Checkpoint names Mr Prasad Putta GM of OATSystems RFID Division

Checkpoint Systems Inc announced that Prasad Putta, co-founder and former head of business development for the company, has been named Vice President (VP) and General Manager (GM) of OATSystems, which Checkpoint acquired in June 2008.

In this role, Mr. Putta is responsible for leading OATSystems' strategy and operations in its new structure as a division of Checkpoint Systems. He was instrumental in establishing the company's initial vision, recruiting the management team in support of that vision, developing key strategic partnerships, and serving in a leadership role in growing the company to over 100 customers worldwide and a dominant position in the RFID industry.

"Prasad is highly respected in the RFID industry and has tremendous experience at OAT via his long-standing executive roles there," said Rob van der Merwe, president and chief executive officer, Checkpoint Systems Inc. "We are very pleased and proud to have him lead this important division."

"I am excited to continue to work with the team we have built over the last seven years to fulfill OATSystems' mission to provide value-based solutions to retail, consumer product, and industrial manufacturing customers," commented Mr. Putta.

"Together with Checkpoint, we provide a differentiated, complete, and compelling solution to our retail and apparel customers. In addition, we continue to build our existing strategic partnerships to drive growth in the industrial asset tracking and retail markets.

" Checkpoint also announced that Dr. Sanjay Sarma, who was OATSystems' co-founder and chief scientist, has been retained as Checkpoint technology advisor and a member of the Checkpoint Innovation Council. Dr. Sarma is a recognized leader in the RFID industry, having co-founded the MIT Auto-ID center that is dedicated to developing and promoting global industry standards enabling organizations to put RFID to work easily and cost effectively.

He is also a board member of EPC Global, which develops the electronic product code standards that are driving worldwide adoption of RFID. In his role on the Innovation Council, Dr. Sarma will help lead Checkpoint's innovation strategy across all of its operations.

"We are honored and very pleased to have Dr. Sarma's expertise and thought leadership on the Innovation Council," continued van der Merwe. "This is yet another way in which our new relationship with OATSystems is strengthening our entire organization."

Checkpoint Systems Inc

Aim Global Elects Intermec Executive

AIM Global, the trade association recognized as the worldwide authority on automatic identification and mobility, announced the election of Intermec President and CEO, Patrick J. Byrne to its Board of Directors.

As a not-for-profit industry organization, AIM Global’s mission is to expand the understanding, adoption and use of data collection technology by driving international standards, providing timely, unbiased and commercial-free news and educational resources. Board representatives are elected by the AIM Global membership for a two-year term.

The current board also includes executives from ACURA Technologies, ADC Technologies, Avery Dennison, Datalogic Scanning, FEIG Electronic, Honeywell Imaging and Mobility, Lowry Computer Products, Motorola, Sirit, TAGSYS, Texas Instruments, and Zebra Technologies.

“As an industry association, we are seeing an increasing convergence of automatic identification and data collection technologies that is revolutionizing how business is conducted worldwide,” said AIM Global president Dan Mullen.

“Data collection technology and mobile computing touches every enterprise, from healthcare to industrial manufacturing and beyond. Mr. Byrne has the background and global expertise required to augment the current Board as they define strategic goals for continued growth in our industry.

”Mr. Byrne joined Intermec as President and Chief Executive Officer and was also elected to the company's Board of Directors in July, 2007. Byrne is a 24-year veteran of Hewlett Packard and Agilent Technologies where he held increasingly responsible positions in Research, Engineering, Marketing and General Management.

He was most recently Senior VP of Agilent Technologies Inc and President of Agilent's Electronic Measurement Group, and prior to that he was VP and General Manager of Agilent's Wireless Business Unit.

Byrne received his BS degree in electrical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and his MS degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University. He currently serves on the Board of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering at Auburn University.

AIM Global

Ekahau’s Wi-Fi tags support two-way communication

Ekahau Inc, a leading provider of Wi-Fi-based Real Time Location Systems (RTLS), at RFID World introduced four new Wi-Fi tags that expand the functionality of its real-time location tracking solutions.

The tags, which were designed in response to customer demand in a number of vertical markets, include a personnel badge tag that offers the industry's first two-way Wi-Fi pager capabilities and other solutions for industrial, retail and temperature sensitive environments.

"Many of our potential customers understood the value of real-time location tracking, but had unique needs that exceeded the capabilities of our T301A and T201 asset tags or T301-B badge tag." said Arttu Huhtiniemi, director of Product Management at Ekahau.

"With the new additions to our product line, we are addressing those customers' demands and delivering the functionalities to support a wider variety of applications."

All of Ekahau's tags support two-way communication, enabling the tags to both send and receive information for communication and remote tag management across any brand or generation of Wi-Fi network.

Ekahau's newest Wi-Fi tags include:

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  T301BD - Building upon Ekahau's proven personnel badge technology, the T301BD is the first RTLS tag to offer Wi-Fi pager functionality. It enables users to send messages, status updates and alarms.

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  It also allows them to receive and acknowledge text messages and location-based alerts on a bright display screen that uses the latest OLED technology. The T301BD also is a cost-effective solution for replacing legacy paging systems and services as it leverages an enterprise's own Wi-Fi network.

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  T301i - A locatable industrial tag with two-way signaling and a call button, the T301i is a wireless replacement for the traditional hard-wired factory call buttons, which are used for plant floor part replenishment, service requests, status updates and quality alerts. It is an ideal solution for any applications where remote call requests and two-way acknowledgement are required.

