South Asian logistics hubs are expanding fast. What does this fact possibly have with some GPS smart lock?
- Governments expeditiously create the infrastructure for the logistics revolution to come, including new warehouses, roads, and transport terminals.
- Ports beat all the records in operational efficiency.
- The new logistics and transport clusters will soon appear to serve the growing apparel and manufacturing industries.
- The apparel sector makes connected technologies their standard.
It means that the volume of cargo will grow multifold. And among other things, logistics providers will have to ensure the security and integrity of a great many cargo containers. And here’s what they can do.
Cargo container security solutions
Padlocks
Padlocks have been with us for ages. Designed specifically for cargo containers, padlocks are still something you can see on barn doors. Heavy and solid as they look, the locks can’t provide 100% security. One can open it with a key, digit code, or picklock, and you’ll never know it happened. Plus, keys and combination locks are hard to manage and impossible in a large-scale operation.
Seals
The seals show if somebody opened a container to detect theft or contamination post-factum. The tools are inexpensive but don’t provide the security level you need. Argonne National Laboratory demonstrated that a trained person defeats almost any metal, plastic, or cable seal in less than three minutes. Plus, using seals efficiently demands complex procedures that you need to elaborate and control their implementation continuously. Seals are replaceable yet not secure, hard to open during an unplanned event and then reseal.
Smart locks
These look just like average padlocks but are powered with GPS to detect unauthorized access and thefts in real-time. GPS smart locks combine all the advantages of padlocks and seals and mitigate their disadvantages. Let’s take a closer look at them on the example of EGIS Dynamic Shield by KLOUDIP.
EGIS GPS lock for containers, vehicles, and buildings
EGIS smart lock provides a complete solution to padlocks and seals that companies generally use. Secure as a padlock, replaceable as a seal, and managed dynamically to changing needs. You can lock and unlock it from anywhere using a smart lock app and get real-time alerts on any events with your cargo.
How the smart lock works
You can install EGIS just like your average padlock on any container. Its 1-meter-long extendable loop allows covering multiple access points with the same lock. From the moment you put it on a cargo container, it starts sending data on your cargo to a telematics platform.
EGIS smart lock is constantly connected with FiOS GPS tracking and telematics platform. It detects real-time cargo location and reports all the events on the way via SMS, email, and online notifications on your laptop or mobile app. EGIS will alert you of vandalism, thefts, unauthorized stops, deviations from the route, and a few more:
- Lock/unlock events and tampering attempts to detect thefts
- Battery status alarm to ensure that EGIS won’t go off
- Unlock attempts with unauthorized NFC cards or passwords to ensure the errorless operation
- Steel-string tampering and open rear cap alarms to prevent vandalism
- Motor fault alarm and lock status to monitor equipment issues
How to unlock the GPS smart lock?
Authorized personnel can still lock/unlock it with an NFC card on-site or via the smart lock mobile app.
To automate security management, you can program it to lock or unlock if certain conditions occur. For example, you can give it a remote authorization to unlock if it appears within the designated premises. Moreover, in an event of an unplanned opening, you can grant authorization to open it and remotely reseal the lock after the event. This makes EGIS completely reusable.
The FiOS telematics platform records all the events for up to 400 days for you to investigate each case.
EGIS GPS smart lock benefits
Let’s get a quick summary of EGIS benefits, considering all the above:
- EGIS is autonomous, so you don’t need to connect it to a power source like any other GPS tracker. If a battery is going down, the system will notify you.
- EGIS GPS lock system is managed remotely. Authorized personnel can still lock/unlock it with an NFC card on-site, but you can do it remotely via the mobile app. It means you can manage access to any number of containers from the control center in your office.
- The GPS lock is reusable, so you can use it on any container and even replace it on the way. You can attach it to the asset and remove it at the destination once the task is completed.
- EGIS can be used as a GPS tracker, so you don’t have to buy additional trackers inside cargo containers. The lock will tell you where your cargo is now and provide the history of its movements globally.
How much does the GPS lock system cost?
EGIS smart lock has a minimum one-time investment in hardware – the lock itself. But its key functionality lies in the integration with a telematics platform that is subscription-based. The developer offers OPEX options as well for the hardware and a 60-days free commitment trial for the solution.
As you see, the logistics sector becomes smarter. Contact us to learn more about EGIS dynamic shield, and schedule a live demo or presentation.
