News Release:  November 17, 2011

Contact: Allen Thomas, +1 858 571 4444

Email:  allen@aps-technology.com

APS Technology Recognized for Environmental Impact as Finalist in Supply Chain Distinction Awards

APS shortlisted for “Green Supply Chain” category from the World Trade Group Supply Chain Distinction Award

San Diego, CA – APS Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of optical character recognition (OCR) and automation technology solutions for marine and intermodal container terminals, announced it has been named a finalist for the World Trade Group 2011 Supply Chain Distinction Award in the “Green Supply Chain” category. APS is being recognized for demonstrating unparalleled performance in environmental supply chain planning and execution.

APS’ OCR solutions for container terminals have proven to significantly reduce emissions from idling trucks by automating processes and increasing throughput. In one study, truck processing time was cut in half, which resulted in a 48% reduction in emissions from truck idling.  This example was studied and verified by AECOM.

• CO₂ emissions from truck idling were reduced by 53%
• NO_x were reduced by 50%
• PM was reduced by 51%

Truck entries and exits are streamlined with the APS gate solution, and the need for a truck to stop and have human intervention is eliminated. The gate is transformed into a free flowing process. In addition to the emissions reduction, there is significant fuel savings, personnel are removed from dangerous areas and data is more accurate.

The World Trade Group organizes the Supply Chain Distinction Awards, and the competition recognizes outstanding achievement in supply chain excellence. The winners will be announced on December 6^th at the Supply Chain Distinction Awards North America ceremony, which is held in conjunction with the Supply Chain & Logistics North American 2011 global conference in Dallas, TX, December 5-7, 2011. To learn more, visit http://supplychainawardsna.com/.

About APS Technology Group

APS Technology Group is a leading provider of OCR and automation technology solutions for marine and intermodal terminals.  The solutions improve the productivity, efficiency and cost effectiveness of container operations by increasing the visibility, velocity, and volume of cargo moving through a terminal’s gate, rail, vessel and yard operations.

APS leads the industry with over 700 OCR and automation systems installed at 43 marine and intermodal container terminals in 14 countries around the world, including APM Terminals, CSX Railroad, DP World and HHLA.  The company is located in San Diego, CA and has offices or partner resellers in North America, South America, Asia and Europe. For more information, call +1 858.571.4444 or visit http://www.aps-technology.com.

This fast-paced interview-style session offers attendees the chance to hear from, and quiz, some of the major suppliers of business process automation, automated handling systems, application software, and advanced equipment technologies for marine and intermodal container terminals. Get the latest views on where terminal technology is headed, plus practical advice on today’s complex project implementation environment.

Click here for more information on the entire forum.

Are Alliances the Holy Grail in better functioning and more cohesive port soft- and hard-ware? Apparently so, if manufacturers and developers are to be believed. Promising an extended network, optimised offerings and cost savings, these partnerships offer a link between what might otherwise be competing manufacturers and flighty customers: out is the go-it-alone approach; in are MoUs, alliances and partnerships in many guises.

Click here to view the whole article.

Santos Brasil SA Terminal is to deploy APS Technology process automation solutions delivered through the Navis Star Technology Alliance. Santos will use APS’s Quay Crane OCR and Matchmaker systems to identify containers underneath the quay cranes and match them to terminal trucks during the discharge cycle. and for vessel loading, APS’s Sure Stow will verify the container number and the actual slot on the vessel where the container is to be placed.

APS’s quay crane OCR system is sold through the Star Technology Alliance as Navis Marine Telematics Automated Vessel Load and Discharge. Navis will integrate the APS products with the terminal’s TOS, which is SPARCS 3.7.

“We chose the Navis Star Technology Alliance solution because it provides a proven, fully-tested, fully-integrated solution, allowing us to seamlessly increase efficiencies and in turn deliver a significant return on our investment,” said Washington Flores, terminal manager at Santos Brasil. According to Navis, the systems will provide a projected US$1.5M annual return on investment.

View the article here .

