RFID Data Center Application Improves Asset Inventory Process

Computer assets tagged with RFID are easier to identify and track. The information technology industry is beginning to embrace the technology for the data center applications. ...

... "Financial institutions using RFID are seeing on average a 90% decrease in the amount of time it takes to inventory their IT assets, says John Fricke, chief of staff at the New York-based Financial Services Technology ... " ...

Via Computerworld: RFID in the data center

Wells Fargo embraces the use the RFID technology in the data center.

IT Hardware RFID Asset Tracking Standard

The financial services industry, through the Financial Services Technology Consortium, looks to RFID technology in asset tracking role. The group is working on numbering and tagging standards that can be adopted by information technology hardware vendors. ...

... "FSTC's desire to provide guidance to members adopting radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to drive efficiency, accuracy, and security. The member banks are looking for a numbering strategy, and a performance baseline. The goal is to create an incentive for hardware vendors such as Dell, HP, and others to pre-tag and pre-number assets prior to shipping. " ...

Via Financial Services Technology Consortium: IT Data Center Asset Tracking

RFID in the Data Center

ABI analyst sees RFID as an enabler to efficiency in the data center, automating manual processes. ...

... "With RFID technology, Collins said employees could simply walk around the data center with handheld RFID readers and determine what's present and what's missing. " ...

Via Computerworld: Data center asset tracking

HP RFID Data Center Management

HP launches RFID-enabled data center management service. The RFID technology will support visibility to assets and reduce loss, increase security, and improve management controls. ...

... "The HP Factory Express RFID Service tracks critical data center assets, such as HP factory-built servers, storage devices and rack enclosures, so customers can continuously monitor the equipment as soon as it is received at their facilities. When deployed as part of a full RFID solution from HP and its partners, the service automates and tracks device movement, providing an accurate inventory of all assets throughout their lifecycle. RFID is a data-collection technology that uses radio waves to remotely store and retrieve data to identify objects. It provides companies with up-to-the-minute supply chain visibility, including inventory, logistics and freshness dates. Data center asset management is becoming crucial to customers, particularly those with thousands of servers in multiple data centers across several geographies. Many data centers operate with manual inventory lists and have low inventory accuracy. With moves, adds and changes, keeping track of technology devices can be complex. HP's RFID tagging process allows technology devices to be scanned from the factory to the customer without requiring workers to manually inventory each asset. Customers can then quickly locate and maintain devices with minimal employee intervention, saving time and reducing loss or theft of valuable technology assets. " ...

Via HP: RFID Service for Tracking Data Center Assets

RFID Store Promotion Solution Enables Kimberly-Clark

Kimberly-Clark deploys OATSystems' OAT Mobile Tag to enhance in-store promotions through this mobile RFID tagging solution. The OAT solution supports Kimberly-Clark's implementation of RFID-enabled stores in new geographies. ...

... "Like other consumer product companies, Kimberly-Clark invests significantly in in-store product promotions, using as a primary vehicle a manufactured display that features the promoted product. These displays are typically shipped from Kimberly-Clark's contracted manufacturers directly to retailers' stores. All too frequently, operational challenges prevent these displays from reaching the sales floor at the beginning of the promotional period. In fact, industry statistics show that between 15% to 40% of stores fail to move displays to the sales floor on time, missing critical promotional windows and the opportunity to increase sales. Working with OATSystems, Kimberly-Clark has solved this complex operational problem using the latest RFID technology and a mobile tagging solution.

The solution, which incorporates the Mobile Tagging Station from ADASA, enables Kimberly-Clark's third-party contract manufacturers to apply RFID tags to promotional displays. In-store RFID readers read the displays' tags to record when they reach the backroom of the store and again when the displays reach the sales floor. When a display's tag is read, data is sent to Kimberly-Clark and the retailer showing whether the display has reached the sales floor on time. With this innovation, Kimberly-Clark and its retail customers can intervene promptly when displays fail to reach the sales floor on time. This benefits Kimberly-Clark, the retailer and the consumer by ensuring promoted products are where customers expect them to be. " ...

Via OATSystems: Kimberly-Clark Deploys First Mobile RFID Tagging Solution; Uses OATSystems' Mobile Tag

RFID-Enabled Data Center: Tape Location

Imation teams with B&L Associates, Inc. to deliver an RFID-enabled tape tracking system. Imation's DataGuard system is integrated with B&L's VaultLedger or Vertices software to support data administrators work processes: storage, protection, tracking and instantly location of th audit trail of every data cartridge in their data center's tape libraries. ...

... "With RFID-tagged labels affixed to each tape cartridge, administrators can easily check-in and check-out each cartridge via entry and exit workstations. The cartridges -- or case of cartridges -- are then tracked via the B&L VaultLedger or Vertices software. " ...

B&L Associates Partners with Imation to Deliver Next-Generation Tape Tracking System Software

RFID-Enabled Mobile Clinical Assistant, MCA

Motion Computing introduces new C5 mobile clinical assistant (MCA) at UCSF Medical Center. The MCA is a new computing category that enables the healthcare processes of nurses, physicians and other clinicians with mobility. The Motion C5 integrates reliable, automated patient data management at the point of care. UCSF piloted the the mobile clinical assistant to assess clinician productivity improvements through enabling mobile point of care. Its analysis demonstrates a substantial improvement in nurse productivity, satisfaction and documentation accuracy. ...

... "This collaborative effort resulted in development of the Motion C5 - designed with and for clinicians - that is now being implemented in clinician usability studies worldwide. The C5 is the first highly sealed, fully disinfectable computer to integrate into one durable device the relevant technologies important to clinician workflow and productivity. The C5 combines multiple devices into one - including a built-in barcode and RFID reader for patient identification and supply, specimen and medication administration verification; a built-in camera; and a fingerprint reader to improve security and simplify clinician authentication. " ...

Via Motion Computing: Motion Launches Industry's First Mobile Clinical Assistant Designed Specifically for Clinicians ...

RFID Retail Shopping Experience

Media cart application uses RFID technology to enhance the customer shopping experience. ...

... "The store installs tiny tags on each shelf that emit a radio signal, telling the cart where it is. The cart holds a computer with all the digital ads and product data, which is called up automatically ... " ...

Via WFAA: Shopping Aids

RFID Drug Authentication eCustoms

IBM announces solution that provides ability to share and analyze real-time RFID sensor data to enable drug authentication and e-customs for clients in the pharmaceutical value chain. ...

... "The new technology, WebSphere RFID Information Center, is based on a recently completed EPCglobal standard called EPCIS, which provides a standard way to securely communicate the data created by sensors and RFID tags, and tie it to existing business information and trading partners. The growing trend of item-level tagging will create exponential growth in sensor data well beyond that generated from conventional barcode technology. This creates a need for a new way to manage this explosion of data in a manner that does not overwhelm a business and its supply chain partners. In addition to managing the massive amount of data RFID creates, two other barriers to widespread RFID adoption to date have been the lack of standards and data sharing capabilities. RFID Information Center solves all of these issues, clearing the way for wider-spread RFID adoption in various industries.

The IBM WebSphere RFID Information Center has already been successfully deployed for a number of early-adopter IBM clients across several industries, including consumer packaged goods company Unilever, the e-customs project ITAIDE in Europe, and Big Three pharmaceutical distributor AmerisourceBergen. " ...

Via IBM: IBM Enables Drug Authentication, E-Customs With Release of New RFID Technology ...

RFID Technology Enables Asia Logistics for Metro Supply Chain

The METRO Group and Savi Networks will collaborate to implement the Advanced Logistics Asia (ALA) project. The project will deploy RFID radio frequency identification technology to monitor the location and security of inventory shipped from Asia to Europe in real-time through the supply chain. ...

... "The ALA project, managed by METRO Group Buying Hong Kong (MGB Hong Kong), will utilize SaviTrak(TM), a web-based, real-time information service that leverages automatic data transmissions from Electronic Product Code (EPC) - compliant passive and active RFID tags, among other wireless devices, on shipments transported throughout the global supply chain. MGB Hong Kong manages METRO Group imports from sourcing to delivery at Distribution Centers in Germany. Under the ALA project, SaviTrak will monitor a variety of retail products while they are transported through a global RFID reader network, stretching from a consolidation center in Hong Kong, through the Port of Hong Kong, to the Port of Rotterdam, the inland Port of Duisburg in Germany and finally to a METRO Group distribution center in Unna, Germany.



