Verayo RFID Puf Authentication

Verayo uses challenge techniques to validate signature of chips, which will be used to enable object authenticity. ...

... "Then you put the chip into a radio identification tag (RFID) that can be attached to a retail product as if it were a bar code. When someone buys that product, a reader at the cash register will read the serial number on the tag. " ...

Via VentureBeat: Verayo technology adresses counterfeiting

Walmart RFID Interoperability

For Walmart to realize the full benefits of RFID, it needs to support interoperability in RFID technology, so that suppliers can leverage their investments across their supply chains. Walmart needs to create a win-win situation to drive adoption. ...

... "It's in the interest of small suppliers that need the competitive pricing that interoperable RFID systems will allow. " ...

Via Computerworld: WalMart RFID Challenges

RFID Inlay Tracking Packed Meat

Avery Dennison RFID will supply AD-222 inlays to the METRO Group for meat tracking pilot program at the Future Store in Toenisvorst, Germany. ...

... "The AD-222 inlay will be used to tag the foam meat packing trays used in METRO's real, Future Store. The meat tagging application will help METRO better manage the flow of its perishable products, cut down on cost and save time on restocking.

The European Avery Dennison RFID team worked to develop a solution, including a feasibility study and the tag design. The RFID tags will be applied to the foam meat packing tray and one of the particular challenges was to meet safety requirements for labeling food. Avery Dennison RFID worked together with Fasson Roll Materials Europe, a division of Avery Dennison, to provide S-2000N food contact compliant adhesive. The RFID tags are readable when stacked in the freezer and meet METRO Group's food labeling safety requirements. " ...

Via Avery Dennison RFID: RFID Inlay Utilized in Meat Tagging Application for Metro Group

IEEE Radio Frequency Identification Conference

IEEE conference on RFID is coming up later this month. The IEEE International Conference on RFID 2007 is first in a series of annual conferences, that will address technical and policy challenges in the areas of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. ...

... "The first IEEE International Conference on RFID (IEEE RFID 2007) will feature technical papers and panel discussions by leading RFID academic and industrial researchers from around the world. The conference, 27-28 March at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas, is being held in conjunction with RFID World, the premier RFID exhibition event. " ...

IEEE Radio Frequency Identification Conference

RFID Data Management ...

Busines Objects enables the data management challenge of RFID ...

... "The RFID system collects information on the truck, project and weight for each load via RFID tag readers throughout its plants. " ...

RFID Data Management: Via SciTech Today: Managing Mountains of RFID Data ...

RFID Multiple Authentication Factor ...

Encentuate offers multiple methods of authentication through identity form factors such as RFID tags, smart cards, and USB tokens ...

... "Each organization is different, and each situation provides a unique access security challenge, said Peng T. Ong, founder and chairman of Encentuate. What sets Encentuate TCI apart from other solutions is our ability to seamlessly integrate with a number of authentication technologies, from RFID to USB tokens. As a result, we can eliminate an organization’s dependence on weak passwords and ensure secure access to computer systems using a variety of authentication factors. The authentication opportunities are practically limitless and we work with each organization to determine the solution, which is most effective for their requirements. Encentuate TCI’s ability to integrate with a variety of authentication factors provides enterprises a seamless path to strong digital identity without introducing additional complexity, cost or overwhelming deployments.

Encentuate TCI gives organizations a choice of authentication solutions, each of which greatly improves security. With a simple swipe of an RFID badge or a fingerprint scan organizations can strengthen access to computer systems while allowing the staff to quickly access the information they need to be productive on their jobs. " ...

RFID Multiple Authentication Factor: Via Encentuate: Encentuate TCI Delivers Multiple Authentication Factor Support: Company's technology integrates with a variety of multi-function authentication solutions, including RFID, biometrics and USB tokens ...

RFID TAP Device: Reva

Reva's RFID TAP device addresses the challenge of RFID infrastructure deployment. Reva TAP improves the tag-read performance of a multiple reader facility and allows for management of readers in a flexible virtual location capability. The TAP device supports RFID data interfaces, such as ALE, JMS, SQL, and SAP-AII. Finally, management of the Reva TAP infrastructure supports fault-tolerance, remote monitoring, and a friendly user configuration interface.

RFID TAP Device: Reva: Via Reva Systems: Reva Systems Unveils RFID Tag Acquisition Processor: Network‐Intelligent Device Designed for Plug-and-Play Facility-based RFID Rollouts ...

... "Reva Systems, an emerging company focused on delivering network-intelligent products for radio frequency identification (RFID) installations, today announced the availability of its Tag Acquisition Processor (TAP). The TAP is a rack-mountable, standards-based device that manages facility-wide RFID readers as one cohesive unit, delivering superior, cost-effective system-level performance to support RFID adoption across a wide range of vertical markets. Today's announcement marks an important milestone in Reva's vision for the Tag Acquisition Network (TAN) - a scalable, facility-based architecture for RFID that leverages industry-standard tags, readers, and protocols. The introduction of a Reva TAP to a customer's facility transforms a collection of autonomous readers into a reliable and scalable TAN. The TAP creates an RFID infrastructure layer which logically resides above the reader layer and represents an extension of the existing enterprise network. The TAP ensures predictable operation of an RFID-enabled facility, optimal usage of available RF spectrum, seamless data integration with enterprise applications, and includes a powerful management console for configuration, commissioning, and monitoring of RFID systems. Reva's Tag Acquisition Network architecture and Tag Acquisition Processor directly address the performance requirements and infrastructure investment needed to successfully deploy RFID. ... The Tag Acquisition Processor and Reva Management Console, which are available and shipping now, are currently deployed in retail and manufacturing environments. Base unit pricing starts at $9,995 USD list, with customer-specific configurations quoted upon request. " ...

Reva Systems develops network-intelligent products for the emerging radio frequency identification (RFID) market. Eliminating the proprietary design and scalability problems of first-generation RFID solutions, Reva's Tag Acquisition Network (TAN) architecture and Tag Acquisition Processor (TAP) use proven networking concepts to enable more scalable, repeatable, and reliable enterprise-wide RFID reader deployments. Founded in 2004, and headquartered in Chelmsford, Mass., Reva is backed by Charles River Ventures and North Bridge Venture Partners.

RFID Business Data Webcast

RFID Business Data Webcast: Recorded Webcast: Turn RFID Data into Business Decisions by Leveraging ALE ...

Progress offers webcast and thought leadership on the event-based management of RFID business data ...

... "RFID WebCast: We teamed up with ConnecTerra and presented the webcast, Turn RFID Data into Business Decisions by Leveraging ALE. " ...

Progress® Event Engine™ is a sophisticated data management infrastructure for organization and management of event stream data. Event Engine delivers extraordinary performance in support of a wide range of event stream processing (ESP) applications that include "tick data" trading applications in financial services and RFID applications in supply chain, retail, and manufacturing environments.

In Progress® for RFID: An Architectural Overview and Use Case Review Whitepaper, John B. Trigg writes ...

... "we must look at how the continuous stream of RFID related EVENTS can provide meaningful insight, both real-time and historically, into performance, trends and exceptions. ... This paper proposes an evolution in the thinking and processing of business transactions to match this new challenge in the management of RFID data. Providing an ability to look at EVENTS both as discrete occurrences and as related bodies can trigger new means of managing the data generated from RFID readers. This is known as Complex Event Processing. " ...

Tag: RFID

USMarines Mobile RFID Infrastructure ...

USMarines Mobile RFID Infrastructure: SAVI TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYS NEW MOBILE RFID INFRASTRUCTURE KIT FOR REAL-TIME VISIBILITY OF MILITARY SUPPLIES TO THE LAST MILE: NEW PORTABLE DEPLOYMENT KIT ORDERED BY U.S. MARINES HELPS GET RIGHT SUPPLIES TO THE WARFIGHTER AT THE RIGHT TIME ANYWHERE ...

USMarines will leverage Savi RFID technology to establish a mobile infrastructure in the area of military operations ...

