NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ --- Advent, Inc., an international leader in software development for the transportation industry, introduces the Cargo Sentry Project, a central registry for capturing scanning results of the contents of all containers entering US ports.
Since September 11, 2001, all US Port Authorities have been mandated by the Government to tighten security and find a means to stop the smuggling of weapons of mass destruction into the United States. Containers are one of the greatest weaknesses in our country’s defense against this act. As of this date, there is no single database or technology that can track all containerized shipments from origin to destination. GPS and RF technology have been identified as possible solutions but have some limitations and are somewhat expensive alternatives. X-ray scanning is currently being developed as a feasible measure however the high cost of this technology places major limitations on which port can afford such an investment.
Advent’s Cargo Sentry Project is a practical, cost-effective solution to the problem of tracking the contents of containerized cargo. Cargo Sentry focuses on the scanning of all containers at the port of loading for radioactive or biological substances with technology carried onboard the container vessel. Maximum security can only be maintained by scanning containerized cargo before it arrives at the US port of discharge. Cargo Sentry can achieve this premise.
The Cargo Sentry unit is portable and is easily mounted on a container crane’s spreader bar. The unit scans each container as it is loaded and transmits the results to a central database on the bridge of the vessel. The vessel then has the ability to submit a manifest to US Customs declaring all containers have been scanned and are cleared for transport. "Matching the scanning equipment with the vessel provides the most reliable coverage." said Carl D'Emilio, President of Advent, Inc. "Regardless of how many vessels are working at a given time or in which country, the technology is there to scan every container loading on to the ship."
Advent's Cargo Sentry design is based on an open interface which will allow other companies to produce a variety of scanning devices and interface with this system. Advent's Cargo Sentry system also interfaces with stowage applications such as the TSB CASP system.
The design phase of the Cargo Sentry project is close to completion and Advent will begin working on a prototype in the near future.
Headquartered in New Providence, NJ., Advent, Inc. is an international leader in software development focused on building IT solutions for the transportation industry. Advent provides services in the fields of mission-critical system development, project management, EDI Services and IT outsourcing. Advent manages DepotView, a depot management tool and HazDocs, a centralized registry for all hazardous documentation, which will be featured at the U.S. Maritime Security Expo & Conference, September 18-19,2002 in New York City.
For more information, please contact:
Carl D'Emilio
President
Tel: 908-795-3211
