RFID Solution Center Certified

EPCglobal Inc. certifies Alien Technology's Dayton RFID Solution Center with its Performance Test Center Accreditation mark. ...

... "The Accreditation Mark signifies that the Alien RFID Solution Center has successfully completed the EPCglobal Performance Test Center Audit and that it uses a standard set of performance test profiles to simulate real-world conditions in testing the readability of end-user products that are tagged with the Electronic Product Code. In successfully completing the audit, the Alien RFID Solutions Center is now accredited to provide RFID-tagged unit performance testing services in dynamic conveyor and dock door portal environments, in order to provide organizations with the assurance of a uniform level of readability for their tagged items across the supply chain. " ...

Via Alien Technology: Alien RFID Solutions Center, Dayton accredited for EPCglobal-certified RFID conveyor and dock door testing ...

Checkpoint RFID Metro Pilot Implementation Solves Technical Challenges

Checkpoint Systems is involved in pilot of UHF RFID technology at METRO Group's Distribution Centres near Hamm, Germany, under supervision of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) task group 34 (TG34). The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) plays a major role in the global standardization of Information and Communication Technologies. This pilot has been created to improve the read performance of RFID tags in a high-density UHF reading environment and validate the performance of portal dock door solutions. The successful pilot solves UHF RFID challenges and supports Metro's plan to implement RFID more broadly in 2007. The Metro RFID implementation is aimed at enhancing customer service and increasing the efficiency of its supply chain. METRO Group is an international retailing company with 2005 sales of EUR55.7 billion. The company has a headcount of about 250,000 employees and operates more than 2,200 outlets in 30 countries. ...

... "Utilizing equipment from numerous RFID suppliers in Europe and North America, Checkpoint served as a hardware integrator for the trials. In this capacity, Checkpoint helped with the design work for the hardware solution and procurement, configuration and installation of the 36 RFID-enabled dock door portals which were used to validate successful simultaneous operation of multiple dock doors using a 4-channel synchronized approach under the ETSI 302 208 standard. Pallets containing 62 individually tagged cases largely containing RFID unfriendly materials (such as cans, liquids and metal lined items) were simultaneously transported at warehouse speeds through 36 adjacent loading dock doors. Some 4.5 million individual reads were recorded over the course of the trials. Complying with the ETSI listen before talk (LBT) requirements, the tests achieved a 98.5%+ read rate simultaneously from multiple pallets as they were wheeled through the dock doors. " ...

Via Checkpoint Systems: Checkpoint Systems Partners with Metro Group to Successfully Deploy UHF RFID Dock Door Solution: 98.5%+ Read Rate Represents Milestone in European RFID Deployment ...

RFID Supports Nissan Continuous Improvement Initiative

Nissan implements a continuous improvement initiative to target vehicle labor cost reduction, increase logistics throughput accelerating customer service, and enhance vehicle quality through defect elimination early in the product lifecycle. The initiative will be enabled by a wireless architecture and active RFID technology in the Nissan Canton MS manufacturing facility, supplied by WhereNet. ...

... "As part of a continuous improvement initiative at its four-million square foot assembly plant in Canton, Mississippi, Nissan will leverage a single wireless architecture to run multiple WhereNet applications, including the WhereSoft Yard Management System (YMS) and Vehicle Tracking and Management System (VTMS), to improve production velocity and throughput, labor productivity, and vehicle quality. Nissan's Canton assembly plant has the capacity to produce 400,000 vehicles per year, including the Altima sedan, Armada full-size sport utility vehicle, Infiniti QX56 full-size sport utility vehicle, Quest minivan, and Titan full-size pickup truck.

Deploying the WhereNet single wireless infrastructure over the entire Canton complex will take less than 90 days. The hardware consists of 1500 active RFID WhereTag transmitters, which are temporarily attached to new vehicles as they roll off the assembly line as part of the WhereNet VTMS system; 700 WhereTag transmitters that are permanently fixed to trailers belonging to Nissan's dedicated suppliers or temporarily attached to others as part of the WhereSoft YMS application; 120 WherePort magnetic exciters positioned between gates and at key choke points across the complex; and a local infrastructure of 80 wireless WhereLAN locating access points.

