Sep 16, 2010The following are news announcements made during the past week.
Primera Announces Color RFID Label Printer-Encoder
Plymouth, Minn.-based Primera Technology, a manufacturer of CD and DVD duplication and printing equipment, has announced its RX900 color RFID printer-encoder. The new printer is a full-color RFID printer that prints, encodes, verifies and dispenses RFID labels compliant with the EPCglobal Gen 2 and ISO 18000-6b and 18000-6c RFID standards. The device's built-in RFID reader module is supplied by Intermec. Print resolution is up to 4800 dpi. The printer has separate cartridges for cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink—which, according to Primera, makes label production more cost-effective, since only one cartridge needs to be replaced when the printer runs out of a certain color ink. The system has full-color printing speeds of up to 4.5 inches (114 millimeters) per second. The RX9000 also supports all main linear and 2-D bar-code symbologies, Primera reports. "Printing full-color RFID labels and tags adds a new, value-added feature to the technology," said Mark Strobel, the company's VP of sales and marketing, in a prepared statement. "Now, you can add color coding, high-resolution color graphics and even photo-quality images to RFID labels and tags. In many applications you're adding an extra level of accuracy and safety such as in medical file folder labels, full-color photo wristbands and specimen-tracking labels." The RX9000 supports a variety of substrates, including matte and gloss inkjet papers, vinyl, polypropylene and polyester. The RX900 Color RFID printer, priced at $4,995, is slated to ship in November 2010.
IBM, Mojix Team to Deliver Advanced RFID System to the Japanese Market
IBM and Mojix have announced an exclusive distributorship agreement and the launch of Mojix's STAR system in Japan. The STAR system, unveiled in 2008 (see Mojix Takes Passive UHF RFID to a New Level and The Brightest Star), consists of a distributed network of transmitters, known as eNodes, to power up passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) EPC Gen 2 RFID tags, as well as a single STAR receiver to pick up the tags' signals. Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies indicate, Mojix's offering will be coupled with software from IBM, such as IBM WebSphere Sensor Events, enabling the deployment of end-to-end RFID solutions. The STAR system is certified by Big Blue's Ready for IBM WebSphere Sensor Events program, and the integration enables a standards-based path for exploiting the STAR system's functionality. For example, the firms report, the STAR system supports WebSphere Sensor Events Location Aware Services (LAS) to visualize location events using passive RFID tag data, including both tag reads and location data on goods and assets. IBM Japan will provide systems integration services and customer support for the Mojix product offerings in the Japanese market, and will distribute the STAR system both directly to its customers, and through qualified IBM resellers in that country.
Holland 1916 Intros RFID-enabled Steel Cable Locking Zip Tie for Tagging Assets
Holland 1916, a manufacturer of nameplates, panels, labels, touch screens, RFID and other identification products, has announced the Data Cinch, a durable, RFID-enabled, steel cable locking zip tie. The Data Cinch, designed for tagging assets that will be exposed to harsh conditions, comes with either a 1/16th-inch-thick steel cable offering a pull strength of approximately 800 pounds, or a 1/8th-inch-thick steel cable with a pull strength of about 1,000 pounds. The Data Cinch comes embedded with either a passive high-frequency (HF) RFID tag or a passive EPC Gen 2 ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) tag. The HF tag, produced by Holland 1916, operates at 13.56 MHz and is compliant with the ISO 15693 specification, while the UHF tag—Xerafy's Pico tag—is designed specifically for metal environments. The Data Cinch is available now, with pricing dependent upon quantity.
Savi Technology has announced that the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA) has launched a network exchange hub, or NATO Routing Hub, designed to let NATO and coalition forces share supply-shipment information more efficiently and effectively. According to Savi officials, the NATO Routing Hub, in effect, is a NATO server through which member nations can share information generated from the company's RFID networks, set up throughout allied defense forces in Europe. About 10 allied nations are already sharing information via Savi's SmartChain Consignment Management System (CMS) that encompasses a software platform, application and real-time data from RFID-based technologies affixed to shipments, for in-country and multi-national shipments. However, the NATO Routing Hub provides a centralized server in which information can be exchanged more efficiently for all involved parties. In addition, the agreement with NATO NAMSA enables individual NATO countries to now procure the SmartChain CMS platform through NATO, which simplifies and speeds the contracting process. Moreover, Savi reports, the NATO Routing Hub augments existing RFID-powered information systems already set up by in-nation defense forces, including those of the United Kingdom, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Canada and Australia. The NATO Routing Hub, deployed at NAMSA's headquarters in Luxembourg, transmits data from Savi's RFID-based logistics network, which automatically locates, tracks and manages NATO material in transit. Nations connected to the Routing Hub at NAMSA can transmit logistics data directly to other users, providing real-time asset visibility. The Routing Hub utilizes NAMSA's existing NATO mailbox server system—a similar routing service for logistics processes that allows nations to utilize the NAMSA Routing Hub to link RFID data quickly and easily. The Routing Hub has now established seamless interoperability among NATO and Partnership for Peace partners. The Routing Hub was delivered under a contract signed between Savi and NAMSA.
Pitney Bowes to Provide Support Services for Bibliotheca RFID Customers
Pitney Bowes, a provider of software, hardware and services, has announced that its high-tech customer-service professionals will be trained and certified by Bibliotheca, a provider of RFID solutions for libraries. Under the terms of the agreement, the company will provide installation, on-site repair and maintenance, and technical support to Bibliotheca's growing RFID customer base across the United States. "Institutional (academic) libraries and public libraries face growing challenges in managing the assets of their collection and maintaining or improving service levels to patrons," says Joanne Boyd, Pitney Bowes' VP of business development for multi-vendor services. "For the concerns that library managers face each day, RFID technology brings solutions that magnetic stripe or bar-code technology simply cannot deliver as effectively." Separately, Boyd notes, the firm also provides similar services to other RFID original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and resellers in the printing, self-service and financial services markets in the United States.
ContainerPort Group Gets RFID-enabled System to Manage Container Chassis
I.D. Systems' Asset Intelligence subsidiary, a provider of supply chain asset-tracking solutions, has announced that cargo transportation services provider ContainerPort Group (CPG) has selected Asset Intelligence's VeriWise Track & Trace system for its fleet of container chassis. The initial contract term is for five years. VeriWise Track & Trace is a wireless asset-tracking system that provides real-time location information and other data to help organizations improve the utilization, efficiency and security of trailer and container fleets. The solution leverages sensor devices that store unique ID numbers linked to trailer information in a back-end server, and also contains GPS units (to track trailers' locations), CDMA cellular transmitters (to transmit the ID numbers and location data to cellular towers at regular intervals) and motion, cargo and door sensors. CPG, based in Cleveland, Ohio, provides a service network of approximately 20 facilities across the Midwest and East Coast. Its services include containerized freight shipping, cargo terminal operations, rail operations, container and chassis maintenance, and warehousing and logistics. "ContainerPort Group chose VeriWise Track & Trace for its value, ease of installation and reliability," said Richard Coleman, CPG's president, in a prepared statement. "With our recent acquisition of another container management business, it became essential for us to optimize the control and efficient utilization of our expanding fleet of cargo-carrying assets. We needed a system that could be mounted quickly in an unobtrusive location on our chassis, yet could still communicate reliably, without relying on line-of-sight connectivity to a satellite."
