Founded by forwarding industry vet Brian Glick, Chain.io says it will provide a system-to-system connectivity hub with a specific focus on last-mile integrations.
A new supply chain connectivity provider said Monday is has released the beta version of its platform.
The company, Chain.io, said its platform is a “cloud-native supply chain integration and intelligence service that helps shippers, logistics service providers and logistics software providers share data more efficiently and dramatically reduces the cost of connectivity.”
The company was founded by Brian Glick, a freight forwarding veteran who spent time with OHL and Vandergrift.
The platform uses open application programming interfaces (APIs), a collaborative data model, and a pay-per-use pricing structure. The company said its goal is to replace one-to-one software integration with a one-time connection to the platform, allowing users to be instantly connected to other partners in the supply chain.
“Connectivity began with a bi-directional, costly, EDI integration between only two trading partners,” Glick said. “Each new partner came with the same costly, bi-directional connectivity. Today, we reduce the development time and expense by allowing a company to create a single connection to Chain.io. From here, any other company can do the same, allowing for a nexus of interconnected parties as the platform continues to grow and add users.”
A number of system-to-system logistics integration hubs have developed in the last two years promoting the benefits of APIs and real-time connectivity. As supply chains become more and more dependent on real-time information flows between partners, technology providers have been trying to make the industry understand that EDI isn’t always a suitable information exchange format.
APIs are gradually taking root in certain modes, particularly in less-than-truckload and truckload.
Chain.io’s website says the company specializes in last mile connectivity, but its services include a range of consulting, implementation and integrations solutions.
Along with Glick, Chain.io’s roster boasts Claus Jensen, a former senior vice president at the freight forwarding software maker WiseTech Global, which was previously CargoWise.
New supply chain connectivity provider emerges
