MarketWatch

March 14, 2007

Lawson Unveils New Applications for M3 Software Suite; Offers Learning Accelerator for Faster Adoption
Lawson Software has devised a new set of applications for version 7.1 of Lawson M3, the vendor's software suite for manufacturing, distribution and maintenance companies. The update includes a Smart Client user interface, a managed client application which sits on a central server. It delivers an intuitive user interface which allows for user customization. It can incorporate such features as documents, video and two- and three-dimensional graphics. The new Lawson Supply Chain Orders links orders within a supply chain to provide greater visibility and flexibility in reacting to order changes. Lawson Fashion Production Planning promises improved supply-chain visibility and faster data access for fashion manufacturers. Enhancements to forecasting and demand-planning include statistical forecasting improvements and the ability to lock and store budgets for future comparisons. New sales and marketing functionality allows for the tracking of marketing activities, qualified leads and budget versus actual spend, among other things. In addition, Lawson has introduced the Lawson Learning Accelerator, a tool intended to improve the adoption of Lawson applications. Learning Accelerator provides interactive simulations, based on a customer's configured software, directly to the user's desktop.
M3 7.1 Applications: http://phx.corporate-ir.net
Learning Accelerator: http://phx.corporate-ir.net

Nippon Express Creates Dubai Subsidiary, Partners in China
Nippon Express has set up a new subsidiary in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The entity is called Nippon Express (Middle East) L.L.C. The Nippon Express Group first established a presence in the area with the opening of a representative office in 2005. The new subsidiary will provide logistics services to Japanese, European and American companies doing business in Dubai. The country has recently taken steps to enhance its logistics infrastructure in the region, including the start of construction on a large-scale airport. Dubai is a major transit point for countries in Asia, the CIS, East Africa and Europe. In a related development, Nippon Express said it has begun moving auto parts in China, for a joint venture between Dongfeng Motor Group and U.S. engine manufacturer Cummins Engine. Nippon Express and Dongfeng Motor will jointly set up an auto parts shipping network covering all of China, the company said.
Dubai Subsidiary: http://www.nipponexpressusa.com
China Auto Network: http://www.nipponexpressusa.com

APL to Cooperate With Med Shipping, Mitsui OSK in S. America
Singapore-owned APL Ltd. will enter into a space-sharing arrangement with Mediterranean Shipping Co. and Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd., effective in April. The joint service will offer weekly calls at Norfolk, Philadelphia, New York and Baltimore in the U.S., and Santos, Buenos Aires, Rio Grande, Sao Francisco do Sul and Salvador on the east coast of South America. In line with the arrangement, APL will discontinue its existing cooperation with Maersk Line on the NASA service, which will exit the trade after a final sailing from Santos on Apr. 14. APL said it will also discontinue its existing cooperation with Hamburg Sud on the Tango service with a final sailing from Suape on Apr. 12. APL said the changes will assure continuity of service from the U.S. East Coast to the east coast of South America. APL operates more than 60 weekly services, with nearly 300 calls at more than 90 ports around the world.
http://www.apl.com

Seko Expands Operations in India With Presence in Mumbai
Seko, a global freight forwarder and logistics services provider, has expanded its operations in India, with the establishment of new headquarters in Mumbai. The company's main operations and sales office for the country continues to be located in New Delhi. Seko said India is becoming an increasingly attractive foreign-trade market, with a high rate of international business growth. Such growth has fueled demand for international logistics services, the company said. Seko-India is responsible for Southeast Asia, Europe and the U.S. Primary industries to be served include textiles and fashion exports from India to the West, and electronics and consumer-goods imports from China and Southeast Asia. The new business unit will offer a broad range of services, including air, ocean, ground transport, warehousing and customs brokerage. Along with its independent offices, Seko maintains a working relationship with Seko/New Globe, a freight-forwarding agent with 16 offices and 220 employees throughout India, which is in the process of converting many of its operations to Seko-only offices.
http://www.sekoworldwide.com

Intel Creates RFID Chip to Boost UHF Reader Performance
Intel Corp. has introduced a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip that the company claims will greatly enhance the capabilities and design of UHF RFID readers. Intel's UHF RFID Transceiver R1000 chip integrates approximately 90 percent of the discrete components found in a typical RFID reader radio--including receive, transmit, baseband, modulation and demodulation functionality--onto a single chip. Offering "significantly" lower power consumption, the R1000 supports a full range of reader form factors and applications, from short-range handheld readers to long-range dock door readers. UHF RFID readers can support a variety of applications, including supply-chain asset management, asset tracking, authentication and access control. The new chip is packaged with several development tools intended to speed time to market for reader OEMs and ease reader deployment, Intel said.
http://appzone.intel.com