Nissan also plans to deploy the WhereNet automated gate check-in/out solution known as Fast Gate that supports 24x7 sequenced parts deliveries from Nissan suppliers. Fast Gate senses when a truck is approaching the gate; cross-references detailed information about the truck in a database; and, if authorized, automatically opens the gate to grant entry. Then, based on business rules loaded into the WhereSoft yard management application, the system instructs drivers and yard personnel to deliver the inbound load to the appropriate dock door for just-in-time sequencing of parts based on the assembly line build plan for that work shift.



When new vehicles roll off the Nissan assembly line, each vehicle is assigned an active RFID WhereTag transmitter that is married to the vehicle identification number (VIN). The WhereTag remains on the vehicle until it has been processed and is ready to ship to its final destination. Nissan uses the WhereNet VTMS in off-line areas to manage post-assembly verification and test processes, as well as quality repair, containment and shipping zones. The system includes a logical hierarchy of rules that manages the processing of every vehicle in accordance with its assigned status so that critical orders are processed before lower-priority units. " ...

Via Wherenet: NISSAN SELECTS WHERENET'S LOCATABLE, ACTIVE RFID SYSTEM TO AUTOMATE INBOUND SUPPLY CHAIN AND OUTBOUND DELIVERY CHAIN ...

DOD RFID Dept of Defense Implementation Enablers

ODIN Technologies shares some of the key ingredients (Accuracy and Implementation Speed) to enabling their successful implementation of RFID technology in the DOD supply chain. The Dept of Defense has strict read rate accuracy requirements that ODIN had to meet with limited technology capabilities at that time. In addition, ODIN perfected an implementation methodology for the DOD that improved the speed of delivery while sustaining performance quality. ...

... "DoD is modernizing its logistics system to better support the warfighter. Passive RFID is at the center of that transformation. It is a core element of the DoD's force transformation initiative designed to create a more agile military. However, if the tags and readers do not communicate reliably, the benefits will not materialize. After years of planning, the DLA needed a highly accurate RFID network established rapidly.

...

Accuracy: DoD expected its RFID system to be an order of magnitude more sophisticated than what was currently being deployed. Boundaries relative to read-rates and performance were strict, unlike many retailers who have toyed with trial-and-error methods. Rather than just attempt to read a single pallet tag, the DoD demanded 20 Gen 1.0 and Gen 2.0 RFID tags be affixed to cases and read as they come through a dock door - 100% accurately. This required scientific precision when designing and configuring the RFID network. Each portal was tested 10 times for that performance criteria. The DoD has shown RFID will reduce costs, increase supply visibility and streamline its entire supply chain, from the factory-to-the-foxhole. However, it can only do this if the RFID system is accurate and reliable.

...

Implementation Methods and Speed: Eighteen facilities spanning the continental U.S. (CONUS) were evaluated, solutions designed, installed and tested to 100% accuracy in under 130 days. " ...

Via ODIN Technologies: DOD Case Study (PDF) ...

Turnkey RFID Dock Door Portal System ...

SAMSys launches its turnkey system for an RFID portal at dock doors. ...

Turnkey RFID Dock Door portal System: Via SAMSys: SAMSys Introduces RFID Portal Express for Turnkey Dock Door Deployments ...

... "The system permits rapid deployment of RFID capabilities at the dock door for supply chain, asset tracking and inventory management applications. The SAMSys RFID Portal Express System bundles an EPC Gen 2 compliant, multi-protocol SAMSys MP9320 v2.8 reader with antennas, cables, a light stack, a motion sensor, and a heavy-duty steel framework that houses and protects all RFID equipment from errant forklifts. The framework, which can also be purchased separately, takes the form of two 10-foot-high steel tubes connected by an optional overhead bridge. " ...

