RFID Lab Villanova University: Stimulate Region Competitiveness

Villanova University researches RFID technology at its Center for Advanced Communications. The director of the RFID lab is Dr. Yimin Zhang. The Center was created through a partnership of Villanova, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, and the National Science Foundation to stimulate regional industrial competitiveness. ...

... "The Center for Advanced Communications (CAC) at Villanova University has established state-of-the-art Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) facilities on Villanova University campus. The main objective of this Lab is to become a leading provider of RFID research in the region and promote collaboration and partnership with RFID manufacturing industries. " ...

Via Villanova University College of Engineering: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Lab ...

RFID Seamless Mobility: Moto Acquires Mobile Technology Leader, Symbol ...

Motorola makes strategic acquisition of wounded-prey Symbol Technologies with an eye towards the convergence of digital and mobility as an engine for future growth. ...

... "Symbol is a leader in designing, developing, manufacturing and servicing products and systems used in end-to-end enterprise mobility solutions featuring rugged mobile computing, advanced data capture, radio frequency identification (RFID), wireless infrastructure and mobility management. The company's products and services help customers increase workforce productivity, improve customer service and enhance operational efficiencies by delivering information in real-time, as people, information and assets are on-the-move. " ...

Via Moto: Motorola to Expand Enterprise Capabilities Through Acquisition of Symbol Technologies ...

RFID Gen2 Chip Supply for Alien ...

Tower Semi will manufacture Generation 2 RFID chips for Alien Technology. ...

... "Tower Semiconductor Ltd., a pure-play independent specialty foundry, announced that it is the manufacturing supplier for Alien Technology's internally-designed Gen 2 RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) integrated circuits. These ICs recently achieved the EPCGlobal certification mark. The RFID ICs are produced at Tower's Fab2 in an advanced 0.18-micron manufacturing process. Market analysts forecast the RFID IC's market to grow significantly to between $500 millions and $1 Billion by 2010, mainly due to the Gen 2 impact. RFID tags help enable supply chain efficiency, visibility and security and are being deployed in retail, defense, transportation and health markets. Some of the implementation initiatives are being led by major US retailers. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, 13 federal agencies are already using or plan to deploy RFID technology. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), has mandated RFID's use across its suppliers for increased supply chain visibility and improved forecasting. The newly certified Alien Gen 2 RFID chips include some new CMOS devices which were jointly developed with Tower. IC development efforts focused on the low-power requirements for such an RFID tag which draws its power solely from transmitted Radio Frequency energy. " ...

RFID Gen2 Chip Supply for Alien: Via Tower Semiconductor: Tower Semiconductor Manufactures Gen 2 RFID Tags for Alien Technology ...

RFID Research Program: Georgia Tech in Ireland ...

Georgia Tech starts RFID research program at research enterprise in Ireland. ...

... "The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), the applied research arm of the Georgia Institute of Technology, will establish a research enterprise in Athlone, Ireland to focus on industry research and development needs. GTRI Ireland will be GTRI's first applied research facility outside the United States.

The new institute will focus on four technology areas that mirror Ireland's research strengths — digital media, radio frequency identification (RFID), biotechnology and energy. The research with RFID will center on authentication and identification technologies from acoustics to optics for the commercial sector. For instance, because Ireland has a thriving pharmaceutical industry, some of the institute's research will target pill-tracking accuracy, ensuring authenticity and dosage. " ...

Via Georgia Institute of Technology: GTRI to Open Institute in Athlone, Ireland ...

Additional university-sponsored RFID research programs ...