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  T301T - By integrating a temperature sensor, the T301T can automatically report temperature readings in a remote location and notify users if the temperature exceeds a predefined threshold range.

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  Designed for automated monitoring of refrigerators, freezers and any Temperature sensitive areas in hospitals, retail stores and industrial applications, this tag's Wi-Fi capability enables it to support multi- party cold chain monitoring and management applications.

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  The T301T supports an optional remote platinum temperature probe with a temperature measurement range of -200C to +200C for applications that require monitoring at extreme temperatures.

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  T301Ex -Intended for use on oil and gas rigs, and in petrochemical refineries and chemical plants, where certification is required for hazardous or volatile environments.

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  The T301Ex can be used for asset tracking and status notifications, as well as supporting employee safety applications for reporting the location of personnel in accident or disaster situations.

Ekahau's complete line of tags deliver the broadest functionalities of any Wi-Fi tags on the market and offer enterprises the flexibility to leverage their existing Wi-Fi networks without installing proprietary readers or chokepoints.

The tags support two different modes of operation. The first is a full associating mode, in which the tag functions as would any standard Wi-Fi client, enabling it to operate and roam over Wi-Fi infrastructure from any vendor.

The second is a beacon mode. Using Wi-Fi networks from supporting vendors, the tag sends RF beacons to the Wi-Fi infrastructure without associating, enabling longer tag battery life. The tags also can leverage both modes in parallel.

Ekahau will be showcasing its tags, as well as the full Ekahau RTLS solution, at Booth 514 during RFID World, Sept. 8-10 in Las Vegas. Samples of all tags are available now and volume shipments will begin in the fourth quarter of 2008. Pricing is available upon request.

Ekahau Inc

RFID - Radio Frequency Identification: Bright Future in Garment Industry

Abstract

RFID (Radio frequency Identification) is not a new concept. RFID tags consist of silicon chips and an antenna that can transmit data to a wireless receiver. With the help of wireless reading device, hundreds of tags can be read in a second. RFID tags are classified into active and passive. Former are costly ranging from Rs. 65/- per tag and the latter are cheap in the range of Rs. 25-30 per tag. Passive tags cannot give complete data but are rather brief. RFID has pervasive applications and in this paper the author discusses the potential applications of the technology in different fields of business and also suggests certain approaches to tap the maximum potential.

Introduction: Concept Of RFID And Its Origin

Radio frequency Identification (RFID has been there since World War II). The technology used in RFID has actually been around since the early 1920s. A much more related technology, the IFF transponder, went into operation in 1939 and was routinely used by the British during World War II to identify airplanes as friend and foe. RFID became a reality after three years of advances in many different fields. In simple, RFID tags consist of silicon chips and an antenna that can transmit data to a wireless receiver. Therefore the radio Id tags do not receive line-of-sight for reading that is the RFID tagged product need not be held close to the scanner to read the data of an RFID tag. Within the field of a wireless reading device, it is possible to automatically read hundreds of tags a second.

RFID Advantages

Although RFID implementations are not without costs and risks, typical companies in manufacturing, warehousing and distribution and retail have been known to achieve 200 per cent ROI (net benefits divided by costs) or more from these projects. What this means is that for every dollar invested in RFID, companies are getting back $2 in incremental benefits (the original dollar invested, plus two more).

RFID provides persistent, real-time identification information with minimal human intervention, allowing more frequent data collection and greater information capture. The competitive advantage and bottom-line business benefits are significant to the supply chain that implements RFID to its advantage. Early estimates indicate that a comprehensive RFID solution can generate an additional 2 to 7 per cent increase in revenue, improve handling productivity by 20 to 30 percent, reduce operating expenses by 2 to 5 per cent and reduce days in inventory by 1 to 2 percent. Financial improvements such as these are significant, and it is for this reason that many companies are moving forward with RFID, sooner than later.

Thus, RFID is being implemented, along with key business-process improvements in many industries, to reliably track goods of all kinds-from cases, pallets and individual items in manufacturing, wholesale distribution and retail applications, to equipment and supplies in government applications, to overnight mail packages and passenger luggage in transportation and shipping. Many of these early adopters have experienced the benefits of bar codes, but realise that RFID can take supply chain management to the next level. The network effects of a synchronised supply chain will result in numerous benefits, including improved scan reliability, process automation and real-time information access.

Enabling RFID in clothing production

Under its manual tracking system, Laws explain the raw materials were sent into the production process, they entered a "black hole," where they remained invisible until emerging as a finished product. Cut raw materials, to be used to fulfill each order, were grouped to component bundles, such as sleeves, cuffs and hoods. A hand-written paper ticket with order information attached to each bundle by a strip of fabric, and were brought from sewing station to sewing station, were the bundles changed from components to completed garments. The garments were then sent to a quality-inspection station. Throughout the tracking process, pertinent information was written to the tickets accompanying each bundle at each station. Sometimes the information was incorrect or illegible, causing production delays.

Under the new RFID-enabled system High Frequency Smart Cards (13.56 MHz) take the place of the paper tickets, and as employees collect the finished goods, they erase and reuse the attached smart cards. The data collected from the cards provides a real-time look at how much each Lawsgroup plant produces throughout each shift. As the garment components are assembled, workers encode the order information onto the smart cards. They use interrogators located at each workstation to read the smart cards, and they also scan a smart card assigned to each worker as an ID badge. The back-end system uses this data :to track how many pieces are completed, as well as how many pieces of each garment order have reached each step in the manufacturing process. This kind of real-time information sharing was not possible with the paper-ticket tracking system.

