Discontinuation GLS Box

Until now, the GLS Box has been used by the parcel service provider GLS Germany to process shipments with the HVS32.
The GLS Box serves as the central interface for communication between HVS32 and GLS.
It provides label information and transmits shipment data to GLS.

By the end of this year, GLS intends to discontinue the GLS Box.
As an alternative, GLS offers a web service ("GLS ShipIT") that allows the relevant data to be transmitted to GLS.

What does this mean for you?
If you currently use GLS as your service provider, you will need to migrate to the new web service due to the discontinuation of the GLS Box.

On this page, we want to provide you with detailed information about what changes with this transition, what you need for the migration, and how it will take place.

Changes in Process

With the switch to the web service, some characteristics of the GLS Box will be eliminated, and some new ones will be introduced.

Web Service

The ShipIT web service is accessible via the internet, meaning a locally installed GLS Box is no longer necessary. Data transmission over the internet is encrypted using HTTPS.

Number Ranges

With the GLS Box, number ranges had to be managed for each service. The HVS32 generated a tracking number with each request and registered it with the GLS Box. With the web service, managing and maintaining number ranges is no longer necessary. Number ranges will now be managed automatically by the ShipIT system.

Daily Closing

Even with the GLS Box, no EDI file was necessary because the GLS Box performed its own daily closing at regular intervals.
This will continue to be the case.

However, it was possible to manually initiate a daily closing on the GLS Box.
This functionality is no longer available.

Internet Connection

With the switch to a web service, you are now dependent on a constant internet connection.
Without a connection to the ShipIT system, creating labels is no longer possible.

However, you can request a local installation of the ShipIT system from GLS if desired.

Labels

Unlike most other web services, individual labels or printing via DPL is still possible. The layout, including your existing individual adjustments, remains the same. Similar to the GLS Box, the web service only retrieves information, which the HVS32 then prints on the label.

HVS32 Components

We have developed an extension for accessing web services. The HVS32 Carrier API will be installed on your server and will centrally handle all web service requests from all HVS32 clients and forward them to the corresponding web service.

If you already use carriers like DHL Express, TNT, or FedEx, or special services like DHL Retoure International or international Hermes shipping, you are likely already using the HVS32 Carrier API.

To connect to the ShipIT web service, an HVS32 update and an update or first installation of the HVS32 Carrier API are necessary.
You can perform an update yourself if you have an existing maintenance contract. Please contact us in advance for this.

For the HVS32, you need at least version 7.109.50.
You can find the version of the HVS32 in the status bar at the bottom right of the HVS32. > Update Instructions for HVS32

For the HVS32 Carrier API, you need at least version 2.6.0.404.
You can find the version of the HVS32 Carrier API in the properties of the .exe:
Right-click on HeidlerCarrierAPIConfigurator.exe -> Properties -> Details.

Required Data

With the transition from the GLS Box to the ShipIT web service, additional data will be required for setup.
Data previously configured for the GLS Box will be partially replaced.

The following data is required:

Customer Number
Contact ID
Customer ID
ShipIT Username
ShipIT Password
ShipIT URL

Your URL for the ShipIT system may differ, especially in the case of a local installation where your server IP or server name (DNS) will be used.

Almost all parameters will differ between the test and production systems.

Transition

First, you need to request all the necessary data from GLS in advance. Please keep in mind that you may also need to transition multiple clients/customers.

Then, email support@heidler-strichcode.de with the subject "GLS ShipIT Transition" along with your company name.
In the body of the email, briefly inform us which clients are shipping with GLS and thus require a transition to GLS ShipIT.

To allow for a preliminary check of system details, please include your individual settings from HVS32 with your request. You can generate these under:

setup > individual settings and data > save
Please check that the checkbox for "Add system information" is activated.
The data will be saved in the folder ...\HVS32\Individual\ClientName_.zip

We will then provide you with an offer and a fillable PDF for the required operating parameters.
The cost of the transition depends on the existence of a maintenance contract, the number of clients, a possibly existing HVS32 Carrier API, the current HVS32 maintenance contract and any additional individual effort required for the transition.

Upon request, we can also perform the transition outside our regular business hours (08:00-17:00).
Please let us know if this should be considered in the offer.

After you have returned the completed PDF to us, we can schedule a date for the transition.