Savi Announces E-Seal Licensees; Axcess Reveals Development Plans

By Mary Catherine O'Connor

Aug. 14, 2007—RFID hardware and systems provider Savi Technology has announced the first six companies that have agreed to license its intellectual property (IP) for electronic cargo seals (e-seals) complying with the ISO 18185 standard. E-seals combine mechanical locks with battery-powered RFID tags that wirelessly communicate security alerts when doors of e-sealed freight containers are forcibly or improperly opened. In mid-April, the International Standards Organization (ISO) approved the standard, addressing the technical and application aspects for e-seals. Savi first offered the IP in May in its QuickStart program (see Savi Technology Announces IP Licensing for Cargo E-seals).

A number of cargo carriers and logistics companies are testing and deploying electronic seals to help secure cargo shipped in large containers, which accounts for 90 percent of world trade. According to Savi, approximately 200 million containers move through the world's ports each year. The SAFE Port Act of 2006 calls for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to define the voluntary use of container security devices in accordance with international standards—specifically, those established by the ISO—to potentially achieve faster clearance through U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The ISO 18185 protocol requires that e-seals be able to communicate at both 433 MHz and 2.45 GHz. Savi, owned by defense giant Lockheed Martin, does not presently sell an e-seal using the ISO 18185 protocol. However, it began licensing the technology behind it in May of this year.

The six licensees are Axcess International, a provider of asset-tracking systems; Evigia Systems, which manufactures RFID tags with integrated sensors; Envotech, a Malaysian developer of protective gear, such as bulletproof vests, and training services for defense, law enforcement and civilian organizations; Identec Solutions, which makes active tags and readers used for asset tracking and real-time location systems; KPC, a South Korean maker of active RFID systems; and SAVR Communications, a provider of RFID technology for supply-chain and logistics applications.