... "Savi Technology, Inc., a leading provider of RFID supply chain solutions, today announced the release of a new compact, highly mobile RFID solution that directly supports the war fighter deployed in the Area of Operations, such as Iraq and Afghanistan . Called the Portable Deployment Kit (PDK), the full solution-in-a-case enables for the first time military logisticians to leverage RFID to track critical military supplies in near real-time into the last tactical mile of operations. The PDK is a self-contained carrying case that delivers a full mobile RFID solution that addresses the long-time military challenge of supply chain visibility directly into the Area of Operations, referred to as the last tactical mile, where there is no RFID fixed reader infrastructure. The United States Marine Corps Systems Command is the first customer and has placed an initial order for 100 units to be deployed in Southwest Asia . " ...

With over 15 years experience, Savi is a proven leader in RFID solutions for the management and security of supply chain assets, shipments and consignments. Savi's integrated RFID hardware and software solutions drive business value, such as reducing supply chain assets, inventory and operational costs. The company tailors its solutions to the defense, commercial supply chain asset management and global supply chain visibility and security markets. Savi's solutions meet the supply chain needs of defense and government organizations, global shippers, manufacturers, retailers, and suppliers as well as service providers such as terminal operators, asset owners and third-party logistics providers. Founded in 1989, Savi Technology is privately held, with headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif., and offices in Johannesburg, London, Melbourne, Singapore, and Washington D.C.

Tag: RFID

Partnership Drives RFID Data Integrity ...

RFID Data Integrity: Inovis and Kewill Partner to Deliver Global Data Synchronization Across Europe

... "With large retailers driving advanced initiatives like RFID and Vendor Managed Inventory, which rely on data integrity to deliver the business benefit, the issue of data accuracy and accessibility has become paramount. Furthermore, the retail industry is becoming more global, which has led to the formation of a variety of data standards, means of communication and synchronization requirements, making it increasingly complex to ensure data accuracy. " ...

Inovis is a leading provider of business-to-business solutions for global trading relationships. With more than 20 years of experience, Inovis enables collaborative business processes and solves the complete B2B integration challenge for more than 20,000 customers and their trading partners. The company’s comprehensive line of B2B software and managed services help companies speed transaction flows, synchronize product information ...

RFID Health System Preparedness ...

Addressing Surge Capacity in a Mass Casualty Event: Surge Capacity and Health System Preparedness--Transcript of Web Conference

... "Forward movement and tracking of patients from the event location to the hospital to post-hospital locations is a critical issue, says Rick. To what extent is tracking technology such as bar coding and RFID (radio frequency ID) tags being incorporated into these protocols? Please give examples. Who would like to take this question that came by E-mail.

Dr. Michael Shannon: I could begin because it's something that we've been looking at quite a bit at Childrens' Hospital in Boston. The program that we've faced so far, and I suspect that it's going to be true for most hospitals, is that information services, the decisions to decide what applications to purchase and to utilize is usually a very large expensive campaign that takes many years of thought, and it's not as easy as you may think, to simply incorporate a new system such as a bar code and bar code reading program. So we have found that a real challenge. What we're hoping to do right now is to begin to find a way to use photographs rather than the bar code technology, to simply find a way to incorporate digital photograph into patient identifiers. And it just fortunately happens that the information systems that our hospital is using, and the vendor is going to be one that can utilize digital photographs. But it really is key." ...

RFID Data Quality Challenge ...

RFID Data Quality Challenge: Similarity Systems Launches Data Quality Solution For Consumer Packaged Goods Manufacturers ...

Similarity Systems offers a solution to the data quality challenge that will be critical to the success of RFID adoption ...

... Similarity Systems™, the leading provider of business-focused Data Quality solutions has launched ATHANOR CPG™, a new Data Quality offering combining technology, services, and reference data for the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) manufacturing sector. ... Poor Data Quality is a pervasive problem that is proving to be a significant roadblock in the way of eBusiness initiatives such as Global Data Synchronization and RFID, said Garry Moroney, chief executive officer, Similarity Systems." ...

ATHANOR CPG is a one-stop-shop for Data Quality monitoring, standardization, de-duplication, and consolidation within the firewall of CPG manufacturing organizations. It includes industry-specific reference content, such as GS-1 (EAN/UCC) product requirements, validation and consistency checking rules, and standard Data Quality plans and scorecards to enable CPG manufacturers to deploy a consistent Data Quality solution across the entire organization. The solution encompasses all of a company’s critical data including master data stored in enterprise resource planning, product information management (PIM), CRM, warehouse management, and business intelligence systems.

OATSystems RFID Framework Upgrade ...

OAT Unveils OAT Foundation Suite 4.5

OATSystems upgrades their RFID framework software ...

Industry’s First RFID Data Management System and RFID Design Environment Accelerates ROI and Eases Configuration and Management ...

... "OATSystems®, Inc., the recognized RFID framework leader, announced the latest version of the company’s flagship OAT Foundation Suite 4.5, with major new enhancements including an enterprise RFID data management system that integrates RFID data from trading partners and provides advanced analytics and reporting of goods movement and inventory, and an RFID design environment for easy configuration and integration of RFID-centric processes. Companies deploying RFID today face the dual challenge of identifying the long-term ROI of RFID while minimizing total cost of ownership of the solution." ...

OATSystems®, Inc. is the recognized RFID framework leader with software that empowers businesses to achieve competitive advantage from radio-frequency identification (RFID). As pioneers in the development of RFID technology, OAT has been setting the standard in RFID for over half a decade and is responsible for industry firsts that include the largest scale and largest scope of deployments, as well as the most innovative approaches to providing enterprise-wide RFID solutions. OAT’s multinational client base, which includes companies such as Hewlett-Packard and Gillette, consists of over 50 customers in retail, CPG, consumer electronics, manufacturing, life sciences, aerospace and defense.

RFID Reinventing Logistics ...

Marine Corps News> Reinventing Marine Corps logistics

Cpl. Mike Escobar writes ...

... "Connecting supplies to troops in forward-deployed locations remains a challenge, Howard stated. He said not all Department of Defense containers contain the frequency ID tags yet; however, a new policy mandates widespread use of RFID technology by 2005. Suppliers will have to place RFID tags on every part, case or pallet of cargo by January 2005, he continued. Despite the challenges that remain, Marines using the system enjoy the newfound conveniences JTAV provides." ...

Radio Frequency Technology Procedures ...

Procedures for the use of radio frequency technology

... radio frequency identification (RFID) is a generic term for technologies that use radio waves to automatically identify assets. The most common method is to store a unique number identifying the asset on a microchip that is attached to an antenna.

The tracking and identification of personal property has become a challenge for Federal agencies and the employment of RFID technology permits us to implement rules that allow us to reapportion critical human resources and streamline our business processes. ...

Smart Card Interoperability Is A Challenge ...

NIST Smart Card Home

... "Smart cards provide greatly increased security for multiple applications. A smart card's usefulness is based on its intrinsic portability and security. A typical smart card has the same dimensions as a standard credit card and appears to be very similar with the exception of a set of gold contacts. When inserted into a reader, these contacts provide power to a microprocessor located on the smart card; the smart card is thus able to store and process information, in particular cryptographic keys and algorithms for providing digital signatures and for use with other encryption. A major impediment to the widespread use of smart cards has been interoperability: the majority of smart cards from different vendors are not interoperable and therefore must use specific software and smart card readers. " ...

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) ...

GSA - FMR Bulletin B-7 Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

... "Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a generic term for technologies that use radio waves to automatically identify assets. The most common method is to store a unique number identifying the asset on a microchip that is attached to an antenna. The tracking and identification of personal property has become a challenge for Federal agencies and the employment of RFID technology permits us to implement rules that allow us to reapportion critical human resources and streamline our business processes. What are the benefits? This technology has great potential to improve our personal property management functions, asset visibility, maintenance, and facilitate aspects of an agency's supply chain and commodity ordering process." ...

RFID Walmart Dock Door Scenario ...

Testimony of Linda Dillman, Walmart, at the Committee on Energy and Commerce: Explains RFID Dock Door Scenario ...

From The Committee on Energy and Commerce ...

... "During peak shopping times, such as Saturday afternoon, it is a challenge to keep items that sell very quickly, such as health and beauty aids, in stock and on the shelf. Wouldn't the consumer have a better shopping experience if the stock clerk was notified in time to avoid an out-of-stock condition and where to find the replacement merchandise? With RFID tags attached to the cases and readers placed strategically throughout the store's backroom, we can tell the last reader those cases passed by, helping us determine whether the cases went out to be stocked or are just 15 feet away from the dock door through which they arrived. " ...