Active, battery-powered RFID tags on containers will be utilized to automatically transmit information into the SaviTrak information service. As a six-month pilot, the ALA project is designed to evaluate improvements in the visibility, management and security of inventory while it is transported end-to-end. The project will further evaluate investment returns in reduced lead times and inventory, improved customer service as well as supply chain and financial performance." ...

Via Savi Networks: The METRO Group and Savi Networks Launch Real-Time Information Service on Inventory Shipped From Asia to Europe

Philips RFID: Healthcare Assets

Philips RFID technology is focused on the healthcare market combined with services. The first customer to deploy the Philips asset tracking solution is the University Medical Center (UMC) in Tucson, Ariz. Philips installation at UMC is one of the healthcare industry's largest Wi-Fi-based asset tracking projects. This RFID implementation covers eight floors and a million square feet with 2,300 RFID-tagged assets in use throughout the hospital. The hospital workforce will use the Philips RFID solution to track and manage medical equipment, such as infusion pumps, beds, monitors, wheelchairs and other portable devices. ...

... "Helping hospitals to focus on the patient, Philips' asset tracking solution helps locate hospital assets through Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. The solution is designed to work within existing wireless infrastructure, allowing hospitals to leverage investments they have already made in wireless technology. Philips' asset tracking solution consists of a suite of services to maximize the solution's benefits, including wireless tags, a location engine and the MobileView user interface. Product tracking information is fed into the location engine and the asset's position can then be portrayed on a map, in a table, or in a report format for any networked hospital user. In addition to pinpointing lost equipment, the information gathered from the asset tracking solution can help improve asset utilization and work flow efficiencies.

The Philips asset tracking solution is designed around each hospital's specific use cases to help solve problems such as productivity, regulation requirements, utilization, theft, and loss. With an understanding of the unique requirements that the healthcare environment demands, Philips has an advanced solution that can enable hospitals to make facility-wide improvement. The Philips asset tracking solution utilizes technology that includes wireless tags, a location engine, and the MobileView user interface. The tags, which can be attached to most mobile assets, transmit to the hospital’s existing 802.11 infrastructure. This information is fed into the location engine and the asset's position can then be portrayed on a map, or in a table or report format for any networked hospital user. " ...

Via Philips: Philips Delivers New Radiology Products At 2006 RSNA That Present Clinicians with a Clear View of Patient Data and a Clear Path to Patient Care

Solar RFID: RPI Pilot

RPI pilots solar-powered RFID readers to collect traffic data and monitor flow. The portable RFID reader has the potential to decrease traffic congestion and enable travel time estimation in real-time, using intelligence dynamically about work zones, events, etc. When fully networked, the RFID-enable database can recommend the best driving routes and avoid construction zones and accidents. ...

... "In the coming months, the units will be deployed to collect traffic data during the morning commute on busy Capital Region roads. The portable units, which are based on the same technology as E-ZPass tag readers, could eventually be used to provide valuable data for a variety of applications, from decreasing congestion in work zones to assisting emergency evacuations. A portable, solar-powered tag reader that collects data to monitor traffic flow. The research is funded through a $3.9 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration to the Center for Infrastructure and Transportation Studies (CITS) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. " ...

Via Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: Portable, Solar-Powered Tag Readers Could Improve Traffic Management

RFID Pilot: Cardinal Health Completes

Cardinal Health completes its RFID pilot, which tested RFID tags for end-to-end pharma packaging and distribution business processes. The pilot tested the application of tags and the utilization of item level tracking techniques. Alien Technology, IBM, and Verisign provided hardware, software and implementation services. The application and encoding of the RFID tags approached 100 percent success rates. Reliable read rates were best achieved at the individual case level. The pilot was a fruitful learning experience for the pharma industry. ...

... "The pilot program tested whether ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) tags could be applied, encoded and read at normal production speeds during packaging and distribution of pharmaceuticals. Verifying the authenticity of medications along each step of the distribution process adds an additional layer of security to lessen the chance of counterfeit pharmaceuticals entering the supply chain. It is also hoped that RFID data could improve efficiencies in the supply chain. Pilot Program Background: In conducting the industry's first end-to-end pilot program, Cardinal Health used new technology to place RFID tags on the labels of brand-name solid-dose prescription drugs, then encoded the electronic product code (EPC) standard data at the unit, case and pallet levels during the packaging process. The products were shipped to a Cardinal Health distribution center in Findlay, Ohio, where the data was read and authenticated as products were handled under typical operating conditions. Normal procedures were enhanced with RFID hardware and software from Alien Technology Corporation and IBM along with project management support from VeriSign.

RFID Labeling and Online Encoding: Data collected from the pilot suggest that it is feasible for RFID tags to be inlaid into existing FDA-approved pharmaceutical label stock, and the tags can be applied and encoded on packaging lines at normal operational speeds. Online encoding yields were 95 percent to 97 percent, and fine tuning of the process is expected to produce yields that approach 100 percent. The RFID tag application and encoding requires minimal adjustments to current labeling and packaging lines.

RFID Read Rates: Unit-level read rate data varied widely depending on the locations and type of reading stations throughout the supply chain. Highly reliable unit-level read rates in excess of 96 percent were found when reading individual cases one at a time and when reading units mixed with other products in tote containers prepared for delivery to a pharmacy. However, as expected, unit-level read rates were not found to be reliable when attempting to read units within a full pallet of product. " ...

Via Cardinal Health: Cardinal Health Releases RFID Pilot Results ...

RFID Packaging Machinery Applications ...

Applications of RFID technology to packaging machines will be demonstrated at the Pack Expo upcoming. ...

... "RFID PAVILION: The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Pavilion will again highlight solutions that meet the requirements of the entire supply chain. Included in the exhibits will be technologies to upgrade conventional lines into RFID-enabled packaging lines capable of applying multi-pack, case and pallet tags online. Also view the latest advances designed to verify the presence of tags, write to the tags and validate data on the tags.

WHEN: October 29 - November 2, 2006 9 am to 5 pm Sunday through Wednesday 9 am to 2 pm Thursday

WHERE: PACK EXPO International 2006 McCormick Place Convention Center Chicago, Illinois " ...

Via PRNewsWire: Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI): Leveraging the Power of Packaging to Grow Brand Sales ...

RFID Partnership Implement Location Tracking ...

Atos Origin and Globe Ranger partner to deliver RFID location tracking solution for FloraHolland to automate the auction inventory process. ...

... "Atos Origin and GlobeRanger, the leading provider of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), mobility and sensor-based software solutions, announced a strategic partnership that will offer innovative RFID services to the market. FloraHolland, the largest flower auction company in the world, is the first customer where their joint RFID solution is implemented. FloraHolland is a co-operation of flower and plant growers worldwide that had a turnover of over 2 billion Euros in 2005. Each day approximately 4,000 buyers (dealers and exporters) from around the world purchase fresh flowers in its international trade center, using 26 auction clocks online or using FloraHolland's direct sales force. FloraHolland houses flowers from approximately 7,000 growers worldwide. FloraHolland is a warehouse that is about the size of 100 football fields and one of the largest commercial warehouses in Europe. During the daily auctions, more than 100.000 trolleys of flowers are constantly being moved from one location to another for selling and shipping to the world wide customers. Atos Origin's implementation of GlobeRanger's iMotion solution for FloraHolland applies RFID technology to capture location data of flowers in moving trolleys, as well as to make this information available instantly for the auction's IT systems, and employees. RFID makes it possible to log all movements of every individual trolley and control the process. The trolleys and tractors have RFID tags and there are RFID loops embedded in the floor. " ...

Via Atos Origin: Atos Origin and GlobeRanger start implementation of innovative RFID solution at FloraHolland

HP RFID: DataCenter Asset Tracking ...

