The Microsoft RFID Council
Bringing Together Major Partners Delivering
RFID Solutions on the Microsoft Platform, Microsoft Announces New RFID Council
REDMOND, Wash., April 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp.
(Nasdaq: MSFT) today announced the formation of a new Microsoft Radio
Frequency Identification (RFID) Council focused on RFID technology. The group
will look at RFID requirements and how to take advantage of today's technology
to make it easier for retailers and manufacturers to track and ship
merchandise. The company also highlighted a growing ecosystem of partners that
are building innovative RFID solutions on the Microsoft(R) platform to enhance
control of key business processes, improve inventory visibility and provide
better customer service for manufacturers, distributors and retailers.
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RFID combines the benefits of the silicon chip and radio frequencies to
provide increased levels of product and asset visibility across the supply
chain. Microsoft is providing a platform on which partners can create RFID
solutions to enable their customers to reduce human error in data collection,
reduce inventories and improve product availability, while at the same time
respecting the privacy expectations and concerns around the use of RFID
technology. The company plans to hold the first Microsoft RFID Council meeting
in April and already has several partners, including Accenture, GlobeRanger
Corp., HighJump Software, Intermec Technologies Corp., Manhattan Associates
Inc. and Provia Software Inc., signed up to participate. As a part of the
Microsoft RFID Council, Microsoft and partners plan to address industry needs
for RFID solutions that are low-cost, simple to deploy and built on a robust
scalable technology stack.
"With RFID in the early stages of adoption, we are continuing to expand
and evolve our partner-driven strategy based on the needs of the industry,"
said Javed Sikander, program manager for RFID strategy at Microsoft. "There is
a wide spectrum of partners building RFID solutions on the Microsoft platform
today; the formation of the Microsoft RFID Council is part of our commitment
to continue to work closely with our customers and partners to ensure they
receive the greatest value and opportunity when building their RFID solutions
with Microsoft technologies."
An ecosystem of partners -- spanning RFID hardware vendors, supply chain
execution retail systems and services providers -- is using the Microsoft
platform today to add value to their RFID solutions through Microsoft
technologies such as Microsoft Windows(R) CE, SQL Server(TM) and BizTalk(R)
Server for collection, management and integration of RFID data. These partners
also are working with Visual Studio(R) and Web Services Enhancements (WSE) for
Microsoft .NET to create Web services-enabled RFID solutions. Microsoft
Business Solutions is also working with RFID partners to extend the
capabilities of financial management and supply chain management solutions for small and midsize businesses.
Microsoft also announced it has joined EPCglobal, an organization that is
leading the development of industry-driven standards for the Electronic
Product Code (EPC) Network to support the use of RFID. "RFID is a major initiative for the METRO Group," said Zygmunt Mierdorf, executive vice president for IT and Human Resources at METRO Group. "METRO
will use a number of platforms and is very pleased Microsoft has joined
EPCglobal and is making significant investments to make this technology
available using open standard technologies. Microsoft is working with the
METRO Group to support this first large implementation."
Independent software vendors (ISVs) and technology companies announcing
their support for the Microsoft platform and highlighting the solutions they
are delivering today include the following:
-- Accenture. Accenture is working with Microsoft and Manhattan Associates
to develop a new solution that will help manufacturers comply quickly
with retailers' RFID mandates. The companies will provide a full range
of Electronic Product Code (EPC)-compliant, scalable RFID solution
design, development and integration services that will help
manufacturers realize rapid benefits, including enhanced supply chain
efficiencies and improved warehouse management.
-- GlobeRanger. GlobeRanger provides an innovative Edgeware(TM) platform,
iMotion(TM), that is designed to intelligently connect core enterprise
systems with relevant, real-time RFID information. Built on the
Microsoft .NET Framework, iMotion delivers the ability to manage edge
devices, networks, data and business processes seamlessly.
-- HighJump Software, a 3M Company. HighJump provides a broad collection
of highly configurable, RFID-enabled solutions built on the Microsoft
platform that empower customers to meet a full spectrum of RFID
requirements and manage ever-evolving supply chain processes without
disrupting current supply chain operations.
