IBM Advances the Use of Open Standards in RFID Solutions

IBM announces two significant developments in its effort to advance the use of open standards in RFID solutions and help companies make better use of data that can enable new business insights and drive business process transformation. Eight leading device manufacturers have implemented the Eclipse open source device model to interface their devices with the IBM Premises Server 6.0.

"IBM is committed to helping to establish an open architecture that will allow sensor data to be seamlessly integrated into business processes," says Martin Wildberger, Vice President, Sensors and Actuator Solutions, IBM. "By establishing partnerships and creating software that is based on industry standards, we can make it easier for organizations to reap the benefits of sensor solutions."

An expanding ecosystem of RFID partners

IBM announces that Alien Technology, Arcom, FEIG ELECTRONIC, Intermec, Motorola, Reva Systems, Sirit, and TAGSYS have been approved through the IBM WebSphere RFID Device validation program, which helps device manufacturers ensure interoperability with IBM's WebSphere Premises Server.

The WebSphere Premises Server is an enterprise-class solution that enables real-time aggregation and analysis of RFID and other sensor information. The software builds upon a services oriented architecture (SOA) foundation to give context to sensor events within required business processes, integrating with the EPCIS repository and applications such as enterprise resource planning, warehouse management systems, and manufacturing systems. In addition, the product provides the secure messaging, data management, and systems management capabilities needed for a scaleable sensor management solution that ensures transaction performance as projects scale.

In order to speed RFID equipment manufacturers' time to market, embedded systems integrators Apogee Software and MicroDoc have been trained to build device adapters using the new Eclipse device toolkit. Both companies are working with RFID equipment manufacturers to build device adapters or intelligent reader controller platforms that are compatible with WebSphere RFID data capture.

IBM leads in achieving EPCIS certification

Standards organization GS1 EPCglobal announces that IBM WebSphere RFID Information Center has been certified and is fully compliant with the organization's EPCIS standard. EPCIS provides a data model for events including shipping and receiving of uniquely identified objects such as units and cases. The standard also defines interfaces for capturing product movement data and for the sharing of that information with trading partners. Through trading partner collaboration via EPCIS data sharing, enterprises can achieve pedigree compliance and reduce shipping discrepancies.

WebSphere RFID Information Center is a proven solution for enterprises seeking to share product movement information with trading partners that are also using EPCIS compliant solutions. The newest version of the software includes an optional ePedigree feature that provides all participants in the pharmaceutical supply chain with secure and on demand access to historical data on individual bottles or packages of medicine to enable compliance with current and emerging regulations.

"As a core participant in the creation of the requirements for the EPCIS standard, IBM has been a leader in adopting open standards in its RFID solutions," says Bernie Hogan, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, GS1 US. "The IBM WebSphere RFID Information Center software complies fully with the EPCIS standard, which means it can be used by enterprises to securely and efficiently share data with trading partners who are also using EPCIS compliant solutions."

IBM WebSphere RFID Information Center is already being used successfully by AmerisourceBergen, a "big three" pharmaceutical distributor, in its Sacramento pilot, and by a large global pharmaceutical manufacturer. ITAIDE, a global e-customs project, is also using WebSphere RFID Information Center to manage serial numbers relating to the global movement of shipping containers.

USAF Selects Zebra RFID-Enabled Printers

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has selected Zebra Technologies to provide RFID printer/encoders for the USAF Cargo Movement Operation System operating at more than 214 locations worldwide. The planned RFID initiative is expected to improve overall efficiency and productivity of the USAF's and Department of Defense supply chain and other logistical operations.

Northern Alberta Institute of Technology Partners with Academia RFID

The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) has announced its partnership with Montreal's Academia RFID to offer RFID training. As part of the Fall 2007 schedule, participants will be given the opportunity to register for The Fundamentals of RFID technology as well as a RFID Return on Investment (ROI) course which provides a comprehensive learning experience delivered by Academia RFID's PhD-level university professors on-site at NAIT's downtown Edmonton campus.

