SAVANNAH, GA and SUNNYVALE, Calif. - Savi Networks, a provider of radio frequency identification (RFID)-based information services to monitor cargo container shipments, and the Maritime Logistics Innovation Center (MLIC) announce an agreement to help Georgia's industries and logistics providers enhance their competitiveness in the global marketplace. Savi Networks initially will provide SaviTrak, the company's real-time information service, to terminal facilities at Georgia's ports. The agreement delivers a number of direct benefits, including the ability of terminal operators and their customers to obtain real-time information on RFID-tagged containers at other ports worldwide connected to Savi Networks, which is majority-owned by the Lockheed Martin Co., the global provider of advanced technology systems, products, and services. Participating port and terminal operators in Georgia will be able to provide customers greater levels of efficiency and real-time visibility of conditions of containerized cargo. In addition, MLIC will leverage Savi's solutions for research and development efforts throughout Georgia's industries and to enhance the state's role as a center of global commerce.
"Georgia is a state of innovation, and the kind of partnership that we are announcing is just one example of the tremendous opportunities available here in our state," Georgia department of economic development commissioner Craig Lesser said. "When you combine smart people with the right resources, the end result is usually a project like this that has incredible potential in the critical logistics sector that is so important to Georgia's economy."
"This partnership allows for technology expansion through the extensive research and development capabilities available to Savi Networks through MLIC," said Page Siplon, executive director, Maritime Logistics Innovation Center. "From access to university-level research to being able to provide Savi Networks a large, high-volume trade lane via an established relationship with our sister port in Shanghai, our network will accelerate the growth of this vital technology."
The RFID-based infrastructure used by Savi Networks automatically reads and transmits data on RFID-tagged containers and has been installed at major ports worldwide. With this announcement, the Georgia Ports Authority joins U.S.-based terminals operated by the Trans Pacific Container Service Corp. and Marine Terminals Corp., as well as internationally based terminal operators with SaviTrak agreements.
Ports and terminal operators benefit from SaviTrak, which is offered via an open technology platform that accommodates multiple and interoperable automatic identification and data collection technologies, such as bar codes, EPC-compliant passive and active RFID technologies, and global positioning systems used to track ships and trucks transporting ocean containers.
According to Lani Fritts, chief operating officer of Savi Networks, "With SaviTrak's RFID-based services, which are now backed by the information resources and expertise of Lockheed Martin and our MLIC partnership, port and terminal operators in Georgia will be able to provide their customers the most advanced technology solutions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their shipments."
About MLIC
MLIC, created in 2003 within the Georgia Centers of Innovation Program, is a unique partnership of private industry, academia, and federal and state authorities working together to develop, apply, and promote new technologies, identify unique applications for existing technology, and create best practices for safe, efficient, and secure supply chains. For more information contact Page Siplon, executive director of MLIC at [email protected] or call 912-966-7867.
About Savi Networks LLC
Savi Networks LLC operates a global information network that uses automatic identification and data collection equipment and software to provide shippers with information about the identity, location, and status of their ocean cargo containers and contents. The company, which is majority-owned by the Lockheed Martin Co., partners with leading global port and terminal operators to enable value-added services to the end-customers of their facilities. Savi Networks provides the SaviTrak information service, which allows shippers, logistics service providers, and transportation companies to manage and monitor their shipments over a secure Internet connection. Customers can expand the existing network by installing compatible equipment at their own locations, further improving the efficiency, effectiveness, and security of their global supply chains. To learn more about Savi Networks, visit the company's Web site.