Comments on the Smart Card Forum ...

From Consumer Privacy and Smart Cards — A Challenge and an Opportunity ...

... "The consumer should be educated about what a smart card is. A brief description of how smart cards work may be helpful in dealing with consumers. The following may be useful general information in doing that. There are two basic kinds of smart cards. An intelligent smart card contains a microprocessor that actually stores and secures information and makes decisions as required by the card issuer's specific application needs. New information can be added to these cards and processed by the microprocessing unit. Monetary value, for example, can be added or debited as required. The second type of card is better described as a memory card. These cards are primarily information storage cards that contain stored value which the consumer can spend in a pay phone, retail, vending or related transaction. Many of today's prepaid telephone cards are memory cards. In both types of cards, the integrated circuit chip allows the stored information to be protected from damage or theft. " ...

Barton on RFID Privacy ...

From Office of Congressman :: Joe Barton ...

... "Tiny radio tags on products can cut costs through improved inventory control and faster check-out, and they might even help in the war on terror, but the technology also poses a challenge to privacy advocates, U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, said Wednesday. The new application of this old technology promises some great benefits, said Barton, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee at a subcommittee hearing. Tagging products with Radio Frequency Identification devices can lower costs to manufacturers, retailers and consumers, and make American goods more competitive overseas. Tags that can be tracked outside the store by the seller or a third party also raise questions about how to ensure the privacy rights of buyers, and that will require careful examination of the facts and hard work to avert, he noted." ...

Walmart RFID: Dillman Testimony

From The Committee on Energy and Commerce ...

... "Wal-Mart was the first retailer to join MIT's AUTO-ID Center in 1999. We, along with others, funded research on the potential of using RFID in the retail and consumer packaged goods sector. We began testing in 2000 and after reviewing the state of this technology in 2001, we created our own RFID lab in Rogers, Arkansas. We did our own research in addition to supporting the AUTO-ID Center. We consulted with experts. We reviewed RFID uses already in place. We did all of this to determine whether this technology could help us solve the merchandise availability issue. We recognized after reviewing RFID that it had the potential to significantly help reduce out-of-stock conditions through the introduction of what has now become known as an Electronic Product Code or EPC. In June 2003, convinced that it could, we challenged our top 100 suppliers -- representing some of the most innovative companies in America -- to begin using RFID tags on cases and pallets of products destined for our three North Texas distribution centers by January 2005. These distribution centers ship products to 150 of approximately 3500 Wal-Mart stores. It is important to note that we chose to focus on case- and pallet-level tagging. We did not, and are not, requesting item-level tagging. We believe this challenge not only set direction for a new era in merchandise availability but also spawned a new market for technology companies, both those long established and others in their infancy, to be at the forefront of this revolutionary effort. Since Wal-Mart announced its EPC goals, other retailers, such as Albertsons and Target, have announced similar projects as well. The U. S. Department of Defense has also announced a similar RFID initiative. On April 30, 2004, Wal-Mart moved EPCs from the laboratory environment to an actual field pilot program" ...

RFID in ADVANCED MANUFACTURING

From Industrial College of the Armed Forces ...

... "However, the real DoD challenge is getting low-cost and timely access to specialized, low-density electronic components. Many of the next generation warfighting systems will depend on customized electronics because they are space, weight, and shape constrained. These new platforms include stealth aircraft, robotic vehicles (air, land, sea and underwater) and objective force warriors. These emerging DoD systems will require small phased array radars, conformal sensors and antennas, radio frequency ID (RFID) tags, wearable computers, and advanced displays to provide the military with a competitive edge. Flexible manufacturing systems are needed that can satisfy DoD production requirements." ...

RFID Tracking Device: Aegis Assessments Inc. Rolls Out SafetyNet Guardian System at ...

From Business Wire (press release), CA ... The SafetyNet(TM) Guardian(TM) System is a portable wireless tracking device that uses radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology to monitor the location ...

... Aegis Assessments Inc. (OTCBB:AGSI) announced today that it is showcasing its new SafetyNet(TM) Guardian(TM) System at the inaugural FireRescue Magazine Conference & Exposition in Las Vegas. Participants at the exposition include the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI), the Nevada Fire Chiefs Association (NFCA) and the Emergency Vehicle Technicians Association (EVTA), as well as manufacturers and suppliers of the latest fire-rescue products and innovations. The SafetyNet(TM) Guardian(TM) System is a portable wireless tracking device that uses radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology to monitor the location and physical condition of emergency personnel at the scene of an emergency incident. ...

Through the SafetyNet(TM) line of products, Aegis provides wireless security solutions to public safety agencies and commercial security companies for homeland security and life safety applications. Integrating emergency and life safety systems available to the public and private sectors is the new challenge in homeland security that the company's products and technologies address.

RFID Security: Open Security Exchange Announces New Members

From Yahoo News (press release) ... Deister Electronics joined the Open Security Exchange as a General Member. "As a leading developer and manufacturer of RFID technology and equipment, Deister ...

... The Open Security Exchange (OSE), a cross-industry consortium dedicated to delivering best practices guidelines in the area of security management and vendor-neutral interoperability specifications for the integration of physical and cyber security systems, today announced two new members. GE Infrastructure, Security joined the Open Security Exchange as a Board Member. ...

The Open Security Exchange, a program of IEEE-ISTO, was created to address today's most significant security challenge -- the lack of integration between various components of the security infrastructure. The Open Security Exchange is a cross-industry forum dedicated to delivering vendor-neutral interoperability specifications and best practices guidelines in the area of security management. This enables organizations to more efficiently mitigate risk, optimize their security postures and enforce privacy policies. The Open Security Exchange combines the disparate technologies that form today's security infrastructures, allowing for optimal security and operational efficiencies while respecting organization-specific operational requirements. Effective security management will result in: accurate detection of threats and attacks; consistent definition and enforcement of security policies; and enhanced organizational collaboration. Current Board members of OSE are Computer Associates, CoreStreet, Fargo, Gemplus, HID Corp., Software House, Siemens Building Technologies, Siemens ICN, Sony Electronics, Inc., and VistaScape. Deister Electronics is a General member.

RFID Compliance: Videojet®, Accu-Sort join forces to offer widest range of RFID compliance products

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (November 8, 2004) — Videojet® Technologies Inc. (VJ) and Accu-Sort Systems Inc. (ASI) have partnered to provide the widest range of RFID compliance products for the retail supplier market. VJ is the industry leader in variable coding while ASI is the leader in auto ID, with more than 40 installed RFID systems. Together they have joined R&D forces to develop the widest range of RFID tag applicators targeted to help retail suppliers meet RFID compliance mandates, while also benefiting from efficiencies in their own operations. The FAST Tag™ product line offers solutions to almost every customer compliance challenge, from mobile tag encoders for manual application to batch tag application on a manufacturing line to fully integrated tag application systems for a DC material handling system.

“This partnership means that VJ/ASI solutions will not only allow customers to meet compliance needs but, with the FAST software, help them achieve efficiencies today,” said Bob Joyce, President of ASI. Added Robert Willett, President of Coding and Marking at VJ, “Together, we provide the industry’s largest field forces in the United States and globally. We are uniquely positioned to help customers roll out RFID across their operations quickly and with a high level of quality.”

Customers receive ‘FAST’ benefits: The partnership takes advantage of Videojet’s label application technology, and Accu-Sort’s integrated software suite and RFID experience. The product line consists of three products:

FAST Tag Mobile: VJ and ASI have combined a desktop encoder and label printer with the FAST integration software to create a mobile solution. This solution is the easiest way for manufacturers to implement a compliant RFID solution when they are not yet ready to fully automate their RFID tag application.

FAST Tag LA: VJ’s reliable label applicator is combined with ASI’s software to create an easy-to-use tag application system for batch applications. This saves operator time by automatically applying tags while reducing tag damage. This is the ideal bolt-on solution for customer’s existing production lines.

FAST Tag In-Motion: VJ and ASI technology are combined to create a flexible and automated tag application solution. The FAST Tag In-Motion system performs inbound identification of the product bar code, retrieves the EPC code and product information from the company’s product database, tests the RFID tag for validity before encoding the tag with the appropriate EPC data and rejects bad tags if necessary. FAST Tag provides 100 percent item tracking and tracing with the use of bar code and RFID verification devices, ensuring that the right tag gets on the right box every time. With integrated EPC tag serial number management and the ability to interface with new or existing material handling equipment and IT systems, FAST Tag makes it easy to meet compliance tagging requirements.

