Aug 06, 2007This article was originally published by RFID Update.
August 6, 2007—Active RFID solutions provider Savi Technology today announced that six firms have licensed its electronic container seal intellectual property, which was incorporated earlier this year as part of the official ISO 18185 standard for e-seals. The company intends for its licensing program to accelerate adoption of the ISO 18185 standard and active RFID e-seal solutions overall.
E-seals are locks that both secure and add visibility to the large cargo containers that Savi indicates account for as much as 90 percent of world trade. They combine a bolt locking mechanism with technology to detect and report tampering. (There are a few technologies under the e-seal umbrella used for the tamper reporting, including infrared and direct contact, but active RFID is the most common, and it is the one addressed by ISO 18185.) RFID-enabled e-seals monitor in real-time the seal's integrity, and if tampering is detected, the time can be recorded on the RFID tag and appropriate personnel can be alerted. The automation that e-seals provide can dramatically cut down on the relative inefficiency of current methods which involve workers physically examining containers for signs of tampering or intrusion.
In addition to enhancing and automating security, RFID-enabled e-seals provide supply chain visibility and all the associated benefits. According to a recent ABI Research whitepaper on e-seals and the ISO 18185 standard, "On the one hand, e-seals provide the benefits of knowing where cargo is at all times. This aids with theft reduction, improved forecasting, reduced out-of-stocks, and more. On the other hand, e-seals also help increase security by offering the benefits of knowing what has happened to cargo while it was in transit."
Savi launched its QuickStart licensing program on May 1st of this year to provide a well-defined process by which third-party vendors could incorporate the e-seal intellectual property into their products and solutions. The program also offered cheaper licensing fees through June 30th as an incentive for vendors to sign up. Today's announcement includes names of the initial six participants: Axcess International of Texas, Evigia Systems of Michigan, Envotech of Malaysia, Identec Solutions of Austria, KPC of South Korea, and SAVR Communications of Texas. The breadth of geography covered by the new licensees is indicative of the global relevance of e-seals.
"Savi Technology is committed to building ISO-based RFID networks throughout the world, and having multiple e-seal licensees with products that can communicate using a standard protocol brings visibility, efficiency, and homeland security solutions to customers such as international shippers, government agencies, and logistics service providers," Savi's vice president of marketing and licensing Pat Burns was quoted in the announcement.
