Two global companies, Transmed Foods and Grupo Hemas, have joined the growing ranks of those using GPRS-GPS combinations to gain visibility into the movement of products as they travel internationally. The system features battery-powered tags that serve as a seal to a container's door, and are embedded with a GPS receiver to locate its position and, in some cases, sensors for monitoring conditions within the container. The tags also contain a GPRS transponder to transmit ID, location and sensor data over a cellular connection, thereby enabling companies to monitor their containers' status in real time, as long as the tags are within cellular range. If a container is opened or its tag is damaged, an alert is sent to the container's owners and other authorized parties, warning them of the event. Transmed will begin utilizing the system for shipments of sliced olives and other olive products from producers in Morocco and Spain to pizza restaurants and sandwich shops in the United States. Global logistics provider Grupo Hemas has already begun using the same system to monitor containers loaded with its customers' products, so that it can determine if the containers its trucks transport are opened or rerouted.