Meijer, a large privately held retailer, tests HP RFID solution for the tracking of assets in the data center. HP is investing in RFID technology to help retailers and manufacturers optimize their supply chain costs while accelerating the speed to market. ...

... "HP announced its researchers have created a radio frequency identification (RFID) asset tracking technology for data centers and successfully tested it at a major retailer. The technology was developed by HP Labs, the company's central research facility, and tested at Meijer Inc., a retailer with more than 170 grocery and specialty stores in the midwestern United States. The solution could automatically monitor data center assets, providing real-time tracking and auditing of servers, networking equipment, server and storage enclosures and other technology using RFID.

The technology uses RFID readers and RFID tags to monitor the location of individual components within the data center, including the addition of new devices and device movement to other areas. The sensing infrastructure creates a high-resolution view of devices throughout the data center. The system also can provide historical data related to additions, changes and moves of servers and server-related equipment. " ...

Via HP: HP Creates RFID Technology for Tracking Data Center Assets:

RFID Enterprise Service Upgrade ...

BEA WebLogic RFID product family is a component of the BEA's service oriented architecture. RFID Enterprise Server 2.0 is available for download. The RFID system's event repository is interoperable with the Electronic Product Code Information Services (EPCIS) standards. ...

... "A core component of the BEA WebLogic RFID product family, BEA WebLogic RFID Enterprise Server is designed to help enable central management of RFID data collected at the edge of an enterprise, i.e. inside a retail store, warehouse or data center. With enhanced support for industry standards and Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), the 2.0 release of BEA WebLogic RFID Enterprise Server provides a suite of six services that can help manage and coordinate RFID data and edge operations globally. BEA WebLogic RFID Enterprise Server 2.0 complements the BEA WebLogic Edge Server and BEA WebLogic Compliance Express products, and is designed to make it easier to bridge the gaps between people, processes, applications and systems across enterprise and trading partners. BEA WebLogic RFID Enterprise Server 2.0 can provide customers unprecedented visibility into product movement data, and is designed to help enable them to derive business value more quickly from RFID data collected at the edge. " ...

Via BEA Systems: BEA Strengthens RFID Infrastructure Software for Enterprise-Grade Deployments ...

RFID Wireless Communications Enables Distribution Visibility ...

Food distibutors implement RFID wireless communications system to support supply chain visibility to temperature compliance. ...

... "Two Los Angeles-area food distributors have recently purchased and deployed the new ReeferTrak Scout units and base stations at their distribution centers. ReeferTrak Scout is an RFID wireless communications system that gives users full two-way command and control capability of their refrigerated truck and trailer fleets when the units are within a several mile range of a base station-equipped distribution center. When the reefers are operating out of range of the distribution center, the Scout unit logs GPS, trip and refrigeration unit performance data and automatically downloads the information to StarTrak's central data center via the local base station upon return to the center. Customers use the data to immediately confirm temperature compliance of the shipment from origin to destination. The base stations' several mile RFID range provides excellent coverage of distribution facilities, allowing customers to achieve significant savings in yard operations, fuel usage and product quality. " ...

Alanco Technologies: Alanco's StarTrak Announces New ReeferTrak Scout RFID Product Line For Local Refrigerated Food Distribution ...

RFID Medical Record Army System ...

3M will implement RFID-enabled medical record system for the US Army that support their operational efficiency objectives and increase the quality of services through reduced errors. ...

... "3M has been awarded a $3.76 million contract to develop and install a system that uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to track medical files at the U.S. Army's massive Fort Hood Installation in Texas. The system is expected to make a positive impact on operational efficiencies in health care delivery, the troop deployment process and the management of medical data collection. The active medical records of more than 150,000 servicemen and women and their dependents are housed at five sites at Fort Hood, and as many as 70,000 files may be in use at the base's six clinics during the course of a month.



The RFID system is intended to substantially reduce errors and inefficiencies associated with manual tracking, retrieval, filing and file merging methods. The tracking of Army medical records through RFID technology is an innovation led by the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC), a unit of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC). Fort Hood, situated about 60 miles north of Austin, the state capital, is the nation's largest active duty domestic military installation, occupying some 340 square miles. The Army becomes the third federal entity to employ RFID systems from 3M, following similar decisions recently by the Tax Division of the Department of Justice and the U.S. Tax Court. Unlike the other applications, however, the system in development for the Army requires higher-performance capability and a greater degree of continuous and automatic tracking of the files. " ...

Via 3M: United States Army Awards Contract to 3M for Pilot RFID Program To Track and Manage Medical Records at Fort Hood ...

RFID Chips Support Electronic Medical Records ...

VeriChip, Hackensack Medical Center, and Horizon BCBS NJ collaborate to enable an real-time on-demand electronic medical record through RFID technology, which will be accomplished through RFID implants in patients. ...

... "Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the state's oldest and largest health insurer, announced a two-year collaboration with Hackensack University Medical Center, its physicians, and the VeriChip Corporation (VeriChip) to implant FDA-approved microchips in chronically ill patients enabling emergency room physicians to access those patients' medical record electronically. The microchips provide immediate access to family contact information and information about the patients' medical histories that could mean the difference between life and death in an emergency. Horizon BCBSNJ will make the new technology, developed by the VeriChip Corporation of Delray Beach, Florida, available to select members with chronic conditions. Those members who participate in the program will agree to have an implantable radio frequency identification device (RFID), the size of a grain of rice, placed under their skin. VeriChip calls the RFID a personal health record module. The information on the module will include medical information from Horizon BCBSNJ's claim records, such as lab test data and pharmacy prescription information. This module emits a 16-digit number that links the patient to their electronic medical record when a special hand-held scanner is waved over it. The pilot program will give Hackensack Medical Center physicians access to the member's electronic medical records and other vital information in the event the chronically ill member cannot respond during an emergency. The content of the electronic medical records will be approved by each member and include information about their condition, family contact information as well as lab test data and pharmacy information maintained by Horizon BCBSNJ. " ...

RFID Chips Support Electronic Medical Records: Via VeriChip: Horizon Blue Cross to Sponsor Two-Year Pilot With Hackensack to Implant Microchips in Chronically Ill Patients ...

RFID Oracle EdgeServer Success ...

Noel SA, South American CPG company, successfully uses Oracle RFID edge services to understand the application of RFID to logistics business processes. ...

... "Noel SA used RFID-enabled Oracle Warehouse Management (WMS), part of the Oracle E-Business Suite, as the logistics platform for the pilot, which included tagging 2,000 pallets of Ducales cookies that were sent to the distribution center in Medell? Colombia. Noel SA used Oracle Sensor Edge Server, a component of Oracle Fusion Middleware, to connect and manage all the devices on the RFID system, including tag printers and readers. Data captured from the system was processed by Oracle WMS and synchronized with the Oracle enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications. Each pallet received a passive RFID tag, which included important order information such as the lot number and product expiration date.



The RFID-tagged pallets were read throughout the supply chain from the production floor to the final distribution center to ensure proper delivery of orders. Once the pallet arrived at the distribution center of Medell? it was read again to reconcile the sales order and fulfillment information held in the Oracle order management system. At the conclusion of the pilot, Noel SA uncovered that the bar code process prior to the RFID pilot was being executed incorrectly, rendering inventory and shipment data inaccurate. Noel SA gained valuable visibility into its operations such as inventory management and order fulfillment using RFID. The company plans to begin the roll out of a full-scale RFID system in the future. " ...

Via Oracle: Noel SA Successfully Completes RFID Pilot Based on Oracle Solutions

RFID Lab Retail Analytics ...

Teradata creates RFID laboratory to focus on analytics in retail applications. ...

... "Teradata, a division of NCR Corporation, has established an advanced analytics lab specifically for retailers and consumer goods companies where information on the most important facets of their operations can be discovered. The lab also analyzes data captured by radio frequency identification (RFID) applications across the supply chain. The new Retail Advanced Business Analytics & RFID Lab is housed at the Teradata Benchmark Center in Rancho Bernardo, Calif. The lab demonstrates to retailers and consumer goods companies how their data can be used in innovative ways to derive incremental business value. Focal points at the lab include deep analytics, predictive modeling, data mining, and RFID data analysis. Analytical results are presented using data visualization technologies. " ...