Conclusion

RFID, in its broadest sense, does not only refer to next-generation barcodes, but to a compact class of wireless computing devices. There is a broad spectrum of radio-frequency technologies, including more highly functional (and expensive) technologies such as Bluetooth, mobile phones, and WiFi. The future holds applications of RFID that go far beyond mere bar-coding. A ubiquitously RFID-tagged and networked world offers a transformational extension of the World Wide Web. It will become not just a World Wide Web of data, but also a World Wide Web of things. The world will be very different once readers and RFID tags are everywhere. In an RFID-enhanced future, the benefits would accrue not just to businesses, but also to consumers.

Source: ww.fibre2fashion.com

From the Boardroom to Reality: RFID in the Fashion Apparel Textile Industry

By: Phil Blasco

Many Fashion Apparel / Textile companies - particularly those with a large network of stores - are well underway in terms of streamlining their supply chain and optimizing sales forecasts and distribution. They are now looking for ways to enhance revenues and market share by adopting modern ways of managing stores and inventory. RFID has now become a centrepiece in their strategic thinking. Some companies are also stepping up the process into actual implementation.

A new business model for Fashion Apparel and Textile chains

Leading Fashion Apparel / Textile companies have significantly modified ttheir business model. Shifting away from manufacturing, Fashion Apparel t& Textile companies have built competitive advantage, based on new tways of delivering value to their consumers. tA new business model has developed and stabilized based on a tcentralized approach to design and logistics. A typical business model tnow includes central design, hundreds of external suppliers, (most often tin Asia), and one or two central warehouses that serve as a logistical hub tfor stocking a large networks of retail outlets.

The new frontier is in the retail store

The cost cutting side of supply chain management is to a large extent behind us. It has already yielded most of its benefits.

The time is coming for additional revenue generation. Today, most large network Fashion Apparel & Textile companies focus on improving the "store side" of their supply chain and distribution operations.

Active Fashion Apparel & Textile chains are absolutely confident that the first benefits of RFID implementation will come from store-level applications such as real and/or near real time inventory linked to stock management systems and store re-stocking processes.

Typically, industries go through 5 steps in implementing a store-level RFID initiative:

Market Observation:

Talking to business specialists, they gather information on technology accuracy and reliability, costs, and future trends.

Business Case:

Metrics are designed and implemented on core store-level and DC-level processes. Consumer behavior is assessed. The upper line of the business case is built upon additional sales related issues, improved inventory, stock management, and store re-stocking refinements.

Costs savings include staff time allocations, counting / checking, shrink reduction.

Costs include hardware and software technology (tags, readers, software & middleware), integration, training, roll-out and systems operation.

Technology Test / Adaptation:

Companies implement a simulated store environment and test accuracy and reliability in boxes, on shelves, and on hangers. This step lasts for a period of a few months.

Real-size test:

Companies implement a live test in one or several stores to prove the business case and check applicability of store-level processes in a live environment. Assessment metrics are those of the business case (additional sales and cost reduction). This step lasts about six months.

Deployment / Rollout:

Rolling out to the network. It is envisioned that rollout should be as fast as possible in order to realize a quicker Return on Investment. A critical preoccupation is also to avoid the coexistence of several processes and to drop legacy processes as soon as possible.

Building the business case: Network size is the multiplier

A quasi consensus emerges in the Fashion Apparel & Textile Industry: With tag prices at about 10 cents per unit, and reading accuracy at 98-99%, RFID applications in the store offer a compelling business case.

Better inventory management and better re-stocking generates additional revenues, reduced % of missed sales, and lower shrinkage.

Cost savings are mainly generated in the Warehouses / Distribution Centers.

Initiative related costs include: Investment in hardware facilities, middleware, integration, RFID tags, and roll out costs (training, implementation, etc)

Obviously, the larger the network the higher the return. Proactive companies are considering rolling out to their whole network as quickly as possible.

Other potential benefits not covered in the analysis are: Better staff time allocation in the stores, reduction of transportation costs, and specific processes automation at the DC level (such as increased automatic picking).

Taking the RFID issue from the boardroom to reality

Moving from market observation to development of a business case is typically a Management Team initiative.

Typically, the role of the CEO is to initiate the business case, to assess the results with the Management Team in terms of competitive advantage and created value, and to decide whether or not to launch a pilot.

Senior Executives involved are most often the Chief Operating Officer, the Logistics Manager, the CTO or IT Manager, and the CFO. In the case where a Network Manager is in the organizational matrix (the person who manages the stores network) this individual is also involved.

Most often, Fashion Apparel and Textile industries have built lean organizations, based on an intimate knowledge and control of their processes and metrics. They therefore tend to develop their business cases internally, with limited or no help from external parties such as consultants.

Conclusions: RFID at the turning point

The Fashion Apparel / Textile Industry is at a crossroad in terms of RFID applications.

Obviously, in the short term, store-level applications are seen as the most promising ones mainly because of their direct impact on customer satisfaction and revenues.

RFID represents a new opportunity for delivering value to both customers and shareholders. They try to maximize value by adopting an end-to-end approach to RFID adoption.

