RSSOctober 19, 2007, 4:59 PM
FreightDesk Technologies Forms Partnership with Leading Chinese IT Firm to Provide Food Surety and Quality Solutions to China
MCLEAN, Va., Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- FreightDesk Technologies, based in McLean, Virginia, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with The China Center for Information Industry Development-Information Technology (CCIDIT), based in Beijing, China, to establish a neutral and authoritative third-party food safety information hub, named WATCH(TM). The venture will provide essential technologies and services in China to ensure food safety and quality.
"We are looking forward to working with CCIDIT on this extremely crucial, obviously timely effort," said Rob Quartel, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FreightDesk Technologies. "We see enormous opportunity for the WATCH(TM) initiative as the food industry moves to find more effective and efficient means of ensuring food safety and quality throughout the world."
"The Chinese government has the resolve to tackle food safety issues once and for all ... " said Sarah Xu, President and CEO of CCIDIT. "As a leading e-government solutions provider with extensive experience and know-how, CCIDIT is committed to a one-stop shop solution to enhance food safety risk analysis, early warning, emergency response, safety education and many other critical functions."
FreightDesk, which provides solutions to numerous US government clients, is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to pilot a risk assessment system designed to ensure the safety of food imported into the United States. The system assists in assigning inspectors and other FDA resources by identifying higher-risk shipments using an innovative blend of artificial intelligence (using evolutionary rules for pattern discovery), an in-memory rules engine for better performance, open source intelligence and expert rules.
CCIDIT is leading efforts in China to develop a rural distance education technology platform and communication network, as well as a series of e-government programs designed to help Chinese government agencies use information technology more efficiently and effectively.
Through the WATCH(TM) initiative, FreightDesk Technologies and CCIDIT aim to support the improvement of food safety standards and practices in China, an objective of government agencies in both the United States and China. US FDA officials have met with their Chinese counterparts in the last few months to negotiate formal agreements around exchanging information and collaborating in this area. WATCH(TM) will be introducing to China technologies and services needed for Chinese regulators and industry to improve and monitor food safety.
The China Center for Information Industry Development-Information Technology (CCIDIT) is a direct affiliate of the China Center for Information Industry Development, also known as CCID Group, a leading Beijing, China-based provider of industry research and information technology solutions and the commercial arm of China's Ministry of Information Industry (MII). For more information about the CCID Group, please visit the web at: www.ccidgroup.com.
FreightDesk Technologies provides software solutions to industry and government for controlling domestic and international logistics data, securing end-to-end processes, and analyzing risks for cargo moving by all modes of transport. The company works with policymakers and regulators on issues of transportation security, risk assessment, and product safety. Major clients include the U.S. Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Treasury and the TSA and FDA. FreightDesk also provides the information technology platform for managing the entry and movement of trucks at ports in the Middle East through its Amman, Jordan-based affiliate, NAFITH. For more information about FreightDesk Technologies, please visit the web at: www.freightdesk.com.