Information Technology Research Institute: RFID Research Center: "Information Technology Research Institute created its first sub-unit, the RFID Research Center. This new center spans many disciplines including retail, supply chain, industrial engineering, and computer science, among others. The center's base of operations is a lab which models a production warehouse environment in 7000 sq ft. of space donated to the center by Hanna's Candles and located within Hanna's manufacturing and warehouse facility. Collaborators with the RFID Research Center within the Walton College include the UA information systems department, the Supply Chain Management Research Center, and the Center for Retailing Excellence. Leveraging multidisciplinary expertise across the University of Arkansas, the RFID Research Center also has collaborative relationships with the College of Engineering, including the departments of computer science and computer engineering, industrial engineering, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering; the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, including the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies and the department of public policy; the Dale Bumpers College of Agriculture, Food and Life Sciences, including the department of food science; and the School of Law. "

RFID@WINMEC:RFID Research: "RFID@WINMEC Middleware - The RFID@WINMEC middleware research project involves the development of a middleware stack with sub-stacks that manages r/w functions, abstracts reader and tags, networks readers together, provides hooks to databases and provides a homogeneous interface for application development. We work with sponsoring organizations on developing and studying RFID pilots by using our RFID middleware stack. "

RFID Academic Convocation II: Opportunities for RFID Sponsored Research Collaboration: "The RFID Academic Convocation brings together Directors of leading RFID research laboratories with executives from lead users in their industries and their RFID platform partners to address underlying research issues surrounding implementation of RFID. This event is part of a series of meetings that are being organized around the world to build collaboration across academic disciplines, institutional and geographic boundaries. Participation by qualified academic and industry researchers and governmental agency representatives is invited. "

Best Buy RFID Compliance: LG Experience

LG's RFID implementation was completed quickly and successfully certified to meet Best Buy's RFID compliance requirements. ...

... "The deployment was completed in less than two months and has been certified by Best Buy to meet the retailer's January 2, 2006 mandate. As a global supplier of televisions, mobile phones, and other consumer electronics, LG began investigating RFID technology when Wal-Mart and Best Buy issued mandates last year. In the initial deployment, LG plans to tag three SKUs to be shipped from their warehouse in Texas to Best Buy distribution centers. According to Sam Ismail, Director, Logistics Advanced Engineering at LG Electronics, this infrastructure gives LG the ability to tag and ship additional SKUs from the warehouse and manufacturing facility as more retailers mandate the use of the technology and as more business cases are determined to add value. " ...

Best Buy RFID Compliance: LG Experience: Via OATSystems: LG Electronics Goes Live with OATSystems: Implementation Completed in Record Time ...

OATSystems, Inc. is the recognized RFID framework leader with software that empowers businesses to achieve competitive advantage from radio-frequency identification (RFID). As pioneers in the development of RFID technology, OAT has been setting the standard in RFID for over half a decade and is responsible for industry firsts that include the largest scale and largest scope of deployments, as well as the most innovative approaches to providing enterprise-wide RFID solutions. OAT's multinational client base, which includes companies such as Hewlett-Packard and Gillette, consists of over 50 customers in retail, CPG, consumer electronics, manufacturing, life sciences, aerospace and defense.

RFID Intellectual Property Agreement: Pinnacle Manufactures ...

USM Systems, Ltd., developer of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) solutions, licenses its intellectual property to Pinnacle Technology Group, Inc. (Toledo, OH) for manufacturing and marketing of RFID and other products. ...

RFID Intellectual Property Agreement: Pinnacle Manufactures: Via USM Systems: Pinnacle Technology Group to manufacture, market products using USM Systems, Ltd. intellectual property ...

... "USM Systems intellectual property enables RFID systems to gather and export data from its collection to an enterprise computer network. The license helps to introduce into the marketplace RFID solutions that let businesses control loss/shrinkage; improve equipment maintenance and record keeping; increase utilization of fixed assets; and manage personnel tracking. " ...

USM Systems, Ltd. develops Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) solutions, and holds key intellectual property patents for advanced application of RFID technology. Founded in 1995, the Southfield, Michigan-based Corporation is central to the development of emerging RFID technology that tracks and manages assets and personnel in a range of environments. RFID expertise is concentrated in personnel & asset management to include valuable and sensitive asset tracking; finished goods tracking; mobile equipment tracking; event-driven data collection; and configurable reporting/action.

Active RFID: Location Aware Services ...

Active RFID: Location Aware Services: Via PanGo Networks, Inc.: PanGo Unveils the Next Generation of its Location Management Platform,Asset Tracking Application and Active RFID Tags: PanOS Platform® 3.0, PanGo Locator® 3.0 and PanGo Active RFID Tags® Represent a Major Leap Forward for Enterprise Wireless Systems ...