Tagsys (www.tagsysrfid.com) is a Global Leader in item-level RFID infrastructure. Tagsys provides RFID Systems and tags from end-to-end item-level tracking that automates labor-intensive processes, authenticates and safegaurds goods, and enables real-time inventory and asset visibility. The companyis headquartered in France's Smart Valley with offices in the USA(Doylestown, pennsylvania) and Asia (Hong Kong). More information on Tagsys can be found at www.tagsysrfid.com

Source: www.fibre2fashion.com

Sensormatic iREAD wins ‘RFID Excellence in Business’ award

ADT announced that its innovative Sensormatic iREAD platform won a prominent industry award for “RFID Excellence in Business” at RFID World 2008 in Las Vegas. This award is a significant achievement as it recognizes the company’s commitment to forward-thinking radio frequency identification (RFID) solutions for implementing item-level intelligence in retail environments.



The second annual awards ceremony was held on September 8, 2008, at the MGM Grand Hotel. It honored RFID industry innovators and luminaries who have demonstrated the benefits of the technology’s application. Independent judges from across the RFID industry chose the winners. RFID Revolution, a leading education and consulting firm, sponsored and administered the selection process and awards ceremony.



The Sensormatic iREAD platform took top honors in the Excellence in Technology Award category. With it, retailers can improve the integrity of item-level data and gain greater visibility into store operations, allowing them to become more predictive and proactive in improving profits.



The award also recognized the Sensormatic tag and detacher devices that are integral parts of the Sensormatic item-level intelligence solution suite for the retail apparel industry. While the Sensormatic hard-tag platform is globally known as a loss-prevention technology, it is now a tag and detaching system able to carry both RFID and electronic article surveillance (EAS) capabilities. With a single, reusable hard tag, apparel retailers can gain both item-level security and inventory visibility.



In a joint statement about their selection of the Sensormatic iREAD platform, judges Dan Dobkin, PhD, from RFID industry consulting firm Enigmatics, and Doug Martin, an industry veteran from RFID Applications, said:

“The Sensormatic iREAD platform is a clever perpetual inventory system that uses a minimal amount of hardware and is backwards compatible with existing EPC Gen 2 readers and tags. Its inherent modularity and simplicity means retailers can adapt its capabilities to almost any retail display configuration. The iREAD platform provides a foundation for a single infrastructure integrating EAS, RFID and other sensor technologies to improve inventory control. The solution preserves data integrity, while dramatically reducing deployment infrastructure costs.”


Sensormatic item-level intelligence solutions offered by ADT focus on operational improvements on the retail selling floor. They help provide information accuracy that drives intelligence back into the supply chain by improving the integrity of data from merchandise items on the store floor.



The highly scalable, easily deployable Sensormatic iREAD platform dramatically enhances the economics of in-store, item-level RFID deployments by reducing the number of readers, cables and antennas traditional RFID systems need.



“With the Sensormatic iREAD platform, retailers can achieve better customer satisfaction and increased sales through improved item availability,” said Jeffrey Bean, vice president, ADT North American Retail Sales and Operations. “We will continue investing in forward-thinking solutions by integrating the EAS and RFID technologies to meet a variety of retailer needs.”


ADT Security Services Inc

Tomorrow’s Mother deploys SmartWatch Retail-Display

Seeonic Inc, a leader in Actionable Intelligence, announced the follow-on deployment of its SmartWatch technology solution within a Tomorrow’s Mother RFID-enabled smart display across three retail department store chains. The SmartWatch business-intelligence-data service works with its complementary SightWare electronic module to track inventory in real time to reduce stock-outs and overstock conditions at the point of customer decision.

“With the Seeonic SmartWatch solution, we will see our retail inventory on display in real time,” said Al Dittrich, CEO and president of Tomorrow’s Mother, a maternity apparel company. “The opportunity to take decisive action based on actual inventory data certainly will have a positive impact on the efficiencies of our business.”

The Seeonic SightWare electronic module automatically gathers inventory data from within a retail promotional display or permanent fixture. The second generation module utilizes the ThingMagic Mercury5e embedded RFID reader, which reads and communicates RFID tag data through a real-time wireless interface to the data-intelligence service SmartWatch for analysis and reporting.

Once the data is collected, the SmartWatch business intelligence system provides a secure web-accessible suite of software tools allowing customers to track product inventory and perform predictive inventory analysis with the goal of reducing product stock outs at the retail store level.

“Utilizing the ThingMagic Mercury5e provides the superior read sensitivity we need to acquire the maximum tag reads from the fixture. The Mercury5e reader embedded within our electronics is the highest performing mobile platform in the industry to deliver on item level tagging,” said Harley Feldman, President and CTO at Seeonic.

“Seeonic’s SmartWatch solution is an ideal application for ThingMagic’s Mercury5e embedded reader module, which provides optimal tag reading sensitivity and accuracy with a small form factor, and low power requirements,” said Tom Grant, CEO at ThingMagic. “This is another example of an exciting RFID supply chain application that demonstrably helps a consumer goods company efficiently and accurately manage stocking levels in a retail environment.”

Seeonic’s solution benefits manufacturers like Tomorrow’s Mother, by providing real-time visibility into consumer demand for all clothing inventory on the display. By having access to this information, the manufacturer can make smart replenishment decisions, ensuring out-of-stock conditions are avoided. The SightWare and SmartWatch platform provides retailers, apparel and CPG manufacturers with a substantially improved view of their marketing effectiveness and replenishment execution.

