SATO participates in GS1 EPCglobal Transport and Logistics Phase 2 Pilot Program

SATO Corporation, a provider of barcode printing, labeling, and EPC/RFID solutions, participated in the successful completion of the second phase of GS1 EPCglobal’s Transportation and Logistics Services (TLS) Industry Action Group RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) Pilot Program.
 
EPCglobal Inc., a subsidiary of the global not-for-profit standards organization GS1, through its Pilot Program, has demonstrated real-time cargo visibility as goods flowed between trading partners and logistics providers from mainland China to mainland USA.
 
The second phase of the Transportation and Logistics Pilot Program, supported by METI, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and other members of the Transportation and Logistic Industry Action Group, started in November 2007 and was recently completed. The TLS Phase 2 Pilot Program, initiated by GS1 EPCglobal, included two shipments of three containers with each container consisting of 40 pallets. The project involved the shipment of parts such as tires as well as finished goods such as laptop computers of international companies moving from source factories in China to distribution centers in the US, flowing through the ports of Shanghai and Los Angeles.
 
The objective of the TLS Phase 2 Pilot Program was to prove the capability for unprecedented visibility into the movement, location and disposition of assets, goods and services throughout the world as well as to validate the use of both passive and active UHF EPC tags for sea-shipment of cartons and containers shipped between China and the US.
 
SATO Corporation, the sole printer manufacturer to participate in the Pilot Program, was partnered with major logistics, shipping, hardware and software providers. The Pilot Program was also supported by METI, NRI, MTI, and the GS1 Member Organizations from China, Hong Kong, Japan and the US.