Next-gen active RFID is 50% smaller, support interoperable location-aware services ...

... "PanGo's Active RFID Tag is a next-generation Wi-Fi-based tag offering a compact size that is 50% smaller than its predecessor and offers extended battery life, wireless security and motion and status reporting capabilities. Unlike other active RFID tags that only chirp simple identification data, PanGo offers the only active RFID tag with two location and reporting modes. The tag's Wi-Fi mode is fully compliant with the IEEE 802.11 b/g standards and enables advanced features like over-the-air configuration management and tag status updates e.g., motion reporting via an integrated motion sensor and low battery alerts. In a second mode, the tag reports its identification information in a short radio-frequency beacon, which further extends battery life and is interoperable with third-party location technologies like Cisco's Series 2700 Series Location Appliance. " ...

PanGo Networks® is the leading provider of platforms and applications for the location-aware enterprise. PanGo’s integrated location solutions allow organizations to leverage location-based information from the network and transform off-the-shelf WLAN infrastructure into a platform for intelligent applications that improve important business processes. With its flagship PanOS Platform® and asset tracking applications, PanGo offers the industry’s first complete framework for real-time asset visibility and context-aware information delivery. Specializing in a range of markets including healthcare, manufacturing, retail and government, PanGo delivers reliable and accurate information about the location of connected devices, people and assets.

Radio Frequency Identification RFID Label: Certified Preferred ...

Radio Frequency Identification RFID Label: Certified Preferred: Via Nashua Corporation: NASHUA CORPORATION NAMED AN ALIEN TECHNOLOGY® CERTIFIED PREFERRED CONVERTER PARTNER: Selection Recognizes Nashua Label Division’s RFID Capabilities and Positions Company to Help Customers Utilize Advanced RFID Solutions ...

... "Nashua Corporation (NASDAQ: NSHA), a manufacturer and marketer of labels, thermal and specialty papers, and imaging products, announced that Alien Technology Corporation has named the Company's Label Division a Certified Preferred Converter Partner. Partner status recognizes the Label Division's Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) capabilities and strengthens the relationship between Nashua and Alien Technology Corporation, a leading supplier of inlays and other RFID hardware and components. Alien Technology initiated the Certified Preferred Converter Partner program in order to team with key industry leaders such as Nashua, which utilizes RFID technology in the low cost, high quality inventory and product tracking solutions applications it provides its customers. " ...

Nashua Corporation manufactures and markets a wide variety of specialty imaging products and services to industrial and commercial customers to meet various print application needs. The Company's products include thermal coated papers, pressure-sensitive labels, bond, point of sale, ATM and wide format papers, entertainment tickets, as well as toners, developers, and ribbons for use in imaging devices. Alien Technology® Corporation is a leading supplier of radio frequency identification (RFID) hardware that enables consumer packaged goods companies, retailers and other industries to improve their operating efficiency throughout their supply chains. Through its patented manufacturing process, Fluidic Self Assembly (FSA®), Alien fabricates high performance electronic product code (EPC) Class 1 tags in unprecedented volumes at very low cost.

RFID PrintApply Label Throughput ...

RFID PrintApply Label Throughput: FKI Logistex Introduces the Print-and-Apply Module: System automates label printing and application, increasing throughputs ...

... "FKI Logistex, a global leader in integrated material handling solutions, introduces the Print-and-Apply Module, a self-contained, fully-automated system designed to streamline and automate label printing and application in bar code, RFID or hybrid ID environments. " ...

FKI Logistex® North America is a leading provider of automated material handling solutions, supplying its customers with an integrated set of leading-edge technologies in high-speed sortation, conveyor systems, carousels, palletizing, paperless pick products, AS/RS, controls, order fulfillment systems, RFID implementation, EDS integration, baggage handling systems, warehouse control systems, and total material handling automation. FKI Logistex provides material handling solutions for airports, postal facilities, parcel distribution, manufacturing operations, library automation, and for warehouse and distribution facilities. With projects that include many of the world's largest and most advanced material handling operations, FKI Logistex has manufacturing, engineering and support facilities around the world.

