On 24 September 2008, YICT and Shenzhen Yantian Port Group (YPG) signed a memorandum pledging them to cooperate on building a new Port Information Centre. The Yantian Port Information Centre will help increase the port's competitiveness in the global market and, at the same time, provide a better environment for the local logistics industry.

The new information centre will be different from the port's current information network. It will go beyond providing comprehensive information about port operations, to include data regarding bonded logistics park services, trucking, customs clearance, container yards and more. Information about the logistics chain can therefore be more effectively integrated and shared. Moreover, via the Information Centre, the port and customs-supervised areas will be able to realise express customs clearance.

The new centre will be based on Easyport, YICT's Port Community System. It will provide three core services: information services, customs clearance and e-commerce. Using Easyport's secure, easy-to-use and highly efficient platform, users of the new information centre will be able to track the status and movement of their cargo, conduct online customs declaration and clearance, and perform online transactions, thus saving them logistics costs.

Early in 2003, YICT cooperated with port authorities to develop the Easyport system to allow data to be shared between the port, shipping lines, freight forwarders, shipping agencies, customs brokers and joint inspection units. Since then, Yantian Port has made great progress in tracking container movement, paperless gatehouse services, customs clearance pre-declaration and data exchange. Easyport now has an average number of 10,000 visits per day, and a monthly click rate of about 4,000,000.

YICT and YPG will jointly finance the establishment of the Yantian Port Information Centre. Moreover, when conditions permit, the two companies will also establish a joint venture for overseeing the operations of the information centre.

Photo Caption: Mr. YB Wai (left), Port Development Director of YICT, and Mr. Ye Zhongxiao, Assistant General Manager of YPG, exchange the copies of the Memorandum of Cooperation.