News and Information from the Radio Frequency Identification World
"Embedded Planet is shipping a compact, "low cost" RFID reader development kit that includes Linux support and a sample RFID application. The kit comes with a PC/104 form-factor single-board computer (SBC) and a PCMCIA-based RFID reader engine." Source: LinuxDevices.com
"Collaboration between a EU funded body and private companies has resulted in an integrated method for tracking meat products from slaughterhouse to supermarket using radio frequency identification(RFID) technology. The method integrates a newly developed transport crate called "info-Box" or iBoS, which is equipped with a transponder and RFID technology. The project team also created an Internet-accessible supply chain management system to manage and control the flow of information from the Info-Box crate." Source: foodnavigator.com
"Anadigm is offering radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader chipset which is designed to support EPC Global Gen 1 and Gen 2 (class 0, 1, 2) and ISO18000-6 standards. Called RangeMaster, it is a two chip design based on a field programmable analogue array with an RFID state machine. The intention is to support the development of universal RFID tag readers that can support multiple protocols and frequencies for Universal Fixed Readers, Portable/Handheld Readers, Combination Bar Code and RFID Reader/Scanners." Source: ElectronicsWeekly.com
"The South Korean government is ploughing $800m into RFID research and development. Daeje Chin, the Korean Minister of Information and Communication, said after several pilot projects the government believes RFID to be as important as the mobile phone business." Source: Silicon.com
"Bechtel Hanford is using AXCESS International Inc.'s FleetTag wireless tagging system to more efficiently track waste disposal at the U.S. Department of Energy's 586-square-mile Hanford Site in southeastern Washington state. The Bechtel-led Environmental Restoration (ER) Project team uses the system to accurately track low-level and hazardous waste from multiple cleanup sites. By installing Active RFID tags on the trucks, identification is automatic and waste weight is accurately and efficiently logged into the integrated database that serves the entire project." Source: Frontline Solutions
"3M and Texas Instruments are offering an integrated security solution for an authenticated radio frequency identification industry platform that can help prevent counterfeiting in the pharmaceutical supply chain." Source: Frontline Solutions
"Concerns about potential abuse of personal information have led Canada's privacy watchdog to launch a study of tiny RFID tracking tags turning up in everything from clothing to key chains." Source: Canoe.ca
"SEEBURGER Inc., announced today that it is extending its RFID middleware offerings with the introduction of IDnet, the market's first hosted solution for implementing an EPC-compliant "slap and ship" program. The monthly subscription service eliminates the need for companies to install and manage the software required to match barcodes to RFID/EPC codes, print RFID/barcode labels, and automatically generate and transmit advance shipping notices (ASNs). It also offers optional label verification before goods are shipped, can issue electronic invoices, and maintains a complete audit trail of all operations, including time of shipping and ASN transmittal as well as ASN receipt logs." Source: SEEBURGER Inc. via Yahoo
"Intelligent Systems said it has released a suite of networking hardware and software that reduces the chance of radio frequency identification (RFID) detectors misreading tags on the production line." Source: in-pharmatechnologist.com
"ntermec has teamed up with SAP to launch an RFID starter kit for consumer goods companies. The ready-made package claims to offer all the necessary components for an easy-to-implement and fully scalable RFID system that suppliers can use to fully meet the requirements of retailer mandates, such as those by METRO Group. The package includes hardware and software, a pre-configured application for goods despatch and all the support services required to complete implementation." Source: SupplyChainReview
"A fully functioning EPC Generation 2 RFID (radio frequency identification) system has gone live at the METRO Group's Future Store in Rheinberg, Germany. Within a tight two-week timescale METRO's Intermec IF5 RFID reader and IBM RFID middleware were upgraded to read multi-vendor Gen 2 smart labels." Source: SupplyChainReview
"Soccer balls, casino chips, toilets, wristbands, payment cards, cars, and power tools. Yes, radio-frequency identification--that cost-prohibitive, experimental, controversial technology--is popping up in all sorts of places. And while it's still anyone's guess how many years it will take before RFID tags are cheap enough to revolutionize the tracking of goods in supply chains, RFID is proving itself in new and unexpected ways." Source: Informationweek
"People with RFID experience are in demand and their salaries are rising accordingly. Respondents with more than four years of RFID work experience earn an average of $13,000 more than employees with one to four years of RFID work experience, and nearly $30,000 more than those with less than a year of experience." Source: RFIDJournal
