Heineken has teamed up with IBM and a shipping company to test the use of a global coding standard in simplifying customs clearance for the company's beer exports. The project, called the "Beer Living Lab", will use IBM's software to track cargo container shipments of Heineken beer from Europe to the US using satellite and cellular wireless technology. The companies will also use the coding standard created by EPCglobal to track the beer cartons. The goal is to create paperless documentation through better system interoperability, resulting in faster deliveries and reduced costs for international trade, IBM stated. The project involves international shipping company Safmarine, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (the University of Amsterdam), and customs officials in the Netherlands, the UK and the US. I
