May 2, 2002 - SAMSys Technologies Inc. (SMY: TSX), a Toronto maker of
multi-frequency RFID readers, revealed yesterday that it has hired Tres
Wiley to be its chief operating officer. The addition if Wiley is a coup for
tiny SAMSys, which is struggling to build volume.
Wiley will oversee the company's operations, corporate development and
spearhead sales growth. He brings with him years of experience in RFID. He
was strategy manager for emerging markets for Texas Instruments RFID Systems
Business.
At TI, Wiley was responsible for establishing the marketing strategy for its
smart label and m-commerce segments. Before that, he worked for Motorola for
twenty years in various engineering, program management, business
development, and marketing roles.
SAMSys recruited Wiley for the position. He says he was satisfied that the
company's business model was sound and that it has good technology. He adds
that he was looking for an opportunity to assume overall responsibility for
running a company.
Wiley's appointment doesn't signal a shift in focus or business strategy.
But SAMSys, which was founded in 1995, is clearly gearing up for a serious
assault on the RFID market. It recently got a cash infusion from the BTG
International Group (see related story), and it is moving its engineering
group to a larger building in the Raleigh Durham area because it plans to
hire more staff as it builds out its product line.
Wiley says his goal is to get some big customer wins to show other companies
that RFID technology is a viable business solution.
"The big problem in RFID is that we're at the edge of the chasm, and we need
to prove to the market that this stuff works and solves real world problems,
so we get a little bit more of the follower phenomena," he says.
Wiley started on May 1. He will be based in Raleigh.
URL link: rfidjournal.com
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