RFID Calibration Improvements

Dayton Ohio development program funds collaboration with entrepreneur Benson Chanowitz of Brooklyn, N.Y. to improve RFID reader accuracy rates by improving the calibration process. ...

... "The final product will be a system for validating the performance of the antennas and readers for RFID environments in manufacturing, distribution, retail and defense industries. The Dayton Development Coalition (DDC) is supporting the development of this company and recently announced initial financing through the Dayton Region Entrepreneurial Signature Program (ESP) which the Coalition leads. This program is a State of Ohio Third Frontier project to assist companies commercializing new products in emerging industries, according to Jim Leftwich, president and CEO of the DDC. The calibration device is very much needed in all areas of the growing radio frequency identification market, estimated to be $50 billion annually. Currently, calibration of radio frequency fields is a time-consuming, highly inaccurate process, according to Chanowitz. " ...

Via daytaOhio: RFID Collaboration to Improve Calibration

Intel RFID Operations Acquired

Impinj acquires Intel's RFID operation and its award-winning R1000 RFID reader chip. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. ...

... "The acquisition of Intel assets further enhances Impinj's position in the RFID market by adding a proven, high-performance, highly integrated reader radio chip to the Impinj family of UHF Gen 2 RFID products. For developers of UHF RFID readers and reader-modules, the R1000 chip provides superior levels of design flexibility, integrating onto a single chip 90 percent of the components required for a reader radio. By delivering unprecedented performance, integration and cost effectiveness to a worldwide customer base, the R1000 chip enables all reader form factors - fixed, mobile, embedded and others - in applications across numerous vertical markets, including supply chain management, asset tracking, authentication and access control. " ...

Via Impinj: Intel UHF RFID Reader Chip Operation

RFID Acquisition in Security Market Segment

The Stanley Works agrees to purchase Xmark Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of VeriChip, for $45 million cash. Stanley Works will integrate Xmark into its Security line of business. ...

... "Xmark, whose headquarters and principal operations are located in Ottawa, Canada develops, markets and sells RFID-based systems used to identify, locate and protect people and assets. Xmark focuses on three vertical markets: providing infant security systems under the Hugs and Halo brands, wander protection systems under the RoamAlert brand, and hospital asset tracking systems under the Assetrac(R) brand. " ...

Via Stanley Works: Agreement to Acquire Xmark from VeriChip Corporation

RFID Green Applications for Monitoring Beijing Olympics

AIM Global sees application of radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies in enabling green capabilities as a growth market segment. ...

... "Vehicle emissions monitoring using RFID is being implemented at this summer's Olympics in Beijing to help supervise air quality. Emissions testing is required for all vehicles travelling in and out of Beijing. An RFID tag is embedded in a decal which is placed on the windshield if the vehicle passes the emissions test. A handheld reader is used to check vehicles on the road. This application will continue even after the 2008 Summer Olympics to help reduce pollution in the city. " ...

Via AIM Global: Increased Acceptance, Utilization Of RFID Technologies in Green Applications

RFID Market Revenue Forecast

Gartner sees growth in RFID revenue as market adoptions increases through compliance programs and value-driven implementations across multiple industries. ...

... "Worldwide radio frequency identification (RFID) revenue is forecast to total $1.2 billion in 2008, a 30.9 percent increase from 2007 revenue of $917.3 million, according to Gartner, Inc. By 2012, worldwide RFID revenue is forecast to total $3.5 billion. " ...

Via Gartner: Worldwide RFID Revenue to Surpass $1.2 Billion in 2008

China RFID Market Largest

China RFID market is accelerating and has successful applications of the technology across many industries. The growth should continue in China as its identity card and access controls for the summer Olympics event drive demand. ...

... "China has become the world's largest market for RFID by value, thanks to huge government spending on China's national ID card program and investments for the Beijing 2008 Olympics. " ...

Via NetworkWorld: 2007 China RFID Industry

HighGrowth RFID Market Expected

Market study sees RFID technology adoption sustaining high growth rates over the next five years. Various industries are in pilot activity. While other industries are increasing adoption to realize the full benefits. ...

... "The 2007 figure represents a 24% growth over 2006, and the curve to 2012 indicates a compound annual growth rate of 21%. " ...

Via ABI Research: RFID Markets Stay Strong at 21% Annual Growth Through 2012

Active RFID: Europe Market Analysis

Frost provides update on the European market for active RFID. ...