News Releas:  October 20, 2011

Contact: Allen Thomas, +1 858 571 4444

Email:  allen@aps-technology.com

Port of Houston Authority Expands Gate Automation with APS Technology

Gate OCR installation in 2010 enabled PHA to process trucks twice as fast and reduced truck idling time by 48%

San Diego, CA – APS Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of optical character recognition (OCR) and automation technology solutions for marine and intermodal container terminals, announced the Port of Houston Authority (PHA) will implement the APS Gate OCR Portal to automate equipment identification, traffic processing and damage inspection imaging at the newly constructed entry gate complex of its Bayport container terminal in Houston.  One of the largest ports in the world, The Port of Houston handles 69.6 percent of the containerized cargo market in the U.S. Gulf, and 95.5 percent of the containers moved through Texas seaports. 

Expanding on the six existing lanes of Gate OCR installed at Bayport in 2010, PHA will add six additional portals to process entering trucks.  The system automatically identifies containers, chassis, and license plates associated with the equipment.  The APS Gate OCR solution will be integrated with the Navis N4 gate system to enable the automatic gate processing functions without human interaction.  Since implementing APS at the six existing lanes in 2010, PHA has transformed the gate into a free-flowing process – processing takes about half the time it did prior to gate automation. No queuing led to a 48% reduction in truck idling, dramatically reducing emissions.

PHA faces a special challenge in that a high percentage of the trailers that carry containers through the terminal are not marked with an ISO standard stencil. APS will provide 2D optical tags for identification and its patented MatchMaker™ tractor identification solution to automatically associate containers to the trailer or other container transport vehicles.

“We’re excited to extend our partnership with The Port of Houston as they continue to modernize their operations,” said Allen Thomas, APS Technology COO.  “This is just another example of The Port of Houston Authority’s progressive leadership in embracing programs that improve productivity and efficiency while also lowering the environmental impact on the local community.”

About APS Technology Group

APS Technology Group is a leading provider of OCR and automation technology solutions for marine and intermodal terminals.  The solutions improve the productivity, efficiency and cost effectiveness of container operations by increasing the visibility, velocity, and volume of cargo moving through a terminal’s gate, rail, vessel and yard operations.

APS leads the industry with over 700 OCR and automation systems installed at 43 marine and intermodal container terminals in 14 countries around the world, including APM Terminals, CSX Railroad, DP World and HHLA.  The company is located in San Diego, CA and has offices or partner resellers in North America, South America, Asia and Europe. For more information, call +1 858.571.4444 or visit http://www.aps-technology.com.

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News Release:  September 21, 2011

Contact: Clay Kent, +51.951.751.269

Email:  info@aps-technology.com

MultiRio Chooses APS Technology for Crane Automation at Container Terminal

Process automation and OCR will reduce operating costs and improve visibility into operations and safety

San Diego, CA – APS Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of optical character recognition (OCR) and process automation technology solutions for marine and intermodal container terminals, announced the award of a crane automation solution project for the MultiRio container terminal in Rio de Janeiro.  MultiRio is owned by the Multiterminais Group, one of the largest marine terminal and dry port operators in Brazil. MultiRio chose the APS Crane Automation Solution to support a major expansion at the terminal. The APS Crane Solutions will automatically identify containers loaded and discharged by the STS cranes to improve data accuracy, efficiency, and safety while reducing operating costs.

The MultiRio container terminal covers 185,000 square meters and handles more than 45 containers per hour. The company is embarking on a major expansion and updating technology is a key to the process. APS will implement the Crane Automation Solutions along with its local maintenance and support partner, Deskline Technology Solutions. The solutions will be fully integrated with Navis SPARCS. The solutions being installed include:

• Crane OCR – automates identification of containers during the load/discharge process.
• MatchMaker – to automatically associate containers to terminal-owned trucks during handoff, allowing for work assignment and confirmation without manual intervention.
• SureStow – to automatically verify the final load position of containers onboard the vessel.  SureStow compares the planned load events to the actual placement and notes any deviation from the plan.
• X-Clerk Exception Handling System to enable remote resolution of OCR misreads, stowage exceptions and MatchMaker errors.

“We pride ourselves in being a technology leader, and we choose our partners accordingly. APS provides the right mix of product capabilities with proven integration.  We expect the return on Investment (ROI) for this project to be two years or less,” said Antonio Rodrigues, IT Director for MultiRio.

About Multiterminais

Multiterminais, an integrated logistics company, was founded in 1986 and began operating the first Customs Bonded Dockside Terminal in Brazil in an area contiguous to the Port of Rio de Janeiro.  Today, Multiterminais is among the largest marine terminal and dry port operators in Brazil and a leader in providing integrated logistics solutions to support Brazilian foreign trade. For more information, visit multiterminais.com.br.