ASI’s Joyce said the partnership should yield even greater reliability and innovation in the future. “The Videojet and Accu-Sort partnership combines the technology and capabilities of the leaders in coding and auto ID. Videojet understands the challenges of coding and applying labels. Accu-Sort understands RFID and how tags are read downstream at the distribution center. Our partnership with Videojet means we will continue to offer customers the broadest range of compliance product solutions in the industry.”

About Videojet: Videojet Technologies Inc. is a world-leading manufacturer of coding, printing and laser marking products, fluids and accessories for the product identification industry. As experts in continuous ink jet (CIJ), drop-on-demand (DOD), thermal-transfer overprinting (TTO), array, and laser technologies, Videojet has over 275,000 units installed worldwide. Sales, service, training, administrative and application support is provided by direct operations worldwide, including Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, The Netherlands, Portugal, Russian, Singapore, Spain and the United Kingdom, with more than 250 direct sales and service personnel in the United States alone. Videojet’s distribution network includes over 175 distributors and OEMs, serving 135 countries.
1-800-843-3610 or www.videojet.com.

About Accu-Sort: Accu-Sort Systems is a pioneer in reliable auto ID and high-speed compliance solutions with more than three decades of experience deploying and supporting scanning and tracking solutions in distribution, warehousing, manufacturing and retailer environments. The company is also an established provider of convergent RFID and bar code systems with more than 40 RFID installations.
1-877-ASI-RFID or www.accusort.com.

RFID Sensors: Top Ports Choose VistaScape to Automate Wide Area Surveillance

From TMCnet  ... component of the platform, VistaScape is unique in that the platform incorporates other important sensor technologies such as radar, GPS, RFID, chemical and ...

VistaScape's Security Data Management System (SDMS) integrates the monitoring and management of disparate and distinct security hardware and software products into a single user interface and relational database. SDMS provides a wide area view of specified areas of interest. Based in Atlanta, Georgia - VistaScape Security Systems is changing the perspective and expectations of security solution users by replacing traditional human detection and error with consistent computer intelligence and analysis.

The ports and harbors of America are critical infrastructure nodes and commerce hubs. As such, they are likely targets for terrorism, theft, and other destructive criminal activities. To reduce overall threat exposure, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA), requiring ports and harbors to comply with increased security regulations by July 1, 2004. VistaScape Security Systems, the leading provider of policy-based video surveillance solutions, experienced in port and harbor security deployments, understands your challenge of securing a large perimeter without physical barriers. VistaScape's software technology provides proactive, comprehensive video surveillance while reducing human error and oversight.

RFID Smart Cards: Oberthur Wins First GSA Contract for Issuance of Secure ID Smart ...

From Business Wire (press release), CA ... With its unique supply chain management expertise, from security printing, to smart card manufacturing and mass issuance, Oberthur is ideally positioned to ...

ID-One™ Advanced ID solutions for governments. Portable, secure and standardized, smart cards have proven to be the best available solutions to provide fast and reliable verification of a citizen's identity, while protecting the privacy of the individual. Accumulating its leadership in smart cards with a unique expertise in security printing and personal identification documents, Oberthur Card Systems is better positioned than any other actor on the market to support governments deploying smart identification systems. AuthentIC™ is a complete range of advanced, flexible and highly secure cryptographic solutions adressing the needs of B2B and B2C markets for secure network access (authentication) and online payment. Designed to support different technologies, these solutions are readily adaptable to different environments, systems and devices. They are particularly suited for the implementation and management of PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) architectures.

ID-One™ smart cards are based on Oberthur Card Systems' open platforms, featuring on-board applications dedicated to identity and e-government services. ID-One smart cards are based on the latest evolution of Cosmo cards, Oberthur Card Systems' platform offer. Implementing Java Card™ and GlobalPlatform industry standards, Cosmo cards offer from 32 to 64k of EEPROM, with dual interface chip allowing the card to be used in contactless mode. Cosmo cards are also ready for biometrics applications, supporting the standard API from the Biometric Consortium. The applets available with ID-One Cosmo provide all the necessary cryptographic services to perform PKI (RSA) related operations and secured data storage functions for identity, password, credential or other sensitive data. RSA keys can be loaded or generated on-board for added security. DES or 3DES functions are also provided to perform encryption/decryption and can be used to perform challenge/response operations. When Java is not required, Oberthur Card Systems is able to offer alternatives such as MULTOS™ platforms or specification-based mask development.

RFID Supply Chain: BridgePoint(TM) Announces Its 2004 Advisory Council Meeting

From Market Wire (press release) ... regulations, achieving the highest possible data quality levels, value received from supply chain event management, and current usages of RFID in supply chains...

BridgePoint offers critical functionality needed to build an integrated supply chain solution that supports the growing need to collect accurate, up-to-date information from throughout your supply chain. The financial value of your supply chain is directly proportional to your ability to understand and manipulate the activities that influence its daily performance. The challenge for today's logistics professionals is gathering enough reliable information from numerous partners and systems operating outside of the corporate umbrella and presenting it in a format that makes managing the financial aspect of your supply chain possible.

RFID Software: i2 Delivers Master Data Management Solution Capabilities Across Multiple Industries For Added Supply Chain Efficiency

i2 moves industry leaders to second generation solutions to provide supply chain visibility across the enterprise through RFID Technology...

DALLAS -- April 26, 2004
These days, it seems everyone is talking about data – how to gather it, analyze it and track it for maximum supply chain efficiency. Master data – information about a company’s products, customers, suppliers and facilities, etc. – is often distributed across a variety of enterprise systems. This can lead to incomplete, inaccurate, out-of-date, inconsistent or unavailable master data. The efficiency of the supply chain can decrease significantly when this data is not maintained in a way necessary to execute day-to-day operations.

i2 Technologies, Inc. (OTC: ITWO), a leading provider of closed-loop supply chain management solutions, can help companies tackle their data challenges with its Master Data Management (MDM) solution. i2 first introduced its MDM solution with its release of i2 Six in the first quarter of 2003. Now in its second generation of development, i2 MDM is currently deployed by approximately 15 customers across a wide range of industries providing supply chain visibility across the enterprise...

..."We are partnering with various industry leaders, such as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), through OEM agreements, which will allow i2 to enter and compete in new industries that can benefit from solving the chronic problem of synchronizing information from the business organization to the IT organization," explained Chatterjee. "Keeping up-to-date and consistent information across the enterprise is essential when introducing new technology, such as RFID, when conducting merger and acquisition activities as well as when complying with regulatory acts such as HAZMAT or UCCNet data synchronization. i2 MDM is based on an open, network-enabled architecture and offers direct access by external systems and can also be integrated with message bus (EAI) and ETL (bulk data transfer) tools."

i2 MDM continues to be enhanced to meet GDSN standards allowing the supplier to publish the structure and the retailer to receive it for internal use. Suppliers can also use this product hierarchy master data in other planning and execution systems such as an inventory system that is able to track products using the RFID tags.

"Accurate and standardized product data is an essential foundation for deriving value from RFID technology" says Nick Parnaby, Global Director of Member Development at the WorldWide Retail Exchange. "Our members, which include some of the world's largest retailers like Aeon, CVS, and Delhaize, recognize that master data management within an enterprise and global data synchronization across the retail supply chain will directly and significantly contribute to the potential ROI from technologies like RFID."

i2 MDM can help companies meet RFID mandates
RFID mandates by leading retailers and government agencies, requiring companies to use this technology to track assets, products and materials, have companies scrambling to meet compliance deadlines.

But while RFID can make data collection more efficient and granular, it aggravates, instead of solves, the problem of unsynchronized data. If synchronizing today's data is a challenge, chaos could result when RFID multiplies data volumes by a factor of 10.

Stores magazine recently highlighted a study produced by management consulting firm A.T. Kearney that revealed 30 percent of items in retail catalogs have data errors, 60 percent of invoices generate errors and 43 percent of all invoices result in deductions. This adds up to $40 billion in supply chain costs due to unsynchronized product data. A.T. Kearney goes on to estimates that data synchronization can deliver $1 million in benefits for every $1 billion in sales. The tangible and more readily attained savings from data synchronization may not help pay just for itself, but for the broader RFID deployment. Turning RFID data into strategic intelligence requires an understanding of the challenges posed processing RFID data with existing systems...