... "The report provides an insight into the dynamics guiding this market, and includes market challenges, drivers, restraints and avenues of opportunity for growth. The purpose of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of European Active RFID Market and its revenue value. Highlights of the briefing include: Analysis of the European Active RFID market, technology, application and distribution trends. " ...

European Active RFID Market

RFID Division Sold

HEI, Inc. has entered into an agreement to sell all of the assets of its RFID division to Smartrac Technology US, Inc. ...

... "The transaction is structured as a sale of substantially all the assets of the RFID division, including inventory, receivables, customer contracts and customer lists, and the assumption of substantially all of the liabilities. The purchase price to be paid at closing is $3.0 million cash and the parties expect to close the transaction prior to the end of the HEI's 2007 fiscal year end on September 1, 2007. As a result of this transaction, HEI expects to recognize a gain from the sale of assets in the 4th quarter of approximately $1.5 million, prior to any employee obligations, severance and other transaction-related costs. HEI intends to use the sale proceeds to pay down existing debt obligations. " ...

Via HEI: Sale of RFID Division Assets

RFID Transponder Growth $1B

Transponder growth ia expected to top $1 billion with revenues mixed across the globe. ...

... "The global market for RFID transponders approached $1 billion in 2006 and is expected to grow at a compounded annual rate (CAGR) of 24% through 2008. Transponder revenue distribution was relatively uniform among the regional markets - EMEA accounted for slightly more than 35% of total revenues and the remaining market was, for the most part, equally divided between the Americas and Asia-Pacific regions. " ...

Via Venture Development Corp: $1 BILLION MARK

RFID Market Size 5B and Growing

IDTechEx provides insights into the size of the current and future RFID market. ...

... "RFID Facts and Figures: In 2007, the total RFID market size is $4.96 billion. By 2017, the total RFID market size is estimated to grow to $26.88 billion. " ...

Via IDTechEx: 2007 RFID Market Stats

RFID Growth in Farm Supply Chain

New market research shows that the use of RFID systems and tags will increase to $5.8 billion spent in managing the food supply chain by 2017. ...

... "The allied sector of RFID on animals and in farming is similarly rising rapidly in dollars spent, an already robust figure of $462 million in 2007 rising to $2.6 billion in 2007. " ...

Via Research and Markets: RFID for Animals, Food and Farming

Europe RFID Poised For Growth

European RFID markets will grow in the near term and have to deal with rising volume of data generated by RFID devices. Middleware is the best means for addressing the data flow. Europe has location-specific issues that need to be considered in RFID middleware. ...

... "However, several issues which will present significant challenges for the European RFID middleware market remain. Some of the immediate challenges include meeting regulatory requirements such as Listen Before Talk (LBT), which are unique to Europe. In addition, to the Europe wide issues, certain countries such as France have dedicated frequencies in the UHF band for military and defence, which clash with RFID frequencies. " ...

Via Frost & Sullivan: RFID in Europe

Kimberly-Clark RFID Data Enables Demand Forecasting and Lower Out-Of-Stock Conditions On Retail Shelves

TrueDemand Software closes enterprise-wide license deal with Kimberly-Clark that integrates RFID technology into the demand forecasting and replenishment system. ...

... "Kimberly-Clark will leverage the TrueDemand Forecast and Replenishment Manager (FRM) Release 2.1 to improve sales by reducing retail shelf out-of-stocks (OOS) for its global consumer product brands, which include Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups and Kotex. TrueDemand's FRM solution will leverage RFID data to provide Kimberly-Clark with greater insight including: perpetual inventory by retail store and selling floor, a daily forecast by product and store, and OOS root causes and lost sales by product and store and retail DC, with prioritized actions for replenishment analysts, retail partners and field operations teams. As a result, Kimberly-Clark will be able to more accurately predict product availability, inventory, execution and out-of-stock problems at the aggregate level across all stores, as well as at the detailed product-store level, and take the appropriate preventive action. TrueDemand’s unique predictive software will recommend specific replenishment, forecasting and store operations actions that Kimberly-Clark can take to help improve sales and market share. It provides out-of-stock root cause analysis and recommendations for continuous improvement for regular replenishment." ...

Via Kimberly-Clark: Kimberly-Clark to Power Shelf-Back Supply Chain (PDF) ...