"RFID systems are completely customizable with infinite combinations of hardware and software. Each system is comprised of a transponder, a reader and software. This article compares several forms of the RFID transponder and discusses possible applications of each." Source: SelfSEO
"A combination of BT RFID data management and systems integration and Microsoft data capture and analysis expertise have lead to the announcement of the joint RFID venture. Its first customer for the managed service will be the Marks & Spencer chain." Source: WebProNews.com
"Psion Teklogix, a global provider of solutions for mobile computing, wireless data collection and RFID, today announced it has acquired a leading image capture firm, Symagery Microsystems Inc. based in Ottawa, Canada. Symagery Microsystems Inc. delivers image capture and processing solutions for use in commercial and mobile data collection applications such as transportation, supply chain management, and mobile sales and service. Psion Teklogix currently uses Symagery's solutions in their WORKABOUT PRO and 7535 rugged hand-held computers." Source: CNNMatthews
"CVS Corp. is installing RFID-enabled terminals for processing various types of payment card transactions at its 5,400 pharmacy retail stores nationwide, according to Hypercom Corp., the maker of the terminals. Phoenix-based Hypercom announced this week that CVS has bought 12,000 of its Optimum L4100 terminals, which include embedded radio frequency identification readers that can capture customer account information stored in RFID tags built into contactless payment cards or key fobs." Source: ComputerWorld
"DHL will this month start developing a global IT infrastructure to let it use RFID tags to track more than a billion packages a year by 2015." Source: vnunet.com
"Printronix Inc. , the leading integrated supply-chain printing solutions manufacturer, announced today that IBM has extended its agreement with the company. Under the terms of the agreement, IBM will continue to use Printronix technology for its line matrix and thermal bar code printers. In addition, IBM has expanded the agreement by adding Printronix’s worldwide leading radio frequency identification (RFID) encoding technology to its product portfolio. IBM introduced the Infoprint 6700 on June 13, 2005, at the IDC RFID Update conference in Boston. IBM’s solutions are designed to help customers reduce costs, improve reliability and streamline supply-chain efficiencies." Source: mysan.de
"The new 3600RW Label Printer/Applicator from MPI Label Systems now allows users to print, validate, write and affix variable RFID labels in a single process, eliminating the need for pre-printed RFID labels. The 3600RW builds on the successful design of MPI's 360RW Label Applicator by incorporating the use of a Sato or Zebra thermal printer." Source: Thomasnet
"Not only will RFID "significantly" grow future revenue at software goliath SAP, it will make the US of America a more globally competitive country, according to chief executive of SAP America Bill McDermott. SAP, which makes software that links RFID data to business applications, has seen a 1,000% spike year-over-year in customers that deploy RFID, he said. And the company expects great things from the nascent technology during the next few years." Source: Computer Business Review Online
"Tesco is calling for radio frequency identification (RFID) suppliers and standards bodies to address logistical issues exposed by its trials of the technology. The retailer says that immature European standards and a lack of packaged products have presented challenges in pilots of the technology - which it calls radio barcode - to track stock and respond to customer trends." Source: vnunet.com
"DeVry University's Center for Corporate Education and the RFID Technical Institute Inc. (RTI), a global education services company based in Cambridge, Mass., are now offering corporate education and training for professionals interested in radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. DeVry's Center for Corporate Education will offer both day and evening courses at its Arlington, Va., and North Brunswick, N.J., campuses in July, state approval pending. The first to be offered is a 30-hour foundation course that focuses on providing business and technology professionals with a basic understanding of RFID. The courses are being developed in cooperation with the RFID Technical Institute, and a series of advanced and vertically specialized RFID courses are planned." Source: Frontline Solutions
"SAP AG today announced that Kimberly-Clark Corporation, a global manufacturer of brand-name consumer goods such as Kleenex, Scott and Huggies, has implemented the first standardized interfaces between SAP® Auto-ID Infrastructure and the OAT Foundation Suite from OATSystems, Inc. The solution delivers a complete radio frequency identification (RFID) infrastructure that provides best-of-breed functionality and fully leverages existing investments in SAP solutions, including SAP’s leading RFID capabilities within its SAP NetWeaver™ platform. The standardized interfaces deployed by Kimberly-Clark will minimize total ownership cost and optimize RFID integration for joint customers." Source: Noticias.info
