RFID Lowdown

Hardware Certification for Asian Reader

EPCglobal Inc. has certified Microelectronics Technology Inc (MTI), the Taiwan-based tech company that develops products for wireless communications, for its EPC Gen2 ODM Reader – MRD-E42 (RU-813). The reader allows RFID solution providers to offer customers across several markets thin-client, cost-effective, reliable and tailored services. EPCglobal is a non-profit organization entrusted by the industry to establish and support the EPCglobal Network as the global standard for real-time, automatic identification of information in the supply chain of any company, anywhere in the world. The hardware certification declares that products have been tested and will operate as per EPCglobal’s EPC/RFID standards. MTI reports:

“We are proud to be the very first vender in Asia to receive the EPCglobal certification for an RFID reader.” said Mr. Allen Yen, President and COO of Microelectronics Technology Inc. “By achieving this very important milestone, MTI plans to collaborate with more partners around the world in the RFID value chain, and provide complete.”

Skytek Recognized for RFID Excellence

Skytek Inc. is pretty happy with its award for the Most Innovative Communications Company in Boulder County, Colorado. The honor was announced in the Boulder County Business Report (BCBR) as part of its Seventh Annual Innovation Quotient (IQ) Awards, and bestowed upon the provider of embedded RFID reader technology on Aug 17. Media Workstation reports:

Rob Balgley, CEO of SkyeTek, said, “We are excited by the virtually endless opportunities for our embedded reader technology to enable breakthrough RFID solutions across multiple industries. This award is a testament to the hard-work and dedication of our employees - an overall team effort that has delivered our company to the forefront of RFID innovation.”

Generation Next – Gen II Takes RFID World by Storm

Gen II tags have proved their versatility in supply chain and asset tracking applications. Impinj has been able to hold the fort and keep pace with the demand for these tags all by itself till now. With manufacturers like Texas Instruments and STMicroelectronics encroaching Impinj’s turf and manufacturing silicon for Gen II chips, the market has opened up to newer, more innovative and cost-effective possibilities. MMH reports:

Now that the market has accepted the Gen II standard, a bifurcation is taking place. "First, there's a commodity product that meets the Gen II specification," says Justin Hotard, director of product management for Symbol. "Then, there's an emerging market for higher value chips that include additional memory, additional security features, alternative forms for asset tracking or item-level tagging and temperature sensors for the cold chain."

Steering The Cows Home

Cattle farms are going hi-tech with RFID readers punctuating the vast expanses of ranches and homesteads. Cows are wearing the latest in ear accessories – active RFID tags that cost $12 each. TekVet LLC, the company behind these innovations promises that this advent of technology will help not only in tracking cattle, but also in monitoring core body temperature of the cows.

Temperature data is especially important when it comes to watching over the health of the herd because it can help identify, treat and isolate sick animals before the rest of the herd is adversely affected. The use of active RFID tags means that cattle can be monitored over larger ranges of the ranch using mesh networking technology.

The TekSensor tag is built using 413 MHz active tag and comes equipped with a flexible thermometer. It can transmit data from between 300 and 500 feet to wireless stations on the ranch.

TekVet has retained the services of IBM to host and manage the data centers for its deployments.  Data collected from millions of cows is transferred through private satellites to IBM System x servers at TekVet’s data center, where it is processed into information.

The tags are expensive, but are rugged and come equipped with a good battery. They can also be embedded in up to six different animals over a two-year period, according to TekVet. The company is already experimenting with sensors that monitor blood pH, heart rate and other vital signs. Besides cows, goats, swine and other livestock are also being targeted for future projects.

Infineon Chips to Roll into Passports

It’s official; in spite of all the brouhaha created over the insertion of RFID chips into passports in the United States, the official juggernaut rolls on. Infineon Technologies AG has announced that it is the chosen one; the semiconductor and systems solution provider will supply millions of integrated circuits (IC) to the United States government for the implementation of the electronic passport project.

