InSync, IBM team for food safety solution
23 March, 2009
category: RFID
InSync Software Inc. has announced a new partnership with IBM. The two companies have formed an original equipment manufacturer agreement with IBM that will enable InSync to integrate IBM’s InfoSphere Traceability Server software as part of its food safety solutions.
InSync’s software solutions are created for companies in the fresh and processed foods, meat and poultry industries, as well as construction and chemical customers outside the food supply chain. The food safety applications, including the GREENTrace systems, uses sensor technologies including RFID to locate and track assets and processes, improve efficiencies, and manage risk along the food supply chain. The system can report on an item’s location and condition in real-time, and automate time consuming and error-prone manual processes.
The addition of IBM’s InfoSphere Traceability Server into its applications will enable InSync customers to transfer information to external trading partners. The InfoSphere server has software that allows trading partners to track products throughout the global supply chain. The server, which is used by major retail players in the food industry including Metro Group and Matiq, the IT subsidiary of Norwegian food supplier Nortura, assigns each food item or pallet which passes through its system a unique serial number, which can then be tracked anywhere in the supply chain, theoretically making field-to-fork visibility an option.
The IBM server is compliant with GS1 EPCglobal’s Electronic Product Code Information Services standard for capturing and sharing information on a product’s location, temperature and other relevant data. With the integration of the IBM software, companies to using InSync’s software will be able share information concerning food origins or other important information with any trading partner that is also using an EPCIS-compliant solution.