Heineken to track shipping containers via GPS
We're not exactly sure why Heineken needs GPS to monitor the location of its beer shipments, but they probably know more about global shipping logistics than we do. According to RFID Journal, starting this month, the Dutch beer giant will begin the first test of its "Living Beer Plan," tracking 10 shipping containers of beer from Heineken headquarters in The Netherlands to the United Kingdom and the United States. Customs data, such as whether or not the containers' doors have been opened, will be available online to British and American customs officials, (as well as the researchers monitoring the project at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) even before the cargo ships reach UK and American ports. Heineken claims it will save on the 30-odd pages worth of printed customs forms and other documents by using GPS and online tracking instead. Surely with the money saved on not printing up documents, Heineken wouldn't mind sending its friends at Engadget a free case of brew? Pretty please?
[Via Brandish]
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