This article was originally published by RFID Update.
January 15, 2009—BT Supply Chain Solutions, a leading technology integrator in Europe, formalized a strategic relationship with Omnitrol Networks giving BT access to Omnitrol’s technology platform that integrates RFID and sensor data to provide real-time visibility in industrial and supply chain environments. The firms are currently collaborating on several prospective joint customer opportunities, and have previously worked together to integrate Omnitrol’s technology into BT’s service offerings.
“We were previously developing customized solutions to address customer needs in the RFID market, which was quite costly and time consuming,” Keith Sherry of BT Supply Chain Solutions told RFID Update. “Omnitrol gives us an appliance that can accept multiple sensor input and a platform for processing the data, which is enabling us to create solutions where we wouldn’t otherwise be able to show a strong ROI.”
BT often serves as the lead integrator in its customer engagements, and brings in other technology providers as needed to give customers complete solutions. The relationship with Omnitrol gives BT a convenient infrastructure platform for integration of multiple technologies.
Omnitrol, which is headquartered in Silicon Valley, provides network appliances and software that accept input from a variety of sensors and data capture technologies, including bar code, RFID and both ultra-wideband (UWB) and WiFi real time location systems (RTLS). Omnitrol’s platform is designed to integrate the data it receives with enterprise systems, databases and open networks such as EPCIS to provide traceability and real-time visibility throughout a supply chain. The market for such integrated systems is currently very strong, Omnitrol president and CEO Raj Saksena told RFID Update.
“From the end of November until now, we’ve seen more business activity than we saw in all of 2008 up until that point,” he said. “There is less debating about which technology to use. Customers are asking about what kind of dashboards they need, and how much visibility they should have at different points. It’s not about RFID, it’s about how they can combine multiple sensors and technologies with business analytics.”