About i2
A leading provider of closed-loop supply chain management solutions, i2 designs and delivers software that helps customers optimize and synchronize activities involved in successfully managing supply and demand. i2’s global customer base consists of some of the world’s market leaders – including seven of the Fortune global top 10. Founded in 1988 with a commitment to customer success, i2 remains focused on delivering value by implementing solutions designed to provide a rapid return on investment. Learn more at www.i2.com.

RFID Technology: Passive RFID running on 200 microwatt RF

UsingRFID.com, UK ... The South African RFID technology developer, Trolley Scan, has announced the development of new materials that enable the production of transponders in volume ...

TROLLEYSCAN DELIVER PASSIVE UHF RFID TRANSPONDERS THAT OPERATE ON JUST 200 MICROWATTS OF RF POWER, JOHANNESBURG,SOUTH AFRICA

Trolley Scan announced in Johannesburg that they have crossed another major technical hurdle in the development of long range, efficent, low cost, passive RFID systems.

As part of leading the way in the development of passive UHF RFID, Trolley Scan have developed new materials that allow for the production of transponders in volume that need just 200uW of RF energy to operate. This represents a 42% improvement in the sensitivity of transponders supplied by Trolley Scan in the past. All credit card sized Ecochiptag(TM) transponders supplied by Trolley Scan will now need only 200uW of power to operate.

Said Mike Marsh, MD of Trolley Scan-"Improving transponder sensitivity is like improving fuel consumption for a car - you can never have enough!!!. Every time the sensitivity improves, it means that the transmitted power of the reader can be further reduced needing smaller transmitters to do the same job with longer battery life, -, or the operating range of the transponder system increases. The new production transponders can be read 8 meters from a reader radiating just 300 milliwatts of power, similar to the power radiated from a cell phone. In addition, due to the miniscual amount of power needed to operate the transponder, polarisation becomes less important and transponders can be read on almost any orientation even with linear polarised antennas. The 8 meter range is achievable even if the transponder is attached to metal."

In 1994 a state of the art transponder used in the original Supertag version developed by a team led by Mike Marsh, and shown to the world with a trolley(cart) of 38 items being scanned at the Pick n Pay hypermarket in Pretoria South Africa, needed 6000uW of RF power to operate. In 2001 Trolley Scan started delivering 1000uW versions with its evaluation systems. In December 2003, Trolley Scan delivered 350uW credit card sized versions, a major technical achievement as the previous systems all needed 160mm dipoles while the credit card sized version was only 80mm long - a size that is inherently inefficient at this operating frequency. Now the norm with the latest developments is 200uW in a credit card sized version.

Comparing the performance to the original Supertag tests, the transmitter power needed now is only 3% of that needed for the original system, meaning smaller transmitters, longer battery life and portable readers. The operating range at the original power used for Supertag is 550% of the ranges then achieved.

Despite the benefits of long operating range and low transmitter power, the Trolley Scan has maintained all its important benefits such as wide operating bandwidth (50MHz for EU/GSM/US compatibility), up to 500 multiple transponders in the reading field, 3D scanning small antenna size and easy to produce.

Trolley Scan provide RFID systems to users in 32 countries. Complete systems can be ordered via their website.

About new generation RFID Transponder
Passive RFID works by the reader sending out a low power beam of energy which dissipates with distance travelled; part of which is collected by the transponder and converted to power to operate the transponder; the transponder using some of this energy to send back its identity data on the same frequency as the energising signal.

The reader has to be able to detect the data from the transponder while in the presence of the energising signal which is powering up the transponder. The two signals differ is strength by up to 1 billion times (90dB).

As the energy from the reader travels through the space between the reader and the transponder, it dissipates such that every time the distance doubles, the available energy to power up the transponder quarters. Therefore producing transponders that need lower power mean they can still operate at increased ranges.

About EcoTag technology
The Ecotag development achieves some major breakthroughs

The credit card sized version is a technology breakthrough allowing both very efficient transponder operation while allowing small transponder antenna sizes.

A typical efficient UHF antenna will be 160mm long. However the market wants shorter antennas that are closer to the sizing of goods being labelled. Shortening a 160 millimeter antenna to 80 millimeters results in only 3% of the efficiency being left. The impact of shortening antennas is of great concern to the UHF RFID producers as the challenge is to increase efficiency in order to get greater coverage and range. Trolley Scan have developed an 80mm by 37mm flat antenna that recovers this lost efficiency as well as increasing the performance of the chip, allowing a transponder that now needs only 200 uWatts of RF energy to operate, making it one of the most energy efficient transponders available in the world.

Despite its excellent performance, the credit card sized version is produced in a single plane and is ideal for production using conductive inks applied with a printing press. This is an important development as eventually for volume application of RFID, the antennae are going to be made directly on the packaging.

The new Ecotag credit sized version now can operate at ranges as far as 11 meters, even when attahed to metal.

EcoTag technology is protected by a series of patents granted in the US, Europe and other countries.

About Trolley Scan (Pty) Ltd
Trolley Scan have proven to be a major creative force in the development of UHF RFID technologies. These developments have been protected by patents which have been offered to the global manufacturing industry to impliment. Founded in 1995, the staff of Trolley Scan have a pedigree that goes back to 1990 when the first low cost RFID protocol was developed by the founder while working for a South African government research organisation, culminating in 1994 in the demonstration of a supermarket trolley containing 38 items being scanned automatically in a supermarket in Pretoria. In 1998, the founders of Trolley Scan developed an entirely new set of protocols for UHF RFID which they have been actively promoting. They also have addressed the situation of the 3 dimensional scanning of goods, and have developed a very low power RFID version which they commercialise under the EcoTag trademark. Trolley Scan are based in Johannesburg South Africa.

Trolley Scan licence their patents and technology to companies around the world who wish to produce this technology. Trolley Scan have already provided systems using this technology to users in 32 countries.

About UHF RFID
RFID systems comprise of a transponder that is attached to the goods to be identified and a reader that converts the information in those transponders to a computer compatible format for processing. The transponder can comprise of a simple antenna and a small integrated circuit that can be produced at low cost. Operating in the 860 to 930 MHz (UHF) band, the transponder can be identified meters away from the reader, can be identified in a group with up to 1000 other transponders when being read, and can be identified very quickly. In view of the system using radio waves for energy and information transfer, it is not necessary for the transponder and reader to be in line of sight.

Potential use of these systems is extensive, from herd animal tracking, library books, pallets, warehousing, bank and postal bags, asset tracking, airline luggage, vehicle monitoring (access and parking), to intelligent buildings (tracking files, documents and assets moving around an office to minimise finding time).

The ultimate goal is to use these transponders with their inbuilt anti-shoplifting features to replace the barcodes labelling goods in a retail store allowing filled supermarket trolleys to be scanned in seconds in unmanned self service checkout aisles.

RFID Challenge: Paper Suggests RFID Is A Double Edged Sword

From e-consultancy, UK ... 14th April 2004. Cambridge, UK: Most of the controversy surrounding the deployment of RFID is centred on the technology's impact on personal privacy. ...

DOD RFID: Defense Won't Budge On January RFID Deadline

From Information Week, United States The Department of Defense is holding fast to its January mandate for suppliers to use RFID technology. By Laurie Sullivan. The Department ...

Background and requirement for RFID in the DOD Supply Chain

General Overview
RFID systems carry data in suitable transponders, generally known as tags, and retrieve data, by machine-readable means, at a suitable time and place to satisfy particular application needs. Tags have a discrete memory capacity that varies from a small license plate to thousands of records. Data within a tag may provide any level of identification for an item during manufacture, in-transit, in-storage, or in-use. With additional data, the tag may support applications that need item-specific information. For example, shipment consignee or destination ports can be readily accessed upon reading the tag. In addition to tags, an RFID system requires a means for reading or “interrogating” the tags to obtain the stored data and then some means of communicating this tag data to a DoD logistics information system.

