NYK’s PEGASUS PROJECT EXPANDS CARRIER’s E-COMMERCE SYSTEM

NYKÆS PEGASUS PROJECT EXPANDS CARRIERÆS E-COMMERCE SYSTEM    NYK Line (North America) Inc. said Monday its “Pegasus project” will greatly expand the ocean carrier's electronic commerce system, enabling customers expanded capabilities to monitor and manage cargo shipments online.
   The carrier said the system has been under development for a year and a half with Cambridge Technology Partners Inc., an application service provider and system integrator.
   The Pegasus system, which already offers shippers online cargo tracing and schedule inquiries, will allow shippers to print bills of lading for North American export cargoes, starting in March, and for Europe and Asia within the second quarter.
   Additional automated online services will become available on NYK's Web site throughout the year, the carrier said. The system will eventually encompass global supply chain management services, including rate inquiries, schedules, booking, cargo tracking, cargo status notification, customized reporting, NYK said.
   NYK said Pegasus is not being set up as a competitor for the industry Internet portals that are vying for carriers as well as shippers. These systems include INTTRA, backed by five major European carriers; and Global Transportation Network, set up by e-commerce firm Tradiant and eight shipping groups. Orient Overseas Container Line has also created an Internet cargo management system called CargoSmart.
   “The open architecture of the new Pegasus system incorporates the most-advanced, object-oriented technology and will allow NYK easy and flexible connectivity with both external and internal systems as well as with other industry portal sites,” NYK said.