Aldata's Voice-Directed Logistics Tool Now Available for PDAs
Aldata mas made available its G.O.L.D. Vocal application, supporting voice-directed logistics operations, for multi-purpose personal digital assistants (PDAs). Complementing the vendor's G.O.L.D. Vocal environment for dedicated voice terminals, the PDA extension allows for a wider choice of operator terminals, Aldata said. It also supports the use of new business processes based on multimodal applications integrating voice and other data-management methods, such as keyboard, barcode reader, electronic tag reader and photography. Aldata said it can now offer customers both dedicated and multi-purpose voice systems. The company is also developing a program of technical certification for G.O.L.D. Vocal on PDA with major industry PDA manufacturers.
http://www.aldata-solution.com

Inttra Expands in China With New Offices in Three Locations
Inttra, the vendor of software and services for electronic commerce, has opened new offices in three Chinese cities: Qingdao, Shenzhen and Xiamen. The move was prompted by "significant" growth in demand for multi-carrier e-commerce, Inttra said. The company has seen a 260-percent increase in containers processed in the region between the end of 2005 and 2006. The expansion of business warranted additional customer support and service in Qingdao and Xiamen, particularly as the company introduces new Desktop software to enable cargo agents to create and submit electronic shipping orders and instructions. Inttra's e-commerce platform for the ocean industry encompasses 23 of the world's largest ocean carriers as members. The company initiates more than 150,000 container orders a week and handles more than $11bn worth of ocean freight each year.
http://www.inttra.com

AeroScout Launches a New Active, Wi-Fi-Based RFID Tag
AeroScout Inc., a provider of Wi-Fi-based active radio frequency identification (RFID) systems, has created the AeroScout T3 Tag, for the real-time tracking of people and assets. The T3 Tag features a new flat, streamlined shape and low power consumption, the company said. The device's small size allows for attachment to a variety of compact equipment, including medical devices, I.T. equipment, containers, manufacturing machinery and vehicles. The unit includes a built-in "choke" mechanism, allowing the tag to be triggered precisely at doorways, gateways or enclosed areas. A tamper-proof mechanism offers protection against theft, triggering an immediate alert it the tag is removed or tampered with. Other features include two call buttons for alerting and status reporting, an optional on-board temperature sensor, data telemetry capability through an external serial interface, certified non-interference with other devices and Wi-Fi data, and multiple LED indicators.
http://www.aeroscout.com

OB10, E-Invoicing Network Provider, Expands Into Canada
OB10, operator of a global electronic invoicing network, has expanded operations into Canada. The company has opened an office in Toronto, headed up by Enrico Asta. He was previously with Oracle Canada's CRM OnDemand business unit. OB10 had previously established North American headquarters in San Francisco. Since that time, the company said, it has rapidly expanded its e-invoicing network in the region. OB10 already has "hundreds" of Canadian-based supplier companies on its e-invoicing network, it claimed. OB10's service is intended to streamline the invoice-to-pay process between companies and their suppliers. The network allows suppliers to submit invoices in any electronic format, utilizing its Any-to-Any Data Formatting capability. The company claims members in 70 countries and across six continents. Last year, OB10 opened an office in Malaysia. The company's world headquarters are in London.
http://www.ob10.com

FullTilt, Inovis Team Up to Co-Market Supply-Chain Data Tools
Inovis has joined with FullTilt Solutions, Inc. in a co-marketing arrangement. Inovis is a vendor of supply-chain communications software and services. FullTilt offers product information management (PIM) applications. For Inovis, the deal expands the reach of its data pool, data synchronization platform and information-management capabilities, by adding FullTilt's PIM and Master Data Management (MDM) processes. For its part, FullTilt will be able to offer its customers access to Inovis's value-added network (VAN), software and data-synchronization services. Inovis's focus is on supply-chain communications products that expedite the order-to-payment process. FullTilt's customers can derive greater value from existing investments in automation of the product-introduction process, the partners said.
http://www.inovis.com

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