NAIT's Associate Vice-President—Office of Research and Innovation, Dr. Ben Silverberg adds: "Academia RFID, Canada's leading academic authority in RFID Technology, presented us with highly developed RFID courseware that matched our vision for innovation and applied solutions for businesses and industry professionals. Our strategy is to promote a strong base of knowledge with these two courses and then move beyond to very specific industry applications offered as customized training."

BlueStar Receives 'Distributor of the Year' Award from Alien

BlueStar is announcing that it is the recipient of Alien Technologies' "2007 Distributor of the Year" award for excellence in RFID. The award was given at Alien Technologies' Awards Dinner held in conjunction with the inaugural Alien Partner Conference in Chicago on October 1-2, 2007.

BlueStar RFID Program Manager Dan Miller was on hand to receive the award for BlueStar. Presenting the award for Alien Technologies was the company's CEO, George W. Everhart. Everhart congratulated BlueStar for the company's continued support of RFID, promotion of Alien products and services, and being the leading distributor in Alien sales for two years.

A recent graduate of Alien Technologies' Alien RFID Academy at the Dayton Solutions Center in Dayton, OH, Dan Miller praised its RFID training programs. Miller stated that any VAR committed to success and profits from RFID should seriously consider an RFID certification program. Miller also went on to say that Alien's new line of RFID readers and Gen 2 tags, introduced to Alien Partners at the Conference, would play an important role in BlueStar's solutions for achieving ROI in closed-loop applications.

"These products serve to prove the maturation of Gen 2 with hardware cost reductions and impeccable tag read performance, " says Dan Miller, BlueStar's RFID Program Manager. "BlueStar will continue its dedication to RFID, as well as providing the industry's widest selection of products and solutions."

Accu-Sort® Barcode/RFID System Installed at Office Furniture Manufacturer

Accu-Sort Systems has installed an integrated barcode and RFID tag reading and sortation system at the Knoll Manufacturing Inc. East Greenville, PA, facility. Knoll is a leading manufacturer of office chairs, and this installation is expected to save the company indirect labor costs of $300,000 plus $200,000 in cost avoidance, because chairs are delivered directly to the shipping area rather than being staged in production for pick-up by forklift. The new system also allows Knoll to improve throughput and reduce shipping errors.

"Because the new installation now delivers chairs directly to shipping, it has helped cut forklift fuel and maintenance costs significantly, and reduced forklift traffic, which improves safety in the plant, " says Carl Visscher, Knoll Manufacturing Plant Manager. The Accu-Sort installation at Knoll Manufacturing integrates AXIOM™ linear laser barcode scanners, Model 24i DRX side read scanners, and RFR-02 HF RFID reader/writers. AXIOM barcode readers are used in industrial and manufacturing applications. They provide high-speed scanning at up to 1400 scans per second.

Accu-Sort's Model 24i DRX side-read scanners provide up to 3000 scans/second and a reading range of up to 70 inches. Model 24i scanners can be used in carton sortation and material handling systems, airport/shipping scan tunnels, package content verification and counting, and automatic production tracking.

The RFR-02 HF RFID reader is a fixed position reader for use in factory automation, automated material handling, and asset identification. It is compatible with the ISO 15693 standard allowing it to read and write to passive tags (RF transponders) operating at 13.56 MHz.

Ekahau RTLS Centralizes Asset Management and Enables RTLS Roaming Across Campuses in North Carolina

Ekahau announces that it has been selected as the RTLS vendor of choice for Carolinas HealthCare System (CHS), the third largest public healthcare system in the U.S. CHS is using the Ekahau RTLS solution for a centrally deployed asset tracking application that will work across its acute care facilities. CHS expects to track thousands of assets across its campuses starting with infusion pumps and ventilators, which it began tracking this past summer. When complete in early 2008, it is expected that CHS will have one of the largest, most expansive healthcare industry deployments of RTLS in the country.

"We evaluated the offerings of more than a half-dozen vendors on their technology's performance and scalability, as well as their ability to align with our WiFi strategy, " says Clay Fisher, Director at CHS. "After extensive review, we felt confident that Ekahau RTLS would not only integrate with our existing WiFi infrastructure, but would provide system-wide visibility so we could accurately and efficiently locate, manage and re-allocate equipment between facilities to maximize usage and ROI."