All new US passports issued by the end of 2006 will have Infineon’s chip in them, whether the holders like it or not. Infineon has taken pains to clarify that the data on the chips is protected by multiple layers of security to prevent unauthorized use of personal information. As many as 50 security mechanisms stand watch over your personal information, says Infineon, and lists a few of them:

• Active protective shields on the chip’s surface prevent intruders from gaining access
• Actual data transmission occurs only over a distance of four inches
• Basic Access Control (BAC) allows border control to read the passport only if passed over a scanner that authorizes the electronic reader to access data on the chip
• Sophisticated encryption methods are used to code data on the chip

The electronic passports are being implemented to streamline the process of international travel by allowing automatic identity verification, faster immigration inspections and greater border protection and security. But with so many voices being raised against the use of RFID chips in the fear that privacy is at stake, we have to ruminate if there is genuinely cause for concern.

At this point, I’m reminded of a proverb in my mother tongue, a rough translation of which means – Those who are scared see ghosts everywhere. Are we really surrounded by ghosts or are we looking for them and finding them even if they don’t exist? Time will tell.

Addressing Privacy Concerns

With privacy concerns raising their ugly heads and hampering growth in the RFID industry, the Secure ID Coalition is hoping to allay a few of these fears at the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL)to be held between August 16 and 18 at Nashville, Tennessee. The coalition, which includes secure card makers Gemalto and Oberthur Card Systems, and chip makers Infineon Technologies, Philips Semiconductors and Texas Instruments, will work to enhance understanding of the benefits of smart card technology, while simultaneously giving importance to protecting an individual’s privacy. PR Newswire reports:

The Secure ID Coalition is a resource to policymakers seeking to ensure standards for the protection of citizen identity information. It will meet with legislators to share their principles of privacy and their call for best practices and standards in securing identity information management programs.

Philips Fills RFID Gaps

RFID is opening up new avenues of revenue at Philips Philippines, the Philippines arm of the Dutch electronics giant Royal Philips Electronics. The company is striving to get RFID inducted into mobile phone applications, public mass transport systems, and the national ID cards issued by the government.

If the company has its way, mobile phones will be used for various contactless applications such as the payment of bills using the near-field communications technology. The project is set to see the light of day in a year and will be made available to all mobile phone companies who wish to join the bandwagon.

Hoping to take a leaf out of the book of Singapore, Philips is experimenting with the idea of introducing RFID into the public transport networks like the Metro Rail Transit and Light Rail transit systems in the Philippines. The company is also in talks with the government for a nationwide project that involves the insertion of RFID tags into ID cards.

Philips Semiconductors Philippines, Inc., the RFID center of Philips Philippines, is the biggest semiconductor contributor in the Asia-Pacific with export sales of over $1 billion in 2005. The company is looking to boost sales by 20 to 25 percent this year. With projects such as those mentioned above in the pipeline, this target will be a breeze!

RF Shields From Prying Readers

Of late, the advantages of RFID have been clouded by issues of privacy. One company decided to grab the bull by the horn and do its bit to help the average citizen safeguard his/her privacy.

DIFRWEAR has come out with a line of wallets and passport holders that the company claims will repel and block unwanted RFID readers from gathering information. Quite a handy piece of leather to hold your RFID enabled credit cards, identity tags and passports!

The cases are built to shield radio frequency readers from accessing your personal data stored on passive RFID tags in various accessories in your wallet or passport. To allow legitimate readers access, all you have to do is flip open the flap provided for such an occasion.

With drivers’ licenses to hold RFID chips by the year 2007 according to the REALID act, these wallets are sure to sell like hotcakes. The company website states that all products have patent pending status from the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Message in an RFID Bottle

The check’s in the mail…How often have we treated those words with skepticism? But there are times when the check has been sent only to be lost amidst the millions of letters and packages handled by the postal department.

Well, these occurrences are to be a thing of the past with the new initiative taken by the UK-based postal agency Royal Mail. Hoping to position itself as the most suitable option for businesses and individuals, the postal services provider will use RFID to track the flow of mail and packages.

Royal Mail has not had a very good 2005, with more than 14 million letters not finding their way to the right addresses and 7 percent of mail being delivered late. The agency is looking to get its act together by tagging mail with an RFID microchip with a unique number that can be used identify certain packages.

