The Container Owners Association has published an open standard Reefer Data Classification Scheme, supported by an open source Unified Data Model (UDM), permitting interoperability of telematics device data from the industry’s leading container refrigeration machinery manufacturers.

Developed by the COA’s Reefer Telematics Working Group – a collaboration of industry Reefer Equipment Manufacturers and Telematics Providers – the purpose of this Data Model is to enable the exchange of information on refrigerated containers in a uniform way, independent of the model and manufacturer.

The key objective of the UDM is to remove barriers to interoperability within the industry and make it easier for data consumers to build value-added services for their container operations. This is relevant as it is estimated around 70% of all data integration activities today are spent validating, structuring, organizing and cleaning data, a cumbersome burden that the Unified Data Model eliminates for the data consumers.

Commenting on the publication of the Reefer Telematics UDM, the COA states: “By using the standard data model provided in this document, shipping lines – and other reefer container operators – who have mixed fleets of different reefer machinery will benefit from the convenience of accessing relevant data, without the complexity of accessing them with different formats and means.”

To download a copy of the UDM, click HERE