RFID Material Tracking Solutions

RFID Material Tracking Solutions: Brooks Automation Showcases Latest Manufacturing Automation Solutions at SEMICON West

... An advanced automated material handling system (AMHS) that combines powerful routing and dispatching capabilities that enable semiconductor fabs to achieve high performance, automated tool-to-tool delivery of material, resulting in reduced cycle time and more efficient fab layouts. RF technology -- Standard and customizable RFID solutions for tracking and helping manage material movement. " ...

Brooks Automation (Nasdaq: BRKS) delivers automation solutions to the global semiconductor and related industries. The company provides hardware, factory and tool management software, and professional services to help manage every wafer, reticle and data movement in the fab, improving throughput and yield while reducing cost and time to market. Brooks' products and capabilities are used in virtually every semiconductor fab in the world.

RFID Wafer Tracking: Semiconductor Manufacturing ...

RFID Wafer Tracking: Semiconductor Manufacturing: Entegris Wins Competitive Bid From Silterra for KA200 Peek Wafer Carriers

... "Entegris advanced wafer transport technology provides excellent dimensional stability and rigidity, low particulation, minimal outgassing at high temperatures and high thermal capabilities, which enable the efficient transport of valuable wafers within today's fabs. Composed of STAT-PRO 3000a static, dissipative blend of PEEK and carbon fiber the KA200 is configured with embedded radio frequency (RFID) tags for optimum wafer carrier identification and tracking in the fab. " ...

Accelerate EPC Generation2 RFID Deployment

Accelerate EPC Generation2 RFID Deployment: Philips and Texas Instruments join forces to accelerate EPC Generation 2 RFID deployment: Industry leaders team up to drive standardization and ensure worldwide interoperability of ultra-high-frequency Electronic Product Code RFID standard ...

... "Two of the leading radio frequency identification (RFID) semiconductor manufacturers, Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) and Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN), today announced an agreement to cooperate on conformance testing for the technical interpretation of the EPCglobal Inc Electronic Product Code (EPC) Generation (Gen) 2 RFID standard. This joint effort is aimed at ensuring interoperability and accelerating market deployment of Gen 2 products, such as labels, hardware and system solutions, to offer multiple sourcing for implementations of RFID throughout the world. The EPC Gen 2 standard, currently in the process of standardization by the International Standards Organization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for global adoption, is the newest and most advanced of the RFID specifications for the ultra-high frequency (UHF) band centered around 900 MHz. " ...

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is one of the world’s biggest electronics companies and Europe’s largest, with sales of EUR 30.3 billion in 2004. With activities in the three interlocking domains of healthcare, lifestyle and technology and 160,900 employees in more than 60 countries, it has market leadership positions in medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring, color television sets, electric shavers, lighting and silicon system solutions.

Texas Instruments is the world’s largest integrated manufacturer of radio frequency identification (RFID) transponders and reader systems. Capitalizing on its competencies in high-volume semiconductor manufacturing and microelectronics packaging, TI is a visionary leader and at the forefront of establishing new markets and international standards for RFID applications.

RFID Border Control Biometrics UK Conference

RFID Border Control Biometrics UK Conference: OMNIKEY sponsors the Global Border Control Technology Summit in London: OMNIKEY, one of the world´s leading manufacturers of innovative smart card readers, is sponsoring the Global Border Control Technology Summit, the premier meeting place for governments, technology vendors and system integrators to debate the ongoing concerns involving biometric passports ...

Omnikey sponsors UK conference to address the requirements of RFID-based border control with biometric technologies ...

... "OMNIKEY, one of the world´s leading manufacturers of innovative smart card readers, is sponsoring the Global Border Control Technology Summit, the premier meeting place for international governments, technology vendors and system integrators to debate the ongoing concerns involving biometric passports. The conference will take place on July 11th to 12th in London at the Selfridge Hotel in London. The decision of governments worldwide to introduce high-security electronic travel documents based on RFID and biometric technologies, as well as to roll-out a new globe-spanning border control infrastructure, presents an array of technological and logistical challenges. " ...

