our new range of International services to the whole of our customer base."
However, as we have noted previously, Parcelforce never divvied up support for Microsoft's unloved operating system Windows Vista. The Royal Mail also failed to answer our queries about Linux fans, who have repeatedly hit problems when attempting to use the Parcelforce.com service.
Presumably Parcelforce will open its website to all-comers when it hits refresh in the New Year, but don't hold your breath. ®