High Durability RFID Equipment for Harsh Environments ...

High Durability RFID Equipment for Harsh Environments: Sampling of durable RFID equipment supports operation of RFID capability in harsh operating environments ...

Omron: Omron RFID systems function in a wide range of operating conditions, including harsh environments,where bar coding is not practical. RFID Tags, RFID antennas and RFID controllers are industrially hardened to withstand wet, oily and other adverse conditions. Read reliability in RFID asset tracking and automatic identification is not affected by a misaligned tag or compromised by airborne dust, dirt, oil mist, or other factory conditions. RFID asset tracking systems are non-contact and non-line of sight, which allows them to read and write through non - metallic objects, such as plastic conveyors.

Escort Memory Systems UHF Series / UHF525HT: The UHF525HT is a rugged high-temperature long-range Ultra High Frequency (902-928 MHz) tag. This tag is designed to work at up to four feet. It is ideally suited for Body & Assembly and Paint Shop applications in the automotive industry, the UHF525HT is the only high-temperature tag in the market that survives over 204 Degrees C.

IDENTEC SOLUTIONS, long-range active RFID systems: Long Range Identification: RFID tags can be read from up to 300 feet (100 meters). This allows assets to be monitored in a very large environment with reliable results. Durability: Bar codes become unreadable if they are dirty or scuffed; RFID tags function in almost any harsh environment such as fog, ice and dust. RFID, therefore, reduces the problems associated with those "contact" or "line-of-sight" technologies. This means RFID can operate in harsh environments and will not be affected by temperature changes.

ScanSource RFID Edge: The significant advantage of RFID systems is the no contact, non-line-of-sight nature of the technology. Tags can be read through a variety of substances such as snow, fog, ice, paint, crusted grime, and other visually and environmentally challenging conditions, where barcodes or other optically read technologies would be useless. RFID tags can also be read in challenging circumstances at remarkable speeds, in most cases responding in less than 100 milliseconds.

Zebra RFID Printer R110XiIIIPlus: Built upon Zebra's highly regarded Xi platform, the R110XiIIIPlus is designed for high performance and mission-critical ruggedness in the most demanding environments. It delivers the legendary round-the-clock reliability and heavy-gauge steel durability of Zebra's high-performance Xi series as well as full 4-inch print width, 203-dot per-inch resolution and the extensive connectivity choices of 110XiIIIPlus, making it ideal for shipping, warehousing, and manufacturing. The R110XiIIIPlus will support both Class 0 (read-only) and Class 0+ (read/write) tags.

DC400 RFID Portal System: Turnkey High Performance for Dock Door Visibility: The DC400 from Symbol Technologies delivers a high-performance RFID turnkey solution for premium inventory visibility of assets entering or leaving designated read zones within warehouses, distribution centers, cross dock locations and a variety of other applications. With the DC400, you can automatically identify and track inventory in motion on pallets, bundles of assets on skids or cases using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. IP54 certification for dust and water resistance ensures improved uptime in harsh, industrial environments.

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. " ...

RFID Dock Door Management ...

STORES , Where RFID Works (and It's Not Wal Mart): Deena M. Amato Mccoy writes that the RFID system is helping NYK increase dock door utilization and yard throughput, and reduce yard congestion. Workers have experienced a 50 percent reduction in transaction effort and the cycle time has decreased to a 20 minutes average ...

RFID Portal Solution Symbol Technology ...

Symbol Technologies Offers RFID dock door portal solution, DC400. Symbol's DC400 is an EPC-enabled turnkey RFID portal solution designed specifically for industrial dock doors and portal environments. The DC400 is an easy-to-install, remotely managed 900MHz RFID solution that will allow manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, and retail stores to read class 0 (read only and read/write) and class 1 RFID tags at all shipping and receiving points, without human intervention. The DC400 portal has a ruggedized design and was created specifically for the harsh environmental conditions of a warehouse. It is a scalable and cost-effective dock door portal solution that includes multi-protocol RFID readers and high-performance antennas designed to enable organizations to achieve inventory and supply chain optimization by reading RFID tags on cartons and pallets as they are loaded in and out of trucks and containers. ...

