Transentric and DRMEC Introduce Homeland Security Product R.I.S.K. Alert; Aids Government in Securing U.S. Ports.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

Topical News: War On Terrorism 

ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 8, 2003

Today it is widely agreed that if we are to receive another attack from terrorists, they may strike using some form of transportation. This time it may not be by airplane. It could be by ship, or truck or even rail. President Bush says that a war with Iraq will likely spawn another attack on our homeland. Operation Liberty Shield is the patriotic moniker for the measures taken to protect U.S. soil against terrorist aggression.

Although pilot testing won't be complete until May, a product called R.I.S.K. Alert(R) currently has the ability to identify trouble before it reaches our shores. Transentric LLC developed the new technology with a grant awarded to the Delaware River Maritime Enterprise Council (DRMEC). R.I.S.K. Alert, or RAPID International Security Knowledge Alert, is one-of-a-kind data software that offers law enforcement agencies uniform access to real-time information on a ship's crew, equipment and cargo from shipment origin to destination.

This method of receiving information is currently unavailable to anyone else in federal, state or local law enforcement. The benefit to commercial participants is equally rewarding, as it offers them a practical, scaleable approach for demonstrating daily that their supply chains are managed for safety, security and efficiency. Funding for the project was provided by The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA), The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) as well as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The R.I.S.K. Alert project has been an excellent opportunity for Transentric, as the company excels in both supply chain visibility and business integration technology including intelligent messaging. Transentric was able to achieve the desired results by leveraging their current technology and combining it with special, customized components. A number of federal, state and local law enforcement units collaborated to define the kinds of information that R.I.S.K. Alert could provide to keep ports safe. Since each sector of law enforcement could require different data, the R.I.S.K. Alert software had to have all the flexibility to meet varying needs. Law enforcement participants in the Philadelphia-based R.I.S.K. Alert demonstration include local representatives from the FBI, The Philadelphia Police Department, the United States Coast Guard, U.S. Customs, U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service and others.

R.I.S.K. Alert is being marketed by DRMEC and it may soon be expanded to other ports. In addition, DRMEC has proposed that R.I.S.K. Alert could serve as a "one-stop" data collection point for commercial parties who must provide security-related information to many different agencies. In this role, R.I.S.K. Alert could provide the means for shippers, ship owners, and operators to submit continually updated information regarding cargo, crew and equipment just once, since R.I.S.K. Alert would make the information available to all the appropriate law enforcement agencies. Bob Bandos, is president of Rice, Unruh, Reynolds, Co., a steamship agency established in 1851. "As one of the commercial participants in the project," Bandos said, "I believe R.I.S.K. Alert could also be an effective auditing tool for the Government's Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program."

Founded in 1987 and located in St. Louis, Transentric specializes in solving complex business integration and supply chain management issues. Transentric's software and services provide shipment and inventory visibility by delivering critical real-time information to trading partners. Delivering highly flexible business integration solutions, Transentric makes it simple for organizations to exchange information with one another. Transentric customers include Starbucks; Quaker Oats; Union Pacific Railroad and Delaware River Maritime Enterprise Council (DRMEC). For more information about Transentric products and services, visit www.transentric.com

The Delaware River Maritime Enterprise Council (DRMEC) is a not-for-profit organization funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, United States Department of Defense, United States Maritime Administration and the United States Transportation Security Administration. DRMEC is strategically partnered with government, military and commercial organizations in a working enterprise. This entity, RAPID Enterprise, has created a more efficient and secure freight transportation system for military and commercial shippers. It is designed and managed for DRMEC by The Howland Group Inc., of Trevose, Pennsylvania.