Details of the RFID project are not yet clear with Royal Mail being tight-lipped about its design and implementation plans. With the postal agency fighting to retain its customers amidst tight competition from UK Mail and TNT Mail UK, let’s hope RFID will do the trick.

RFID Ri(c)es to Occasion

The staple diet of most of Asia is set to be tagged by RFID. Yes, rice is the latest to make the list of food items that will be tracked through the supply chain, from growth to its final market destination.
The Software Industry Promotion Agency (Sipa) in Thailand is contemplating the significance of using RFID to track jasmine rice, says Santi Suraratana, an RFID expert from Sipa. The seeds for this idea have been sowed with a pilot project that harnesses RFID technology to improve the agricultural supply chain of the rice.

The three provinces of Roi Et, Khon Kaen and Maha Sarakham were the guinea pigs for the first phase of this project that has the potential to “enhance the reputation of Thai rice as a premium grade product" according to Santi. Consumers and traders will be able to track the rice from where it is milled to its overseas shipping destination.

Sipa is working to ensure food safety for rice connoisseurs over the world by monitoring the jasmine rice, from its manufacturing process, through its logistics cycle, to its supply and distribution chains. Santi hopes RFID will contribute its mite to making Thailand “the kitchen of the world.”

RFID: blooming or dying

The euphoria regarding expansion of RFID technology seems to be dying down a bit. This is evident from the recent withdrawal of initial public offering by Alien Technology Corp. The California based company withdrew its plans for an IPO from the Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this month. Alien Technology had planned to raise $99 million through this offering. The shares were expected to be priced in the range of $10 to $12.

Recently research company ABI Research brought down its estimates for the industry for the year 2007 by a whooping 15%. They had earlier forecasted that the RFDI software and services industry will clock $3.1 billion in the given year. RFID practice director Michael Liard attributes this declining trend to factors such as collaborative solutions, market consolidation, growing availability of off-the-shelf commercial RFID software packages, and improving level of skills in planning RFID projects.

Industry operators are waiting for Wal-Mart Stores to make its move as per its plans to deploy RFID to track goods in more than 1,000 centers. Some feel that if the retail chain does not go as per its plans, there may be further decline in the industry that has recently found its roots. Wal-Mart has reiterated its plans to deploy RIFD as planned. Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky are next on the line for implementation of the technology.    

Is there a need for RFID usage guidelines for the United States?

Radio-frequency tracking tags are being used more frequently than ever before. As such there is a concern about their potential environmental impact particularly relating to their recycling. Mr Joe Dugan who is the president and CEO of RF Code, a RIFD company, said that there is a need for RFID usage guidelines specifically for the United States which should be provided by the Congress. He impressed upon the fact that the industry has to have a sense of responsibility. Talking about his company, Mr Dugan said that all RIFD products from his company are completely free of lead and also comply with a directive of European Union which bans the use of certain toxic chemicals within the region. 

Several other industries have voiced similar concerns pertaining to the recycling of RIFD tags. These industries are - steel, aluminum, plastic, paper and glass.  Their chief concern is that when RFID tags are attached or potentially embedded within products they may not be removed properly and as such may have serious effects on the recycling process.

When copper is used as an antenna component in RIFD tags, there is a possibility of it mixing with steel scrap. This would prove to be disastrous for steel recycling and the steel industry. This concern was voiced by the American Iron and Steel Institute in April this year. Govexec reports:

The steel industry is calling on the government and business entities to reject the development of copper-based tags. An expert group on RFID formed by the global trade association AIM submitted a draft standard to the International Organization for Standardization last month.

RFID adoption promoted by IBM

IBM alphaWorks, which is an online outlet for emerging technologies, is going all out to address issues with RIFD adoption. alphaWorks actually works as a bridge between IBM Research and Development and the technology adopters. It attempts not only to help and educate the adopters of emerging technologies such as RIFD, but also plays back concerns and feedback to IBM. This learning helps IBM to tweak their offering in such a manner so as to be acceptable to a wider audience.

