RFID Performance at Cold Temperatures

Demonstration of RFID performance as low temperature. ...

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 ...

Secure RFID through Partnership

SkyeTek and Atmel will partner to create secure HF reader and tag platforms for the RFID market. ...

... "The partnership between Atmel and SkyeTek will provide customers with an ultra-secure option for embedded RFID applications. Resulting solutions leverage CryptoRF's security features and the enterprise-class reliability and price-performance of the SkyeTek ReaderDNA and ReaderWare technology. This combination will provide customers with the ability to adapt RFID technology into existing applications and is well positioned to provide valuable solutions addressing ePedigree, patient safety, consumables authentication, item-level inventory management, and ticketing. SkyeTek's ReaderWare also provides the capability to upgrade the reader to support future tags, protocols, and cryptography via a firmware upgrade. " ...

Via SkyeTek: SkyeTek and Atmel Partner to Offer Industry Leading Secure RFID Technology ...

RFID Warehouse Forklift System

Intermec introduces forklift RFID system that integrates automated data collection to drive efficiency in warehouse business processes. ...

... "This ground-breaking RFID (radio frequency identification) forklift installation system allows forklift drivers to use RFID and other data collection technologies to gather complete real-time inventory data efficiently and safely without leaving their vehicle. Intermec partnered with Cascade Corporation, the world leader in the design and manufacture of lift truck attachments, to create an RFID-enabled forklift system that integrates durable, rugged inventory and data collection technology with existing forklift equipment. The system improves performance and safety while significantly reducing the cost of RFID forklift deployments in warehouse applications. The Intermec Adaptable Load Backrest and Antenna Cell system can be made to accommodate almost all forklifts on the market, providing customers a factory-certified product designed specifically for their lift trucks that meets OSHA and industry safety requirements. Flexible and configurable, the Adaptable Load Backrest switches easily from one application to another, allowing the driver to accomplish pallet-, case- and even shelf-level readings without the costly and intensive labor associated with retrofit systems. " ...

Via Intermec: Intermec and Cascade Introduce Mobile RFID Forklift Adaptable Load Backrest for Rugged, Industrial Warehouse Use

RFID Korea Manufacturing

LS Industrial Systems, Korean integrator, and Impinj, RFID supplier, partner to deliver high-performance RFID solutions in the Korean manufacturing market. ...

... "Responding to significant demand from the Korean manufacturing sector for RFID-enabled logistics and distribution capability, LS Industrial Systems will build and distribute a comprehensive RFID solution incorporating Impinj's Speedway reader platform and Monza Gen 2 tag chips. Available starting in February 2007, the LS Industrial Systems RFID solution targets Korean product distributors, manufacturing companies and government entities requiring RFID technology to improve factory automation and supply chain efficiency. " ...

Via Impinj: LS Industrial Systems and Impinj Partner to Deliver High-Performance Gen 2 Radio Frequency Identification Solutions in Korea ...

RFID Optimize Accuracy: ODIN Patent Award

ODIN tech receives U.S. patent for software and hardware that enables the accuracy of RFID technology to be optimized. The patent covers the technology design centered on its RFID reader software. ...

... "ODIN technologies, the leader in the physics of RFID for solution design, deployment, and optimization software, announces the award of a broad patent relating to the use of software and equipment to improve RFID performance accuracy and visibility. Patent number 7,132,948 was granted on November 7, 2006 and covers a system and method for optimally placing RFID tag and reader antennas. The intellectual property behind the patents is one design component that forms the foundation of ODIN's EasyReader software. ODIN technologies' patent portfolio is centered on intellectual property, innovative software, algorithms, and methodologies which automate the RFID system life-cycle from installation and design to trouble-shooting and maintenance. ODIN technologies' pioneering physicists and RF engineers began developing solutions to challenging RFID performance problems many years ago and have worked with scores of clients to prove out those strategies. Based on RF physics, ODIN's portfolio of solutions and methodologies provide rapid insight into why certain approaches will be successful and why other approaches fail. This saves end users time and cost, helps avoid predictable pitfalls and improves system performance. " ...

Via ODIN technologies: ODIN technologies Awarded U.S. Patent for RFID Accuracy Optimization ...

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

RFID Vending Contactless Payment

SkyeTek and IsoChron partner to deliver RFID enablement of vending machines with contactless payment ...

... "Isochron selected SkyeTek's M2 contactless payment module as the embedded RFID reader to enable secure, cashless payment at cold-drink vending machines. With robust read performance, onboard security, and contactless payment support, the M2 is the clear leader in performance, reliability, and security protection among contactless payment reader modules. " ...

Via SkyeTek: Link

RFID Switch Infrastructure Convergence ...

Symbol integrates radio frequency switch to enable convergence of multiple technologies under centralized management solution, including RFID. This supports the consistent management of the radio frequency infrastructure for an enterprise, as most companies strive to implement RF devices for supply chain, wireless zones for mobility and flexible office work. ...

