Airlines Can Track and Monitor Temperature-Sensitive Freight Using Unisys Air Cargo Logistics Management System

BLUE BELL, Pa., Sept. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) announced today new enhancements to the Unisys Logistics Management System (LMS) to allow airlines to better track and monitor sensitive air cargo such as pharmaceutical and perishable products.

Airlines transport temperature-sensitive cargo, such as pharmaceutical products, in containers that monitor key metrics such as temperature and dry ice levels. Such goods must be kept within a specific range of environmental conditions throughout the transport lifecycle from when the cargo company accepts the goods until they are delivered.

Airlines must keep accurate records to show that these conditions have been maintained. Typically this critical data is displayed on an LCD screen on the container and recorded manually in a paper-based system. The new Pharmaceutical Product Handling feature of the Unisys LMS will automatically capture and store this critical data so that a full audit trail is available on demand. The new feature is expected to be available later this year.

LMS will use web services to communicate with networked monitoring devices on the containers to automatically transmit the log details, removing the need for manual data entry and improving data accuracy.

"Unisys LMS clients will have immediate access, on demand, to a log of the key environmental metrics of sensitive shipments. This will help improve customer service and facilitate compliance. Electronic capture of this information reduces the potential for human error and is faster than traditional manual paper-based process," said Christopher Shawdon, vice president, Logistics Solutions for Unisys. 

The need for these new capabilities was identified by the Unisys Cargo User Group. Because the Unisys LMS is delivered via a software-as-a-service model, Unisys was able to quickly make the enhancements available to its clients.

Unisys LMS is used by leading airlines worldwide to manage their air cargo business. The cloud-based SaaS delivery model allows airlines to reduce costs compared to an in-house system, and enables enhancements to be deployed each month and made immediately available to clients. The SaaS model also helps drive community collaboration among airline clients and enables airlines to respond quickly to constantly changing air cargo industry requirements.

Unisys logistics solutions are used by carriers that move more than 30 percent of the world's air cargo. In addition to the Logistics Management System (LMS), Unisys cargo solutions include Cargo Portal Services (CPS), In-transit Service Manager (ISM), and Cargo Revenue Accounting (CRA). Unisys cargo solutions are used by many of the world's leading carriers who collaborate via the Unisys Cargo User Group (UCUG). Unisys and UCUG members have worked with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for more than 20 years on initiatives such as e-Freight, Cargo 2000 and XML messaging.

Unisys has more than 45 years of experience providing advanced, mission-critical IT solutions to the aviation industry. Fifteen of the top 25 airlines – and more than 200 worldwide – rely on Unisys solutions.

About Unisys
Unisys is a global information technology company that solves complex IT challenges at the intersection of modern and mission critical. We work with many of the world's largest companies and government organizations to secure and keep their mission-critical operations running at peak performance; streamline and transform their data centers; enhance support to their end users and constituents; and modernize their enterprise applications. We do this while protecting and building on their legacy IT investments. Our offerings include outsourcing and managed services, systems integration and consulting services, high-end server technology, cybersecurity and cloud management software, and maintenance and support services. Unisys has more than 23,000 employees serving clients around the world. For more information, visit www.unisys.com.

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RELEASE NO.: 0923/9276

Unisys is a registered trademark of Unisys Corporation. Any other brand or product referenced herein is acknowledged to be a trademark or registered trademark of its respective holder.

SOURCE Unisys Corporation