RFID Dock Door Portal ...

VerdaSee Solutions, Inc. provides a Dock Door Portal Identification solution that provides high performance tracking of assets that enter or leave facilities through dock doors. The dock doors are equipped with RFID readers and antennas by VerdaSee's Field Engineering experts. RFID tags or labels are affixed to personnel, target assets, or skids of assets. These assets are tracked automatically as they pass through the dock door. Solutions can be designed that differentiate between assets that are entering, or leaving, the target area. Integration to business systems allows the RFID readers to assist in inventory reconciliation or vendor managed inventory processes. ...

TrueBlue Generation2 RFID SAMSys ...

SAMSys True Blue Generation 2 RFID Readers ...: SAMSys Technologies Inc. (SMY: TSX), an international provider of Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) hardware solutions and consulting services is announcing that: 1) purchasers of its UHF RFID readers can be assured of full interoperability compliance with EPC and ISO compliant UHF RFID tags, as well as other tag protocols currently supported by SAMSys readers; and 2) that customers will be able to upgrade their readers to the newly approved EPC Generation Two (Gen 2) standard. ...

MP9320 RFID Reader supports all EPC tag protocols (EPC Class 0, 0+, Class 1, ISO18000-6A, 6B, 6B "fast", Philips U-code 1.19, 1.19 "fast", Intermec Intellitag, EM Marin 4022, 4222, 4223 and enables EPC Class1 Gen 2.



As part of the Tru Blue Gen 2 program, SAMSys will offer field application support to customers such that their applications can be performance-optimized for their specific environment. This includes supporting multiple protocols tags and multi-reader/antenna environments in close proximity for application environments such as dock door portals, conveyors, etc. The SAMSys Tru Blue, Gen 2 Assurance Program is available immediately on its MP9310 and MP9320 UHF readers.

SAMSys Technologies Inc. (SAMSys), founded in 1995, is a world-leading provider of radio frequency identification (RFID) hardware solutions and RFID integration consulting services designed to evaluate and recommend optimal RFID solutions to enhance existing business process. SAMSys offers a family of products to simplify the installation and ensure the ongoing performance of the overall RFID hardware infrastructure. SAMSys is a public company whose shares are listed for trading on the TSX Exchange under the symbol: “SMY”. The Company has a total of 47.7 million shares outstanding.

RFID Logistics Tracking: Autotrade & Logistics selects IDENTEC SOLUTIONS' RFID System to ...

From Yahoo News (press release) ... Autotrade & Logistics Srl, the Automotive Logistics Provider of the Koelliker Group, uses IDENTEC SOLUTIONS' long-range RFID system to increase efficiency and ...

... IDENTEC SOLUTIONS, the global leader in long-range RFID systems for asset visibility, announced today that Autotrade & Logistics Srl (A&L), the Automotive Logistics Provider of the Koelliker Group, has selected IDENTEC SOLUTIONS' RFID system - Intelligent Long Range (ILR)- to efficiently track and process imported consumer vehicles in Italy. A&L is responsible for "dock to door" vehicle services, which include handling and quality outfitting of vehicles for OEMs such as Kia, Mitsubishi, Hyundai and Ssangyong for domestic and international distribution in some European countries. A&L has all 15,000 vehicles on the parking lot equipped with an IDENTEC SOLUTIONS RFID tag and relies on the ILR system to expedite the throughput of approximately 3,000 vehicles per day across an area of 600,000 square meters. ...