"Printronixled the worldwide ultra-high frequency (UHF) Electronic Product Code (EPC) printer market in 2004, according to the 2004 Global RFID Planning Service study conducted by Venture Development Corp. (VDC). Printronix led the industry in product revenue as well as RFID printer applicator installations. The VDC study sized the 2004 global UHF desktop and applicator market at US$4.5 million. Of this market share, VDC estimates that Printronix captured $1.9 million, or 43 percent. VDC developed this breakdown based on its proprietary research, industry discussions, market research and vendor analysis." Source: SupplyChaineReview.com
"The application team at Creative Materials Inc. a worldwide leader in inks, coatings and adhesives, has developed a highly conductive ink for printing RFID antennae. Passive RFID tags have antennae that can absorb radio waves from an interrogator device. The tags use the received radio energy to power an electrical circuit that generates a unique identifier, and sends a reply. The interrogator receives the reply, allowing it to know the unique identification of the RFID tag. One of the challenges in designing RFID tags is the need to print antennae and circuits that are small, durable, and not too expensive." Source: eMediaWire
"IBM's software division plans to introduce a 'starter kit' of programs intended to help clients more quickly develop ways to link data generated by radio scanners into existing corporate software packages that manage functions like order entry, shipping and inventory controls. IBM's printing devices unit expects to announce plans to market a bar code printer and radio tag dispenser that checks the tags to make sure they are working before applying them to a product." Source: ZDNET.co.uk
"Using customized field programmable analog array in conjunction with RFID State Machine, RangeMaster™ allows users to design and maintain one universal reader that can be customized to read various RFID tag types with different modulation schemes and frequencies. It fully supports EPC Global Gen 1 and Gen 2 (class 0, 1, 2) and ISO18000-6 standards. Able to be calibrated on-site, unit allows EPC2 frequency pair decoding or selectable single frequency decoding." Source: Thomasnet
"Intelligent Systems, a division of MeadWestvaco, today announced a suite of intelligent RFID networking hardware and software offerings that enable retailers to deploy affordable item-level tracking solutions. Because the Intelligent Systems approach addresses core retail business challenges while reducing hardware required for deployment, a typical return on investment is less than two years. U.S. retailers lose an estimated $50 billion annually from out-of-stocks and an additional $31 billion annually due to shrinkage, according to industry research. Intelligent Systems' item-level solution streamlines inventory management, reducing this financial impact and improving customer service for retailers. Studies have shown that a centralized item-level RFID solution such as this can increase sales and lower costs by reducing out-of-stock by as much as 50 percent, and cutting restocking time by as much as 65 percent." Source: Intelligent Systems via Yahoo
"The development of the SAP Auto-ID Infrastructure component focused on the integration of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and its underlying business processes. Only in this manner can the vision of real-world awareness of IT systems come to fruition in collaboration with appropriate sensors. Part 1 of this article clarifies the integration of an ERP back end and SAP Auto-ID Infrastructure with the assistance of the SAP NetWeaver Exchange Infrastructure (SAP NetWeaver XI) component. Part 2 sketches the communications requirements of a typical RFID scenario." Source: SAPinfo.com
"Before a company can take full advantage of RFID technology, an IT department needs to upgrade its infrastructure on a number of levels, including: Data Management; Network and End-User Device Management; Sensor Management; Systems Integration" Source: thewirelessweblog
"Symbol Technologies, Inc., The Enterprise Mobility Company, IBM and Royal Philips Electronics today demonstrated RFID EPC Generation 2 (Gen 2) showing simultaneous interoperability between EPC Gen 2 tags and class 0 and class 1 Gen 1 tags. This demonstration marks the start of Symbol's Gen 2 Early Adopter program, announced in 2004, and designed to migrate customers to Gen 2 at the pace their business requires without costly disruption to their current RFID system. Symbol will simultaneously support the Gen 1 and Gen 2 standards on its reader infrastructure while helping customers manage their transition from Gen 1 tags to Gen 2 tags. Symbol Gen 2 Early Adopter customers and partners can view the demo and will be able to evaluate prototype Gen 2 tags and reader infrastructure in the coming months. This will ease the evolution through simultaneous support of Gen 2 and Gen 1 in preparation for the broad commercial release of Gen 2 solutions." Source: morerfid.com
"The key to RFID's broad adoption, from cases to single items, is dropping its cost from the current 30 cents to 50 cents per tag. "Nanotechnology could really help accomplish the goal of five-cent RFIDs for ubiquitous use," Steven Van Fleet, Micromem's senior RFID adviser, said." Source: CRMBuyer
"Just because we can doesn't mean we should. Manhattan Project scientists wrestled with this moral dilemma while building the atomic bombs the U.S. dropped on Japan in 1945. Opponents of cloning, fearing a brave new world of test-tube automatons, have expressed similar sentiments. Now, science brings us again to a moral crossroads. This time the dilemma is our privacy, and the technology in question is the radio frequency identification chip." Source: indystar.com
