RFID News Roundup

Calif. Senate Pass Second RFID Bill
This week, the California Senate approved SB 28, a bill that would prohibit the state's department of motor vehicles from embedding RFID inlays in driver's licenses until 2011. Last week, the senate approved Senate Bill (SB) 29, which would prohibit California public schools, school districts and county education offices from issuing any device to a pupil during the same timeframe that uses radio waves to transmit personal information, or to enable personal information to be viewed remotely to track attendance (see RFID News Roundup). The state's assembly has not yet voted on either bill.

Tyco Electronics Announces DOD RFID Kits
Tyco Electronics has announced three solution kits to help military suppliers meet the Department of Defense's RFID mandate. The DOD Mark-It kit includes Tyco Electronics' T412 RFID printer-encoder, PrintEasy software and 1,000 UHF EPC Gen 2 96-bit smart labels, available in a choice of label sizes: 4 inches by 2 inches, 4 inches by 6 inches, or 3 inches by 3 inches. The DOD Track-It kit includes all these components, as well as an RFID reader. The DOD Share-It kit adds to this package Tyco's DOD Compliance Software Suite, enabling users to create a product catalog and DOD address book for all products that require RFID tags, as well as create tags, enter DOD orders manually using the software's user interface, print RFID-encoded labels, perform verification of RFID-enabled shipments and create an order detail file that can be uploaded to the DOD's Wide-Area Workflow (WAWF) database. Each kit also includes extensive DOD compliance information, such as background, official policy, a supplier implementation plan and a guide answering frequently asked questions.

Kennedy Group Acquires NCR's RFID Converting Equipment
The Kennedy Group, a Cleveland-based producer of labels, packaging and identification systems, has purchased RFID label converting and testing equipment from NCR's Systemedia Division. The NCR converting equipment matches the type The Kennedy Group already employs, says Pat Kennedy, the company's vice president of marketing and sales, boosting its production capacity of RFID labels and cards significantly. The Kennedy Group completed the transaction on March 23, Kennedy notes, and the equipment has been installed at its production facility. This equipment, capable of converting UHF or HF cards and labels, supports a range of protocols. "This additional equipment will let us increase our output and gives us more flexibility to respond to our customer's requests," he says, "by enabling faster order turn-around time."

RFID Journal LIVE! Conference Attendees Can Earn CompTIA Cert
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), a provider of certification programs for technology professionals, says it will offer fast-track training and testing for its CompTIA RFID+ certification on site at next week's RFID Journal LIVE! 2007 conference, running April 30 to May 2 in Orlando, Fla. RFID4U, a provider of RFID training courses, is providing the training and testing service across the two days of the conference. The fast-track course includes intensive instructor-led training using state-of-the-art RFID equipment. Training is scheduled for Monday, April 30, with certification testing available on Tuesday, May 1, and Wednesday, May 2. RFID Journal LIVE! attendees unable to take the exam during the conference will receive a voucher allowing them to take it at a later date. When purchased with a full conference pass, the course costs $2,199. Other purchase options are also available. For more information, visit www.rfidjournalevents.com/live/registration_options.php.