Autotrade & Logistics (A&L) is a leading integrated logistics specialist for the automotive industry. A&L can provide express domestic and international delivery of imported vehicles via sea, road and railway to dealers throughout Italy and Europe. With a fully equipped inland platform, A&L can handle 3,000 vehicles per day and manages storage, body and mechanical repair, refurbishing and dealer delivery for vehicle manufacturers. A&L is the exclusive Italian logistics distributor for Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Kia and SsangYong.

IDENTEC SOLUTIONS specializes in Intelligent Asset Management systems that help customers improve asset utilization to save millions of dollars in operational costs related to their supply chain processes. IDENTEC SOLUTIONS' RFID system, Intelligent Long Range (ILR), can identify, locate and track assets at a distance of 100 meters (300 feet) to deliver superior real-time visibility in dynamic, demanding environments. ILR is used to streamline business operations in a variety of areas including vehicle tracking and container management. Over the past seven years, the company has built a top- drawer roster of clients including General Electric, Volkswagen, and Deutsche Post.

RFID Conference: PeopleSoft Manufacturing Experts to Share RFID Perspectives at ...

From Business Wire (press release), CA ... logistics and retail industries, Dicello leads product marketing for the company's logistics solutions, including RFID, transportation, warehousing, inventory ...

... WHAT: APICS: "RFID's Benefits Beyond the Dock Door"
Wyatt and Dicello will discuss how to optimally prepare plants
and warehouses to accommodate evolving RFID standards.

UCLA WINMEC (Wireless Internet for the Mobile Enterprise
Consortium) RFID Forum: "Integrating RFID with Enterprise IT -
the CIO Perspective, Advanced RFID Technologies"
Carlson will offer key insights into the evolution of RFID
technology and the associated challenges and benefits.

WHEN: APICS: Tuesday, October 12, 2004, 8:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. PDT
UCLA WINMEC RFID Forum: Tuesday, October 12, 2004, 3:30 p.m. -
4:30 p.m. PDT ...

Wireless Internet for the Mobile Enterprise Consortium (WINMEC) is pleased to announce its 1st RFID Forum (radio frequency identification) (http://wireless.ucla.edu/rfid), to be held at UCLA Los Angeles on Tuesday October 12, 2004. This one-day event will explore the current-state-of-the-art, future opportunities and trends in RFID technology. Impact of RFID on supply chain management, food supply industry, security, pharmaceutical industry, and others will be discussed. Industry leaders will discuss the various mandates from Wal-Mart, DoD, Target, etc., and their current status. You will also hear about the important issues such as ROI, effective business models, implementation strategies, adoption cycles, deployment problems, etc.

PeopleSoft provides business solutions with the flexibility to fit your business today and the adaptability to change with your business over time. More than 12,200 organizations worldwide—from mid-sized manufacturing companies to the largest service enterprises in both the private and public sectors—are using PeopleSoft solutions to build stronger and more profitable businesses.

Retail RFID: METRO Group Selects Intermec to Provide RFID Systems for New RFID ...

From SourceWire (press release), United Kingdom ... UK, August 20, 2004 - METRO Group, one of the world’s largest retail groups, has selected Intermec Technologies to provide a range of RFID (radio frequency ...

... METRO Group, one of the world’s largest retail groups, has selected Intermec Technologies to provide a range of RFID (radio frequency identification) inventory tracking systems for its METRO Group Innovation Centre, which has opened in Neuss, Germany. The Innovation Centre is designed to give METRO Group’s suppliers access to live RFID demonstrations, systems and products. Intermec is supplying RFID forklift, conveyor and dock door readers for the centre, as well as RFID-enabled mobile computers and printers. The partnership builds on Intermec’ RFID participation in METRO Group’s Future Store in Rheinberg, Germany, which demonstrates how emerging technologies can benefit retailing operations from inventory to point of sale. Intermec provides RFID case and pallet-level tracking capabilities to the Future Store. ...

Intermec Technologies Corp., a UNOVA Inc. (NYSE:UNA) company, is a leader in global supply chain solutions and in the development, manufacture and integration of wired and wireless automated data collection, RFID (radio frequency identification) and mobile computing systems. The company’s products and services are used by customers in many industries to improve productivity, quality and responsiveness of business operations, from supply chain management and enterprise resource planning to field sales and service.