RFID Company: Customer Satisfaction Is Differentiator

SkyeTek and Impinj differentiate themselves in the RFID marketplace by ranking as the highest rated RFID reader vendors in terms of customer satisfaction. ...

... "SkyeTek and Impinj offer products in different market segments with the former offering reader modules for embedded applications, such as product authentication, smart displays, and patron management, and the latter offering finished readers for applications such as portals, forklifts, and shelves. In comparing SkyeTek to vendors also offering modules, the study shows that SkyeTek's customer satisfaction rating exceeds that of the competition by two to four times. SkyeTek commissioned Amplify Communications to conduct the blind, independent survey by acquiring contact lists from industry standard sources. Over 10,000 professionals were contacted resulting in approximately 400 respondents, each of whom is involved in one or more projects using RFID reader technology.
" ...

Via SkyeTech: Lead RFID Reader Providers in Customer Satisfaction ...

RFID Open-Standards Benefits Container Tracking Per Pilot

Recent active RFID pilot project using Oracle and Savi Technology infrastructure validates the need for common standards to realize benefits in port operations. RFID-enabled seaborne shipping containers provide real-time tracking status in the Asian supply chain tested in the pilot, using EPC Information Services (EPCIS), a draft standard championed by GS1 EPCglobal. The objective of this effort is to enable greater transport visibility across stakeholders, countries and continents. ...

... "The benefits seem clear, but many vendors and end users believe that the prerequisites for greater RFID adoption in this sector are a common nomenclature for RFID data, and a standard framework for the way in which that information is shared via open standards such as EPCIS. The EPCglobal pilot with Savi and Oracle represents a significant step towards the practical realization of a truly useful standard, notes Liard. It is the first real-world demonstration among port operators of the potential created when multiple trading partners and service providers can speak the same language. " ...

Via ABI ResearchContainer Tracking Pilot Highlights the Benefits of RFID Standards in Port Management

RFID Market Briefing

Frost & Sullivan's Auto ID Group analyst, Brendon Ouimette, will present views on the RFID market at its 2007 Quarterly Analyst Briefing to be held on Tuesday, April 17, 2007 at 3:00 p.m. EDT. ...

... "This briefing will benefit industry participants, investment advisors, analysts and potential RFID adopters across many vertical markets. Highlights of the briefing include: levels of adoption, strong growth areas and analysis of qualitative growth factors in the RFID market. " ...

Via PRNewswire: Adoption in RFID Market

RFID Multiplexer Product Multiple Antenna

metraTec RFID Solutions launched its family of RFID multiplexers with multiple antenna ports for HF and UHF applications. ...

... "With seven different product versions, metraTec has the world's largest product spectrum for RFID multiplexers. The devices are meant to enable users to easily set up complex RFID systems like RFID shelves or antenna arrays for location tracking at low cost. The products presented are compatible with all readers on the market independent of reader brand. Special emphasis was placed on simple control of the antenna ports and a robust electronics design based purely on semiconductors. All product versions are available as of today. " ...

Via metraTec: RFID Expert metraTec Presents Multiplexer Product Family with up to 16 Antenna Ports

Printronix RFID Printer Compatible With Microsoft Biztalk RFID Solution

Printronix collaborates with Microsoft to create turnkey radio frequency identification (RFID) printing solution that is compatible with Microsoft's BizTalk RFID infrastructure. ...

... "Ready to meet global supply chain operators' RFID compliance needs, Printronix's SL4M is the industry's most economical, industrial-grade metal printer/encoder designed for global Class 1 Gen 2 as well as ISO compliant ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID applications. Synchronized with Microsoft's BizTalk RFID technology, it encodes and prints RFID chips and labels to meet retail, government and other supply-chain compliance mandates. It also is ideal for closed-loop UHF applications. Announced in June 2006, BizTalk RFID will incorporate Microsoft's vast technology expertise and developer network to provide an innovative platform solution that is enabling businesses to optimize RFID technology and create greater supply-chain efficiencies. Printronix worked with Microsoft as the company first announced its BizTalk RFID solution to improve greatly the customer's ability to experience all of the benefits of RFID. First to market with a UHF EPC printer, Printronix leveraged its RFID installation experiences with top suppliers to Wal-Mart, the U.S. Department of Defense, Target, Albertsons and Best Buy to create its RFID product and solutions portfolio. Printronix then shared its patented MP2 RFID Smart printing knowledge with the Microsoft development team and contributed SmartLine RFID printers to Microsoft's technology centers in Redmond, Wash.; Paris; Beijing; and Bangalore, India, among other locations. " ...