Why RFID is essential to the DoD Supply Chain
The use of RFID in the DoD supply chain has the potential to provide real benefits in inventory management, asset visibility, and interoperability in an end-to-end integrated environment. RFID encapsulates the data accuracy advantages inherent in all types of automatic identification technology (AIT). Additionally, RFID is a totally non-intrusive methodology for data capture (requires no human intervention), is non-line of sight technology, and is a technology that may possess both read and write options within the same equipment item. RFID addresses a key challenge that has been noted at every node within the DoD supply chain – lack of visibility of item data. As an integral aspect of the overarching suite of AIT capabilities, RFID will become a key technology enabler for the DoD logistics business transformation and will support long-term integration of the Unique Identification (UID) into the DoD end-to-end supply chain.

RFID (both active and passive) is required by DoD to:
· Provide near-real time in-transit visibility for all classes of supplies and material
· Provide “in the box” content level detail for all classes of supplies and material
· Provide quality, non-intrusive identification and data collection that enables enhanced inventory management
· Provide enhanced item level visibility

RFID Policy Scope and Definition

RFID policy and the corresponding RFID tagging/labeling of DoD materiel are applicable to all items except bulk commodities (i.e., bulk liquids, sand, gravel etc.).

The types of RFID used within DoD will be driven primarily by the supported functional logistics business process with the goal of an integrated capability across all business processes and throughout all echelons of the DoD supply chain. Interoperability with our commercial business partners/suppliers will support the goal of streamlining the DoD supply chain.

The Microsoft RFID Council

Bringing Together Major Partners Delivering RFID Solutions on the Microsoft Platform, Microsoft Announces New RFID Council

REDMOND, Wash., April 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp.
(Nasdaq: MSFT) today announced the formation of a new Microsoft Radio
Frequency Identification (RFID) Council focused on RFID technology. The group
will look at RFID requirements and how to take advantage of today's technology
to make it easier for retailers and manufacturers to track and ship
merchandise. The company also highlighted a growing ecosystem of partners that
are building innovative RFID solutions on the Microsoft(R) platform to enhance
control of key business processes, improve inventory visibility and provide
better customer service for manufacturers, distributors and retailers.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO )
RFID combines the benefits of the silicon chip and radio frequencies to
provide increased levels of product and asset visibility across the supply
chain. Microsoft is providing a platform on which partners can create RFID
solutions to enable their customers to reduce human error in data collection,
reduce inventories and improve product availability, while at the same time
respecting the privacy expectations and concerns around the use of RFID
technology. The company plans to hold the first Microsoft RFID Council meeting
in April and already has several partners, including Accenture, GlobeRanger
Corp., HighJump Software, Intermec Technologies Corp., Manhattan Associates
Inc. and Provia Software Inc., signed up to participate. As a part of the
Microsoft RFID Council, Microsoft and partners plan to address industry needs
for RFID solutions that are low-cost, simple to deploy and built on a robust
scalable technology stack.
"With RFID in the early stages of adoption, we are continuing to expand
and evolve our partner-driven strategy based on the needs of the industry,"
said Javed Sikander, program manager for RFID strategy at Microsoft. "There is
a wide spectrum of partners building RFID solutions on the Microsoft platform
today; the formation of the Microsoft RFID Council is part of our commitment
to continue to work closely with our customers and partners to ensure they
receive the greatest value and opportunity when building their RFID solutions
with Microsoft technologies."
An ecosystem of partners -- spanning RFID hardware vendors, supply chain
execution retail systems and services providers -- is using the Microsoft
platform today to add value to their RFID solutions through Microsoft
technologies such as Microsoft Windows(R) CE, SQL Server(TM) and BizTalk(R)
Server for collection, management and integration of RFID data. These partners
also are working with Visual Studio(R) and Web Services Enhancements (WSE) for
Microsoft .NET to create Web services-enabled RFID solutions. Microsoft
Business Solutions is also working with RFID partners to extend the
capabilities of financial management and supply chain management solutions for small and midsize businesses.

Microsoft also announced it has joined EPCglobal, an organization that is
leading the development of industry-driven standards for the Electronic
Product Code (EPC) Network to support the use of RFID. "RFID is a major initiative for the METRO Group," said Zygmunt Mierdorf, executive vice president for IT and Human Resources at METRO Group. "METRO
will use a number of platforms and is very pleased Microsoft has joined
EPCglobal and is making significant investments to make this technology
available using open standard technologies. Microsoft is working with the
METRO Group to support this first large implementation."

Independent software vendors (ISVs) and technology companies announcing
their support for the Microsoft platform and highlighting the solutions they
are delivering today include the following:

-- Accenture. Accenture is working with Microsoft and Manhattan Associates
to develop a new solution that will help manufacturers comply quickly
with retailers' RFID mandates. The companies will provide a full range
of Electronic Product Code (EPC)-compliant, scalable RFID solution
design, development and integration services that will help
manufacturers realize rapid benefits, including enhanced supply chain
efficiencies and improved warehouse management.

-- GlobeRanger. GlobeRanger provides an innovative Edgeware(TM) platform,
iMotion(TM), that is designed to intelligently connect core enterprise
systems with relevant, real-time RFID information. Built on the
Microsoft .NET Framework, iMotion delivers the ability to manage edge
devices, networks, data and business processes seamlessly.

-- HighJump Software, a 3M Company. HighJump provides a broad collection
of highly configurable, RFID-enabled solutions built on the Microsoft
platform that empower customers to meet a full spectrum of RFID
requirements and manage ever-evolving supply chain processes without
disrupting current supply chain operations.

-- Intermec Technologies Corp. Intermec draws on the utilities and
resources available through the Microsoft Pocket PC platform for the
company's 700 Color Series of rugged, mobile devices with attachable
IP3 RFID handle. The IP3 adds fully functional RFID reader capabilities
to the 700. Both devices are integrated into Intermec's RFID "Ready to
Go" kit, which includes RFID hardware, software and professional
services -- allowing customers to begin implementing RFID into their
own systems.

-- Manhattan Associates Inc. Manhattan Associates is leveraging the
Microsoft platform as a powerful and flexible platform for its
cutting-edge RFID solutions. The company's RFID in a Box(TM) solution
offers a package of source-to-consumption supply chain execution
applications, professional services and RFID technology to simplify
implementation and enable companies to meet compliance requirements
while leveraging the most comprehensive integrated logistics platform
and solutions.

-- METRO Group. Germany-based retailer METRO Group will begin to roll out
RFID across four of its six divisions in November 2004. METRO has been
successfully piloting RFID in its Future Store in Rheinberg, Germany,
and in other locations, and is now ready to take the challenge to move
from pilot to production.

-- Provia Software Inc. Provia Software uses the Microsoft platform to
enable customers to implement supply chain execution and optimization
solutions including RFID-enabled warehousing, transportation, order and
yard management. These solutions seamlessly integrate with Web-based
visibility tools to create a real-time, end-to-end supply chain
execution solution.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services
and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

NOTE: Microsoft, Windows, BizTalk and Visual Studio are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other
countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Innovative RFID Solutions on the Microsoft Platform

"The potential of RFID combined with retailer mandates make it a question
of when -- not if -- manufacturers will implement the technology into their
organizations. The next 18 months will be the critical period of adoption, and
industry leaders are looking beyond compliance to use RFID as a source of
competitive advantage."
Lyle Ginsburg
Partner, Technology Innovation
Products Operating Group
Accenture

"GlobeRanger delivers the ability to easily develop, deploy and integrate
RFID and mobile solutions for the edge of the enterprise. Powered by the
Microsoft .NET Framework, GlobeRanger's iMotion platform provides the
foundation that enterprise users are looking for to scale standards-compliant
RFID solutions from pilot to full implementation."

John Koenigs
President and CEO
GlobeRanger Corp.

"HighJump provides a broad collection of highly configurable, RFID-enabled
solutions that empower customers to meet a full spectrum of RFID requirements and manage ever-evolving supply chain processes without jeopardizing their operational efficiency, profitability or ability to meet customer
expectations. HighJump fully leverages Microsoft technologies throughout its
RFID solution to facilitate integration and ensure flexibility and scalability
in complex, high-volume manufacturing and distribution environments."