The Global Border Control Technology Summit will enable all those involved in the rollout of technology-led projects to discuss critical practical, technical and commercial issues; and to find appropriate solutions to common implementation problems. High-profile attendees, including government representatives, from all over the world guarantee a unique insight in how the early adopters of biometrics for border control have introduced and implemented the technology. First-hand information on how the different products and solutions are working in practice can be expected. This event has been specifically designed and timed to coincide with the rollout of biometric passports and is therefore essential for Passport Issuing Authorities and Border Control Authorities. It will also be invaluable for any government organisation responsible for making the business case, selecting technology partners, procuring services for or managing any project involving identification technologies, services and products.

OMNIKEY, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of innovative smart card readers, offers the most diversified product portfolio available on the market today. Having established a tight collaboration with key decision makers in the card manufacturing and software industries, OMNIKEY sits at the table of innovation. OMNIKEY’s smart card readers for PCs can be utilized by any application including logical access control, digital signature, GSM authentication, secure banking and online transactions, loyalty programs, and healthcare solutions. OMNIKEY, headquartered in Walluf, near Wiesbaden (Germany), is part of the ASSA ABLOY Identification Technology Group (ITG). OMNIKEY´s North American headquarters reside in Irvine, California with technical support in Atlanta, Georgia. The Asia Pacific operation is located in Hong Kong. Design, production management, and quality control of OMNIKEY’s products are carried out in the company’s two R&D centers in Linz, Austria and Erfurt, Germany. OMNIKEY readers are distributed worldwide through a global network of partners, including value added resellers, system integrators, and OEMs.

ITG is the world’s leading supplier of RFID components, products, solutions and services. Comprised of a dynamic group of companies including HID, Sokymat, ACG Identification Technologies, Indala, OMNIKEY and Interlock, ITG innovation spans the value chain of smart card and RFID-based systems for identification and security. Applications include physical and logical access control, supply chain management, animal tagging, national ID and e-passport programs, transport and various industrial and manufacturing applications. ITG Research in Denver, Colorado, focused on advanced research projects at the cutting edge of RFID and smart card technologies, and its SmartWorldAcademy in Prague, uniquely position ITG at the forefront of the secure identification industry. ITG headquarter offices are located in Walluf, Germany and Irvine, California. ITG is part of the ASSA ABLOY Group, an international group listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange with some 30,000 employees and annual sales of about EUR 3 billion. The ASSA ABLOY Group is the world's leading manufacturer and supplier of locking solutions, dedicated to satisfying end-user needs for security, safety and convenience.

Southeast US RFID Market

Southeast US RFID Market: FKI Logistex, Material Handling Solutions Worldwide: FKI Logistex to Open Atlanta Regional Office ...

... "FKI Logistex (www.fkilogistex.com), a global leader in integrated material handling solutions, announces that it is opening a new regional office in Atlanta, Georgia to increase support for the company's growing base of customers in the southeastern United States. " ...

FKI Logistex® North America (www.fkilogistex.com) is a leading provider of automated material handling solutions, supplying its customers with an integrated set of leading-edge technologies in high-speed sortation, conveyor systems, carousels, palletizing, paperless pick products, AS/RS, controls, order fulfillment systems, RFID implementation, EDS integration, baggage handling systems, warehouse control systems, and total materials handling automation. FKI Logistex provides material handling solutions for airports, postal facilities, parcel distribution, manufacturing operations, library automation, and for warehouse and distribution facilities. With projects that include many of the world's largest and most advanced material handling operations, FKI Logistex has manufacturing, engineering and support facilities around the world.

RFID Antenna Production: Secure Printing ...

Creo and XINK Laboratories Announce World's First Security Ink for High-Volume Flexographic RFID Antenna Production: New Covert Taggant Formulation Prevents Counterfeit RFID Tags ...