... "The RFS7000 RF Switch leverages Symbol's Wireless Next Generation (Wi-NG) architecture, and is designed to support and consolidate Wi-Fi and emerging RF technologies such as RFID, 802.11n, mesh, Voice over Wireless LAN (VoWLAN) and WiMAX. Businesses will now be able to efficiently and cost-effectively deploy and centrally manage wireless voice, data and infrastructure devices throughout the RF spectrum.

The RFS7000 RF Switch provides robust, highly scalable support for enterprise mobility, and is ideal for manufacturing facilities, hospitals, warehouse and supply chain industries, educational and government institutions, and service providers with high-bandwidth requirements and mission-critical applications.

The RFS7000 RF Switch is 802.11n-ready, capable of supporting up to 256 802.11a/b/g access ports, and enables a new switch clustering concept, providing redundancy and high-performance scalability for more than 2,000 access points. Symbol's new RF Switch is designed to support value-add, optional add-on modules such as fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) to provide seamless persistent connectivity for dual-mode cellular/Wi-Fi handheld devices. The RFS7000 Switch also enables Layer 3 roaming, without additional external applications and third-party servers, to handle multi-floor or large-scale campus-wide deployments, allowing mobile users to maintain a persistent connection to high-bandwidth applications as they roam throughout the enterprise. " ...

Via Symbol Technologies: Symbol Technologies Unveils the Industry's First RF Switch to Drive the Next Generation of Enterprise Mobility

RFID Implementation: ROI More Predictable

Research report looks at the increased predictability of RFID implementations and the overall return-on-investment, or ROI. ...

... "the once hidden costs associated with sometimes dramatic organizational changes brought about by (or necessary to) a successful RFID implementation can now be anticipated and managed. As a result, enterprises are enjoying shorter design and pilot phases, scalable solutions, smoother rollout, and less challenging integration tasks. " ...

Via Aberdeen Group: Link

Upcoming Conference will focus on the return on RFID investments ...

5th Annual Global RFID ROI Summit London - The RFID Conference (Radio Frequency Identification) for industry experts: "The Global RFID-ROI Summit 2007, 29 & 30 January 2007, ExCeL Conference Centre - London: the event focuses on achieving real business value from successful RFID implementation. "

RFID implementation must be integrated into business processes in order to realize the full benefits ...

Via Sun Micro: RFID ROI Requires More Than Slap and Ship Deployment: "To really realize ROI from RFID, companies need to see this technology as a way to collect valuable business intelligence that can help them cut costs and increase profits, says Manish Bhuptani, director of market development at Sun Microsystems. "

Companies that drive business change increase the ROI from RFID implementations ...

Via Teradata: The Analytic Value of RFID (PDF): "Companies that take a more functional approach to RFID implementations will often be disappointed, but those companies that see and leverage RFID adoption as an opportunity to drive system-level changes will unlock the ROI in RFID. "

Adoption of RFID technology will ultimately deliver the full benefits of the RFID project. Leading indicators of RFID adoption should be monitored. ...

Deloitte & Touche LLP on RFID: "The high costs of RFID deployment make it hard to see an immediate return on investment. Businesses should not rush in without first knowing the best RFID adoption strategy and how they intend to measure its performance. "

RFID Reader Korean Market ...

WJ Communications certifies its RFID reader module for the Korean market. The reader supports a number of mobile form factors. ...

... "WJ Communications, Inc., a leading designer and supplier of RF products and solutions for the wireless infrastructure and RFID reader markets, announced that it has successfully achieved certification from the South Korean government Ministry of Information Communication (MIC), for its RFID UHF WJR7090 reader module and is now approved for sale in Korea. The recently developed WJR7090, is a highly scalable, high-performance, and easy to integrate Gen2 UHF RFID reader module ideally suited for the Korean handheld and mobile market. Packaged in a PCMCIA Type II PC card format, the WJR7090 is compact in size and is ISO18000-6B, ISO18000-6C (Gen2) and Class 1 compliant. The WJR7090, is designed to offer maximum RFID read-range in applications such as handhelds, printers, forklift readers, portal readers, and other mobile devices enabled for RFID functionality. " ...

Via WJ Communications: South Korea Certifies WJ Communications RFID UHF Reader Module ...

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) ...

RFID: Alien Tech World Tags ...

Alien introduces RFID tags that will operate across the world. ...

... "Alien World Tags enable companies to manufacture products on one continent and ship them worldwide utilizing a single RFID tag that exhibits uniform behavior and delivers consistent performance regardless of its destination. When used with Alien Enterprise RFID Readers, this enables companies to deploy a common RFID infrastructure worldwide, thus reducing the number of infrastructure designs, software interfaces, development projects and equipment models they need to ensure accurate, reliable tag reads across their global supply and delivery chains. Consequently, upfront implementation and ongoing maintenance costs are minimized, overall RFID effectiveness is maximized, and returns on RFID investment can be accelerated. " ...

