CommerceGuard deployed to Port of Portland

More good news for General Electric’s CommerceGuard division. Eagle-eyed readers may recall that the company has been busy of late, having introduced an amped-up version of its popular container security system and sold a minority stake in the company to Korea-based Samsung Corporation for $15 million. The company has also struck critical deals with the Port of Virginia and with coffee giant Starbucks — strong endorsements, we think, for the company’s RFID-based system. Now we can report on another success story. GE announced this week that it had succesfully installed CommerceGuard at the Port of Portland — the first comprehensive deployment on the west coast and one that meets the new requirements for container security devices specified in the Port Security Improvement Act of 2006. “With over ten million containers entering U.S. ports every year, this innovative approach is the kind of long term investment that will make businesses and Americans safer,” said Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon).

How it works: CommerceGuard operates in much the same way as other container security devices. The RFID-enabled device attaches magnetically to the interior hinge. When it senses that the container door has been opened, it sends a signal to relevant authorities alerting them, while fixed and handheld readers at critical points along a supply chain report the container’s status to a CommerceGuard data center. This provides both a security and a commercial benefit. Not only are thefts quickly identified and, hopefully, deterred, but the tracking ability makes it much easier to predict product delivery and make alternate plans in the case of delay.

-read more in this company news release