RFID Lab Retail Analytics: Via Teradata: New Teradata Retail Advanced Business Analytics & RFID Lab Delivers Insight from Enterprise or RFID Data

RFID Drug Authenticity Pilot at Cardinal Health ...

Cardinal Health begins second wave of RFID testing that supports the safety of the drug supply. RFID technology will enable in-process authentication as drugs make their way through the extended supply chain. Cardinal will also look for ways to achieve operational efficiencies from the RFID-enabled supply chain information. The company is expecting to complete this wave of tests by the 4th Quarter of 2006. ...

... "Cardinal Health, Inc., the leading provider of products and services supporting the health-care industry, announced the next phase of the first end-to-end pilot program to test technology that could improve the safety and efficiency of the nation's drug supply. The pilot program will begin to tag medication with labels carrying unique data that can be captured and read to verify its authenticity at each step of the supply chain. Verifying the authenticity of pharmaceuticals along each step of the distribution path adds an additional layer of security to lessen the chance of counterfeit pharmaceuticals entering the supply chain. In addition, the data gathered could improve efficiency as logistics experts at Cardinal Health will be able to analyze the data to identify bottlenecks, read rates and other opportunities to improve efficiency in the supply chain.

In conducting the end-to-end pilot program, Cardinal Health will use new technology to place radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on the labels of brand-name and generic solid-dose prescription drugs at the company's Printed Components facility in Moorestown, N.J. Next, the company's facility in Philadelphia will encode the electronic product code (EPC) standard data at the unit, case and pallet levels during the packaging process. The products will be then shipped to a Cardinal Health distribution center in Findlay, Ohio, where the data will be read and authenticated as products are handled under normal operating conditions. Normal operating procedures will be enhanced with RFID hardware and software from Alien Technology Corporation and IBM along with project management support from VeriSign. From Findlay, the tagged product will be sent to a health-care provider to further test read rates and data flow using the same technology as the distribution center. The product dispensed to patients will not be in the RFID packaging. The company launched the pilot in February and expects to complete the test in the fall." ...

RFID Drug Authenticity Pilot at Cardinal: Via Cardinal Health: Cardinal Health Announces Next Phase Of RFID Pilot ...

RFID Garment HangTags Manage Inventory ...

Checkpoint implements RFID garment hangtags for Lemmi to management apparel inventory in the supply chain. ...

... "Checkpoint Systems, Inc., one of the largest manufacturers and marketers of RF and RFID based solutions for security, identification, tracking and merchandising applications in the world, announced they were chosen by Lemmi Fashion, a Fritzlar, Germany-based producer of children's apparel, to supply the company and its strategic partners with RFID (radio frequency identification) hangtags. The RFID consumables will be used as part of a strategic initiative to help improve Lemmi's speed to market, inventory management, and order accuracy. Checkpoint Systems is supplying Lemmi's manufacturing partners in Asia and Europe with Performa(R) 13.56 MHz RFID-enabled hangtags. The hangtags, which include a visible version of the RFID tag and a traditional bar code, contain data such as article number, size, and color. The tagging process begins when Lemmi's partners apply Performa RFID-enabled garment tags to items at their production sites. The goods are recorded when they are shipped from the manufacturer to Lemmi's distribution center (DC), and upon receipt at the DC. Movements within the DC are also recorded, and Lemmi reads the RFID tags a final time at the shipping area to confirm that all items required for the shipment have been packed." ...

RFID Garment HangTags Manage Inventory: Via Checkpoint Systems, Inc.: Lemmi Fashion Selects Checkpoint Systems RFID Hangtags to Improve Customer Service and Delivery Reliability; Apparel Manufacturer Partners with Checkpoint to Ensure RFID Tag Performance, Production and Fulfillment Requirements ...

RFID Lab Provides Hands-On Classroom Experience ...

Stratum Global will provide the RFID technology foundation for the hands-on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) lab in Illinois at Oakton Community College, serving fourteen northern Chicago suburbs.

... "The Community College RFID lab will be located at Oakton’s new Art, Science, and Technology Pavilion in Skokie. Stratum Global, William Frick, Intel and Intermec Technologies Corp. are providing Oakton with the tools required to develop an RFID lab and curriculum that will give students the opportunity to study the dynamics of how RFID infrastructure, readers, tags, and software logic solve business problems.

Stratum Global’s TagNet RFID solution suite will serve as the software application foundation for understanding the integration components and the dynamics between the infrastructure, tags and readers. Students will use the software to manage and configure readers, conduct remote diagnostics, commission and interrogate tags, verify tag reads against existing enterprise data and create rules to establish application level events. William Frick, based in Libertyville, IL, specializes in tag and labeling solution offerings. Frick will assist in developing the tag curriculum as it relates to tag materials, tags for high impact or rugged environments, application of active or passive tags, high visibility tags as well as tagging location. Frick will provide the lab with a variety of tag types for the students to work with on different materials, in multiple scenarios. Students will have a firm understanding of the differences between tags types, where those types are applicable and how to effectively construct a tagging methodology. Enterprise data will reside on an Intel based P4 and Xeon Server infrastructure. Data will be used to commission tags, construct work rules and manage events. Stratum Global’s TagNet® will ensure a seamless flow of data within the RFID environment, between the Intermec Readers, antennas, tags and the Intel platform.

RFID hardware will be provided by Intermec and will include Intermec’s IF5 fixed readers, IP3® portable readers, and a combination of Intermec Intellitag antennas. Students will use the hardware to understand how physical readers, handhelds and antennas are used to develop portals, and how portal development impacts read rates and the dynamics of hardware configuration. The hardware and curriculum will prepare students for careers in RFID, with a firm understanding of the technology required for a successful implementation and how that implementation can bring continuous process improvement to the business. " ...

Via Stratum Global: Hands-On RFID Lab at Oakton Community College: Industry leaders collaborate to develop lab and curriculum ...

Additional resources on university RFID labs:

Via Cal Poly: RFID HIGHLIGHTS: "Fred Abler, Tali Freed visited Sun Microsystems in Menlo Park, CA for a day of meetings to present the Cal Poly RFID Research and Testing Lab to a team of SUN executives. The meeting was arranged by Sema Alptekin, a Cal Poly IME professor currently on sabbatical at UC Berkeley. During the day-long series of meetings, the directors presented their vision for RFID Research at CAL POLY, resulting in the RFID Research and Testing Lab being nominated to become the SUN Center of Excellence for RFID."

Via University of Wisconsin: Headlines for March 21, 2005: "The RFID laboratory on the UW-Madison campus enables RFID workgroup members to conduct structured experiments ranging from tag placement to antenna design. "

Via University of Arkansas - Daily Headlines: "The University of Arkansas RFID Research Center laboratory has passed accreditation criteria established by EPCglobal Inc., a global not-for-profit standards organization commercializing the Electronic Product CodeT (EPC) and RFID worldwide. The UA lab is one of the first EPC/RFID research laboratories worldwide to receive the EPCglobal Performance Test Center accreditation. The RFID Research Center, a subunit of the Information Technology Research Institute, housed in the university's Sam M. Walton College of Business."

RFID Emergency Card: Enables Electronic Health Record ...

MedicAlert will show its RFID-enabled smart-card for enabling emergency medical care through the use of identification and electronic health records. ...

... "MedicAlert will be showcasing technology products - the MedicAlert® E-HealthKEY, the Health Enhancement System (HES), and the RFID Emergency Card in response to the federal government’s goal to give all Americans electronic medical records in the coming years. Within a few years, one-third of all Americans will be elderly – about 77 million people – the single biggest demographic group in the country. Globally, the U.S. will have the largest population of elderly people in the history of the world. " ...

RFID Emergency Card: Enables Electronic Health Record: Via MedicAlert: MedicAlert® to showcase technology at the White House Conference on Aging ...

MedicAlert® is committed to providing technology-based solutions and is an active member and a leader in developing interoperability standards with all the major Healthcare IT standards organizations. The MedicAlert® repository uses Web service interfaces to support standard Electronic Health Records (EHRs), including electronic drug prescriptions and for patient record interoperability. These activities will ensure the rapid development and deployment of standards to improve the quality of care, lower healthcare costs while increasing patient safety. MedicAlert® is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1956 with a mission to protect and save lives, is headquartered in the United States and has international affiliates in nine countries.