The METRO Group is the world’s fourth-largest trading and retailing group. With its powerful brands, the METRO Group operates successfully in 28 different countries around the world - at almost 2,400 locations with more than 240,000 employees. The METRO Group’s six sales divisions operate independently on the market with their own specific sales concepts: Metro/Makro Cash & Carry - the world’s market leader in self-service wholesaling, Real hypermarkets, Extra supermarkets, Media Markt and Saturn - the leading consumer electronics centers in Europe, Praktiker home improvement and DIY centers, and the department stores of Galeria Kaufhof. The Future Store in Rheinberg is a project of the METRO Group Future Store Initiative. In the Future Store, METRO Group together with some 45 renowned partners from the IT, the consumer goods and the service industry tests the application and interaction of various new technologies for retailing under real conditions. The objective is the development of benefit-focused solutions which lead to advantages for the consumer and the retail and consumer goods industries alike. So far, the retailing sector has only implemented individual applications of innovative technologies or individual systems – in the Future Store, trailblazing technologies are linked for the first time in a complex form.

RFID Benchmarks: New RFID reader benchmark report published

From UsingRFID.com, UK ... Odin Technologies has published its first benchmark study of four main EPC-compliant RFID readers, providing an independent assessment of how the devices ...

For the past year, Odin Technologies has been addressing the biggest obstacles enterprises face as they roll out an EPC system. The ODIN technologies EPC Suite, due for completion late ’04 will have every component to make setting up and managing an RFID/EPC system easy. ODIN technologies was formed in August of 2002 as an LLC in Delaware and in July of 2003 converted to Delaware C-Corporation. The principle offices are in Reston, Virginia, with a simulated warehouse lab in Dulles, VA and European office in Dublin, IRL. ODIN technologies is unique in having one of the most extensive RFID laboratories in the world. In early 2003, ODIN labs was set-up using MIT’s Auto-ID Center as a guiding standard. In early 2004, ODIN added a 3,000 square foot warehouse space complete with conveyor belt, dock door, and forklift; specifically for Wal-Mart compliance testing. ODIN’s laboratory has been used by outside firms, from the US Federal Government to Wal-Mart suppliers to perform cost-effective, guaranteed accurate analysis. ODIN technologies has its primary lab at corporate headquarters in Reston, Virginia and secondary “distribution facility” in Dulles, Virginia for testing full pallets and conveyor compliance. Either facility can be used to create specific compliance strategy, saving weeks of time, and reducing overall RFID costs significantly.

Sun RFID Compliance Testing: Sun opens RFID test centre

From iT News, Australia ... Sun Microsystems this week opened a facility in Dallas where it will work with product vendors to test Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) compliance and ...

Sun's RFID Testing Approach:

Retailers recognize the potential for radio frequency identification, or RFID, technology to cut supply chain costs, increase operational efficiencies, speed delivery time, and minimize theft and waste. But mandates from Wal-Mart and the Department of Defense requiring major suppliers to adopt RFID by January 1, 2005, have ramped up deployment plans—and anxiety levels. Sun Microsystems will open state-of-the-art RFID Test Centers in Dallas, Texas, and Linlithgow, Scotland. At the centers, retail suppliers will be able to see that RFID can integrate smoothly into existing systems, and they can test deployments to ensure that all the pieces of the solution—from information integration in back-end systems to sharing data with supply chain partners—are configured for optimum results. The test facilities will also allow companies to evaluate various solutions before they invest in them.

The warehouse facilities provide a working environment that allows suppliers to see RFID in action, and perform a thorough analysis of their own manufacturing, warehouse, and distribution environments to ensure that their product-tagging plan is ready for implementation from conveyor and dock door stations to warehouse forklift portals. Test center users will also be able to work closely with Sun's RFID experts, who will share best practices, answer questions, and help users determine how to most effectively implement RFID in their businesses.