Instantel Inc.'s Xmark(R) division specializes in smart tag technology for protecting people and assets in healthcare environments. Its Hugs(R) product line is a popular RFID system for preventing the abduction of newborn infants in hospital, while the WatchMate(R) system is used in long-term care facilities to protect wander-prone residents. Instantel recorded revenue of $12.8 million for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 with EBITDA of approximately $3.6 million. During the past five years, Instantel's reported revenue reflects a compound annual growth rate of approximately 14%, with strong gross margins and EBITDA margins." Source: TMCnet
"RFID Global Solution, Inc. today announced it has joined with retail, market and industry leaders to sponsor the University of Arkansas RFID Research Center. The RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) research center is devoted to examining the technology as used in retail settings, wireless and sensing contexts and beyond. The Center is located at the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas, just minutes from the RFID Global Solution headquarters facility. RFID Global Solution engineers assisted the Center by providing RFID equipment including readers and antennas, conveyor super-structures, dock door mounting solutions, and subject matter expertise. RFID Global Solution's Global View product is used to capture RFID-related event data and integrate that data with back-end systems." Source: EWORLDWIRE
"Chantal Mora’s Digital Wardrobe is all about reclaiming Big Brother’s technology for more, um, useful purposes — like making sure to never repeat an outfit. A database keeps track of the tags and garments, and an RFID reader installed in your door automagically sends data to your PC on your current outfit. Later on, it’s fun for the whole family when you can check out the resulting “garment narrative,” replete with how the outfit was accessorized as well as the “cost per use” based on original cost and wear frequency." Source: engadget
"In another experiment, researchers have tagged all of the items in a person's house with RFID sensors that effectively will tell a remote computer whether the occupant has moved a spoon or turned on the television. Though it might sound Orwellian in the abstract, the system is being designed to provide relatives or professional caregivers information on the daily habits of the elderly. Did they take their medicine? The system can't precisely confirm that, but it will relay information that a specific pill bottle was moved at a particular time." Source: ZDNET
"If ever there was an industry that has boomed thanks to globalization, it's shipping, logistics, and transportation. Overseas shipping now accounts for more than 90% of worldwide trade, with 95% of all U.S. cargo passing through the nation's 361 ports, according to a new report from A.T. Kearney. But navigating the "tangle of containers, ports, carriers, customs, and security checkpoints" is a tough nut to crack. Can RFID meet the challenge?" Source: Information Week
"Microsoft Corp. plans to release scalable radio frequency identification-based infrastructure technology sometime next year. The Redmond, Wash.-based vendor demonstrated some of the technology at its Tech Ed developer conference in Orlando, Fla. Microsoft's RFID system will be built on its .NET architecture and designed to enable integration with third-party applications. It also will be able to offer RFID information to other systems via its embedded BizTalk Server technology or through integration with Web applications, said Paul Flessner, senior vice president of server applications, during a presentation at the conference." Source: Mobile Health Update
"Hoping to increase the number of small-ticket transactions (such as for single slices), Pizza Pizza is partnering with Dexit to provide RFID payment to customers in Greater Toronto. According to a news release, 160 of approximately 500 Pizza Pizza outlets will offer the service, which enables consumers to pay for low-cost items quickly and conveniently with the tap of an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag linked to a pre-paid account." Source: KioskMarketplace
"Business and technology leaders can learn from the real experiences of companies deploying radio frequency identification technology at the Wisconsin RFID Conference 2005, Wednesday, June 22, at the Waukesha County Technical College www.uwebi.org/rfidconference. Discounted registration through June 10 - only $175. "This conference is a great way to meet and learn from RFID experts, users and those in the process of deploying an RFID strategy," said Raj Veeramani, Director of the UW E-Business Consortium and UW RFID Industry Workgroup." Source: Modern Materials Handling
"Senior VP Flessner calls making RFID available inexpensively and plentifully from a Windows perspective a "super-important play." Senior VP Paul Flessner said Tuesday at Microsoft's TechEd conference in Orlando, Fla., that SQL Server 2005, Visual Studio 2005, and BizTalk Server 2006 will ship the week of Nov. 7. The company is also working on software for use with Windows and SQL Server it says could smooth out problems companies are having loading data from RFID tags into databases, and making that data available to workers." Source: InformationWeek