Additional resources on uses of RFID to support emergency health care or electronic health care identification:

Health Care CIO Runs Internal RFID Test - Computerworld: "Halamka said this month that when the chip is scanned by an RFID reader, an identifying number directs physicians to his medical records, which are stored electronically at CareGroup's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. "

VeriChip launches secure database to consult health care data stored on implantable RFID chips: "VeriChip is a miniaturised, implantable, radio frequency identification device (RFID) which can be used in a variety of security, emergency, and health care applications. About the size of a grain of rice, each VeriChip is composed of FDA-accepted materials and contains a unique verification number which can seamlessly integrate to the GVS Registry."

RFID can be a matter of life and death in the medical world | WTN: "Radio frequency identification technology is often touted as a way to improve supply chain management. But in the health care world, the technology is bringing other, perhaps more important benefits: safety and security."

RFID Catheter Data Transfer ...

Catheter manufacturer integrates RFID chip technology into latest model to support data transfer ...

RFID Catheter Data Transfer: Via Volcano Corp: Volcano Corporation Announces FDA Clearance of the Revolution™ 45 MHz IVUS Imaging Catheter: Novel Design will Allow Use of Phased Array and Rotational Catheters on Same IVUS Console ...

... "The Revolution Catheter has a center operating frequency of 45 MHz, making it the highest frequency intravascular catheter approved for sale in the U.S. The Revolution is built on intellectual property and technology recently licensed and acquired from Philips NV of The Netherlands. Volcano expects this imaging technology will appeal to a number of physicians who have trained using high frequency rotating IVUS imaging catheters. The Revolution also incorporates enhanced polymer transitions for improved handling and trackability, RFID chip technology for catheter data transfer, and a reinforced telescoping region for more reliable performance and reduced peri-procedural catheter failure and breakage. " ...

Volcano Corp. is a privately held medical device company founded in 2001. With over 475 worldwide employees, Volcano is dedicated to providing technologies leading to optimal management of coronary artery and peripheral vascular disease. Volcano products include Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) systems and catheters, as well as physiology guide wires. With global distribution, Volcano is a leading provider of innovative therapy-enabling and therapy-guiding technologies to the interventional cardiology and peripheral vascular fields.

RFID Industry Consolidation: BEA Acquisition

RFID middleware and service oriented architectures SOA are an enabling infrastructure for the RFID future. Consolidation in the RFID industry continues, as BEA Systems acquires ConnecTerra, a leading RFID middleware technology provider, to drive their SOA vision to the edge ...

RFID Industry Consolidation: BEA Acquisition: Via BEA Systems: BEA Acquires Pioneering Provider of RFID Infrastructure Software; Extends Infrastructure Offering to the Edge: ConnecTerra Adds World-Class RFID Expertise and Products to the BEA Infrastructure Portfolio; Can Help Companies Integrate Growing Volumes of Supply Chain Data Using SOA ...

... "BEA Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: BEAS), today announced the acquisition of ConnecTerra, a privately-held pioneer in RFID middleware technology based in Cambridge, Mass. The acquisition is designed to immediately extend the range of the BEA infrastructure portfolio to easily integrate Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and other device data as liquid assets available across a company's business units, applications and processes. The acquisition can help customers address the growing amount of RFID data captured across supply chains. ... ConnecTerra's RFID infrastructure software is designed to provide the core communications, security, policy and device management services which can be used to integrate devices into a wide range of applications. This includes software at the edge for filtering and device management at the local store, manufacturing plant or distribution center level; enterprise level software for centralized RFID data management; and compliance software to address RFID retail and defense mandates. BEA can augment ConnecTerra’s RFID software with its industry-leading infrastructure components to help provide a complete solution for customers looking to build new RFID enabled business processes. ConnecTerra and BEA have already worked together successfully over the past year with key customers to create market-specific solution bundles for pallet and case tracking applications in retail as well as mobile asset tracking in transportation. " ...

RFID Education Training Platform ...

RFID Education Training Platform: GlobeRanger, Ohio University Team to Provide RFID Platform for Education and Training ...

Industry academic partnership for RFID education and training platform ...

... "GlobeRanger’s iMotion platform allows unprecedented flexibility for Ohio University to leverage in studying how RFID, barcode and mobility applications can easily be developed and deployed while looking at the management of edge processes. As the use of AIDC continues to increase, the Center for Automatic Identification helps meet the educational and research needs of clients through its workshops, R&D work, standards comparisons and independent verification of customized research results. Past research includes two very comprehensive bar code symbology tests to establish base line reliability data for the first two-dimensional bar code symbologies (Code 16K and Code 49 Data Integrity Test) and to evaluate the robustness of those two high data capacity symbologies (Code 16K and Code 49 Data Integrity Test). " ...

The Ohio University Center for Automatic Identification is the nation's first university-based research center devoted solely to the study of automatic identification and data capture (AIDC). AIDC includes the technologies of bar coding, magnetic stripe and radio frequency identification, voice data entry. The Center was established in 1988 to provide a focused, unbiased, non-profit organization in recognition of the increasing uses of bar coding and other AIDC technologies.

GlobeRanger is the leading provider of RFID and mobility software solutions. Its innovative Edgeware™ platform, iMotion™, provides the critical infrastructure layer for managing devices, networks, data, and processes at the edge of the enterprise, enabling real-time response. iMotion serves as the foundation for GlobeRanger and its partners to rapidly develop, deploy, and manage RFID and mobile solutions. Founded in 1999, GlobeRanger is headquartered in Richardson, Texas.

EndtoEnd RFID Implementation: Collaborative Partnership ...

EndtoEnd RFID Implementation: Collaborative Partnership: Via Acsis: Acsis and Fibergrations Form Strategic Alliance and Reseller Partnership for End-to-End RFID Implementations: Food and Beverage and CPG Industries First to Benefit from Collaboration ...

Collaborative partnership enables end-to-end RFID implementations ...

... "Acsis, Inc., a leader in delivering enterprise data collection solutions announced that Fibergrations, a leading RFID integrator and installation provider, has joined Acsis’ partner program. The companies will leverage joint domain experience, providing customers with world-class RFID software and implementation expertise. Under the partnership, Fibergrations will utilize and market Acsis’ Data-Link™ Enterprise platform solution as part of its RFID solution portfolio. Additionally, Fibergrations will provide applications built on Data-Link™ for managing processes in the Food and Beverage industry using RFID technologies. " ...

SaviTrak RFID SourceTagging NestedVisibility

SaviTrak RFID SourceTagging NestedVisibility: Via Savi Technology: SAVI NETWORKS LAUNCHES SAVITRAK WITH 1ST RFID-TAGGED CONTAINERS FOR MAJOR SUPPLIER OF CONSUMER GOODS FROM ASIA TO THE U.S. : Network-Enabled Active RFID Container Tags and EPC Compliant Carton Tags Offer Japanese CPG Manufacturer Source Tagging and Nested Visibility: Network Solution Designed to Help Major Consumer Goods Supplier Meet and Exceed RFID Mandates While Providing Logistics and Security Value ...

SaviTrak enables RFID compliance while adding value through source tagging and nested visibility of intransit container shipment ...

... "Savi Networks LLC, a provider of RFID-enhanced information services for global container shipments, today announced the operational launch of its SaviTrak information network with the first commercial shipments of consumer product goods from a factory in China to a distribution center in Southern California. Savi Networks and Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.) Inc. (Mitsui USA) are providing real-time information and logistics services within the Network to a large Japan-based supplier of consumer goods to major U.S. retailers, including Wal-Mart. The shipments, currently on the water, are proving the commercial benefits the Network brings to major consumer goods suppliers in meeting and exceeding Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) compliance mandates while improving security, logistics data accuracy, visibility, and the operating metrics of containers and their contents. The information services, called SaviTrak, are provided on a per-container trip basis. " ...

DOD HandHeld RFID Computer ...

