Vodafone branches out into the 'Economy of Things'

This partnership aims to achieve automatic verification of source data on the movement and content of cargo around the world. This should allow companies to improve freight handling whilst complying with trade laws.

The service that will be on offer based on this collaboration, will combine solutions from the three entities.

Offered by Pairpoint, the Digital Asset Broker (DAB) platform is basically a solution that helps organisations stay on the right side of trade law when it comes to audit, routes and contents of shipping containers, and meeting regulatory requirements. It includes reporting on relevant parts of their supply chains and ensuring the integrity of shipments and associated records.

The DAB also helps advance the digital transformation and automation of supply chain processes.

To achieve this the press release states, “shipping containers [will] become intelligent agents capable of seamless interaction within the Economy of Things (in which goods and devices transact securely with each other), including features like customs self-clearing containers and end-to-end shipping document digitalisation.”

Rather than real intelligence, it seems as though containers will be connected via sensors as part of the freight solutions delivered by NEXXIOT.

“Through this collaboration, we aim to offer significant advantages to stakeholders in the logistics sector by promoting surety and provenance of data in the shipping industry.” said the CEO of Pairpoint, Jorge Bento. “Our goal is to enhance the efficiency of maritime logistics and streamline goods clearing customs and ports without introducing additional risk.”

To round things up there will also be Know Your Client and Know Your Cargo services (KYX services) by Deloitte plugged into the offer. These were developed on the back of another partnership between Deloitte and NEXXIOT. The focus here is on enabling autonomous collection of asset data and optimise the costs in moving freight, including shipping containers and railcars.

“We are dedicated to establishing ‘Green Lanes’ to minimise disruptions for cargo in global transit.” Global IoT Lead, Helena Lisachuk of Deloitte went on to say.

“Achieving this requires close collaboration with port authorities and engagement with global and regional justice organisations. Applying Nexxiot’s and PairPoint’s technology and knowledge to enable real-time monitoring and door-related event tracking, along with Deloitte’s expertise– offers new mechanisms to monitor data integrity during cargo movements.”

Stefan Kalmund, CEO of Nexxiot, said: “Our strategic collaboration with Deloitte, Vodafone, and Sumitomo Corporation aligns with our vision to enable smart assets out of existing shipping containers and railcars.”

“We aim to identify operational inefficiencies or safety concerns while providing data provenance to various stakeholders, including shippers, carriers, port authorities, and trade financing partners. This is a significant step in supporting the digital economy of connected cargo and global goods movement.”

This collaboration seems to be especially relevant now as increasingly port authorities around the world will only process shipping containers with full audit trails. Avoiding the opening of shipping containers and enabling an efficient way of reporting should help cargos get moved faster through customs to in the hands of their end-users.