ThingMagic’s Mercury5e UHF reader module is an embedded version of the RFID core in ThingMagic’s best-in-class Mercury5 fixed RFID reader. About the same size as a PCMCIA Type II PC card, it concentrates Mercury5’s performance into a tiny package, enabling ThingMagic partners to design ThingMagic RFID into their own devices. The module is ideal for adding UHF RFID read/write capabilities to a wide range of mobile and handheld devices, and other small form factor systems requiring high performance RFID.

The Seeonic SmartWatch and SightWare solution is both economical and flexible while requiring minimal capital investment and no in-store IT infrastructure support. SmartWatch is a fully integrated suite of business analytics, demand management, and inventory-status alerting tools offered on a monthly subscription basis; while SightWare is a low-cost, flexible and recyclable RFID-enabled sensing module. The Seeonic platform offers manufacturers and retailers the ability to increase revenues by reducing stock-outs and overstocks at the store level.

Source: Seeonic Inc

Xeikon 3300 features full rotary printing technology at Labelexpo

Xeikon, a division of Punch Graphix, legendary for pioneering the first digital color presses, announced that the company will be demonstrating the Xeikon 3300, a radically new digital color label press, at booth #6135 during Labelexpo Americas 2008.

The Xeikon 3300, which was unveiled earlier this year at drupa 2008, represents a quantum leap in label print quality, offering true 1200 dpi at four bits per spot. With a top speed of 63 feet per minute, it is an extremely fast digital color label press, particularly suited for short to medium print runs and just-in-time jobs.

“Our presence at this year’s Labelexpo Americas 2008 is a true testament to our position in the label and packaging industry,” said Michael V. Ring, VP of Sales & Chief Marketing Officer of Xeikon’s North American operations. “We’re thrilled to be able to demonstrate the Xeikon 3300 for industry enthusiasts.

”Attendees are invited to witness the power of the Xeikon 3300 firsthand, as it will be producing a variety of label applications throughout the exhibition. These applications will be produced on a range of UPM Raflatac substrates (www.upmraflatac.com). In addition, Xeikon will also display various label samples printed on substrates supplied by Fasson (www.fasson.com).

Offering a duty cycle of 2,300,000 feet per month, the Xeikon 3300 features full rotary printing technology, enabling printing at rated engine speeds, for maximum productivity. Labels with variable formats and sizes can be printed in the same run, leading to increased productivity and reduced waste and costs.

At the show, the labels produced on the Xeikon 3300 will be die-cut, UV-Coated, super-glossed and rewound inline on the GM finishing equipment (www.gm.dk), a leading provider of advanced solutions for the self-adhesive label converting industry.

The Xeikon 3300 can print the four process colors plus a range of standard or custom spot colors for perfect reproduction of brand image. It can also apply special security toner for anti-counterfeiting applications, and opaque white to create that sought after ‘no label look’ on transparent labels.

In addition, the speed of the press is independent of the number of colors that are required for a specific job. The labels produced at the exhibition will demonstrate this capability of the Xeikon 3300.

Another exciting feature of the Xeikon 3300 is its X-800 digital front-end. Based on open standards, the X-800 enables the implementation of fully automated workflows in any production environment, integrating seamlessly with any MIS.

Its modular set-up allows separating pre-press functionality from press operation. Among other things, the X-800 offers ICC color management & allows post-RIP color adjustment; minimizing downtime while offering extra flexibility. The X-800 processes all common input files and significantly lowers the threshold for including metadata such as sequential numbers or barcodes.

At Label Expo, the Xeikon 3300 will utilize workflow software solutions of two pre-eminent players in the labels and packaging space, EskoArtwork and Kodak Prinergy Powerpack Workflow System.

While at Labelexpo Americas 2008, Xeikon will be a part of several other initiatives including:·

• Digital Experience Hall – The Labelexpo show floor will have a specific area designated to the vendors of digital technology, called the “Digital Experience Hall”. As one of the major players in the digital color space, Xeikon will have a prominent presence in this hall.

• Executive luncheon – Xeikon will be sponsoring a luncheon for the executives of top 250 label, flexible packaging and folding carton converters. This exclusive invite-only luncheon will take place on September 10 from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm.

• Press conference – Organized by Labelexpo show management, this press conference would give an opportunity to industry journalists and editors to learn about the unique capabilities and value-proposition of the Xeikon technology and direct specific questions to Xeikon experts.

• Gather on the Green – Xeikon would be a part of Labelexpo’s “Gather on the Green” initiative to showcase the latest in green and sustainable technology. The Xeikon 3300 utilizes dry toner electrophotography, which is truly environmentally friendly. In fact, the Xeikon FA toner is FDA-approved for use in certain food contact applications.

In addition, Xeikon has also initiated a “Do-the-benchmark” initiative for label converters to get a real proof of Xeikon 3300’s printing capabilities. Under this initiative, label converters would be able to choose from certain selected label stocks and upload some of their own files to be printed on the Xeikon 3300. Label converters are encouraged to go to www.xeikon.com or visit Xeikon at booth #6135 for participating in this unique initiative.

A pioneer in digital printing, Xeikon designs, develops and delivers high-end digital color printing systems for the global commercial, document printing and industrial market segments. These systems are composed of advanced web-fed printing engines using LED-array-based, dry toner electrophotography, open workflow software, exclusive toner and other consumables.