DOD HandHeld RFID Computer: Via Psion Teklogix: Psion Teklogix Rugged RFID Hand-Held Only One Tough Enough For DoD

Psion Tek secures DOD HandHeld RFID Computer contract ...

... "Psion Teklogix (LSE: PON), a global provider of solutions for mobile computing, wireless data collection, imaging and RFID, announced that its rugged EPC-compliant 7535 Hand-Held Computer with RD7950 Integrated UHF RFID Reader has been the only hand-held reader selected for use by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), U.S. Coast Guard and several other federal agencies. Psion Teklogix partners CDO Technologies, SYS-TEC and WFI Government Services have each been awarded a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) from the Army Contracting Agency Information Technology, E-Commerce, and Commercial Contracting Center (ITEC4), for passive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Electronic Product Code (EPC) -1 for Multi-protocol (Class 0 and 1) Hand-held Readers. " ...

Hosted RFID Software Speeds Compliance

Hosted RFID Software Speeds Compliance: Via Seeburger: IDnet: RFID Compliance Simplified: Hosted RFID ...

Seeburger offers a hosted RFID software solution that speeds the time to RFID compliance for small to medium-sized businesses ...

... "Smaller companies frequently cannot afford to purchase, install and manage the software required to meet these demands, while many larger firms are finding that their RFID implementations will not go live in time to meet customer deadlines. As a hosted solution, IDnet eliminates the upfront capital expenses and ongoing overhead associated with generating labels and advance shipping notices, managing these and related functions through a dedicated system at SEEBURGER’s own data center for a low monthly fee. " ...

SEEBURGER is a leading provider of global business integration solutions designed to optimize transactions throughout the extended enterprise by automating trading relationships with all partners regardless of their size and technical resources. Launched in 1986 to provide integration solutions to the automotive industry in Germany, the company today is ranked among the top business-to-business gateway providers by top industry analysts, and serves more than 6,500 customers in 35 countries and more than 15 industries through its flagship B2B Gateway and related products and services. SEEBURGER has global offices in Europe, Asia Pacific and North America, including a U.S. office that opened in 1998.

Tag: RFID

RFID Pilot Produce SupplyChain

RFID Pilot Produce SupplyChain: Via RedTail Solutions, Inc.: University of Florida Research Center Launches RFID Pilot to Improve Fresh Produce Supply Chain

Univ of Florida CFDR is sponsoring RFID pilot in the produce supply chain to determine impact of increased material visibility ...

... "The University of Florida IFAS's Center for Food Distribution and Retailing (CFDR), Gainesville, FL announced the launch of a research pilot featuring RFID technology and network-based information exchange to improve the distribution of fresh produce. The pilot, named Visibility Validated (V2), will measure the impact of improved supply chain visibility between suppliers and retailers. The V2 project is focused on the publishing of observation events to a virtual test bed simulation of the EPCglobal NetworkTM. It is the hope of the V2 project participants to show how EPCglobal-based RFID technology will and can provide valuable supply chain visibility. The V2 project is being conducted in cooperation with its participating members; suppliers, a retailer, and technology providers. " ...

RedTail Solutions, Inc. is a privately held company that was formed in 2000 and is located in Westborough, MA outside of Boston that provides internet EDI (electronic data interchange) and other managed services for electronic trading designed expressly for middle-market businesses. RedTail handles the EDI mapping and exchange of thousands of purchase orders, invoices, and shipping transactions every month between suppliers and their large customers in retail, grocery and industrial segments. RedTail’s simple-to-use, cost-effective EDI solution works directly with the most popular back-office accounting systems used by middle-market manufacturers and distributors enabling them to fully participate in the global electronic supply chain.

Sybase Unwired Strategy: RFID Enabled ...

Via Sybase Inc: Sybase Fortifies Unwired Enterprise Vision with Updates to Unwired Accelerator and Unwired Orchestrator ...

... "ProPath Laboratory, a leading pathology laboratory, is utilized by multiple hospitals and health care organizations to analyze patient tissue samples. ProPath selected the Sybase solution because it will provide us with the ability to manage the large amount of mission-critical RFID information we are collecting, integrate it with pathology records and our legacy systems, and quickly and easily provide this information to the doctors, patients, insurance companies and other health care partners as required, said Mel Lively, Director of Information Technology, ProPath Laboratory. " ...

Sybase is the largest global enterprise software company exclusively focused on managing and mobilizing information from the data center to the point of action. Sybase provides open, cross-platform solutions that securely deliver information anytime, anywhere, enabling customers to create an information edge. The world’s most critical data in commerce, communications, finance, government and healthcare runs on Sybase.

Hospital RFID Inventory System ...

Hospital RFID Inventory System: King’s Daughters installs high-tech inventory system for Cardiac and Vascular Cath Labs: New system enables Heart and Vascular Center to track supplies and deliver a higher quality of patient care and safety ...

RFID inventory system, from Mobile Aspects, enables operational efficiency in hospital ...

... "King’s Daughters Medical Center (KDMC) of Ashland, Ky., recently installed a new computerized inventory control system in its cardiac catheterization laboratories. The system is an integrated suite of radio frequency identification (RFID) hardware and software applications that lets KDMC automatically track supplies, drugs, assets, and patients in real time for increased patient safety and enhanced operational efficiency. " ...

KDMC, a locally controlled, not-for-profit, 385-bed regional referral center, offers comprehensive cardiac, medical, surgical, pediatric, maternity, rehabilitative, psychiatric, cancer, neurological, occupational medicine, pain care, wound care and home care services. Established in 1899, KDMC currently ranks sixth in the state of Kentucky in terms of admissions, and, with approximately 3,000 team members, is the largest employer west of Charleston, W.Va., and east of Lexington Ky.

Mobile Aspects, the recipient of the 2004 Frost & Sullivan Product Innovation Award within U.S. RFID Markets for Healthcare, provides innovative RFID solutions to enable hospitals to deliver a higher quality of care. The company’s One System of CARE™ is an integrated suite of RFID software and hardware solutions to track all supplies, drugs, assets, and patients in hospitals to make patient care safer and more efficient. The company’s RFID tracking solutions feature the iRIS™ inventory management system, the RFID-enabled Anesthesia Workstation and Drug Delivery Workstation, and the Patient and Asset tracking systems. These systems integrate seamlessly into existing hospital information management systems and eliminate all manual compliance steps while providing real-time data to clinicians. By integrating all patient and product information, the One System of CARE provides increased productivity, enhanced quality of care and safety for patients, and significant cost savings. From one web-based interface, providers can pull up information about all supplies, drugs, assets, and patients anywhere in the facility. Mobile Aspects’ One System of CARE is presently installed in several of the top 15 hospitals throughout North America.

Tag: RFID

RFID Test Lab: Integration Simulation

RFID Test Lab: Integration Simulation: PEAK Opens Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Test and Integration Laboratory ...

Peak has created an RFID test and integration lab to support RFID business process simulation ...

... "PEAK Technologies, an RR Donnelley company (NYSE: RRD), announced that it has opened a new Radio Frequency Identification Test and Integration Laboratory at the company’s headquarters in Columbia, Maryland. The new state-of-the art RFID Test Lab is located within PEAK’s existing 20,000 square-foot warehouse in Columbia, providing an application environment that simulates a warehouse/distribution center for testing RFID technology. PEAK’s RFID Test and Integration Lab allows customers to understand the best ways to utilize the technology through a detailed lab process that includes testing packaging composition in terms of RFID signal propagation; tag placement and orientation; read range validation and antenna selection; portal and product-conveyor performance; and a host of other best-fit solutions. " ...

PEAK Technologies, an RR Donnelley company, is an international provider of automatic identification and data collection (AIDC) systems, enterprise mobility solutions and ongoing service and support. PEAK's primary applications include solutions for warehousing, manufacturing, distribution and field-based operations. PEAK's market leadership and strong financial management provide stability and assurance that solutions are delivered with long-term support. Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland (USA), PEAK Technologies has more than 800 employees with locations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe.

StateOfArt RFID Solution Center ...

StateOfArt RFID Solution Center: New RFID Center Shows Customers How Solutions Lead To Business Value ...

Xterprise opens a state-of-the-art RFID solutions center in their headquarters ...

