New tracking software launched

IBM has launched new software that is claimed will enable companies and governments to extract new business information from sensors to determine the whereabouts and conditions of millions of shipping containers.

The software – part of the IBM InfoSphere Traceability Server – is designed to use massive amounts of sensor data, gathered in real-time, to provide supply chain transparency and reduce inventory costs by as much as 40%.

An IBM spokesperson told Cargo Systems: "Our Returnable Container Management [RCM] capability is applicable to any type of reusable asset, including ISO containers. We do not have any customers yet in the ISO/intermodal supply chain space, but are seeing interest."

The company added in a statement: "This technology is aimed at improving the performance of the millions of shipping containers that form the foundation of international shipping and trade. Even in this age of heightened security concerns, returnable containers in every industry are often lost or misplaced, creating shipping delays and increased costs.

"IBM’s new [RCM] offering allows container owners to use sensor data to protect their investments in shipping containers and other mobile assets. By affixing a sensor with a unique serial number to each container, manufacturers and their trading partners can use a web browser to track the exact location of a particular container as they move along the supply chain."