IBM realizes that there is shortage of RIFD skills in workplaces and as such are addressing the issue by delivering tools and resources that can be used to enhance RIFD skills at no charge. For instance it has a graphic tool called IBM RFID Integrated Solution Enablement (RISE) which allows developers to simulate how an actual RFID solution could help their businesses. It is aimed specifically at beginning developers in RFID.

IBM also has an educational toolkit called IBM RFID Device Development Kit. It equips developers and students with resources that help them understand how RFID technologies work. The kit also helps them develop RFID enabled applications and also helps them have a decent knowledge regarding the best practices for implementing RFID solutions. eChannel Line reports:

We are spending the next three to six months making sure, trying to validate why we see these trends in the market. Now we all understand the benefits of RFID, but this additional need for skilled developers, it has an impact.

New Qualified Converters announced by Avery Dennison RFID

Avery Dennison RFID  , a business unit of Avery Dennison Corporation, takes a step further in working through the converter channel by announcing Eight New Qualified Converters  , to ensure a high-quality, high-yield finished RFID label for end users. Avery Dennison RFID manufactures and markets RFID inlays through a network of label converters to serve the consumer packaged goods and pharmaceutical industries, as well as the U.S. Department of Defense.

The eight RFID label converters, which met the Avery Dennison's rigorous standards to become Avery Dennison "Qualified Converters" include: Brady Corporation; Intermec Technologies Corporation; Marnlen Management Limited; Metalcraft; Nosco Inc.; Plitek LLC; Repacorp Label Products; and Starport LLC. The high level of label converting proficiencies demonstrated by these eight companies is believed to be the key decision making factor.

The chosen few worked closely with Avery Dennison technical staff to comprehensively evaluate the converters' manufacturing and testing capabilities and to improve the "converter friendliness" of Avery Dennison's RFID inlays. According to the information released by the company, it is understood that these converters would work as Avery Dennison's business partners to reproduce high-quality, high-volume, low-cost RFID labels to meet the anticipated increase in demand by end users facing current and future mandates.

With Avery Dennison RFID announcing their second wave of 8 qualified converters, first wave of 17 qualified converters were announced in December 2005, the industry experts are skeptical on the performance & the deliverability of the chosen ones. However, we are quite positive on this note.

RFID Growth Chart Falters

From the looks of things, the RFID industry is not growing along the lines visualized and predicted by experts and researchers. There has been a significant decline in the prospects for growth, especially with a few main protagonists withdrawing from their expansion plans.

Alien Technology Corp. which manufactures RFID chips and readers has shelved its plans to file for an initial public offering (IPO) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. There are also rumors in circulation that Wal-Mart may not go ahead with its plans to expand and grow its RFID project, which the retailer emphatically denies.

It is going ahead with plans for expansion in Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky. As many as 300 suppliers are expected to join the Wal-Mart RFID chain in January 2007, taking the total beyond 600.

Meanwhile, technology research report provider ABI Research has said that the RFID market will generate revenues of $3.1 billion in 2007, a figure that is 15 percent below its earlier forecast.

Research firm Gartner’s vice president Jeff Woods says that growth in the RFID industry is between 40 and 45 percent every year, but that this figure is considerably less than expected levels. He estimates that the market for tags and readers will touch $751 million by the end of this year, a substantial increase from last year’s $504 million.

RFID Links Spanish Army Supply Chain

The Spanish Armed Forces are using RFID to track and manage national and multi-national, joint force consignments as they travel through the supply chain. The RFID platform and network are provided courtesy Savi Technology, a subsidiary of the Lockheed Martin Corporation. The platform is interoperable with similar applications in use by NATO and other allied defense forces. Savi has also provided active RFID tags, fixed readers and handheld reader kits that are developed using Echopoint technology. TMC Net reports:

The RFID platform was reportedly installed through the Savi Consignment Management Solution (CMS), consisting of Savi SmartChain Site Manager, Savi SmartChain Enterprise Platform and Savi SmartChain Consignment Management Application.