-- Intermec Technologies Corp. Intermec draws on the utilities and
resources available through the Microsoft Pocket PC platform for the
company's 700 Color Series of rugged, mobile devices with attachable
IP3 RFID handle. The IP3 adds fully functional RFID reader capabilities
to the 700. Both devices are integrated into Intermec's RFID "Ready to
Go" kit, which includes RFID hardware, software and professional
services -- allowing customers to begin implementing RFID into their
own systems.
-- Manhattan Associates Inc. Manhattan Associates is leveraging the
Microsoft platform as a powerful and flexible platform for its
cutting-edge RFID solutions. The company's RFID in a Box(TM) solution
offers a package of source-to-consumption supply chain execution
applications, professional services and RFID technology to simplify
implementation and enable companies to meet compliance requirements
while leveraging the most comprehensive integrated logistics platform
and solutions.
-- METRO Group. Germany-based retailer METRO Group will begin to roll out
RFID across four of its six divisions in November 2004. METRO has been
successfully piloting RFID in its Future Store in Rheinberg, Germany,
and in other locations, and is now ready to take the challenge to move
from pilot to production.
-- Provia Software Inc. Provia Software uses the Microsoft platform to
enable customers to implement supply chain execution and optimization
solutions including RFID-enabled warehousing, transportation, order and
yard management. These solutions seamlessly integrate with Web-based
visibility tools to create a real-time, end-to-end supply chain
execution solution.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services
and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
NOTE: Microsoft, Windows, BizTalk and Visual Studio are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other
countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Innovative RFID Solutions on the Microsoft Platform
"The potential of RFID combined with retailer mandates make it a question
of when -- not if -- manufacturers will implement the technology into their
organizations. The next 18 months will be the critical period of adoption, and
industry leaders are looking beyond compliance to use RFID as a source of
competitive advantage."
Lyle Ginsburg
Partner, Technology Innovation
Products Operating Group
Accenture
"GlobeRanger delivers the ability to easily develop, deploy and integrate
RFID and mobile solutions for the edge of the enterprise. Powered by the
Microsoft .NET Framework, GlobeRanger's iMotion platform provides the
foundation that enterprise users are looking for to scale standards-compliant
RFID solutions from pilot to full implementation."
John Koenigs
President and CEO
GlobeRanger Corp.
"HighJump provides a broad collection of highly configurable, RFID-enabled
solutions that empower customers to meet a full spectrum of RFID requirements and manage ever-evolving supply chain processes without jeopardizing their operational efficiency, profitability or ability to meet customer
expectations. HighJump fully leverages Microsoft technologies throughout its
RFID solution to facilitate integration and ensure flexibility and scalability
in complex, high-volume manufacturing and distribution environments."
Chris Heim
President
HighJump Software, a 3M Company
"Intermec has added instant RFID capability to its 700 Color Series of
rugged, mobile devices by offering the Intermec IP3 handle reader as an
attachment. With the powerful backbone of Microsoft's Pocket PC and immediate RFID reader capacity, customers now are able to easily integrate RFID into their enterprise systems."
Mike Colwell
Vice President
Intermec
"As a charter member of EPCglobal, Manhattan Associates has continued to
stay at the forefront of providing innovative business and compliance
solutions that solve supply chain execution challenges for manufacturers,
distributors, retailers and their trading partners. Manhattan Associates' RFID
in a Box(TM) solution and our RFID-enabled applications, combined with
Microsoft's powerful and flexible platform, provide our customers with both
stability and ease of deployment. Our joint solutions are enabling companies
worldwide to meet RFID compliance requirements and handle large transactional
volumes."
Eric Peters
Executive Vice President,
Strategy and Business Development
Manhattan Associates
"RFID compliance requirements are quickly evolving. For Provia's RFIDware
product, Microsoft's .NET Platform was the logical choice. It allowed us to
develop a robust solution quickly while providing the flexibly and ease of use
necessary to keep up with these evolving requirements. All our supply chain
execution and optimization solutions deploy rapidly and effectively on the
Microsoft platform today, and we are excited to strengthen our Microsoft .NET
support with the release of RFIDware."
Todd Gage
Vice President
Product Development
Provia Software
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