... "Xterprise Incorporated, the leading solutions provider for the RFID Enabled Supply Chain announces its new, custom designed headquarters, where the company recently hosted a multiday open house for customers. More than an expanded headquarters, the facility is home to a 6,000 square foot state-of-the-art RFID Solution Center. The center gives Xterprise an operational warehouse/manufacturing environment to showcase its complete suite of solutions that it has deployed around the globe. The growing list of Xterprise solutions serve the needs of many markets: retail, supply chain visibility, food and pharmaceutical cold chain (temperature tracking) and asset management. " ...

Xterprise Incorporated develops RFID supply chain solutions and has been chosen by the many of the worlds most respected supply chains and fastest growing companies as an RFID solution provider. Xterprise blends best practices, supply chain processes, material handling, RFID system hardware and application software, enterprise systems integration, data analytics, demand signaling applications and remote solution support. This provides the industry benchmark for system ease of use and lowest cost per case solution in the markets they serve. Xterprise is headquartered in Carrollton, TX.

Scansource Enhances RFIDEdge Program ...

Scansource Enhances RFIDEdge Program: SCANSOURCE® RFID EDGE™ PROGRAM GOES FULL THROTTLE: Program includes comprehensive training, strategic partnerships, support ...

ScanSource make enhancements to their RFIDEdge program to support the RFID solution lifecycle and the ecosystem of RFID intellectual capital needed to enable success ...

... "ScanSource, Inc., (Nasdaq: SCSC), a leading international value-added distributor of specialty technology products, has announced major additions and enhancements to its RFID Edge program designed to help solution providers be successful in selling, installing and supporting RFID solutions. In addition to the RFID Edge website, an online RFID educational resource introduced in October 2004 and located at www.scansource.com/rfidedge, the program now includes a hands-on RFID qualification course, an RFID laboratory and demonstration center, the RFID Solution Partner Program, RFID Professional Services, an RFID Solutions Engineering Team, and a dedicated RFID Help Desk. As a result, solution providers can now receive assistance in every phase of the RFID process, from the beginning stages of learning about RFID all the way through actual RFID system installations and post-sale support. " ...

ScanSource, Inc. is a leading international distributor of specialty technology products, including automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) and point-of-sale (POS) products through its ScanSource sales unit; Avaya communications products through its Catalyst Telecom sales unit; communications products from Intel and NEC through its Paracon sales unit; and electronic security products through its ScanSource Security Distribution unit. The Company serves the North America marketplace and has an international segment, which sells AIDC and POS products in Latin America and Europe. Founded in 1992, the Company markets products from more than 100 technology manufacturers to over 16,000 value-added technology resellers and is committed to empowering them with tools and services designed to help them grow.

Tangible Value RFID Data ...

Tangible Value RFID Data: TrueDemand Launches with six million in funding to develop new class of predictive applications that will drive value from rfid implementations: Investments from Mayfield and Bay Partners Provide Capital to Create Applications that Enable Organizations to Gain Greater Value from RFID Investments ...

... "TrueDemand Software, Inc. announces the launch of the company and its strategy to deliver a suite of radio frequency identification (RFID) applications for manufacturers and retailers that will help organizations derive tangible and rapid value from the data generated by RFID tags. " ...

TrueDemand Software, a pioneer in the development of RFID-enabled enterprise applications, provides a new class of predictive supply chain solutions that help solve supply chain execution and planning problems to reduce out-of-stocks and excess inventory. By combining RFID-based information with TrueDemand’s business solutions, organizations can better manage the live replenishment of RFID-tagged inventory from production through sale across the supply-and-demand network. As a result, customers can better anticipate and proactively remedy supply chain problems before they occur, gaining greater value from their RFID investments. The TrueDemand team includes RFID innovators and proven supply chain experts instrumental in the advancement of RFID technology and the efforts of the Auto-ID Center, now EPC Global. Headquartered in Los Gatos, California, the company is backed by leading venture capital firms Mayfield and Bay Partners.

DOD Passive RFID Service Provider: BearingPoint

DOD Passive RFID Service Provider: BearingPoint: U.S. Army Selects BearingPoint for Passive RFID Technical Engineering Services: Blanket Purchase Agreement to leverage BearingPoint’s network of RFID providers ...

... "BearingPoint, Inc. (NYSE: BE), one of the world's largest management consulting and systems integration firms, announced today that it has been awarded a blanket purchase agreement (BPA) by the U.S. Army to provide passive RFID technical engineering services. The contract was awarded by the Information Technology, E-Commerce and Commercial Contracting Center (ITEC4), and is designed to provide RFID technical services, data integration software, and passive RFID middleware to meet Department of Defense (DoD) requirements. " ...

BearingPoint, Inc. (NYSE: BE) is one of the world’s largest management consulting, systems integration and managed services firms serving government agencies, Global 2000 companies, medium-sized businesses and other organizations. We provide business and technology strategy, systems design, architecture, applications implementation, network infrastructure, systems integration and managed services. Our service offerings are designed to help our clients generate revenue, reduce costs and access the information necessary to operate their business on a timely basis. Based in McLean, Va., BearingPoint has been named by Fortune as one of America’s Most Admired Companies in the computer and data services sector.

RFID Transition Works Atlanta ...

RFID Transition Works Atlanta: NCR: Expanded NCR Demonstration Center in Atlanta Will Advance Transition to New Era of RFID Solutions

... "NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) announced TransitionWorks, a newly expanded radio frequency identification (RFID) demonstration center located in Atlanta. NCR also said it plans to announce new centers in Europe and Asia in the near future. " ...

NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a leading global technology company helping businesses build stronger relationships with their customers. NCR’s ATMs, retail systems, Teradata® data warehouses and IT services provide Relationship Technology™ solutions that maximize the value of customer interactions and help organizations create a stronger competitive position. Based in Dayton, Ohio, NCR employs approximately 28,300 people worldwide.

DHS AIDMS RFID POE ...

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has established the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology Program (US-VISIT), an integrated, automated entry-exit system that records the arrival and departure of covered individuals ...

... "The primary AIDMS records database is located at the DHS Data Center in Ashburn, Virginia. AIDMS interfaces, RFID tag readers, and other supporting components are located at U.S. land border Ports of Entry (POE). " ...

Singapore RFID Test Facility: Advanced Technology Center ...

Singapore RFID Test Facility: Advanced Technology Center: NOL GROUP AND SUN MICROSYSTEMS LAUNCH RFID TEST CENTRE IN SINGAPORE: Advanced technology facility a first for Southeast Asia ...

... "Leading global transportation and logistics company, NOL, launched an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) test centre in Singapore focused on helping companies drive the benefits of this revolutionary technology in their supply chains. Developed in partnership with Sun Microsystems, with support from Singapore's Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), the S$2.7 million NOL-Sun Advanced Technology Centre features the latest testing facilities for evaluating RFID technologies and applications in a live supply-chain environment. " ...

Neptune Orient Lines is a Singapore-based global cargo transportation and logistics company. Its container transportation arm, APL, provides customers around the world with services that combine high quality inter-modal operations with state-of-the-art information technology. Its supply-chain services arm, APL Logistics, provides international, end-to-end logistics services, employing the latest IT and data connectivity for maximum supply chain visibility and control.

A singular vision – The Network Is The Computer – guides Sun in the development of technologies that power the world’s most important markets. Sun’s philosophy of sharing innovation and building communities is at the forefront of the next wave of computing: the Participation Age.

RFID Application and Education ...

RFID Application and Education: Ohio Governor Bob Taft - News Release

... "Development Research Corporation (Kettering, Montgomery County) received more than $2.3 million to establish the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Application and Education Center (REAC). The REAC will serve as a source for RFID solutions for both end customers as well as suppliers. RFID tags, which consist of silicon chips and an antenna that can transmit data to a wireless receiver, could one day be used to track everything from soda cans to cereal boxes. Unlike bar codes, which need to be scanned manually and read individually, radio ID tags do not require line of sight for reading and hundreds of tags can be read per second. The project expects to achieve annual sales of $10 million and create 100 new jobs within 3 to 5 years. Collaborators on this project include Alien Technology Corp., Sinclair Community College, Miami Valley Venture Funds, Development Project Inc., NCIC Capital Fund and Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. " ...