RTLS Tracks Hospital Assets

Ekahau Inc. is helping the Mercy Hospital in Miami enhance efficiency of operations. The provider of Real Time Location Systems (RTLS) has equipped the hospital with a wireless tracking solution that will help staff members locate mission critical equipment and other mobile assets.

The RTLS system is Wi-Fi enabled and can utilize existing Wi-Fi networks without requiring additional expenses in the form of proprietary tracking infrastructure. The tags can be worn by hospital staff and patients as wristbands or attached to equipment and other assets.

The T201 tags also allow hospital management to measure the utilization of each asset, an application that will save the hospital a huge amount of money in capital purchases. 

Ekahau, which has already established a name for itself in the hospital management and patient care industry, is implementing the rollout of RTLS at Mercy in two phases with help from its value-added reseller (VAR) partner, SAFCO Systems Inc.

RFID’s Here, No More Data Loss

With the security of information the top priority of all organizations today, the RFID tags provided by AXCESS International for physical computer asset protection is sure to sell like hotcakes. The provider of RFID solutions and Real Time Location Systems (RTLS) has come out with ActiveTag, a Dual-Active RFID application that can be used to monitor and track the movement of physical assets in an enterprise.

The tags are powered by an onsite battery that helps in locating even hidden computers and accessories. They can be activated on demand to trigger alerts when crossing certain security points in an organization. Doors are then locked automatically to prevent the asset from leaving the premises. The Dual Activator tag can be used to find if assets are inside or outside secure areas. 

Cost effective network-based receivers are used to read the transmissions from the tags and pass on their IDs to the AXCESS database to determine the location of assets, the person(s) who moved them, and if the move has been authorized or not.

In order to minimize alarm bells from ringing and hindering productivity each time a legitimate move is made, AXCESS allows authorized employees and administrators to be tagged themselves. I’m curious about one aspect though; are the tags meant to be inserted into their bodies or are they the kind that can be worn on key chains and identity cards? The first option sounds far too extreme and the second leaves the door wide open for theft, of the identity devices first and then the computer assets!

The Mexican arm of PricewaterhouseCoopers is deploying these Dual-Active tags to improve security on its premises. Can the assurance, tax and advisory services provider answer these questions?

Aircraft equipment now in QinetiQ radar

It is true that tracking crucial aircraft equipment has become a task of its kind. Otherwise companies wouldn't have been involved in trying to figure out an active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system for this purpose. QinetiQ and the Harrier IPT have just started a one year 'Proof of Concept' evaluation on the same to automatically tracks critical aircraft equipment between designated zones. QinetiQ's Forward Maintenance Asset Tracking (ForMAT) system incorporates active RFID technology based on commercially available products from Wavetrend and 'SAINT ACTIV' asset tracking software from Datrotech. 

ForMAT proof of concept underlines the IPT's drive for efficient assurance of operational capability and through enhanced visibility of assets. This is said to improve aircraft turnaround, reduce stock holdings resulting in financial savings and minimize the effort spent searching them.

It is quite funny to know that around 1200 'high value/critical' items, all related to aircraft equipment worth £50k have been tagged with active RFID devices located within 'remove before flight' flags. The list also includes Line Replacement Units (LRU) and Special to Type test equipment. The tagging is done just to ensure quick search if not in place. Does this refer to the way things are handled? Mismanagement…nothing else!

Why would you need RFID in first place if things are properly placed? There is a reasoning though: when aircraft are scheduled for maintenance, many times the necessary modules, components and tools can be figured out easily and with the system it can be easily located anywhere within the designated zones, eradicating time and effort spent hunting for them. That is why.

The tighter asset control also result in optimizing the stock holdings thereby eliminating the need for the MOD to invest in equipment duplication and getting rid of millions of other activities. The active RFID proof of concept programme would support RAF Cottesmore for continual Logistics Transformation Process.

GenuOne lands on OpSec's lap

Acquisition seems to have become a routine these days. Another one in the technology saga, OpSec Security, Inc. acquired GenuOne, Inc. , which is a Boston, Massachusetts-based provider of brand protection solutions. OpSec has paid $13 million in cash for the same to GenuOne.

