IBM's InfoSphere Traceability Server now features business intelligence (BI) capabilities from Cognos 8 BI, including the ability to create dashboards and reports updated in real time, says Christian Clauss, IBM's director for sensor network solutions.

With Infosphere companies can track items in their supply chain using radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and bar codes. The update also includes a trading partner console that makes it easier for a company to add suppliers, says Clauss.

Matiq, the IT subsidiary of Norwegian food supplier Nortura, has been working with IBM to use InfoSphere's RFID technology to track food supplies in that country. The new version allows authorities to make food recalls, like the recent recall of tomatoes in the U.S. following a salmonella scare, much narrower, says Matiq CEO Are Bergquist.