BlackBerry Radar will help trucking companies track and monitor shipments

BlackBerry has unveiled Radar, a new end-to-end tracking system for trucking companies. With this system installed, companies can optimize the use of trailers and shipping containers, improving on-time deliveries, reducing theft, and generating more revenue. BlackBerry Radar already sports the capabilities to track mobile assets without relying on expensive and complicated IT infrastructure, making the solution appear more attractive to potential customers.

It's all dependant on the Radar tracking device, which takes but minutes to install. The unit monitors GPS location, temperature, humidity, as well as whether or not the trailer doors are open. Office-based teams can then log into the BlackBerry Radar portal to check data and see what is happening to assets on the move. Other parties in a specific supply chain could even be provided with access to data too. An example provided is a notification to be sent to warehouse staff to enable them to prepare for trailer arrival.

What's more is the scope for enhancement and customization with apps thanks to the support of APIs. It's a neat suite and one that could help BlackBerry integrate itself into new segments. A customer pilot is underway with BlackBerry Radar expected to be made available in summer.

Press Release

BlackBerry Radar to Drive Higher Profits for the Trucking Industry

Secure end-to-end tracking system will help trucking companies and private fleet operators optimize asset utilization, reduce theft, and cut operational costs.

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY--(Marketwired - March 31, 2016) - Mid-America Trucking Show - Today, at the 2016 Mid-America Trucking Show, BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSX:BB) unveiled BlackBerry Radarβ„’, a new end-to-end asset tracking system for trucking companies and private fleet operators. With BlackBerry Radar, customers can optimize utilization 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. BlackBerry Radar provides everything needed to track highly mobile assets, including a self-powered tracking device, an Internet of Things (IoT) platform with cloud-based applications, world-class security, and visual reports that make it easy to pinpoint the location and status of each asset.

The freight transportation industry is constantly striving to boost productivity and efficiency in order to reduce operational costs. However, existing tracking solutions, with their complex user interfaces and infrequent data updates, make it difficult to maximize asset utilization and stop theft. BlackBerry Radar solves this problem by providing timely, actionable information in a solution that is easy to deploy, use, and maintain.

The BlackBerry Radar tracking device takes only minutes to install and generates rich, frequently updated information that enables operations managers, load planners, and dispatchers to make the most profitable decisions for their organizations. 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. It also monitors GPS location, temperature, humidity, and the presence of cargo. To access this data, customers simply log in to BlackBerry Radar's secure online portal - from there, they can interact with elegant visualizations and one-click reports that show where their assets are, and what is happening to them.

"BlackBerry Radar is fully integrated and provisioned, so customers can hit the ground running. 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 organization's profitability," said Derek Kuhn, Senior Vice President, BlackBerry IoT. "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."

BlackBerry Radar encrypts all transmitted data; it also authenticates the device and cloud endpoints to ensure a high level of security and privacy between users and the service. Moreover, fine-grained permissions allow other participants in the supply chain to access relevant data and improve productivity. For instance, as a trailer approaches a warehouse, BlackBerry Radar can issue a notification, enabling warehouse staff to prepare for the incoming shipment and unload the trailer more quickly.

BlackBerry Radar also provides an extensible architecture and rich application programming interfaces (APIs) to help developers create innovative applications for the freight industry. These applications will help create a vibrant ecosystem to address a multitude of use cases and offer complementary solutions that benefit the industry.

"The expansion of IoT solutions is a key catalyst in the current transformation of the global freight shipping market, the importance of which has not been seen since the worldwide embrace of intermodal containers. The ever-improving capabilities and costs of connected sensor systems have made tracking the precise location of assets, real-time monitoring of their detailed physical condition, and associated data analytics the basis of a new gold standard for the industry. BlackBerry Radar's cloud platform and innovative tracking device support these needs with a global end-to-end solution that leverages BlackBerry's market-leading security, low-power solutions, and knowledge of cloud-based platforms," said Andy Castonguay, Principal Analyst, Machina Research. "From a user standpoint, the end-to-end service design critically removes much of the complexity associated with the implementation and usage of IoT solutions that are common in today's market."

BlackBerry is a member of the National Private Truck Council, a U.S. trade association devoted to the interests of the private corporate trucking fleet industry and its professional practitioners.

Availability

Select trucking companies and private fleet operators are currently participating in a customer pilot program for BlackBerry Radar. The solution is scheduled for general availability in Summer 2016.

For inquiries about BlackBerry Radar, email [email protected]. For more information on the BlackBerry IoT Platform, visit blackberry.com/internet-of-things.

Demonstration at the Mid-America Trucking Show

BlackBerry is demonstrating the BlackBerry Radar Asset Tracking System this week at the Mid-America Trucking Show, North Wing, Booth 16228. An interactive command center displays the location and status of shipping containers, and allows the user to set custom alerts for a variety of conditions, such as when a container crosses a geofence, when a door opens or closes, or when the container's interior exceeds a specified temperature.

BlackBerry Radar will help trucking companies track and monitor shipments

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