NEWS DESK

Impinj Acquires Intel's UHF RFID Reader Chip Operation

Leading UHF Gen 2 RFID solutions provider Impinj, Inc. (www.impinj.com) announced the acquisition of Intel Corporation's RFID Operation. This branch of Intel – created by Intel's New Business Initiatives incubator – 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% 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, etc.) 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 e15 effective RFID products available from any vendor anywhere," says 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," says Rich Wykoff, General Manager of Intel's New Business Initiatives (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."

Online OTA Training at 250 Schools

OTA Training LLC (www.otatraining.com) announces that its online RFID training program, RFID on the Web™, is now available to over 250 colleges and universities through Gatlin Education Services, the world's largest provider of asynchronous web-based training to colleges, universities, and other education providers. RFID on the Web teaches students how to implement RFID successfully and prepares them to become RFID+ certified. It combines the ease of distance learning with the quality of personal instruction and real-world examples and scenarios.

RFID on the Web uses innovative learning technology such as flash animated simulations based on real RFID projects to give students a comprehensive knowledge of how the technology is applied in a real-world environment.

"With so many commercial factors driving the adoption of this technology, the demand for RFID certified professionals is overwhelming," says Stephen Gatlin, Founder of Gatlin Education Services. "RFID on the Web engages students with its combination of theory and real-world examples of successful commercial, government, and military applications."

Robert Sabella, CEO and founder of OTA Training LLC says that online training might be preferred by students who have experience in the field, but are not yet comfortable sitting for an exam. To increase the train-to-test ratio among individuals that train online, OTA Training includes a CompTIA RFID+ voucher with the course.

One of the key benefits of e-learning initiatives is that students can determine the pace of their progression through the material. "Some individuals prefer to sit in front of a computer and absorb the information," says Sabella, "so they can take their time and go back through modules and review the material."

Cost is also a factor, as online courses are generally less expensive compared to other training methods. High tuition and travel costs are eliminated.

Students are no longer limited by class times, sizes, and course availability because RFID on the Web is available whenever they are. Because courses are administered on an ongoing basis, students can begin anytime, even in the middle of the quarter or semester.

Working in a Coal Mine

BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) is Australia's largest coal miner and exporter, and the world's largest supplier to the seaborne coking coal market. BMA's Norwich Park Mine previously used an SAP-based stand-alone inventory and management system to track its assets and equipment inventory in its central maintenance warehouse. The process was both time-consuming and prone to errors. Difficulties arose when personnel "logged" items they took out of the warehouse; this was reliant on manual handling of the system and was not as efficient as needed. Many items were never logged and the system lacked a real-time component. The resulting inventory discrepancies were difficult to track and correct.

BMA needed a real-time system to track and trace its more than 17,000 individual equipment items and the 300 mine personnel who physically enter the warehouse. After considering different technologies, the alliance focused its attention on RFID.

Now fully deployed, the RFID solution – which utilizes the Omni-ID Flex™ tag – caters to all of BMA's requirements for a real-time inventory tracking and management environment. The system has proven its worth by enabling miners to get to their jobs faster, improving database accuracy, and pinpointing lost or stolen equipment.

BMA has also deployed RFID at three additional mine sites. Omni-ID tags have been implemented at these sites for inventory management, as well as tool management. Visit Omni-ID at www.omni-id.com.

Bayer Material Science Uses InSync's RFID Software

Bayer Material Science, one of the world's largest producers of polymers and high-performance plastics, announces its deployment of a series of RFID and sensor-enabled warehousing and logistics automation solutions using InSync's Edgeware platform. InSync's technology allows Bayer to rapidly build, test, and deploy multiple solutions using a single, common application platform.

Bayer has deployed its first solution that manages and automates the placement and picking of high-value assets stored on large storage racks using automated material handling equipment. The solution leverages data from Bayer's back-end systems and integrates with the material handling equipment using Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) to effectively manage and precisely instruct operators and machinery in the identification, picking, and placing of these assets.

The solution improves Bayer's warehousing efficiencies and eliminates much of the human error associated with manual placement and picking operations that result in delays or lost goods. Future deployments will address common processes such as weigh scales and other areas of operations that are inherently prone to human error and latency.

InSync's Edgeware connects with commercially available RFID, Auto-ID, and sensors to understand the activity that is being managed. Its edge logic capability is configurable and reusable across multiple locations. A "functions library" includes edge logic processes that are useable out-of-the-box. These allow for management of local activities such as item-tag association, shipping, receiving, and inventory management. Visit www.insyncrfid.com.

IDENTEC Safeguards Lives

IDENTEC SOLUTIONS (www.identecsolutions.com) has been selected by ConocoPhillips – the third largest integrated energy company in the U.S. and the fifth largest refiner in the world – to provide a personnel tracking system for its platforms within the Ekofisk Complex, on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, that would be both unfailing and effective during any possible emergency situation. Due to the complex nature of ConocoPhillips offshore work environments, selecting a system that protects lives while meeting stringent certification criteria necessary proved challenging. It was essential that employees were assured that their privacy would not be compromised or in conflict with the Privacy Act.

IDENTEC SOLUTIONS' WATCHERSERIES technology offers a complete solution for tracking personnel in environments where access to real-time employee information during an emergency situation is vital. It is designed specifically for remote and isolated locations. Other operators in the North Sea will soon also be installing WATCHERSERIES.

All employees carry an active RFID tag. A map of the facility and a real-time headcount is available for reference in the event of an emergency. Readers are installed at all mustering stations, allowing point coordinators real-time access and overview of any missing personnel. The installation provides enhanced operational efficiency when dealing with employee safety and security. ConocoPhillips now has a real-time headcount of all its employees, efficient and safe entry and exit at all points, and significant time reduction when accounting for employees. Additionally, strict regulations dictate the regular practice of evacuation drills on all offshore platforms.