ALK Technologies has released a new version of its CoPilot Truck GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation application for professional drivers.

Nearly one-third of distribution centers are entirely outsourced, according to the survey-based Supply Chain Metrics Report released by the Tompkins Supply Chain Consortium.

Performance metrics for warehouses and distribution centers have steadily improved since 2003, when the Warehousing Education and Research Council first conducted its annual "DC Measures" study, says Joe Tillman, senior researcher at Supply Chain Visions and co-author of the study. Moreover, the gap has significantly narrowed between best-in-class companies and those lower on the performance scale, he says.

Syspro, a vendor of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for small and mid-sized manufactures and distributors, has announced several new products. The company will soon be debuting an App Store which will extend the availability of its ERP offering within its partner and user community.

BlueStar, a global distributor of automatic data capture, mobility, point-of-sale and radio frequency technology products, has entered into a new distribution agreement with Psion for Mexico.

AEB (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd. is partnering with SingTel on a cloud-based warehouse-management system (WMS) aimed at the small- to medium-sized business market.

There has been increased interest in the clinical trials supply chain, according to Michael Wallace, life sciences industry specialist with Oracle Corp., and Arun Cavale, principal with NexInfo.

It's common practice for companies to view cold-chain management systems for pharmaceutical and bio-technology products as point solutions, whether related to packaging, training or carrier services, says Gary M. Hutchinson, president of Modality Solutions. Integration of all those elements, however, results in a "much more holistic system," he says. "You maintain product quality all the way from manufacturer to point of use. Until you integrate it into one system, you're not tackling it properly."

New car prices have fallen from a year ago, primarily because the inventory shortage created by the Japanese earthquake has been entirely erased.

Costly coding requirements have limited adoption of voice technology, but that is changing, says Steve Gerrard, vice president, marketing and strategy, Voxware. The technology is truly adaptive now, which is a key buying criterion.