Here onwards, a single company gets created for offering an unprecedented range of anti-counterfeiting and brand protection products to corporations and governments worldwide, according to OpSec. No doubt, OpSec adds on an extra muscle to its strength being a division of Applied Optical Technologies plc. GenuOne comes to it as a provider of anti-counterfeiting and anti-diversion software products. This will directly impact on the brand owners to monitor and protect their products and brands across a range of online environments, as it currently serves 45 major global brands including XEROX, New Balance Athletic Shoes, Cisco, Richemont Group and Dell.

Further, the range of action would stretch to auction sites, retail and wholesale internet exchanges, and business to business boards where significant sale of counterfeit products occurs. Hence, OpSec now has the power to provide product tagging and tracking services to customers through GenuOne.   

OpSec on the other hand provides anti-counterfeiting technologies and services to over 100 governments and corporations worldwide. Its products allow its corporate clients to authenticate and to track products from counterfeiting and diversion. Governments use OpSec technologies to guard against counterfeiting of currency, passports, drivers' licenses, licenses, and other government documents.

Although the acquisition signals a new beginning but the use of technologies in mentioned companies does not necessarily have to be similar and would require a synergistic approach all the way. Tackling this issue will be crucial as if how the services related to anti-counterfeiting would be served better.

Delivery - Care of RFID

In an effort to reduce delivery times, improve accuracy rates and reduce the probability of human-induced errors, the state-owned Thailand Post is introducing RFID technology in its warehouse management systems.

Each package brought in to Thai Post will be tagged with an RFID-enabled chip powered by a 64 MB memory that will hold information related to the owner, the date and time it was brought in, the contents of the package, the number of parcels, the destination, and the expected delivery time.

Thai Post is hoping to offer personalized postal services to cater to the needs and budgets of small businesses. The postal department is also working out deals with local mobile service providers to allow customers to check the status of their packages on their mobile phones.

The technology will be up and running within the next year if all goes according to plan.

Radianse Makes Tracking of Hospital Equipment Simple

To make simplistic way of approaching the hospital solutions Radianse, Inc. , indoor positioning solution (IPS) is to become a boon for hospitals. Recently, Brigham & Women's Hospital (BWH)  , Boston, paved the way for a fast, direct route from any of its 747 beds to the portable medical equipment critical to effective care. Based on Radiance's real-time solution to find essential equipment  before various surgical procedures could begin. From location of infusion pumps, portable monitors, defibrillators or other are tracked as close as the nearest web browser across all major care areas on this 17 floors hospital including the peri-operative and emergency departments.
According to BWH, this move is going to payback immediately towards nurse and patient satisfaction and within a few months financially. The hospital's now is confident of investing on Radianse IPS to track 6,000 medical devices hospital-wide is based on strong results from its pilot project but is it not making the hospital tasks a little more dependent on machinery and systems.
Going by Radianse, the project will cut down 50% losses and enables fast return. It uses active radio frequency identification (active-RFID) and a patented location algorithm to track people and things; receivers connect to the hospital's existing network. Simple, web-based "find" applications display results in a list or graphical view.

First the indoor positioning to address dissatisfaction rates was investigated. According to hospital, surgeons wait for essential equipment to be found and nurses then gather the same, which takes them away from direct patient care. The expanded Radianse system will provide real-time equipment tracking across all Med/Surgical units, intensive care units, ORs and peri-operative spaces, the emergency department and hospital common areas enabling better patient service.

Indus excels as Xcel and Progress were honored

Sometimes being behind the success is sweeter than the success itself. This is exactly the experience Indus International Inc. , a leading Service Delivery Management (SDM) solution provider, is reaping. Its clients - Xcel Energy and Progress Energy  - have recently been honored with 78th Edison Award , the power industry's highest honor. The honor was bestowed on them for the initiatives which come about the contribution courtesy Indus solutions.

Xcel Energy was awarded for utility innovations for its pioneering Utility Innovations (UI) initiative where Indus participates on Xcel Energy's Strategic Advisory Board. Indus has helped in creating utility innovations to leverage the creativity, knowledge and skills of its technology partners and thus develop solutions that relates to customer service needs, optimizing management functions on local electric grids and reduction of cost structure. 

