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TEK Industries Releases ZigBee Stack Compatible Active Tag
The first module of the Z-SYSTEM is the Z-TAG, which is a complete minimal low powered radio for monitoring telemetry or active tagging applications. Two spare IO lines brought to a header act as a remote control or monitor for applications. The second module, the Z-USB, is for connecting the radio network to a laptop or PC. The Z-USB has the resources to run the Microchip stack coordinator, and is self-powered by the USB connection. The third module is the Z-LINK, which is an FFD/coordinator for mesh networking to extend the range of the Z-USB and the Z-TAG. It can also work as a platform. Visit www.tekind.com. Niceware's Series of Enterprise-Wide Barcode and RFID Labeling and Printer Management Software
The NiceLabel Enterprise Series includes two main editions: NiceWatch Enterprise and NiceLabel Print Center. The NiceWatch Enterprise edition is a server-based, enterprise-level labeling solution for centralized integration of multi-threaded, high-volume label printing with centralized administration. It provides automated, event-triggered label printing for an organization that needs fast throughput of label printing on multiple printers or print-and-apply engines in its environment. It is available as a flat server license instead of an inflexible printer licensing model that is common in the industry today. The NiceLabel Print Center edition is a client-based, enterprise-level labeling solution with centralized control over all NiceLabel clients in a network environment. The client portion of the Print Center product is the version 5 of the popular NiceLabel Suite edition software. The NiceLabel Print Center edition is a concurrent license that enables "roaming" use of client licenses in the enterprise. Both NiceWatch Enterprise and NiceLabel Print Center editions can be centrally managed and administered with the included NiceLabel Enterprise Print Manager. The Enterprise Print Manager is a web-based module that can be accessed from any workstation on a network or through the Internet to manage a printing process. The Enterprise Print Manager is an essential part of the NiceWatch Enterprise and the NiceLabel Print Center products. NiceLabel is a family of professional labeling software products that provides a complete barcode printing and RFID smart labeling solution to desktop and enterprise users. Through the Enterprise Print Manager interface, users can perform operations like: remote control over the label printing processes through the company's Intranet and the Internet, central print management, logging functionalities, multi-channel alerting and messaging services, database housekeeping, NiceLabel Print Center management and NiceLabel client licensing, and NiceWatch Server management. Crown Teams up with Qinetiq to Resolve Challenges of RFID on Metal Packaging
QinetiQ's standalone Omni-ID Tag™ and integrated Omni-ID Pak™ technology allow a UHF tag to be mounted directly onto the metal substrate. Measuring substantially less than 1mm in thickness, the unique Omni-ID structure collects and focuses RF energy and enables highly efficient coupling to the chip. Another advantage of the system is that RFID chips require only a short coupling antenna rather than the large dipole usually incorporated in UHF tags, significantly reducing manufacturing costs. Crown and QinetiQ are continuing development of the technology for metal packaging to further optimize design. In the near future, it is expected that the metal substrate itself will have an integral role in the way the technology functions. Using a beverage or food can as an example, the can itself would serve as the antenna, simplifying production of the RFID tag and further reducing costs. Existing Gen 1 and Gen 2 RFID tags would complete the equation. "QinetiQ's Omni-ID technology offers a completely new way to capture energy, making it fundamentally different than other proposed solutions that have been limiting in terms of size, complexity, and cost," comments Dan Abramowicz, President, Crown Packaging Technology. "With this development, metal has gone from being RFID unfriendly to having powerful benefits that competitive packaging formats do not. Overall costs associated with RFID integration are reduced, the integration process becomes much easier, and brand owners have more space on the package itself for graphics and key messaging due to the smaller footprint of the tag." "We have utilized our expertise in managing RF signatures and have developed a completely different approach to the construction and operation of passive antenna for RFID applications," says Tony Kington, General Manager of QinetiQ's Omni-ID business. "By design, this is robust in its functionality and can be incorporated into most common packaging and label media." Initially, the technology is being targeted at higher end applications (such as perfumes, liquors, confections, and ink cartridges). In the longer term, it is anticipated that the technology will be economically feasible at the unit product level for all applications and will be made available for licensing across metal packaging and aqueous product applications. Mandate Driven Versus Improvement Driven Implementation Report by ChainLink Research
The report showed a diverse set of uses by RFID manufacturers, especially on the plant floor. Usage focuses include freshness improvements in the food and pharmaceutical industry, tool tracking, location, usage and service tracking, container tracking, receiving and put-away, and quality control, among many others. Surprisingly, the report showed that 67% of smaller companies (under $25 million) are implementing or planning on implementing RFID, and they are the most likely to be driven by process improvement goals alone or in conjunction with mandates, rather than mandates alone. To subscribe to RFID Product News and RFID Product News Reader, click here.
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TEK Industries Inc. launches the Z-SYSTEM, which is a three-part module that is compliant with the Microchip ZigBee stack. The Z-SYSTEM is a flexible RFID tag radio system that provides a ready-made hardware platform for ZigBee stack applications. A complete 2.4 GHz radio system is provided in each module with matched antenna and flash PIC18 chip.
Niceware® International (
Crown Holdings, Inc. (Crown, 
ChainLink Research (
