VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 8, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IATA World Cargo Symposium -- Descartes Systems Group (TSX:DSG) (Nasdaq:DSGX), a federated global network logistics solutions provider, announced that it has successfully filed its first Import Control System (ICS) test messages with European Commission's Taxation and Customs Union ("EU Customs Union") as part of its GLN Customs Filing and Compliance services.
In an effort to address the security and automation of trade shipments, the EU Customs Union is introducing customs compliance regulations to standardize and automate its customs filings process. European Union (EU) member states and the community have come together to form the electronic customs multiannual strategic plan (MASP). The goal of this plan is to provide the vision, objectives, strategic framework and milestones towards a paperless environment for customs and trade. The EU Customs Union Security Filing program is scheduled to go live on January 1, 2011 in all 27 member states of the EU. Descartes submitted its first ICS test message to the customs authority in Belgium.
"Today, we help our customers manage customs filings for existing regulations in a variety of countries around the world to ensure compliance and to help keep efficient shipment processes," said Jonathan Wasserman, Senior Vice President, Global Trade Compliance Solutions at Descartes. "With that experience, we look forward to having our customers ready for the EU mandate when the time comes. Our Global Filer solution is designed to enable organizations to streamline the customs filing process across the EU member states as well as other countries around the world. Logistics professionals have begun their planning and have begun working closely with Descartes' sales, IT and professional services teams to prepare for this important new set of regulations."
Descartes' Global Filer and Customs Filing and Compliance services are a part of Descartes' Global Logistics Network (GLN). The GLN helps automate, manage and streamline the end-to-end shipment process, from source to consumer, with ongoing real-time visibility. Descartes' customs filing and compliance services help companies meet regulatory requirements for international shipments for both international customs agencies and security initiatives.
For more information about Descartes' solutions for global customs filings, and how to be prepared for the upcoming EU regulations, visit Descartes' representatives at the IATA World Cargo Symposium at the Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel, Vancouver BC from March 8-11, 2010 at booths 44 & 45. Also, hear industry experts from Descartes share their insight during the conference in sessions on the Quality-Cargo 2000 and Customs tracks. For a detailed agenda follow the links at http://www.iata.org/wcs2010. Or sign up to be continuously updated at http://www.descartes.com/eubeready.
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 application networks. 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, Washington D.C., Derby, London, Silver Spring, Stockholm, Suzhou, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Toronto. For more information, visit www.descartes.com.
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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; Descartes' Global Filer initiative; 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.