Similarly, Progress Energy was recognized for its operational excellence i.e. unwavering focus on customer satisfaction and adding on to the operation quality.  The outstanding operation of the company's nuclear and fossil generating plants is supported by Indus work and asset management solutions, which drew praise in particular from EEI. But the question arises that - can we take success of Progress Energy and Xcel away from them where Indus has made significant contributions. Probably no…

The prestigious honor is given in recognition for the U.S. shareholder-owned utility or utilities and international members making significant contributions to the advancement of the industry and presented by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), where winner are decided by a selected panel of experts consisting of the current EEI chairman and retired industry executives.

Jettainer to provide ULD management support to Swiss WorldCargo

Collaborating for greater customer services & satisfaction is not new. Swiss WorldCargo , the air cargo division of Swiss International Airlines entered into a five-year ULD (Unit Load Device)  outsourcing agreement with Jettainer , the leading international service provider for outsourced ULD management.

Based on the idea of capturing the synergies wherever there are customer benefits, the new contract talks about Jettainer taking care of the global ULD management activities for Swiss WorldCargo, which include taking over the carrier’s entire ULD fleet and management services such as worldwide tracking & tracing, active inventory management, ULD repairs and management reporting.

Jettainer’s ULD management approach and Jettware - IT platform, developed specially for this purpose is believed to be the key factor for the partnership effective from 1st November 2006. Benefits of Jettainer’s four-phased ULD pooling approach include shared operational efficiencies and cost savings, lower and more predictable fixed operating expenses and enhanced flexibility through a controlled access to a large fleet of ULDs. With the roll out of the new agreement, Jettainer plans to expand its worldwide ULD fleet to a total of 36,000 units.

At one hand, we have an airline that enjoys an excellent reputation worldwide for high quality and reliability, in both the passenger and freight segments, while at the other hand we have a company that operates the largest outsourced ULD fleet in the world from 400 stations worldwide. Now the industry has to wait & watch for the success of the agreement between the two giants.

Accu-Sort® FAST Tag® RFID labeling system to save labor costs

In the competitive market, saving on labor costs mean increased gains! That’s whatAccu-Sort Systems Inc , an established provider of convergent RFID and bar code systems, is pleasing its new customer with. A leading distributor of entertainment products has chosen Accu-Sort as its RFID solution provider & has gotten installed FAST Tag® In-Motion automated RFID tag application system.

With more than 400 FAST Suite™ installations to its credit, Accu-Sort was chosen over its competitors due to its edgeware, IT integration, material handling and RFID expertise. This installation will help the entertainment company save an estimated $83,000 in annual labor costs in addition to meeting the RFID compliance mandates.

FAST Tag In-Motion provides a complete solution for automating the process of applying and verifying RFID tags on cartons. The recently installed in-line tag application system incorporates an on-pitch tag applicator, controlled by the FAST Tag software platform. The on-pitch tag applicator is slightly larger than the raw antenna inlay providing the customer with a 50 percent savings in tag cost compared to larger 4x2 RFID tags. The system has the capability to selectively tag cartons destined for RFID enabled stores at a rate of 30 cartons per minute, with 100 percent verification and accuracy in tag placement.

With all the hype & hoopla around the recent installation of Accu-Sort’s RFID tag application system, the workability factor in the entertainment sector is yet to be seen!

Memory Spot to Replace RFID?

There’s a new chip that’s causing ripples of worry in the RFID industry. The Memory Spot unveiled by Hewlett-Packard is a minute, wireless microchip that has high data storage and transfer rates. It is similar to an RFID passive tag that uses the power of a signal reader to transfer data.

With read-write capabilities, a half MB of data storage, and transfer rates up to 10 megabits per second, this tiny chip is two years away from making its debut in the global market. On the downside, it is very expensive (HP says it will cost approximately $1) and has very short read ranges. This makes it eight times more costly than the expected price of Gen 2 RFID tags in 2008, the year the Memory Spot is due to make an appearance.

