Jun 15, 2002June 15, 2002 -- A week ago, no one provided end-to-end tracking of cargo containers. Today, there are four companies in two partnerships that plan to offer companies the ability to track goods in a depot or in transit.
One day after WhereNet announced a deal with SkyBitz, Savi Technology of Sunnyvale, Calif., revealed it is actively working Qualcomm (Nasdaq:QCOM) to integrate the two companies' tracking systems.
The two announcements were made at the National Cargo Security Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz., this week and were not in response to one another. But the deals are similar.
Savi uses RFID tags, readers and software to provide real-time supply chain asset management and electronic seals to secure shipping containers.
Qualcomm is the established leader in providing mobile communications systems, network operations and fleet management via satellite communications. The company claims that 20 of the top 25 tank truck carriers and 38 of the top 40 truckload carriers use its
Savi and Qualcomm said they are developing a comprehensive hardware and software solution for in-transit visibility and security of transportation containers and their contents for the maritime, rail and truck industries. The two companies have worked together for a decade to provide global asset tracking for the U.S. Department of Defense.
"We've been working with Qualcomm for a long time," says Stephen Lambright, Savi's VP of marketing. "There have been a number of requests for proposals where it made sense for us to work together. Now, we're formalizing the arrangement by tightly integrating our product sets."
Savi makes electronic seals that are placed on cargo containers and other conveyances. Currently, when a seal is broken and a container compromised, that information is conveyed next time the e-seal is read, at a shipping terminal or a trucking depot.
With the Qualcomm system, the information can be conveyed via satellite communications immediately, in areas where Qualcomm has coverage. (It's system works in 33 countries on four continents.)
"Qualcomm's software focuses on fleet efficiency," says Lambright. "We're focused on the security of shipments and item-level inventory information. So the two technologies map very nicely to one another."
The integrated product will be marketed to transportation carriers, service providers and owners of supply chain assets to manage, monitor and secure shipments. Lambright says it should be available by the end of the year.