"The time is now for RFID, according to experts at today's GS1 UK EPCglobal RFID Conference in London, who warned that those who don't take a carpe diem attitude to the technology will find themselves on the receiving end of a thrashing from their competition. Simon Langford, manager of RFID strategy at uber-retailer Wal-Mart, said companies need to get involved with the technology before too long. "Don't wait and sit back because the competition is going to get further away from you," he said." Source: silicon.com
"A global leading bar code service provider Paxar Corporation will demonstrate its use of EPCglobal's UHF Electronic Product Code (EPC) Class 1 Generation 2 (Gen2) RFID protocol at GS1's UConnect Conference. The RFID Gen2 display showcases Paxar's latest solution for fully EPC compliant smart label printing and encoding, including associated tickets, tags and labels. Paxar's new Gen2 smart label solution includes the Monarch 9855 RFID printer/encoder, Monarch Gen2 smart labels, and Monarch Q-Service for RFID." Source: fibre2fashion.com
"Supermarket giant Asda is to dip its toe into RFID waters, it was confirmed today. Simon Langford, manager of RFID strategy at Asda's US parent Wal-Mart, revealed today that the UK firm is readying an RFID rollout - despite its previous rejection of the chips. Speaking at the GS1 UK EPCglobal conference in London today, Langford said Asda is in the early stages of an implementation. "We see Europe, Canada and Brazil as next place we will take the technology to - we're testing with Gen2 tags and we're now at an early stage."" Source: Silicon.com
"Trevor Crotch-Harvey, Innovision R&T’s smartcard expert and chair of the UK’s industry working group focusing on Low Cost Smart Tickets, lobbies the transport sector at this week’s UITP World Congress in Rome (5-9 June) to re-evaluate the business case for smart cards in transport. Mr Crotch-Harvey, who presented his paper ‘Low Cost Tickets & their impact on the Business Case’ today, explained: “The industry is demanding low cost Limited Use smart ticketing, but very few are prepared to step up to the mark and fully commit to it. Cost has certainly been an issue up to now for low value ticket types such as daily passes or single trip tickets. But recent developments in RFID components and improvements in silicon chip manufacturing are rapidly driving down the unit cost, to the extent that it should no longer be a major concern.”" Source: Security Park
"Reva Systems jumped onto the RFID scene yesterday by announcing its standards-based network architecture, designed to give IT managers a framework for RFID implementation." Source: Computer Business Review Online
"Software conglomerate Hewlett-Packard is working with Precision Dynamics, a provider of automatic wristband identification, in an attempt to accelerate the adoption of radio frequency identification technology in the Taiwan healthcare market." Source: Computer Business Review Online
"Discussed is an RFID implementation project recently completed by Deluxe Media Services and the "lessons learned" from it. Deluxe distributes DVD's for the Hollywood studios involved in the Wal-Mart RFID compliance initiative. The goals for their project were as follows: 1. Provide RFID labeling as a value-add service for their client. 2. Create minimal disruptions or modifications to existing systems." Source: IndustryWeek
"RFID is about to get a separate software boost from the newly formed Radioactive Software Foundation, which is looking to develop a suite of open-source RFID software that conforms to the EPCglobal's RFID standards. The foundation was established in June in Toronto by two RFID software houses, N4 Systems of Toronto, and Refactored Networks of Kennesaw, Ga. The availability of such software should spur new players to join the burgeoning collection of RFID vendors. Along with Everett, Wash.-based Intermec, leading suppliers of RFID tags, readers, and complete systems include Symbol Technologies, Philips, Texas Instruments, Red Prarie, EM Microelectronic, Alien Technology, Impinj Inc., and, perhaps surprisingly, networking giant Cisco Systems, among others." Source: Techweb
"RFID Journal has an artricle about how an open source foundation is creating a new Internet based on RFID tags. 'The founders [RadioActive Foundation] liken the EPCglobal Network as a whole to the Internet, with RFID tags acting as URLs, and the tags' associated data being the Web site for that tag . The software the foundation develops, Michael Mealling adds, will act similarly to an Internet search engine. With Discovery Service software, for example, companies will be able to search for an RFID tag without requiring connected links between each point of the tag's travels.' Pretty neat concept, probably decades away." Source: Slashdot.org
"Symbol Technologies, The Enterprise Mobility Company(TM), today introduced the Symbol XR400, an enterprise-class radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader that can host real-time application processing at the point of business activity. Early adopters are already using the Symbol XR400 reader to manage and move data instantly upon reading the RFID tag, reducing inefficiencies and improving asset visibility." Source: PRNewswire
