Descartes Provides One-Stop Shopping for Neptune Shipping


LONG BEACH, Calif., March 1, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Annual Trans-Pacific Maritime Conference Descartes Systems Group (TSX:DSG) (Nasdaq:DSGX), a federated global network logistics solutions provider, announced that Neptune Shipping, an international non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC), is using a series of services from Descartes to help it comply with ocean regulatory requirements and deliver enhanced cargo services to its customers.  

Neptune is using Descartes' Ocean Compliance services, Descartes' Ocean AMS services and Descartes' Bond services to simplify and expedite the shipment management process. These services help companies, like Neptune, comply with complex United States Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) rules while keeping up with their daily tariff filings. In addition, Descartes' Bonds services help Neptune comply with its financial security responsibilities automating and streamlining the shipment process.

The services being used by Neptune Shipping include:

  • Descartes Ocean Compliance helps ocean carriers comply with the FMC requirement to publicly publish open rates. This service helps simplify the tariff and contract publishing processes and also helps manage the rate information for cargo that moves according to the terms of a privately-negotiated service contract or a common carrier tariff.
     
  • Descartes Ocean AMS is a unified customs filing solution for NVOCCs and Vessel Operating Common Carriers (VOCCs).  This service helps customers comply with United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Ocean advanced manifest system (AMS) regulations and procedures, including the Trade Act 2002 and subsequent regulations. Descartes is certified and approved as an Ocean AMS Service Center by CBP. The internet-based service allows organizations to securely transmit Ocean AMS filing data between in-house systems and CBP via an encrypted virtual private network connection.
     
  • Descartes Bond services which help NVOCCs, like Neptune, post the financial security required by the FMC and CBP for ocean shipments into and out of the U.S. For example, CBP requires that NVOCCs post a code 3 bond before they can begin sending electronic manifest information to the AMS system.

Descartes Ocean Compliance, Descartes Ocean AMS and Descartes Bond services are a part of the Descartes Global Logistics Network™ (GLN), which enables the world's leading transportation providers to meet regulatory requirements, connect to their trading partners and reliably exchange information to drive delivery performance and high levels of customer satisfaction. The Descartes GLN helps companies better manage their logistics shipment management process, track inventory, meet regulatory requirements, optimize fleet performance, and effectively communicate with their logistics partners.

"Being able to work with a single supplier to manage our customs filings, our rate and tariff filings as well as our bond and sureties requirements, allows us to focus on our customers," said Alex Xu, President of Neptune Shipping. "Descartes' provides value-added services along with experienced professionals that help guide us through our regulatory requirements."

"By offering additional value-add services such as rate management, customs filing and bond services, Descartes helps Neptune navigate the regulatory waters of today's supply chain while automating its shipment management process and providing better services to its customers," said Chuck Yang, Manager, Ocean Compliance at Descartes.

For more information about Descartes' global logistics management solutions for ocean freight and federated logistics platform meet with Descartes industry experts at the 10th Annual Trans-Pacific Maritime Conference at the Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, California from March 1-2, 2010.

About Neptune Shipping Limited d/b/a Novalink Logistics

Neptune Shipping Limited is an international NVOCC licensed by the FMC as an OTI and approved by China Ministry of Communications (MOC) Class "A" license forwarding company.    Neptune is able to undertake international forwarding agency of sea freight and air freight for import & export cargo, international exhibition, personal belongings, including undertaking to ship, space booking, storage, transiting, stuffing and undoing the container, settling freight, customs declaration, examination, insurance and related to short-distance transportation and consulting business. Our employees are with high creativity, flexibility, and customer service skills. They have the technology and expertise to solve logistics challenges and move products from origin to destination, anywhere in the world, door to door. For more information, visit www.neptuneshipping.com.

About Descartes

Descartes (TSX:DSG) (Nasdaq:DSGX), is making the world a better place by enabling global organizations with logistics-intensive businesses to save money by improving the productivity and performance of their operations. Underlying Descartes' offerings is the Descartes Global Logistics Network (GLN), one of the world's most extensive multi-modal business applications network. As a federated platform, the Descartes GLN combines with component-based 'nano' sized applications to provide messaging services between logistics trading partners, shipment management services to help manage third party carriers and private fleet management services for organizations of all sizes. Descartes' solutions and services deliver results by enabling organizations around the world to reduce administrative costs, billing cycles, fleet size, contract carrier costs, and mileage driven; improve pickup and delivery reliability; and optimize working capital through fleet visibility. Descartes' hosted, transactional and packaged solutions deliver repeatable, measurable results and fast time-to-value. Descartes customers include an estimated 1,600 ground carriers and more than 90 airlines, 30 ocean carriers, 900 freight forwarders and third-party providers of logistics services, and hundreds of manufacturers, retailers, distributors, private fleet owners and regulatory agencies. The company has more than 400 employees and is based in Waterloo, Ontario, with operations in Atlanta, Copenhagen, Heverlee, Pittsburgh, Ottawa, Montreal, Miami, Minneapolis, Washington DC, Derby, London, Silver Spring, Stockholm, Suzhou, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Toronto. For more information, visit www.descartes.com.

The Descartes Systems Group logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=4065

This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements") that relate to Descartes' solution offering and potential benefits derived therefrom; and other matters. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, "Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results" in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.



            

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