Defense suppliers who are I-GUIDES customers get free software upgrades; New customers get easy-to-implement introductory offers

08:22 GMT, September 8, 2010 ORLANDO, Fla. | Savi Technology, a Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) company, today announced I-GUIDES 4, which enables suppliers to comply with new data formats required by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) in its IUID policy mandating that key items be marked with a unique identification code. Suppliers who don't update their solutions will be unable to communicate with the DoD IUID Registry after Dec. 31, resulting in non-compliance with contract requirements.

I-GUIDES (Integrated Global UID Enterprise Solution) already ranks as the most widely used IUID solution that includes customers from 30 of the top defense suppliers, including Savi Technology's parent company, Lockheed Martin. I-GUIDES customers who upgrade before 2011 will receive the software updates for free, provided their maintenance contracts are current, and new customers can receive quick, easy and cost-competitive ways to meet the IUID mandate. I-GUIDES 4 was announced here today at the opening of the DoD's annual UID Forum.

"I-GUIDES is the only integrated IUID solution that can start simple and scale up to support an entire enterprise," said Brian Quinn, Savi Technology's I-GUIDES application manager who invented the solution. "I-GUIDES has a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) than competing solutions because it is the only mature, full-featured web-based enterprise solution for IUID."

Quinn emphasized that I-GUIDES 4 customers "can rest assured that their assets will be properly fingerprinted and stay in compliance with the IUID Registry going into 2011." "I-GUIDES 4 also comes with enhanced features that make it easier for customers to collaborate more closely with the DoD, whether the asset is in inventory, operational use or maintenance processes."

Click here to listen to Brian Quinn discuss how I-GUIDES simplifies compliance with the IUID policy.

Mandated by the DoD since 2004, the IUID 2011 policy changes the data format for identification codes and enables suppliers to query the Registry, which provides greater enterprise-wide visibility and communication. The policy requires a unique two-dimensional (2D) data matrix bar code on assets costing more than $5,000, considered mission critical or requiring maintenance and repair.

I-GUIDES is a web-based software solution that can be purchased through a license or subscription. It provides a centralized data repository and supports a full range of data inputs to generate unique 2-D barcodes that help defense forces and their suppliers uniquely mark assets and comply with the DoD UID policy.

When incorporated with Savi SmartChain, I-GUIDES users can go beyond DoD policy requirements and gain better control over the end-to-end visibility and management of their items, supply chain assets and inventory.