About APS Technology Group

APS Technology Group is a leading provider of OCR and automation technology solutions for marine and intermodal terminals.  The solutions improve the productivity, efficiency and cost effectiveness of container operations by increasing the visibility, velocity, and volume of cargo moving through a terminal’s gate, rail, vessel and yard operations.

APS leads the industry with over 700 OCR and automation systems installed at 43 marine and intermodal container terminals in 14 countries around the world, including APM Terminals, CSX Railroad, and DP World.  The company is located in San Diego, CA and has offices or partner resellers in North America, South America, Asia and Europe. For more information, call +1 858.571.4444 or visit http://www.aps-technology.com.

 Tecon Suape SA (TSSA) partnered with APS to implement systems on gate automation, quay crane optical character recognition (OCR) and yard tractor identification for the SCT.

 For more information, click here

Solution provided by Navis Star Technology Alliance will allow Santos to improve vessel operations and provide projected $1.5 million annual return on investment

Oakland, CA — September 1, 2011 — Navis, a part of Cargotec Corporation and the global technology standard for managing the movement of cargo through terminals, today announced Santos Brasil S.A. Terminal (Santos) in Santos, Brazil will deploy Quay Crane optical character recognition (OCR) solution provided by the Navis STAR Technology Alliance. The Navis STAR Technology Alliance brings together Navis’ terminal operating system (TOS) solutions with best-of-breed technology vendors (partnering with APS Technology Group for OCR) to offer complete solutions for terminal operating customers. The solution will allow Santos Brasil to increase vessel loading and discharge productivity and accuracy on vessel´s stow.

“We chose the Navis Star Technology Alliance solution because it provides a proven, fully-tested, fully-integrated solution, allowing us to seamlessly increase efficiencies and in turn deliver a significant return on our investment,” said Washington Flores, terminal manager at Santos Brasil. “We are confident that the Navis solution will meet our needs because of Navis’ proven track record with customers around the world.”

The system couples the Navis SPARCS 3.7 terminal operating system (TOS) and the Navis Marine Telematics Automated Vessel Load and Discharge with Quay Crane OCR and MatchMaker™ from APS Technology to automatically capture information as containers are loaded and discharged from vessels. Cameras read the container information and, using MatchMaker, automate container handoff to terminal trucks. Through the interface with SPARCS, the data is automatically processed within the TOS. SureStow™ from APS then tracks the container load positions back to the vessel.

“The Navis Star Technology Alliance will provide a turn-key process automated solution for Santos Brazil,” said Bill Walsh, president and CEO of Navis, LLC. “It is exciting to be an integral part of key automated terminal process implementations as terminals worldwide are looking at the latest technology advancements to improve their efficiencies and reduce costs. We look forward to developing our relationship with Santos as they realize the benefits of automating container information reporting and vessel operations.”

About Navis, LLC
Navis, a part of Cargotec Corporation, is the global technology standard for managing the movement of cargo through terminals, standing the test of time. Navis combines industry best practices with innovative technology and world-class services to enable our customers to maximize performance and reduce risk. Whether tracking cargo through a port, automating equipment operations, or managing multiple terminals through an integrated, centralized solution, Navis provides a holistic approach to operational optimization, providing customers with improved visibility, velocity and measurable business results. www.navis.com.

About Cargotec Corporation
Cargotec improves the efficiency of cargo flows on land and at sea – wherever cargo is on the move. Cargotec’s daughter brands, Hiab, Kalmar and MacGregor are recognized leaders in cargo and load handling solutions around the world. Cargotec’s global network is positioned close to customers and offers extensive services that ensure the continuous, reliable and sustainable performance of equipment. Cargotec’s sales totaled EUR 2.6 billion in 2010 and it employs approximately 10,000 people. Cargotec’s class B shares are quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki under symbol CGCBV. www.cargotec.com.

TOC Americas

November 15-17, 2011

El Panama House, Panama City, Panama

Presenter: Allen Thomas, COO, participating in PEMA Live Technology Forum

Visit us in booth B-12

Lloyd’s Maritime Academy – Terminal Automation Seminar

September 15-16, 2011

Bonhill House, London, UK

Seminar speaker: Allen Thomas, COO

Terminal Automation Seminar -  exploring industry trends, new technology and positioning for recovery