Xeikon’s production and R&D operations are based in Belgium and its solutions are distributed and supported through a worldwide sales and service network. Xeikon is a division of Punch Graphix. For more information, visit www.xeikon.com

Punch Graphix provides innovative, competitive & environmentally friendly imaging and printing solutions for the global graphics industry. Under the Xeikon brand name, Punch Graphix designs, develops and delivers high-end digital color printing systems, software and consumables for the commercial, document printing and industrial markets.

Under the basysPrint brand, Punch Graphix designs, develops and delivers mid to high-end imaging systems for the offset prepress commercial markets. With a clear-minded focus on R&D, Punch Graphix is dedicated to customer satisfaction and aims to deliver cost-effective graphic excellence that goes beyond all expectations. For more information, visit www.punchgraphix.com

Xeikon

Motorola Expands Global RFID Footprint

RFID reader performance enhancements and increased global reach validate Motorola’s top ratings in recent independent research

HOLTSVILLE, N.Y. – 8 September, 2008 – The Enterprise Mobility business from Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today introduced several new RFID product enhancements and an increase in geographic availability that meets the business needs of customers around the world. Motorola’s collaboration with its global network of partners has helped the company solidify its worldwide market leadership among a wide variety of organizations that cut across multiple industries.

Motorola is at the forefront of advancing RFID implementations beyond the pilot phase, in such areas as item-level inventory tracking in the retail industry, baggage tracking and MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) in aviation, IT asset management in the financial sector and high value asset management in energy. Recent customer implementations across the globe include: YCH Logistics and Yayasan Sabah Group in Asia; Lufthansa Technik in Europe; Anglo American Chile, Liverpool, and Volkswagen Mexico in Latin America; Qatar Post in the Middle East; and American Apparel, CostPlus World Market, and Daimler Trucks LLC in the United States.

According to ABI Research, Motorola leads the industry in year on year performance and growth, demonstrating strong shipments, solid product innovation, and persistent market presence[1]. Motorola received the top ranking in ABI Research’s recent UHF Passive RFID Vendor Matrix with exceptionally high scores for both its product innovation and rate of implementation. Motorola RFID readers also received top ranking in the recent Retail Information System (RIS) News’ Hardware Vendor Scoreboard[2].

“These industry accolades showcase, to both our customers and the larger market, Motorola’s commitment to driving the advancement of RFID technology and the integration of RFID into real world business solutions,” said Joe White, vice president of business development and marketing for RFID, for Motorola’s Enterprise Mobility business. “Motorola recognizes that RFID solutions play an integral role in helping customers gain visibility into their business operations, while also furthering their efforts to streamline and automate processes. We will continue Motorola’s strong tradition of innovation across our RFID portfolio, driving application-specific enhancements to help our customers’ achieve their business goals.”

“Few companies offer the mix of innovative products, deployment experience, and global support needed to successfully deliver on the promise of RFID,” said Michael Scheferhoff, RFID program manager at Lufthansa Technik. “Motorola’s equipment and support have been outstanding and they continue to be a strong and valued partner as we progress our rollout.”

Motorola Strengthens Global RFID Portfolio Designed with global business needs in mind, Motorola today announced a broadening of its portfolio of solutions to meet the latest regional industry standards, including a new handheld RFID reader for the European market, the certification of its mobile RFID reader in six new countries in Asia, and a global firmware upgrade to increase the flexibility and performance capability of its XR series fixed reader.

Motorola MC9090-G RFID Handheld Reader Meets Newest European Industry Specifications:

Rugged, lightweight and ergonomically well-balanced, the new European R1 version of Motorola’s high-performance RFID handheld reader is compliant with current ETSI 302 208 standards required for operation in countries in the European Union. The new R1 version offers integrated RFID reading/writing and barcode scanning and is able to seamlessly switch to multiple channels and transmit 100 percent of the time. The long read ranges produced by the linear antennae make the reader ideal for a variety of retail, manufacturing, transportation and logistics applications including shipping and receiving, work-in-process, item-level in-store inventory management and asset, baggage and cargo tracking.

“There is a strong need for an ergonomic ETSI 302 208-compliant RFID handheld reader in Europe,” said Joseph Owusu, partner and co-founder of Mieloo & Alexander, a leading RFID solutions provider based in the Netherlands. “With a design that maximizes comfort and convenience, coupled with the elimination of previous Duty Cycle and LBT (Listen Before Talk) restrictions, the latest Motorola MC9090-G RFID handheld reader will fit seamlessly into everyday business processes across a variety of industries, ensuring continuous employee productivity.

”The new European version of the MC9090-G RFID handheld reader is expected to be available in mid-September and will be priced at $4,995. It is available with Motorola’s Service from the Start with Comprehensive Coverage.

Motorola XR Fixed Reader Simplifies Large-Scale Reader Deployments

Motorola has also announced a global firmware upgrade that will offer an LLRP (low level reader protocol) interface for increased flexibility to its XR family of fixed RFID readers. By integrating LLRP, Motorola’s XR family of products can “plug and play” into any pre-existing RFID system, allowing for a simpler implementation, improved performance and easier modifications and enhancements to systems already developed. In addition, the reader will also now be compliant with the latest ETSI 302 208 standard, eliminating duty cycle restrictions and increasing frequency agility for users in the European Union. The upgrade will provide extended read/write Gen-2 memory support (with 512 bit max packet size), enabling XR readers to more efficiently process large amount of tag information.

The firmware upgrade will be applicable to XR440, XR450 and XR480 fixed readers and is expected to be widely available in October via a free download on the Motorola website.