Alien Technology Expands Gen2 RFID Tag Family

RFID Patent Portfolio: Zebra Purchase

Zebra acquires RFID intellectual property portfolio of over 200 patents from BTG PLC for cash payment. The company believes this patent purchase positions it for success in high-performance RFID technology. ...

... "Zebra Technologies Corporation, a global leader in ondemand printing solutions for business improvement, announced it has acquired an extensive portfolio of radio frequency identification (RFID) patents, which the company believes are important for the implementation of cost-effective high-performance RFID technology. The portfolio was acquired from BTG plc. for total cash consideration of approximately $10 million. " ...

Via Zebra: Zebra Technologies Strengthens IP Asset Portfolio with Acquisition of RFID Patents: A Pioneer in RFID, Zebra Now One of the Largest Patent Holders ...

Walmart RFID: Gen2 Tag Implementation ...

Walmart will continue its implementation of RFID technology as it expands the number of targeted stores and plans conversion to Generation 2 tags. ...

... "WalMart Stores, Inc. will bring another 500 stores and clubs online with its RFID (radio frequency identification) initiative by the end of this fiscal year, bringing the total number of its retail locations using the technology to more than 1,000. The company has more than 3,900 locations in the United States.

The benefits of RFID, especially with regard to reducing out-of-stocks, as well as reducing excess inventory, have been documented in a 2005 study by the University of Arkansas. Ford noted that all WalMart installations moving forward would only read Gen 2 tags. As the remaining pallets and cases with Gen 1 tags make their way through the distribution network, WalMart will convert all of its systems to only read Gen 2 tags.

As predicted by industry experts, the cost of the technology continues to fall while performance continues to improve. WalMart expects this trend to continue as users adopt the Gen 2 tags, which, as envisioned, are becoming the industry's global standard thanks to significant work by EPCglobal and its members. Ford said that WalMart continues to work with its next 300 largest suppliers, which are expected to begin shipping test cases in October. These suppliers will go live with their shipments in January 2007, bringing to more than 600 the number of supplier companies using RFID technology in concert with WalMart. " ...

Via Walmart Stores: WalMart Continues RFID Expansion

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 ...

Omron RFID Inlay: Single Tag Design ...

Omron develops single RFID tag design to support international markets, perform under challenging configurations, and with varying materials and radio frequencies. ...

... "Omron RFID announced availability of the Gen2 Global Loop inlay which can be used under North American, European and Japanese radio frequency bands in a single tag design. The Gen2 Loop is optimized to ensure robust read performance when the tag is applied to items containing materials unfriendly to RFID, including electronics equipment and products with high moisture content. The Loop tag also delivers reliable read ranges when the orientation on the product is not fixed or could change after application. As a direct result, the Loop inlay can improve pallet tag read rates. Because it has dimensions of 68m x 70 mm, the Loop inlay will fit 3-in. x 3-in., 4-in. x 3-in. and 4-in. x 6-in. spaces. Omron's Gen2 Loop inlays can be used with all international UHF RFID frequencies from 860 to 960MHz with little or no performance degradation. The addition of the inlay to the already announced Wave tag expands Omron's ability to meet a wide range of applications for today's international supply chain needs. " ...

Omron RFID Inlay: Single Tag Design: Via Omron: OMRON Introduces EPC Gen2 Global Loop Inlay ...

RFID WiFi Active Tag: Asset Tracking ...

AeroScout updates its active WiFi-capable RFID tag with sensor capabilities to upgrade its asset tracking performance. ...

... "AeroScout, Inc., the leading provider of Wi-Fi-based Active RFID visibility solutions, announced several enhanced features and capabilities for its AeroScout T2 Tag which are unique and unparalleled in the market. The T2 tag is the industry's leading Wi-Fi-based Active RFID tag for asset tracking and management, with tens of thousands of units being shipped each month to customers around the globe. New features on the AeroScout T2 Tag include a built-in temperature monitor and motion sensor, for unmatched asset management capabilities. The motion sensor provides transmission control based on movement of the tag, improving real-time location accuracy and enabling a 4+ year battery life in most customer environments. The temperature sensor provides an additional stream of asset management data for environment-sensitive assets, enabling the tag to wirelessly trigger a remote alert if the temperature goes above or below a certain threshold. In addition, advanced call button and LED functions, intrinsically safe and electromagnetic certifications on the tag, and extendable battery life (up to 8 years) all enable customers to further enhance their asset management capabilities. " ...

RFID WiFi Active Tag: Asset Tracking: Via AeroScout: AeroScout Enhances Industry's Leading Wi-Fi-Based Active RFID Tag ...