Savi gets defense deal for radio frequency ID tech

Savi Technology Inc. was awarded a three-year procurement contract by the Department of Defense, valued up to $90 million, for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) hardware and related logistics software and services, company officials announced Feb. 10.

The award will allow U.S. military personnel to buy directly through Savi a wide range of automatic identification and data collection technologies and related software to track, monitor, locate, secure, process and deploy military supplies worldwide.

The award is Savi's third multiyear RFID procurement contract with the Defense Department since 1994, totaling $280 million. During this time, Savi has helped to build and operate and continues to extend the Defense Department's Total Asset Visibility network, company officials said.

The network is the world's largest active RFID logistics tracking system, which monitors and manages cargo containers transporting military supplies through more than 40 countries.

Savi of Sunnyvale, Calif., uses the network to help build Smart and Secure Tradelanes, an industry-driven initiative involving the world's largest port operators to improve the security and efficiency of U.S.-bound ocean cargo container shipments, from ports such as Rotterdam, Antwerp and Felixstowe.

Since it launched last summer, Smart and Secure Tradelanes has grown to more than 35 partners and made hundreds of shipments of smart and secure containers.