Motorola RD5000 Mobile RFID Reader Receives Country Certifications in Asia

Motorola is also announcing that the innovative RD5000 mobile RFID reader is newly certified for use in Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and will be certified for China and Taiwan by the end of this year. This compact, rugged reader with integrated antenna was originally designed for use on forklifts and other vehicles, but can be installed almost anywhere a cabled fixed reader would not be practical. The RD5000 provides proximity and motion sensors to extend battery life, as well as wireless LAN connectivity so assets can easily be tracked using granular real-time information.

Motorola’s RD5000 mobile RFID reader is priced at $4,995 and is available with Motorola’s Service from the Start with Comprehensive Coverage.

Source: www.earthtimes.com

RFID in Retail Industry

RFID in retail industry has solved major problems related to customer services. Improved customer service would ultimately lead to increased sales. With the help of RFID, it becomes easy for the sales staff to locate a particular item in the store and check its availability in less time. It gives accessibility to the products from store to store and also to the entire database.

Improves the level of customer service

The overall time spent by the customer in shopping is reduced as the desired item is found in less time making shopping a better experience. Also while scanning of a particular product is done this technology provides access to the information about the product. It calculates the prices of the products kept in the shopping bag simultaneously, so the shopper is aware of how much he/she is spending. As the total of the shopping done is already calculated the customer has to just pay, thus waiting time for billing is reduced.

Increases customers loyalty

The RFID tags attached to the items has the ability to provide feeling of a virtual personalized shopper to the customer. It also facilitates in tracking down the shopping preferences and habit of the customers and thus helps in introducing right rewards connected to it. The information about customers shopping style, their shopping history, past purchases, etc can be tracked down, thus value added services could be provided to them giving the customer the feel of personalized treatment. Even decision regarding purchase of a product could be made in fitting room, as the RFID readers in fitting rooms that are connected to the computer, provides all information regarding the garment. Also the information related to the item is confidential and not to be unveiled to the customer, can be protected by your IT department. Thus security is also ensured from seller point of view also. These added benefits lead to better shopping experience for the customer which ultimately leads to customer loyalty towards your shopping hub.

Better inventory management

Scanning of bar code has become mandatory in inventory processing, but it has certain drawbacks compared to RFID technology. The bar code stickers show human errors as it has the capacity to encode limited and stagnant information. Bar code is unable to read or write multiple codes. RFIDs capacity to track the items efficiently and encode multiple codes, resulting improved inventory management. It provides better safety in terms of fast recall of the stock and minimizes the theft also. It helps the supplier in maintaining the stock of goods and keeping the shelf filled with goods whenever needed. So the customers would never face storage of a product thus avoiding loss of sales and profit. The key element in todays market is to maintain appropriate in-stocks and not having too much additional inventory.

To manage inventory is a costly affair for the retailer. The information accessed through RFID helps in keeping a check on the inventory and its supply. Thus, maintaining the right percentage of inventory. The ratio of demand and supply can be well maintained as the items which has increased sales is tracked down and the stock is uploaded likewise.

Item level tracking

Item level tracking is the most important objective of RFID system. This tracking gives a personalized ID to every unit of inventory. This results in better tracking of the items. As it saves time, the re-ordering of the items becomes easy and can be done in lesser time. The percentage of shrinkage is reduced due to proper and timely shipments of the items.

Futuristic view

Advanced technologies are being developed in the field of RFID tags that are more advanced technologically and are of reduced costs. Generally the cost of RFID tags range from twenty cents to one dollar which is not so reasonable cost. Therefore in order to make it cheaper, the prices are required to fall to five cents instead of twenty cents. RFID tags are a part of RFID system so in order to increase its usage, and required to be cost effective. The future of RFID is very bright in retail sector as right from inventory management to product manufacturing, this system provides more efficient and advanced retail experience to both customer and the seller.

Source: www.fibre2fashion.com

Fibre2fashion Launches "Special Features" at IT Solutions - Focusing on "RFID Solutions"

"Textile-Apparel companies are turning to RFID solutions to optimize their processes, enhance revenues and market share while reducing operational costs. RFID is now a centerpiece in their strategic thinking."

The RFID boom is on! Be it libraries or government offices, retail stores or manufacturing companies, RFID is the buzz word today. It serves a wide range of applications, and has proved to be a boon for many organizations. The number of organizations recognizing the benefits of this wonderful technology called RFID is on the rise. Consequently, more and more organizations are adopting this technology.

As a part of our constant endeavor to promote IT Solutions as an integral tool for the textile industry, we have introduced a new initiative called "Special Feature" at IT Solutions which we would be continuing as a knowledge channel from now onwards. Special Feature aims at sharing of ideas viz., knowledge dissemination where the focus is principled on letting the Textile fraternity know about technological advancements so as to merit the quality demands of the consumer as well as delve with the speed of deliverables such as finished goods.

To initiate the Special Feature, we are dedicating this inaugural feature on RFID Solutions - enhancing a global perspective of RFID technology, its application in textile industry and how the solution is admiringly productive. This Special Feature on RFID is online @ fibre2fashion.com. It explains the concept of RFID in the textile industry in detail – from the meaning of the concept to its various applications and the benefits that it provides. The textile industry has a wide scope for the application of RFID, and can exploit its varied advantages like inventory management, supply chain management, people tracing/tracking, retail solutions, warehouse & distribution management, and security solutions etc.

New RFID tag designed specifically for large box & pallet tagging

Rfidium, the complete design, prototyping and production RFID antenna and inlay provider, announced the availability of the "Choctaw", a new multi-directional RFID tag designed specifically for large box and pallet tagging.

