In a move that will help shippers to keep tabs on their freight, smart phone manufacturer BlackBerry is planning to enter the shipping industry with a new cloud-based initiative.
According to CTV News, BlackBerry’s ‘Internet of Things’ platform – which is the process of connecting objects to wireless networks – aims to form the basis for building a service aimed at supporting business growth.
The new proposal is looking to provide hardware and software support for cloud-based communications boxes that are built into shipping containers.
The new cloud-based device will include sensors that will enable shippers to monitor the contents of their containers so that managers can be aware of any potential issues, as well as the location of shipping containers.
A micro-processor, cellular radio and Wi-Fi connectivity will also be required for full functionality.
President of BlackBerry's Technology Solutions Unit, Sandeep Chennakeshu, said: “There's lots of useful information you can collect to get more efficient. (The communication box is) very similar to a cell phone, except it doesn't have a display or a keypad. That's right up our alley.”
Mr. Chennakeshu believes that current systems are: “a little archaic and not scalable.
“It's a very large business, in the tens of billions of dollars, with very low penetration.”
October, 2014 saw an early test of the device and plans are underway to make the devices available in “limited specific-use cases” in April 2014.
(Source: Sea News)
Since losing its footing in the smart phone market, BlackBerry has been looking for new ways to re-grow its business, with shipping often mooted as the future of interconnectivity, with the industry key to the realisation of the quantum internet.