Chris Heim
President
HighJump Software, a 3M Company

"Intermec has added instant RFID capability to its 700 Color Series of
rugged, mobile devices by offering the Intermec IP3 handle reader as an
attachment. With the powerful backbone of Microsoft's Pocket PC and immediate RFID reader capacity, customers now are able to easily integrate RFID into their enterprise systems."
Mike Colwell
Vice President
Intermec

"As a charter member of EPCglobal, Manhattan Associates has continued to
stay at the forefront of providing innovative business and compliance
solutions that solve supply chain execution challenges for manufacturers,
distributors, retailers and their trading partners. Manhattan Associates' RFID
in a Box(TM) solution and our RFID-enabled applications, combined with
Microsoft's powerful and flexible platform, provide our customers with both
stability and ease of deployment. Our joint solutions are enabling companies
worldwide to meet RFID compliance requirements and handle large transactional
volumes."
Eric Peters
Executive Vice President,
Strategy and Business Development
Manhattan Associates

"RFID compliance requirements are quickly evolving. For Provia's RFIDware
product, Microsoft's .NET Platform was the logical choice. It allowed us to
develop a robust solution quickly while providing the flexibly and ease of use
necessary to keep up with these evolving requirements. All our supply chain
execution and optimization solutions deploy rapidly and effectively on the
Microsoft platform today, and we are excited to strengthen our Microsoft .NET
support with the release of RFIDware."
Todd Gage
Vice President
Product Development
Provia Software

Ready for RFID Compliance: Concerns and Questions from Industry

Zebra Technologies' Webcast Reveals 'RFID Compliance Readiness' Concerns, Challenges, and Questions From Hundreds of Companies: More Than 300 Companies From 45 Nations Tell Zebra What RFID Issues Are on Their Minds

VERNON HILLS, Ill., March 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Zebra Technologies (Nasdaq: ZBRA), a global leader in delivering on-demand printing solutions for business improvement, and pioneer in the adoption of radio frequency identification (RFID) for global business, today revealed the top concerns, challenges, and questions companies say they are facing when it comes to RFID and Electronic Product Code (EPC) compatibility. Results confirm that companies are still hungry for information, concerned about costs, and anxious about meeting mandate requirements and deadlines.

During a recent Zebra Webcast, entitled, "An Introduction to RFID and EPC- Streamlining Your Supply Chain: Solutions for End Users," representatives from more than 300 companies and 45 countries weighed in on RFID, providing Zebra RFID experts with insight into their top concerns, challenges, and questions. Here's what they revealed:

-- Cost - Not surprisingly, companies are still wrestling with issues of
cost. Realizing cost benefits and understanding the value proposition
of RFID is top of mind, as well as the lack of clear information
available on the costs associated with implementation, RFID tags, and
upgrading the technology as it advances.
-- Tag quality - Tag strength, readability, resilience, data capacity,
size, type, and failure rate, is also an area of concern that
companies say they want to learn more about.
-- Data management - Companies indicate that they are still confused
about the need to manage large amounts of data that may be generated
from an RFID implementation and how such data will affect their
current systems.
-- Implementation - Understanding and selecting RFID system components,
and how they integrate with existing information systems remains a top
challenge for companies, as well as selecting partners for pilot
testing.
-- Bar code vs. RFID - Companies say they need more information on where
and when to use RFID in the supply chain, and when it pays to stick
with bar coding.
-- Standards - The lack of defined EPC standards and how they will evolve
globally is another big concern.
-- Meeting customer requirements - As the EPC compliance date draws
closer, companies are questioning if they can meet the mandated
deadlines of their customers.
-- Overcoming obsolescence - Companies wonder whether the technology they
put into place today will serve them down the road as EPC and ISO
standards for RFID evolve and as new products are introduced.
-- Global rollout - Companies doing business globally reveal they are
unclear on if, and when, they can implement an EPC labeling system
globally and what impact it will have.


"Our Webcast drew sizeable attendance from countries such as Argentina, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Iceland, Malaysia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, and many more, encompassing a wide variety of industries -- many of which aren't facing EPC mandate deadlines," said Bob Cornick, Zebra's vice president and general manager of RFID. "From the questions and comments we received, it's evident that companies that are or will be participating in pilot programs supporting the Wal-Mart, Target, and Department of Defense initiatives, for the most part understand the technology and what they must do to comply. It's the many hundreds of companies that will soon follow suit that are looking for answers and struggling to understand the value of RFID, which Zebra can help them do."

In addition, Zebra's "Introduction to RFID and EPC-Streamlining Your Supply Chain: Solutions for End Users" Webcast reported a large turnout of participants representing the pharmaceutical industry.

"Interestingly, representatives from many of the top pharmaceutical companies attended the Webcast, suggesting that the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries may be gearing up for a major shift to RFID as well," Cornick adds. "This follows the recent FDA announcement about the use of bar codes to ensure patient safety. We see the 'early adopters' and market leading companies possibly leapfrogging the new rule and going with RFID when they can realize significant cost reductions in their supply chains."

Zebra experts are available to speak on these and other RFID-related issues. To arrange an interview, please contact Suzette Sexton or Tricia Spellman at +1 847 509-3099 or suzette@outlookmarketingsrv.com ; tspellman@outlookmarketingsrv.com .

For information on Zebra's RFID solutions or to replay the webinar, "Introduction to RFID and EPC-Streamlining Your Supply Chain: Solutions for End Users," visit www.rfid.zebra.com . This Web site will contain information about future Zebra webinars that will cover key criteria for deploying RFID in business environments.

Zebra Technologies and RFID

Zebra Technologies is a pioneer in the research, development and commercialization of RFID technology. As a member of EPCglobal, Zebra continues to play a leading role in the development of "smart label" technology, standards and solutions designed to help suppliers to the U.S. Department of Defense and major retailers meet upcoming RFID EPC compliance labeling requirements. In 2003, Zebra was first-to-market with a Class 1 and Class 0 UHF printer/encoder. Its R4Mplus, is the industry's first Electronic Product Code (EPC)-compatible RFID printer/encoder, now in full production. The R4Mplus is currently involved in numerous customer pilots, field tests and demonstration projects.

About Zebra Technologies

Zebra Technologies Corp. delivers innovative and reliable on-demand printing solutions for business improvement and security applications in 90 countries around the world. More than 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies use Zebra-brand printers. A broad range of applications benefit from Zebra-brand thermal bar code, "smart" label, receipt, and card printers, resulting in enhanced security, increased productivity, improved quality, lower costs, and better customer service. The company has sold more than three million printers, including RFID printer/encoders and wireless mobile solutions, and also offers software, connectivity solutions, and printing supplies. Information about Zebra bar code and RFID products can be found at www.zebra.com and www.rfid.zebra.com .

RFID Tech: Microsoft Names Winners in Comany's First Windows Challenge

From ABC News ... Sensors within the Eboxes can recognize the individual signatures on RFID tags which could be carried on the outside of buses. After ...

Leahy on RFID and Micro-Monitoring...

Remarks Of Senator Patrick Leahy
The Dawn of Micro Monitoring: It's Promise, And Its Challenges
To Privacy And Security
Conference On “Video Surveillance: Legal And Technological Challenges”
Georgetown University Law Center
Tuesday, March 23, 2004

First, I want to thank Georgetown University Law Center for hosting this conference. It’s always good to have an opportunity to return to my alma mater. I also thank the Center for American Progress, The Constitution Project and Wilmer, Cutler and Pickering for their roles in supporting this event. As a former prosecutor I am especially glad for the strong representation here from the law enforcement community. Chief Ramsey, good to see you again. And thanks to all the experts who have gathered here today to talk about these timely issues.

People Want To BE Safer

In our post-9/11 world, technology often has been our crucial but silent partner in helping us to ramp up our law enforcement and national security capabilities. We in this city are profoundly aware of the new risks we face. But we also need to do it right. The public does not want false assurances, nor do they want to be unduly alarmed. What the American people want is to actually be safer. And we still have a way to go in accomplishing that.

Tension Between Liberty And Security

In our constitutional system there is always tension between liberty and security – and never more so than since September 11th. One of the difficult challenges we face is to strike the right midpoint. Our constitutional checks and balances are intended to help us do that.

The video technologies you are discussing today offer tools that are better, faster and smarter, on scales of magnitude that are unprecedented. As an advocate of emerging technologies who also has a keen interest in them, I watch these breakthroughs with great interest.

