Technology can be more real than we care to believe and at times it is all hyperbole. The world of science and technological innovation is not very different from any other industry, be it media or real estate. There’s a lot of exaggeration and hyping up of what exists and at times what is being presented or touted doesn’t even exist. At a time when hyped high profile product launches have fallen flat and many concepts have been busted for being nothing but grey speculations on paper, DHL has actually delivered on one of its promises.

DHL becomes the first international courier to offer commercial drone delivery service. DHL is often criticized for not being among the cheapest international couriers but the service it provides is unmatched and thus it cannot be expected to tow the line. Now, parcels to Germany will be delivered using drones, particularly those being shipped to North Sea Island. For the initial phase, DHL will only send medication using drones and it is expected that the company will expand its outreach beyond the North Sea Island and that it would also deliver other goods and products using its drones.

This accomplishment of DHL comes not very long after Amazon failed to live up to its promise. The global marketplace was rather confident with its drone delivery and had been overly proud of its Amazon Prime Air program. As it was realized later, the whole program was one gigantic ball of hype and hoopla with nothing to show.

Google on the other hand did make promising progress and actually went out to test a drone, or a fixed wing aircraft, to deliver chocolate bars, cattle vaccines and dog treats to farmers in the outback region of Australia. While it was a success, it was a one off initiative, a test of sorts. No company has gone out rolling the carpet and launching drone based delivery systems, other than DHL.

It should also be noted that most companies have tested their drones in rural or outback areas and very few have actually tried to navigate the cities brimming with skyscrapers and a ton of distractions and obstructions. It is one thing when you don’t have to stick to a very stringent flight path and it is a completely different game when you have to meander and sway and do all kinds of maneuvering, with a small drone and a load to carry.