RFID Prototype Development: Data and Processes ...

RFID Prototype Development: Data and Processes: Volpe Center: Transportation Strategic Plans

... "The prototype efforts have included development of common data elements and processes incorporating EDI, radio frequency identification (RFID), and vehicle roadside communications technologies (VRC) to process commercial cargo shipment data at the Canadian and Mexican land borders. By automating data transmission to obtain cargo clearance, NATAP eliminates redundant cargo clearance data entry across myriad US agencies and their counterparts in Mexico and Canada. " ...

RFID Policy Summit DC

RFID Policy Summit DC: Washington, DC RFID Summit Focuses on Business and Policy Issues: Experts Discuss Need for Harmonized Global Standards and Smart Data Security Policies: Global Leader in RFID Applications Aims to Advance the U.S. Policy Dialogue, Educate Washington Policymakers and Influencers ...

SAP sponsors an RFID policy summit in DC in collaboration with the US Chamber of Commerce to educate leaders on the opportunity offered by adoption of RFID technology and to identify policy implications that need to be addressed ...

... "Building on its core commitment to help customers improve efficiency and competitiveness, the world’s leading provider of business software solutions, SAP AG (NYSE: SAP), today co-hosts a global policy summit in Washington, DC, that will focus on the significant opportunities presented by radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, as well as concerns that are hindering its adoption. The summit—cosponsored by SAP and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s National Chamber Foundation—brings together senior leaders of government, business and independent advocacy groups for a high-level discussion of RFID’s business and policy implications, including the many ways that RFID can boost economic competitiveness, global trade and security. The summit will also address the need for harmonized global RFID standards and smart data security and privacy policies that protect consumers and allow rapid innovation. " ...

SAP has been conducting RFID research since 1998 and is a driving force in developing and implementing business applications of RFID technology. The company supports the development of globally harmonized, industry-driven standards such as those set forth by EPCglobal Inc™, an initiative of leading research institutes and global organizations. SAP is an active member of EPCglobal, participating in three action groups. SAP was also a founding member of EPCglobal’s forerunner, the Auto-ID Center at MIT.

RFID Healthcare Patient Tracking ...

RFID Healthcare Patient Tracking: Albert Einstein Healthcare Network Selects Amelior ED Online Charting System by Patient Care Technology Systems: Einstein Will Be the First Level 1 Trauma Center in Nation to Integrate Amelior Passive Patient Tracking and Online Charting ...

Albert Einstein Healthcare chooses patient technology system that support RFID-enabled patient tracking for hands-free business processes in the hospital emergency room ...

... "The passive tracking system, so-called for the lack of active, manual data entry by department staff, collects the real-time status of patients, staff and medical equipment as they move through the department. Unlike traditional tracking systems that require manual data entry, and as a result can be difficult to keep up-to-date, passive tracking uses wireless signals sent by badges worn by patients and staff and attached to equipment. These signals are read by sensors located throughout the Emergency Department. Software developed by PCTS applies rules-based intelligence to instantly communicate the current stage of care for every patient. The system displays the information in convenient map views that match the floor plan of the facility. The software works with all passive tracking technologies including Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and ultra-wide band. To date, PCTS has implemented more passive patient tracking software in U.S. Emergency Departments than any other software provider. " ...

... RFID tracking technology offers a hands-free process for patient management in the healthcare industry.

Albert Einstein Healthcare Network, a member of the Jefferson Health System, provides healthcare services through Albert Einstein Medical Center, Germantown Community Health Services, Willow Terrace (a nursing home), Einstein at Elkins Park, MossRehab, Willowcrest (a center for subacute care), Belmont Behavioral Health and a number of outpatient and satellite locations. Einstein also operates a primary care network, Einstein Neighborhood Healthcare.

Patient Care Technology Systems, a subsidiary of Consulier Engineering Inc. (NASDAQ: CSLR), is dedicated to becoming the leading provider of patient safety solutions in the high acuity segments of healthcare. Anchored by their flagship solutions, Amelior ED (tm) patient care system, a comprehensive ED information system with integrated clinical decision support, and Amelior EDTracker (tm) passive tracking, the most implemented passive tracking software in U.S. Emergency Departments, PCTS provides a family of integrated and intelligent solutions designed to reduce medical errors and improve the operating performance of high acuity departments. PCTS is a founding sponsor of the Emergency Medicine Patient Safety Foundation (EMPSF), a nonprofit foundation dedicated to promoting and improving patient safety in emergency medicine.

Automated RFID Clothing Industry ...

Automated RFID Clothing Industry: Garan Inc. reaches for positive ROI with Accu-Sort® FAST Tag™ automated RFID labeling system ...

... "Accu-Sort Systems, Inc., announced it has installed a FAST Tag™ In-Motion automated RFID and bar code system for clothing manufacturer Garan Inc. FAST Tag In-Motion will help the company’s distribution center in Jena, Louisiana; meet the RFID compliance standards outlined by Wal-Mart® and other retailers. Garan® is a leading manufacturer of children’s, women’s and men’s apparel bearing the private labels of its customers as well as several of its own trademarks, including Garanimals®. FAST Tag In-Motion automates the process of applying and verifying RFID tags on cartons. At the Louisiana facility, a tag applicator places tags only on cartons that require RFID tags, while all cartons processed on the line receive a retailer-compliant shipping label and an option carrier parcel label. An outbound verification system screens for inaccurate tags and incorrect labels; it sends those boxes to a subsystem for verification and relabeling. On the other side of the line, the cartons are loaded on pallets for shipment. Accu-Sort’s FAST™ Suite software controls the process and seamlessly provides data aggregation, filtering and reporting to Garan’s WMS system. " ...

Garan produces the popular Garanimals line of apparel, which encourages children to match shirts and pants themselves by using special animal-themed tags on the clothing. Garan also produces brand apparel for girls and women and sells garments featuring college and university marks and pro-sports emblems for boys and men. In September 2002, Garan was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway®.

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 50 RFID installations.

RFID Real Time Management Mobile Assets ...

Tagnet International: Real Time Management of Mobile Assets and Data

... "Tagnet is a provider of solutions designed for the real-time management of mobile assets and data utilizing the latest in RFID technology, cellular communications and electronic tagging. While its solutions can be customized for virtually any business, the primary targets for Tagnet's solutions are the mobile logistics, security and fleet management sectors. " ...

Maximum Dynamics acquired 89% of Tagnet International in October 2003 and has been funding the commercialization and development of the Tagnet product and service offering since then. Maximum Dynamics has recently started its sales efforts to be first to market with a unique mobile asset tracking and management system like Tagnet. Maximum Dynamics is headquartered in Colorado Springs , Colorado and has an international operations center in Cape Town , South Africa . It also has offices in Mexico City , Mexico , Copenhagen , Denmark and Hong Kong.

RFID Sensor Networks Research and Development ...

University of Maryland's Business School and Avaya Expand Research and Development Relationship and Activities ... Development of virtual community prototype to enhance collaboration between alumni, students, faculty and staff at Robert H. Smith School of Business; Advancements to RFID research at school's Netcentricity Lab and Supply Chain Management Center

... "The Smith School and Avaya will also build on previous collaborative research to extend communications capabilities in radio frequency identification (RFID) sensor networks into supply chain management and healthcare scenarios, and into event-triggered conferencing for crisis situations. Past Avaya-Smith research in this area has resulted in significant advances in enterprise supply chains beginning with a project for the United States Air Force in 2000 as well as for the State of Maryland." ...

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research for the digital economy. One of 13 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, Executive MBA, PhD, and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in three continents including North America, Europe and Asia.

Avaya Inc. designs, builds and manages communications networks for more than one million businesses worldwide, including over 90 percent of the FORTUNE 500®. Focused on businesses large to small, Avaya is a world leader in secure and reliable Internet Protocol telephony systems and communications software applications and services. Driving the convergence of voice and data communications with business applications - and distinguished by comprehensive worldwide services - Avaya helps customers leverage existing and new networks to achieve superior business results.