I was expecting the service to utilize uber drivers between picking up and dropping of traditional customers the same way commercial jets carry airfreight. None the less I think it will be interesting to see if business will switch to uber from their traditional couriers.

In NYC where parking is scarce, bikes and runners make more sense than cars for the kind of service we're looking to offer.

Is it a no questions asked delivery as long as it is within the size limit? (Drugs?)

This is the first thing that popped into my mind when I read it was a 24/7 delivery service for only $15.

This may be a classic "bad idea" without some additional layers of security for precisely the reason you might intuit, drugs and other contraband. I have been a heavy user of courier services in the recent past (having been involved with media/PR agencies) and I know from experience that courier services in NYC do not and will not work with you if you haven't set up an account and/or don't have a physical place of business for them to pick up from. Try walking into a courier company's office with a package in hand and they won't take it from you without an established account.

Granted, you could argue that makes for a business opportunity for Uber, but in my experience as a long time NYC resident when you see safety measures and precautions like that which are ubiquitous to business practices there's usually a reason, namely that if there's any way at all to take advantage of a situation in this city there will always be 11 people lined up to do it within seconds.

Uber itself requires an account, so it's not that different.

Can I send my kids to daycare through this?

How is it different to existing courier services - just has a better consumer reach, or will it be cheaper/available where couriers are not today? Are they disrupting any existing regulation? Is my stuff insured when they take it? Can i track the courier on a GPS?

You can do this in Uber's current state. There are already people sending their kids to school with Uber.

Interesting idea, but it feels very weird to have it in the Uber taxi app. They need to get a better strategy if they want to continue diversifying.

I’m assuming that it’s something to launch and test the offer. Once they’ve cleared a few assumptions (Is it the same customer base as historical coursier, i.e. office managers, or like Uber, are they addressing a new group?) they will most likely launch a separate interface: Facebook has done that quite well with regards to its messaging service. Following Amazon Dash, it might not even be an app.

This should be interesting - especially with all the delivery startups which were created following uber's success.

I would not be surprised if they scoop up and acquire Postmates in the next 12-18 months.