CYBRA Inks Deal with Chinese Government for RFID Project

September 29, 2009 Alex Woodie

CYBRA will work with the People’s Republic of China and Key West Technologies to develop “smart” shipping containers that utilize RFID technology, the New York vendor announced last week. As part of the deal, the parties will form a new company called Beijing Smart Shipping Technologies Co. that will develop solutions for improving the tracking of Chinese maritime commerce.

Harold Brand, the CEO of Yonkers, New York-based CYBRA, recently traveled to Beijing to officially establish Beijing Smart Shipping Technologies, which is a joint partnership between CYBRA, the Chinese Ministry of Transportation’s Waterborne Transportation Institute (WTI), and Key West Technologies.

Beijing Smart Shipping Technologies will utilize several products in the development of a smart container tracking solution, including EdgeMagic, an RFID software product developed by CYBRA, and Globe Tracker, a Key West product that provides global tracking, monitoring, and network connectivity.

When completed, the new venture’s offering will enable shippers to track individual containers wherever they go in the world, and also to gauge the condition of the containers.

“China will very likely continue to lead the world in exports for some time and we hope that through our combined efforts, the joint venture will have a leadership role in end-to-end supply chain tracking, monitoring, and management,” says Key West CEO Jim Davis.

If successful, the new venture will create a model for shippers from around the world to emulate, Brand says. “In the future, safe intermodal transportation will depend on utilization of smart technologies. Combining the talents and expertise of CYBRA and its joint venture partners, Key West and the WTI, we believe that our abilities to commercialize products will be of great benefit to shippers and insurers who would be willing to pay a premium for this added value.”