RFID network to track and manage Ocean cargo

Active RFID equipment and software in participating ports around the world will provide users with information on the identity, location and status of their ocean cargo containers as they pass through such ports. Shippers, logistics service providers and transportation companies will be able to connect to the network by installing compatible equipment at their own locations to further improve the efficiency, effectiveness and security of global supply chains.

The new company will be initially capitalized with an investment of US$50 million from the joint-venture partners. Savi Technology will hold a 51 percent interest in Savi Networks, and HPH will hold the remaining 49 percent interest. Savi will take the lead in operating the joint venture and contribute a license to the software to operate the network, and HPH will provide access to its port facilities.

The new company expects to offer customers a family of active RFID tags, including data rich, visibility and sensor tags, based on ISO 18000-7 standards. These tags would be affixed to containers, transforming them into “smart containers” able to communicate with the network, which will enable users to receive information on location, security and environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity and light, as well as the container’s contents.

The network will be built on an interoperable architecture designed to accommodate Automatic Identification Data Collection (AIDC) technologies, such as barcodes, passive RFID technologies such as EPC, and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) used to track ships and trucks that transport ocean containers. These complementary technologies will form the basis of a “nested visibility” solution, which provides users with greater visibility and management of both their container shipments and the contents they transport.

Source