A typical example using cloud computing in a multimodal transport environment is a cloudbased
Electronic Logistics Marketplace. ELMs are web-based ICT systems that link shippers,
carriers and customers together for spot trading of transport services (known as open ELM) or
for information sharing and long term collaboration (known as closed ELM) (Wang et al.
2007b). The traditional method of communication between shippers and carriers, and between
shippers (consignors) and their customers (consignees) are dyadic in nature and fragmented.
For example, if the customer wants to track down a particular consignment, they would have
to contact the shipper, who would then contact the relevant carrier to get an update. If a
freight forward is involved, the process would be even more complicated. The lack of
visibility and delays in communication often lead to a fire-fighting approach when something
goes wrong.