Royal Mail has launched a same-day delivery service based on GPS satellite technology allowing customers to track items in real time.

As well as tracking deliveries online, customers can see the exact location of the vehicle carrying their items including the speed at which it is travelling.

Contract customers booking online are emailed a receipt signature within 10 seconds of an item being delivered. The system is updated every 60 seconds providing real-time tracking of an item's progress.

'We anticipate a significant increase in revenue over the next two years through attracting more customers with this service,' James Eadie, Royal Mail spokesman, told Computing.

The service is targeted at a varied market from FTSE 100 companies, small to medium businesses and consumers with occasional need for the service.