INTTRA and PortIC Celebrate a Year of the INTTRA/PortIC Link

June 25, 2007

INTTRA and PortIC Celebrate a Year of the INTTRA/PortIC Link:Offering Global E-Commerce Services for Forwarders in Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain, June 25, 2007 - For the last year several key freight forwarders, utilizing the Port of Barcelona, have enjoyed streamlined e-commerce services thanks to the link between alliance partners INTTRA and PortIC that went live in March of 2006.

INTTRA enables all shippers and forwarders to reach all carriers, including those that are not members of INTTRA’s connected network.  With 24 of the world’s largest ocean carriers as member carriers, INTTRA initiates more than 200,000 container orders a week and handles over $12 billion worth of ocean freight.

Founded about 10 years ago by members of the Barcelona maritime and shipping community to standardize and make more efficient their way of doing business, PortIC is a subsidiary of the Barcelona Port Community, the Barcelona Port Authority, two savings banks and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce. This EDI and XML-based platform is designed to electronically link every shipping line agent, terminal, container depot, and a vast majority of the transport companies and  freight forwarders working in the Barcelona Port area.  Today the PortIC platform is used on a global level.

Nadal Forwarding s.l., one of Barcelona’s major freight forwarders serving the global shipping industry and long-time proponent of information technology, went live with INTTRA this past January and has been actively sending transactions, including shipping instructions, and using track and trace.

Integrated with the PortIC platform since April 2006, Nadal Forwarding officials saw the opportunity to utilize PortIC as an easy way to reach INTTRA’s carriers so that all bookings and shipping instructions could flow through a single channel, said Ana Maria Amela, a staff member with Nadal’s Export Operations department.  As a result, she says Nadal is sending more than 100 shipping instructions per week thru PortIC and is very satisfied with the INTTRA/PortIC link.

“We are getting faster answers from carriers when we send transactions through the INTTRA/PortIC link.  A reply from them is guaranteed, and when there is an error we know it immediately,” she said.

“Thanks to this service, forwarders connected to PortIC can exchange bookings and shipping instructions directly with the INTTRA carriers without changing their local interfaces.  PortIC does the job for them,” said Bert Cappuyns, Project Manager of the PortIC/INTTRA Link.  “Receipt of any electronic documents is confirmed both by INTTRA and the carrier and PortIC’s Customer Service department is informed automatically if there are any problems.”

He added that shipments included in the documents exchanged through the Inttra/PortIC link can be traced to the port of destination thanks to INTTRA’s automatic event notification system.  Tracking messages are sent to the forwarder via PortIC who adapts the messages to meet the receiving party’s system.

“Right now, two important freight forwarders have gone live with the system, but many more are preparing for integration.  With benefits for everyone - what else can you ask for?” said Cappuyns.

“The success of the link between INTTRA and PortIC is not only assisting forwarders such as Nadal and Aduanas Pujol Rubio, but it is a clear example of how PortIC is providing  Barcelona’s port community easy access to new technologies,” added Nuria Gago, INTTRA’s Iberian Sales Director.

About INTTRA

INTTRA, founded in 2000 and headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., is a leading global provider of e-commerce solutions to ocean carriers and their customers.  INTTRA professionals work with customers to streamline and standardize their shipping processes, applying their e-commerce knowledge of the shipping industry for customers in markets worldwide.

INTTRA’s e-commerce platform offers a comprehensive range of e-commerce tools, including: Tender, Sailing Schedules, Booking, Shipping Instructions, Bill of Lading, Track & Trace, and Reports.  Accessing the INTTRA platform is simple, using any combination of their channel solutions: INTTRA-Link (EDI-based, system-to-system connection), INTTRA-Desktop (off-line PC application), or INTTRA-Act (web-based application).

INTTRA’s carrier network includes, Alianca, ANL, CMA CGM, CSAV, CSAV NORASIA, Deutsche Afrika-Linien, Emirates Shipping Line, FANZL, Hamburg Sud, Hanjin Shipping Co., Hapag-Lloyd, "K" Line, Libra, Maersk Line, MCC Transport Pte Ltd., MISC, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A., NYK Line, Safmarine, Senator Lines, United Arab Shipping Company.  The INTTRA carrier network represents almost 70 percent of the container capacity among the world’s top ocean carriers.

For further information visit www.inttra.com.  Or contact Andy Barrons, INTTRA Vice President of Marketing, at +1.973.263.5100 or email him at: andy.barrons@inttra.com.

About PortIC

Founded about 10 years ago by members of the Barcelona maritime and shipping community to standardize and make more efficient their way of doing business, PortIC is a subsidiary of the Barcelona Port Community, the Barcelona Port Authority, two savings banks and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce. This EDI and XML-based platform is designed to electronically link
every shipping line agent, terminal, container depot, and a vast majority to transport companies and freight forwarders working in the Barcelona Port area.  Today the PortIC platform is used on a global level.

For further information visit www.PortIC.net.  Or contact Bert Cappuyns, PortIC Project Manager, at +34.93.508. 8289 or email him at:  bcappuyns@PortIC.net <mailto:bcappuyns@PortIC.net>.