HP will be hoping to keep the technology proprietary, which means that it will not be subject to industry-wide standards. Standards have to be set for widespread acceptance of any technology.

And last, but not the least, HP will have to develop the ecosystem for its chip, which means persuading other manufacturers to create products that will use this chip.

With all these hurdles to overcome before the Memory Spot is imbibed into mainstream technology, the RFID industry has nothing to fear from this invader onto its turf.

RFID and Viral Infections

Viruses that leap off an RFID tag and enter your backend database, ready to infect the next tag that is read by the scanning software. Is this a scene out of a sci-fi thriller? No, this is a very realistic real-world scenario that is possible.

An RFID tag in the hands of a malicious hacker or conman is a potential recipe for disaster. Researchers have found that certain vulnerabilities in an RFID tag allow it to become a virus-infected tag. This in turn can be used to populate a database that stores the unique identifiers that differentiate between the numerous tags. The database virus then spreads to all other tags that are read by mobile RFID readers.

Yes, it’s a vicious cycle that has unforeseen consequences. Research has proved that backend databases are susceptible to infection from corrupted tags, contrary to popular belief.

This website provides mock scenarios that are set in supermarkets, airports and veterinary clinics as possible situations that lend themselves to the use of anti-social elements.

TI Introduces UHF Gen 2 Silicon

Following the success of Impinj in manufacturing and demonstrating the efficiency of UHF Gen 2 tags at the item-level, Texas Instruments (TI) has chosen to go the same way. The world’s largest integrated manufacturer of RFID transponders and reader systems has built its Gen 2 silicon on an advanced analog process node at 130 nanometers.

The silicon chips, which come with built-in Schottky diodes that allow efficient conversion of RF signal energy, are available in wafer and strap form factors. The chips can be written to under typical harsh conditions like low RF power and high background electromagnetic interference (EMI) that are prevalent in supply chain factories and warehouses. Users have the option of developing tags and labels that optimize TI’s Gen 2 silicon. Texas Instruments reports:

Offering greater design flexibility to customers, TI is providing its Gen 2 silicon to inlay, label and packaging manufacturers in three convenient forms:  bare wafers to support various assembly processes; processed wafers (bumped, sawn with back grind) that are suitable for immediate use with commercially available inlay equipment; and silicon chip on straps for label and packaging manufacturers who are printing their own antennas.

Malaysia’s RFID Drive

With the national conference on RFID scheduled for February 2007, the Malaysian organization Persatuan RFID Malaysia is working to chart out the skeletal infrastructure for the RFID industry in the country under the 9th Malaysia Plan (9MP). As part of its efforts towards this goal, it is roping in RFID industries and research institutions and hopes to channel their combined energies into a fixed path for the future of RFID in Malaysia.

The association is involved in setting standards for New Field Communications in conjunction with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission; these standards will be presented at the RFID conference next year, in an attempt to prevent complications and conflict in the RFID industry in the future. A certification program for RFID workers and professionals is also in the pipeline; this move will ensure that there is no shortage of skilled human resources in the burgeoning RFID industry.

Persatuan RFID Malaysia is befuddled over one issue though – does the RFID industry fall under the jurisdiction of the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti) or the Energy, Communications and Water Ministry (MEWC)? There is one certainty though; the association does not want to be governed by Mosti with rumors circulating that the ministry has no plans for RFID under 9MP.

Investors Queue Up For RFID Technology

From the look of things, investors are queuing up to invest in  RFID-related industries. The second round of equity funding, the Series B round, of Intelleflex which provides semi-passive RFID platform solutions, was oversubscribed at $15.5 million. Morgenthaler Ventures was the lead investor, with Woodside Fund, Alloy Ventures and Selby Venture Partners being significant contributors. The latter three were return investors after taking part in the $11.3 million Series A round held in 2004. RFID Update reports:

Intelleflex's semi-passive tags are Gen2 compliant, which, according to chairman and CEO Richard Bravman, make the company's solution a "best of both worlds combination". It offers all the benefits of the standardized Gen2 platform but with read ranges more commonly seen in active RFID technology.