Sun's RFID Test Centers use a number of Sun technologies that simplify an RFID implementation. Sun's solution also facilitates secure and seamless integration with legacy systems and other standards-based enterprise applications and solutions. Sun's RFID Test Centers are just one part of Sun's overall RFID offering, which includes hardware, software, services, and partnerships. The centers will showcase RFID in action—providing working proof of the real benefits this technology can bring to the retail arena, which Sun is already exploring in its own business process.

RFID Technology: RFID to be used to track global post systems

From InSourced, UK ... Key to the project is radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. RFID uses small transponders that communicate to electronic receivers via radio waves. ...

Airgate Technologies is a development stage company specializing in wireless technologies. The Company designs and develops network applications utilized in WiFi ("hotspots") and RFID ("radio frequency identification") deployments. According to Allied Business Intelligence, annual shipment volume of RFID tags, or transponders, is expected to grow from 323 million in 2002 to several billion in 2007. RFID integration will occur at all levels -- government, manufacturing, distribution, health care, retail, even Homeland security. Retail giant Walmart is asking suppliers to attach RFID chips to their crates and cases of products. At this point, only those large shipping containers would be tagged, not individual products. Most suppliers have until 2006 to add the chips, but the top 100 suppliers have to do it by 2005, the retailer says.

RFID technology uses tags or transponders to transmit EPCs and communicate wirelessly to readers over radio frequency waves. Attached to physical objects, including items, cartons, pallets and containers, the tags uniquely identify objects. Readers receive data from the RFID tags via radio frequency waves once the tags are within reading range. This data is captured, accepted and executed against by RFID solutions, such as those offered by Manhattan Associates.

The Matrics RFID system is comprised of EPC-compliant RFID tags (Class 0 read only and read/write) and its new, multi-protocol reader (AR 400 RFID Reader), which is designed to enable real-time, seamless tag reading and writing capability for all EPC-compliant tags including Class 0 and Class 1. Matrics' RFID technology reads farther and faster and costs less than comparable systems, providing unsurpassed real-time visibility into products and assets in factories, distribution centers and retail outlets.

Wal-Mart announced plans back in June that it will require their suppliers to place EPC transponders on pallets and cases beginning in January 2005. RFID vendors finally got what they had asked for years ago: a public commitment from Wal-Mart.

Highlights of Wal-Mart's RFID system requirements are as follows:

- Transponders: Durable, temporary or permanent read-only 96-bit Class 0 (factory programmed), Class 0+ (read-write version of Class 0), or Class 1 version 1 (write once-read many) EPC-compliant transponders (supplier's choice dependent on number of turns). Existing 64-bit EPC are not compliant with the mandate. Wal-Mart noted they are driving toward Class 1 Version 2 whenever the specifications and compliant products are available.

- Antennas: 1 antenna required on each side of dock door/portal; 1 antenna above dock door; 1 antenna on each side or underneath a conveyor moving up to 600 ft/min for case tagging (cases have to be read 100% of the time at 540 ft/min).

- Readers: Should be agile (largely due to eventual migration to Class 1 version 2 EPC transponders that allow for one common protocol); be Power over Ethernet-based; have flexible output options and RF environment awareness; include security; and have the ability to disable unused features such as Web servers. More details on reader deployment are expected in the weeks and months ahead.

EM Microelectronic is a semiconductor manufacturer that designs and produces ultra-low-power, low-voltage, digital, analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits for battery-operated and field-powered devices in consumer, automotive and industrial applications. The company's product portfolio includes RFID circuits and transponders, ultra-low-power microcontrollers, voltage reset ICs and microprocessor supervisors, regulators, smart card ICs, LCD drivers and displays, sensor and optoelectronic ICs, mixed analog and digital gate arrays and application- specific integrated circuits (ASICs). EM also produces LCD modules and offers bumping services.