"British Airways looks likely to be investing in RFID in a bid to cut its lost luggage bills. BA CEO, Rod Eddington, gave his support to the introduction of RFID at the expense of traditional sticker bar codes at a meeting of international air trade association IATA. It's hoped the tech changeover will mean its passengers' bags don't go astray en route. BA loses around 18 bags per 1,000 it handles and pays customers an average of £55 per lost piece of luggage, largely as a result of the sticker bar codes being damaged or misread. The airline believes it could save £400m by introducing the radio frequency technology, as the new tech could reduce its read error rate to nearly zero." Source: silicon.com
"INDIAN ENTERPRISES must draw up plans to incorporate Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to meet emerging global requirements, failing which they will find it difficult to do business in a trans-national framework in the coming years, Prof. John Clendenin, Chief Executive Officer of IC Logistics, U.S., said." Source: The Hindu
"Shrimp will soon be able to tell consumers their place of origin and how well they were fed at the shrimp farm. With radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and food-traceability software, those who love to eat the marine creatures can be assured of their safety." Source: theNation
"The "holy grail" of RFID technology will be the ability to track and monitor every product part at each stage in the manufacturing process. This article courtesy of Knowledge@Wharton looks at the present and future of RFID technology." Source: informit.com
" Business and technology leaders can learn from the real experiences of companies deploying radio frequency identification technology at the Wisconsin RFID Conference 2005, Wednesday, June 22, at the Waukesha County Technical College www.uwebi.org/rfidconference. Discounted registration through June 10 - only $175. "This conference is a great way to meet and learn from RFID experts, users and those in the process of deploying an RFID strategy," said Raj Veeramani, Director of the UW E-Business Consortium and UW RFID Industry Workgroup." Source: BusinessWire
"Warehouses and distribution centers are caught in a squeeze between customer service demands and cost drivers. Creating a network that can deliver on customer demands while keeping costs in line -- or lowering them -- is the number one challenge facing supply chain executives, according to a recent study by ProLogis Global Solutions. Increasingly, the companies who first looked at compliance with radio frequency identification (RFID) initiatives for retail giants Wal-Mart and Target are asking how they can push the benefits of greater visibility back up their own supply chain. Those firms are asking, "How do I couple that with my existing systems and my existing devices within my packaging and application environment," says Romen Kuloor, vice president of Blue Vector Systems, a provider of RFID solutions. With razor-thin margins, some companies that took their first step into "slap and ship" compliance are finding they are actually losing money on each RFID-enabled shipment." Source CRM News
"Chipmaker Texas Instruments and security outfit VeriSign announced yesterday an open drug-authentication model for the burgeoning RFID market for the pharmaceutical industry. The new model aims to stem the widespread problem of counterfeit drug distribution by enabling item-level authentication by a pharmacy in a non-internet-connected environment." Source: Computer Business Review Online
"InkSure Technologies announced yesterday it has been awarded two key US patents related to the company's ongoing development of chipless radio frequency tags that can be printed on a product, reports Ahmed ElAmin. The company hopes to drive the cost of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags down to less than one cent by using a special ink, said the company's chief executive for US operations, James Assaf." Source: Food Production Daily
"Allstream has signed a deal to provide health-care supply-chain manager Hospital Logistics with radio frequency identification technology for use in its warehouse facilities, the company said Monday. Allstream will program RFID tags that will be associated with each order to ensure that the medical and surgical supply inventory has been accurately delivered to HLI's customers, as well as providing real-time information to warehouse staff for any discrepancies." Source: CRM News
"As radio frequency identification (RFID) technology continues to mature, some federal government agencies are eyeing it as a way to save money and improve services. In a report released late last week (download PDF), the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that 13 of 24 federal agencies are implementing or exploring RFID initiatives for a number of uses. The other 11 agencies have no plans for now to explore or use RFID technologies." Source: ComputerWorld
"High-street retailer Paperchase is introducing radio frequency identification (RFID) technology into its supply chain as part of a programme to update IT systems. The stationery chain will use RFID with wireless handheld devices to deliver real-time information to staff in its warehouse and distribution centres, to monitor and manage stock better." Source: VNUnet
"The formation of the RadioActive Software Foundation was announced in Toronto today by its founding members, N4 Systems and Refactored Networks. The goal of the Foundation is to develop freely available, mission critical class software for the entire suite of EPCglobal RFID standards." Source: CNW Group