BlackBerry Radar promises end-to-end tracking for trailers and shipping containers
Technology giant BlackBerry Limited has launched BlackBerry Radar, a new asset tracking system for truck operators at the 2016 Mid-America Trucking Show in Kentucky.
According to BlackBerry, the “end-to-end” solution “can optimise utilisation of their trailers and shipping containers, improve on-time delivery, reduce theft, and generate more revenue from each trailer, without having to invest in costly IT infrastructure.”
The system includes a self-powered tracking device, cloud-based applications through an Internet of Things (IoT) platform, and visual reports of asset locations and statuses.
BlackBerry IoT senior vice president Derek Kuhn says the solution is about operations managers, load planners, and dispatchers being given timely and actionable data.
“BlackBerry Radar is fully integrated and provisioned, so customers can hit the ground running,” Kuhn says.
“Within minutes of installing our tracking device, users can access timely information on their assets to help make agile decisions that can dramatically improve an organisation’s profitability.
“And because BlackBerry Radar is cloud-based, it offers the ultimate in convenience.
“All you need is a smartphone, tablet, or computer equipped with a web browser, and you can access information for real-time decision-making — wherever you are, and whenever you need it.”
The BlackBerry Radar offering can monitor GPS locations, temperature, humidity, and the presence of cargo.
“For example, the device can send real-time alerts whenever a trailer has crossed a user-defined geofence or when a trailer door has opened or closed,” BlackBerry says.
To access the information, operators log in to the BlackBerry online portal, where data is displayed in reports and visualisations.
Securely encrypting all transferred data, BlackBerry says the solution allows for user permissions, handing employees only their relevant information and access, and for customisation through developer APIs, meaning freighters can create tailored systems.