With a read range of approximately 6m (19.7') measured with a 36dBm EIRP reader with the inlay mounted on corrugated cardboard boxes, the Choctaw has been engineered for box and pallet tagging in multiple orientation scenarios.

"The Choctaw's dual dipole design assures superior readability in almost any situation, without significant loss," said Anh Hoang, General Manager. "With a wide international frequency band, it is ideal for tracking international shipments of goods.

"Dual dipole designs like the Choctaw have two orthogonal antennas, allowing them to respond to any polarization vector in the plane of the tag. Other, single-dipole tags have a single antenna, and (especially if they are long and thin) respond only to a signal polarized along their length. The ability to respond to multiple polarizations -- polarization diversity -- reduces the sensitivity of the reading operation to the relative orientation of tag and reader.

In addition, like all Rfidium antennas, the Choctaw is an aluminum antenna inlay, complying with strict WEEE and RoHS environmental requirements and minimizing environmental impact for greener operations.

Rfidium also carries a variety of other stock RFID inlays using chips from leading providers such as Impinj, ST Micro and TI suitable for many applications, including tape cartridge, item-level, and pallet tracking. Stock inlays can be custom-tuned to meet specific requirements.

In addition, Rfidium is a complete custom design, prototyping, and production RFID inlay provider, enabling customers to go from ideas to production quantities of RFID antennas more rapidly than competitive processes.

Rfidium will be exhibiting the Choctaw and other custom and stock inlays at the RFID World Conference at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, September 8-10, 2008, Booth 648.

Rfidium

Source: www.fibre2fashion.com

Impinj acquires Intel’s UHF RFID reader chip operation

Leading UHF Gen 2 radio frequency identification (RFID) solutions provider Impinj Inc announced the acquisition of Intel Corporation’s RFID operation, a business created by Intel’s New Business Initiatives (NBI) incubator and which developed the award-winning R1000 RFID reader chip. Financial terms of the acquisition are not being disclosed.


The acquisition of Intel assets further enhances Impinj’s position in the RFID market by adding a proven, high-performance, highly integrated reader radio chip to the Impinj family of UHF Gen 2 RFID products. For developers of UHF RFID readers and reader-modules, the R1000 chip provides superior levels of design flexibility, integrating onto a single chip 90 percent of the components required for a reader radio.


By delivering unprecedented performance, integration and cost effectiveness to a worldwide customer base, the R1000 chip enables all reader form factors - fixed, mobile, embedded and others - in applications across numerous vertical markets, including supply chain management, asset tracking, authentication and access control.


“This acquisition is a huge step for Impinj, accelerating our drive to deliver the highest performance, most cost effective RFID products available from any vendor anywhere,” said William T. Colleran, Ph.D., president and CEO of Impinj.


“Adding the R1000 reader chip to Impinj’s market-leading portfolio of tag chips and fixed-reader products allows us to deliver exceptional price-performance and enable a new category of customers who are developing their own game-changing products based upon Impinj technology.


”"The UHF RFID market is a strong opportunity, and we believe this business and its assets are an optimal fit for Impinj,” said Rich Wykoff, general manager of Intel’s NBI incubator.


"Intel’s NBI incubator program is practiced at establishing new businesses in emerging markets, and Impinj’s acquisition of the RFID Operation demonstrates the incubator’s ability to create valued businesses in new technology areas."


“The demand for a highly integrated technology like the R1000 reader chip is growing everyday,” said Mike Liard at ABI Research. “The choice for Intel – the world’s largest and most recognized chip maker – to work with Impinj is a clear indication of Impinj’s role as a frontrunner in the RFID industry.”


Impinj Inc

Source: www.fibre2fashion.com

Rfidium-Impinj to develop new ‘near-field’ UHF inlays

Rfidium, the complete design, prototyping and production RFID antenna inlay provider, and Impinj Inc, the leading UHF Gen 2 radio frequency identification (RFID) solutions provider, announced a strategic agreement under which Rfidium will prototype, pilot, and provide high volume manufacturing capabilities for Impinj licensed, custom UHF RFID antenna/inlay designs.

"This agreement will enable us to better serve our customers with unique RFID requirements," said Mr. Chris Segura, Product Line Manager at Impinj. "It will allow us to respond more quickly to market demands for prototyping and testing of new RFID tags in new applications, and will allow our customers to more cost-effectively and seamlessly move from idea to high-volume production.

"Under the agreement, Rfidium and Impinj will work together to develop new "near-field" UHF inlays that will compete in areas previously limited to HF technologies, driving further market growth. Rfidium will be one of the first manufacturers to provide support for the new Monza 3 die, which provide significant advances in tag read sensitivity, tag write sensitivity, and interference rejection.

"Rfidium has already standardized several of its current product offerings on Impinj dies," said Anh Hoang, General Manager of Rfidium. "We are looking forward to working with a leader in UHF and near-field UHF development to further bring the benefits of this technology to a worldwide customer base.

"Rfidium is a complete custom design, prototyping, and production RFID inlay provider, enabling customers to go from ideas to production quantities of RFID antennas more rapidly than competitive processes. Rfidium carries a variety of stock RFID inlays using chips from Impinj suitable for many applications, including tape cartridge, item-level, and pallet tracking. Stock inlays can be custom-tuned to meet specific requirements.

Rfidium

Source: www.fibre2fashion.com