Unified Group of ADC and RFID Industry Leaders Support Proposed EPC UHF Generation 2 RFID Standard
Group reaffirms support for rapid adoption of EPCglobal Inc.
UHF Generation 2 RFID standard
TORONTO, April 20 /CNW/ - Leading manufacturers and technology providers
of data collection and RFID (radio frequency identification) have submitted an
RFID protocol definition that would pave the way for rapid adoption of a new
worldwide RFID standard known as EPC UHF Generation 2. Companies supporting
the protocol include Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI), Texas
Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN), Impinj, Inc, SAMSys Technologies
(SMY:TSX-VEN), Q.E.D Systems, UPM Rafsec and Intermec Technologies Corp., a
UNOVA Inc. (NYSE:UNA) company, along with several others.
The proposed RFID definition currently is in development by EPCglobal
Inc., an arm of UCC.EAN charged with establishing the EPC system. The proposed
definition meets user requirements outlined by the world's leading retailers
and others, including the U.S. Dept. of Defense, the companies said. It fully
meets user requirements, works worldwide, meets international standards and
provides a path to low-cost RFID tags and readers.
Together these companies represent multiple sources for every aspect of a
fully implemented RFID system - chips, tag, and readers - as well as
manufacturers of barcode and 2-D symbology equipment, wireless networks,
mobile computers and terminals, software companies and RFID system
manufacturers and integrators.
RFID is a complement to industry's current bar code-based tracking
systems, allowing companies to automatically track inventory throughout an
entire supply chain. RFID automatic data collection typically does not require
line of sight or manual scanning, as do most bar code-based systems. For
example, information from RFID-tagged cases on a pallet can be read
automatically using fixed, mobile or handheld readers rather than requiring
individual bar code scanning. EPC UHF Generation 2 RFID technology adds the
capability to change and update the information on each tag as it proceeds,
providing new levels of up-to-date information for better decision-making.
EPCglobal Inc., a joint venture of the standards bodies EAN International
and the Uniform Code Council, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to
developing and overseeing standards for the newly emerging Electronic Product
Code. As part of that work, EPCglobal Inc. participants are leading the
development of standards for the use of RFID technology in a number of
industries, including retail supply chains. |