I have sought to find ways to encourage the commercial sector to create new products and opportunities, and I have promoted use of new technologies by law enforcement agencies, while also protecting consumer privacy and constitutional freedoms. That was the balance I sought to strike in my work on CALEA and in other legislation that blends law enforcement’s needs, the needs of our robust technology sector, and the privacy interests of the American people. The hands-off approach to the Internet that I have favored is another example, and right now I am working with others to extend the Internet tax moratorium, to keep the Internet free from discriminatory and multiple state and local taxes.

On The Cusp Of A Micro-Monitoring Revolution

The marriage of information-gathering technology with information storing technology, manipulated in increasingly sophisticated databases, is beginning to produce the defining privacy challenge of the information age. Modern databases, networks and the Internet allow us to easily collect, store, distribute and combine video, audio and other digital trails of our daily transactions. We are on the verge of a revolution in micro-monitoring – the capability for the highly detailed, largely automatic, widespread surveillance of our daily lives.

RFIDs

And one of the most dramatic and dazzling new challenges we all will be facing soon is the emergence of a relatively new, surveillance-related technology called radio frequency identification -- R–F–I–D for short.

RFID tags are tiny computer chips that can be attached to physical items in order to provide identification and tracking by radio. Their potential invasiveness is obvious from their size, which, as shown in this picture, already is surprisingly small. And they will only get smaller.

In their basic function, RFID chips are like barcodes, which by now are ubiquitous in our stores and offices and crime labs and manufacturing plants.

Barcodes On Steroids

But RFID chips are like supercharged barcodes – barcodes on steroids, if you will. They are so small they can be tagged onto almost any object. They do not have to be in open view; RFID receivers just have to be within the vicinity – at a security checkpoint, in a doorway, inside a mailbox, atop a traffic light. And RFID chips can carry a lot more information than barcodes. Some versions are recordable so that they can carry along the object's entire history.

RFID chips are more powerful than today’s video surveillance technology. RFIDs are more reliable, they are 100 percent automatic, and they are likely to become more pervasive because they are significantly less expensive, and there are many business advantages to using them. RFIDs seem poised to become the catalyst that will launch the age of micro-monitoring.

I have followed RFID technology for some time and have welcomed its potential for many constructive uses. I have supported the use of RFIDs in a Vermont pilot program for tracking cattle to curtail outbreaks, like mad cow disease, and our Vermont program is now being emulated for a national tracking system. RFID technology may also help thwart prescription drug counterfeiting, a use the FDA encouraged in a recent report. Leading retailers like Wal-Mart and Target – as well as the Department of Defense -- are requiring its use by suppliers for inventory control. Fifty million pets around the world have embedded RFID chips. Of course, many of us already have experience with simpler versions of the technology in “smart tags” at toll booths and “speed passes” at gas stations.

But this is just the beginning. RFID technology is on the brink of widespread applications in manufacturing, distribution, retail, healthcare, safety, security, law enforcement, intellectual property protection and many other areas, including mundane applications like keeping track of personal possessions. Some visionaries imagine, quote, “an internet of objects” – a world in which billions of objects will report their location, identity, and history over wireless connections. Those days of long hunts around the house for lost keys and remote controls might be a frustration of the past.

These all raise exciting possibilities, but they also raise potentially troubling tangents. While it may be a good idea for a retailer to use RFID chips to manage its inventory, we would not want a retailer to put those tags on goods for sale without consumers’ knowledge, without knowing how to deactivate them, and without knowing what information will be collected and how it will be used. While we might want the Pentagon to be able to manage its supplies with RFID tags, we would not want an al Qaeda operative to find out about our resources by simply using a hidden RFID scanner in a war situation.

Drawing Lines

Of course these are just some of the foreseeable possibilities, and a lot depends on enhancements in the technology, reductions in costs, and developments in voluntary standard-setting, systems and infrastructure to manage RFID-collected information. But the RFID train is beginning to leave the station, and now is the right time to begin a national discussion about where, if at all, any lines will be drawn to protect privacy rights.

The need to draw some lines is already becoming clear. Recent reports revealed clandestine tests at a Wal-Mart store where RFID tags were inserted in packages of Max Factor lipsticks, with RFID scanners hidden on nearby shelves. The radio signals triggered nearby surveillance cameras to allow researchers 750 miles away to watch those consumers in action. A similar test occurred with Gillette razors at another Wal-Mart store.

These excesses suggest that Congress may need to step in at some point. When privacy intrusions reach the point of behavior that is absurdly out of bounds, we find ourselves having to deal with such issues as the “Video Voyeurism Prevention Act,” a bill now before Congress that would ban the use of camera to spy in bathrooms and up women’s skirts, a practice that by now has even been given a name, “upskirting,” which I’m sure is as new to you as it is to most of us in Congress.

Other powerful new technologies are on the horizon, like sensor technology and nanotechnology. All the more reason to think about these issues broadly and to establish guiding principles serving the twin goals of fostering useful technologies while keeping them from overtaking our civil liberties.

With RFID technology as with many other surveillance technologies, we need to consider how it will be used, and will it be effective. What information will it gather, and how long will that data be kept? Who will have access to those data banks, and under what checks-and-balances? Will the public have appropriate notice, opportunity to consent and due process in the case mistakes are made? How will the data be secured from theft, negligence and abuse, and how will accuracy be ensured? In what cases should law enforcement agencies be able to use this information, and what safeguards should apply? There should be a general presumption that Americans can know when their personal information is collected, and to see, check and correct any errors.

These are all questions we need to consider, and it is entirely possible that Congress may decide that enacting general parameters would be constructive. It is important that we let RFID technology reach its potential without unnecessary constraints. But it is equally important that we ensure protections against privacy invasions and other abuses. Technology may also help with the answers -- for example, “blockers” that deactivate RFID tags, and software that thwarts spyware.

Beginning A National Dialogue

There is no downside to a public dialogue about these issues, but there are many dangers in waiting too long to start. We need clear communication about the goals, plans and uses of the technology, so that we can think in advance about the best ways to encourage innovation, while conserving the public’s right to privacy.

We have seen this time and time again where a potentially good approach is hampered because of lack of communication with Congress, the public and lack of adequate consideration for privacy and civil liberties.

Take for example the so-called CAPPS II program. No doubt in a post-9/11 world, we should have an effective airline screening system. But the Administration quietly put this program together, collected passengers’ information without their knowledge and piloted this program without communicating with us and before privacy protections were in place. The result was a recent GAO analysis that showed pervasive problems in the screening program and admissions that we are now set back in our efforts to create an effective screening system.

As another example, the Administration recently funded the MATRIX program to provide law enforcement access to state government and commercial databases. This was potentially a useful crime-fighting tool. But there was insufficient information about the program and about potentially intrusive data mining capabilities, and there were unaddressed concerns about privacy protections. Now 11 out of 16 states participating in the program have pulled out – many, citing privacy concerns – thus hampering the effectiveness of the information sharing program. Again, had some of these issues been vetted in advance, we may have been able to enhance law enforcement intelligence.

Just recently, there were reports about the FBI’s new Strategic Medical Intelligence program, in which doctors have been enlisted to report to the FBI “any suspicious event,” such as an unusual rash or a lost finger. The goal of preventing bio-terrorism is important. But there are many unanswered questions about the program’s privacy protections and its ability to identify truly suspicious events and not unrelated personal medical situations. Hopefully, this program will not be hampered by lack of communication and oversight.

I have written oversight letters to the Justice Department and to the Department of Homeland Security on all of these issues and am waiting for their responses.

I want to make sure that mistakes like those are not repeated, especially with RFID technology, where there is so much potential value. That is why I asked to speak with you today, to begin the process of encouraging public dialogue in both the commercial and public sectors before the RFID genie is let fully out of its bottle.

This is a dialogue that should cut across the political spectrum, and it should include the possibility of constructive, bipartisan congressional hearings. The earlier we begin this discussion, the greater the prospects for success in reaching consensus on a set of guiding principles.

When several of us from both parties banded together years ago to found the Congressional Internet Caucus, we were united by our appreciation for what the Internet would do for our society. Years later, we remain united, we remain optimistic, and partisanship has never interfered in the Caucus’s work.

That is the spirit in which I hope a discussion can now begin on micro-monitoring.

Thank you for your interest in these cutting-edge issues, and thanks for this opportunity to share some ideas with you.