Locix and LAPIS Technology Co. to Jointly Develop Wireless LSI-Enabled Cloud Services to Target Key Challenges Faced by Logistics Industry

SAN BRUNO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Locix, a leading Warehouse Spatial Intelligence (WSI) solution provider, today announced a strategic joint agreement with LAPIS Technology Co., Ltd., a ROHM Semiconductor Group subsidiary, to develop and commercialize wireless LSI-enabled cloud services aimed to address critical challenges in the supply chain and logistics industry.

The industry is facing unprecedented levels of demand amid labor shortages, limited logistics real estate, strained transportation systems, and market constraints. According to a survey by Korn Ferry, nearly 100% of respondents from the retail industry said they are having challenges hiring distribution center employees with 40% having “significant challenges” and 57% having “moderate trouble.” Further, a recent report released by Prologis, a global leader in logistics real estate, stated that warehouse space availability has reached 3.9%, an all-time low. To help alleviate these challenges, Locix and LAPIS will collaborate to provide unique WSI solutions, which will improve the overall productivity, efficiency, space, and dock utilization in warehouses.

The joint WSI solutions will initially integrate LAPIS’s Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) and ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification (UHF RFID) LSI with the Locix Cloud. The LPWA-enabled solution will provide a low-cost, reliable, and durable way to send the precise location of trucks en route to warehouses to the Locix Cloud. The truck’s outdoor location data will be integrated with Locix’s indoor (local) positioning system (LPS) and HD vision system to improve loading dock visibility, efficiency, and utilization while enabling new operational analytics.

“We are confident that the combination of our LSI products and Locix’s cloud-based Warehouse Spatial Intelligence solutions will prove to be a simple and cost-effective solution for the modern challenges faced by the industry," said Hiroyuki Fukuyama, Director, LAPIS Technology.

To address urgent market needs that were prompted by the pandemic, LAPIS’s LPWA LSI combined with UHF RFID and LPS system will leverage temperature and location sensor fusion to dial up the efficacy of cold chain monitoring outdoors and indoors, at a lower cost. The solution will improve safety, reduce food waste and lessen pharmaceutical product spoilage – improving overall supply chain resilience.

“Locix has led the industry in the commercialization of spatial intelligence solutions,” said Vik Pavate, CEO of Locix. “We are excited to partner with LAPIS Technology, an experienced wireless industry company, in order to expand Warehouse Spatial Intelligence to include new sensor data. These enhancements to spatial intelligence technology will further improve the productivity and efficiency for our customers."

About Locix

Locix develops cloud-based spatial intelligence solutions for commercial buildings, consumer homes and connected devices – digitizing the physical world. Locix solutions uniquely capture location, visual and sensor data and combine them with advanced data analytics to provide spatial awareness and enable actionable insights for automated decision making. Based in Silicon Valley, Locix is backed by leading venture and strategic investors including ID Ventures, University of Tokyo Edge Capital, Murata Manufacturing, Prologis Ventures, Rohm, Daikin, NTT Docomo Ventures, Sumitomo Corporation of Americas, iRobot Corp., YE Digital, Yaskawa Electric Corporation and Acer Inc.

About LAPIS Technology Co., Ltd.

LAPIS Technology Co., Ltd. is a ROHM Group semiconductor company providing microcontrollers, communication LSIs, video LSIs, display drivers and battery monitoring LSIs. LAPIS Technology was established on October 1, 2020 by splitting off the LSI business from LAPIS Semiconductor Co., Ltd. For more information, please visit the following URL: https://www.lapis-tech.com/en/