Savi begins licensing proprietary e-Seals technology
Mountain View, Calif.-based Savi Technology Thursday began licensing its technology now incorporated into the new international standard for electronic cargo seals, or e-seals.
The licensing program, known as Savi QuickStart, provides third parties with the ability to build interoperable radio frequency identification, or RFID, products based on the new ISO 18185 industry standards.
According to the firm, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bethesda, Md.-based Lockheed Martin, the licensing program is expected to speed up the worldwide use of e-seals, improve interoperability among RFID networks, and drive greater affordability of basic e-seals.
Approved in mid-April, the ISO 18185 standard addresses technical and application standards for e-seals, which ISO describes as 'non-reusable freight container seals' that 'electronically evidence tampering or intrusion through the container doors.' The seals are active RFID devices that utilize both a mechanical locking mechanism and an active RFID module to provide wireless alerting and tracking.
Containerized cargo accounts for 90 percent of world trade, and some 200 million containers move through the world's ports each year. The SAFE Port Act of 2006 charges the U.S. Department of Homeland Security with defining the voluntary use of container security devices in accordance with international standards, specifically referencing ISO, to potentially achieve faster clearance through U.S. Customs and Border Protection.