"WiFi-based location tracking systems clearly have an advantage when used in geographically dispersed deployments, such as the one CHS is undertaking, " says Louis Bianchin, Senior Analyst and Program Manager for RFID at Venture Development Corp. (VDC), a technology market research and strategy firm. "The WiFi RTLS industry has rapidly evolved to the point where larger scale deployments are not only financially feasible, but that technology has matured enough to mitigate risks and offer a reliable solution."

Mexican Politician Stumbles over RFID in Berlin Marathon

Former Mexican presidential candidate Roberto Madrazo was disqualified from the Berlin Marathon after he failed to register on the ChampionChip timing system that registers all runners' results and split times.

In an event this size, stopwatch timekeeping is a thing of the past. Thirteen years ago, ChampionChip from the Netherlands invented a time-keeping system based on RFID tags. Since this time, hardly any large road race can do without chip timing. In Berlin, one of the prestigious World Marathon Majors events, with over 30,000 runners, there were ChampionChip systems every 5 km to time the split times of the athletes. Originally the Mexican politician finished in a remarkably quick time of 2:41:12, offering him a short moment of glory as the leader of his age group.

After analysis of the full results the timekeepers noted that he had failed to register on the ChampionChip timing systems at 30 and 35 km. His recorded speed between the half marathon and the finish line was even quicker than the time of Haile Gebreselassi, the new world record holder.

There was no doubt that Mr. Madrazo had to be disqualified by the organizers. His comment after a couple of days: "I never intended to run the full marathon in Berlin, so I stepped out after 25 km and went back to the finish over the shortest route..."

Some 32,500 people finished the Berlin Marathon; about 40 are disqualified every year. Cheating in a race is impossible thanks to the ChampionChip RFID timing systems.

Racetimer Offers Alien Technology's RFID Solution for Racing Events

Racetimer of Sweden, an Alien Technology Value Added Solutions Provider (VASP), has implemented RFID at race events around Europe to benefit more than 250,000 runners.

Assigning a unique identification (ID) tag number to runners has been a common practice for more than a decade. The unique ID has primarily consisted of attaching barcode labels or low frequency (LF) RFID tags to the laces of runners' shoes. In conjunction with the tags, costly and cumbersome mats were spread on the ground to track runners at checkpoints throughout the race track. The mats incorporated an integrated Radio Frequency (RF) antenna to track the runners' time at these designated checkpoints.

"Race organizers have long been dissatisfied with older technology options for tracking runners," says Ronnie Skoeld, Marketing Director for Racetimer. "By making use of Alien's RFID products to reliably, and cost-effectively track the runners, Racetimer's event customers are saving money and time associated with tracking the runners, while benefiting the runners in time-saved at the end of the race. With RFID, everyone wins."

With Alien's highly consistent and reliable UHF readers and antennas, there is no need for runners to stand in line after crossing the finish line to have their unique ID tag be scanned by the organizers. Race administrators benefit from RFID accuracy reads up to 20 meters (approximately 60 feet) to identify runners within seconds, saving up to several minutes per runner using UHF RFID over barcode or LF RFID.

Racetimer is making use of Alien readers and tags at the well-known "Blodomloppet" race, the second largest cross-country race in Scandinavia. The "Blodomloppet" race, which means "Giving Blood" in Swedish, is a series of marathon races throughout the Scandinavian countries that involve more than 40,000 marathon runners. Each runner will be equipped with a disposable UHF passive EPC-compliant Gen 2 Alien Squiggle ® tag, providing significant time and money advantages over previous timing tracking methods.

"Collecting the tags after the race completion can be a time-consuming and inefficient distraction for race organizers and runners alike," says Stephen Crocker, Director Sales and Channels EMEA/India for Alien Technology. "Our Squiggle tags are low-cost and disposable, which allow the race organizer to give away the race tag as a keepsake to runners at the finish line."