... "Creo Inc. (NASDAQ: CREO; TSX: CRE) and XINK Laboratories Ltd. presented a new class of secure flexographic radio frequency identification (RFID) antenna printing inks at the PISEC 6th World Product & Image Security Convention (www.pisec-world.com), held in Vienna, Austria recently. These new covertly tagged flexographic ink formulations target manufacturers and converters producing RFID-tagged smart packaging for use in supply-chains. This type of smart packaging has been mandated by Wal-Mart and, more recently, was recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for pharmaceutical counterfeit protection. This new class of flexographic security inks and RFID tags is available exclusively through XINK and its worldwide authorized printing and manufacturing partners. Until now, one of the main concerns of the RFID industry has been the ability of counterfeiters to copy RFID tags by duplicating RFID numbering schemes. The new XINK antenna inks eliminate this possibility by integrating Creo Traceless covert tagging technology, elevating Traceless XINK-printed RFID tags into the same league as currency and security instruments. " ...

XINK advanced conductive and resistive ink formulations allow printing of complex electronic circuitry, including flexible paper sensors (package security), sensor grids (smart pharmaceutical packaging), keypads (electronic paper diaries), and UHF RFID antennas.

ULR RFID Technology Partnership Supports Supply Chain Condition Monitoring ...

RedPrairie and Wavetrend Partner to Provide Advanced Active RFID Solutions: RedPrairie Integrates Active RFID Systems from Wavetrend for Asset Visibility, Security and Supply Chain Condition Monitoring ...

... "RedPrairie, a global leader in supply chain technology solutions that enable business process transformation, and Wavetrend, a UK-based supplier of active ultra long range (ULR) RFID technology systems, announced a partnership agreement. According to the Agreement, RedPrairie will become a Value-Added Reseller (VAR) for Wavetrend's active RFID and data collection middleware technology. " ...

Wavetrend Technologies Ltd. is a global group conducting research and development of active Ultra Long Range (ULR) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, as well as manufacturing, selling, marketing and distributing these products and solutions. Wavetrend is a world leader in the field of ULR wireless identification and its vision of expanding its range of products and bespoke solutions based on this emerging technology continues to drive both R&D and marketing efforts. Since its inception in 1997, management and private equity investors have invested substantial amounts in the research and development, patent filing & protection, and marketing of the products. Subsidiary offices in the USA and South Africa are primarily focused on channel sales and support, with the UK London office acting as the global Headquarters.

For over 30 years RedPrairie has enabled leading global companies to create competitive advantage through supply chain excellence. RedPrairie’s comprehensive technology solutions provide rapid and sustainable return on investment by optimizing the performance of people, places and processes. RedPrairie provides industry-tailored solutions for diverse markets, including consumer goods, direct to consumer and traditional retail, food and beverage, high tech / electronics, third party logistics, industrial / wholesale, automotive and service parts, and pharmaceuticals.

Microsoft RFID Automotive Initiative ...

Microsoft Drives Insight and Innovation for the Automotive Community With Peak Performance Initiative ...

... "Removing obstacles that hinder the direct flow of information gives manufacturers visibility across the supply chain and enables them to realize near-instant reconciliation of raw material and finished goods inventories, further optimizing operational efficiency. Microsoft industry partners are helping automotive manufacturers see deeper into their supply chain, leveraging the latest technologies such as radio frequency identification (RFID) to provide manufacturers with real-time information that can impact product delivery schedules. To support these innovations, automotive manufacturers are leveraging Microsoft technologies such as SQL Server 2000, to capture data, and SharePoint Portal Server 2003, to distribute data to the appropriate business line managers. " ...

Microsoft has been working with the automotive industry for more than a decade. In manufacturing, Microsoft works with industry-leading partners to develop solutions based on Microsoft technologies that enable OEMs, suppliers and customers to improve efficiency, effectiveness and knowledge across the business. Through business applications, .NET technologies and enterprise platform support, manufacturers are able to accelerate time to market, collaborate globally with engineers, reduce costs by leveraging the power of the Internet, and increase visibility into their production and supply chain processes. From an in-vehicle technology perspective, Microsoft's Automotive Business Unit works collaboratively with the auto industry to deliver technology designed for advanced in-car information, navigation and entertainment systems. Microsoft technology is on the road today in 25 preinstalled and aftermarket devices from 13 world-class automakers and suppliers, including Acura, BMW, Citroën, Clarion, Fiat, Subaru, Honda, Hyundai, DaimlerChrysler, Mitsubishi, NexTech, Toyota and Volvo.