Via Printronix: Printronix Utilizes Microsoft BizTalk RFID Technology to Deliver Turnkey RFID Printing Solution to Supply Chain Operators Worldwide ...

Intel RFID Chips Enable Alien Technology Reader

Alien will use Intel RFID transceiver in RFID reader products. ...

... "Alien Technology Corporation plans to offer RFID Readers based on the new Intel UHF RFID Transceiver R1000. The new Alien RFID reader products will capitalize on the high levels of integration and performance of the Intel R1000 to address new and emerging market opportunities for RFID readers worldwide. Alien plans to offer readers in new, smaller form factors with the advanced EPCglobal Gen 2 and software enhanced features typical of Alien readers. " ...

Via Alien Technology: Alien Technology Announces Support for the Intel UHF RFID Transceiver R1000

Retail RFID Implementation: European Shoes

Checkpoint Systems enters into a strategic agreement with RENO, European shoe retailer. The agreement will enable an RFID source-tagging program and implementation at 700 retail locations across six countries with NDRF-based (New Digital Radio Frequency) RFID tagging system. The implementation will be completed in May. The RFID system will support reduction of shrinkage and improvement of the customer experience. ...

... "Switching from EM to NDRF technology, RENO wants to further optimise both its market presence and its operational processes. To be successful in the shoe retail trade the goods have to be presented in the right way. As well as displaying shoes in pairs and in boxes, an open shop construction is also particularly important, says Konigs. With NDRF, the current aisle widths in the branches could be increased from 90 cm to 1.80 m and a more customer friendly entrance introduced. Further improvements in the business process include simpler deactivation of the tagged goods at the point of sale. The cashier transaction is sped up while it guarantees that no customer will leave the store with a tag that accidentally remains activated, thereby triggering a false alarm. RENO's decision for radio-frequency source tagging is a further step towards a uniform standard in security technology, not only in Germany, says Ulrich Schafer, Vice-President and General Manager NCE Unit, of Checkpoint Systems. For retailers, radio-frequency source tagging is the best option for reducing the costs of shrinkage. At the same time they are able to create a customer-friendly shopping atmosphere, which will help to boost sales. " ...

Via Checkpoint Systems: RENO Partners with Checkpoint Systems for Its Source Tagging Programme

Active RFID Tag: AeroScout T3 Advances Track and Trace

AeroScout Inc. introduces its AeroScout T3 Tag, an advanced, active RFID tag for asset and people track and trace applications. New features are: Small size credit-card rugged form factor; Efficient power consumption provides efficient use of battery life up to 4 years; Seamless indoor-outdoor reliability provides integrated RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indication) and TDOA (Time Difference of Arrival) location options; And, choke point detection capability that enables the active RFID tag to be triggered at doorways, gateways or enclosed areas. ...

... "The AeroScout T3 Tag builds on the company's innovation and expertise as the creator of both the market's original Wi-Fi tag, and the current market-leading T2 Tag. The T3 Tag combines the proven benefits of AeroScout's asset tracking capabilities with a new streamlined, flat shape, low power consumption, and advanced capabilities to meet a wide variety of customer needs. " ...

Via Aeroscout: AeroScout Launches T3 Series Wi-Fi-Based Active RFID Tag ...

Walmart RFID WSJ Incomplete Picture of Benefits

Dean Frew, President and CEO of Xterprise, responds to negative article in WSJ that criticized WalMart's RFID program alleging that WalMart is not realizing the benefits originally proposed. ...

... "It is always interesting to me that journalists like Mr. McWilliams write about the same three companies when covering RFID. Beaver Creek, Blyth and Thomasville. These companies together account for about 100,000 cases of RFID enabled product shipped per year out of >100 million cases shipped to Wal-Mart in 2006. Why did Mr. McWilliams not talk with Proctor & Gamble they have publicly talked about their RFID successes and ship millions of RFID-enabled cases of product annually? A number of our clients are each shipping over 1 Million tags a year to Wal-Mart alone and we have seen multiple of our clients that are seeing significant value in managing of promotions. Just because they are not talking about it, does not mean they are gaining value. It is unfortunate when the largest most respected global business publication leads the Market section with such a negative one-sided story with so much wrong information and without any commentary from the subject company. " ...

Via Xterprise: Letter to the Editor (PDF) ...