The following are news announcements made during the last week.
UPM Raflatac Launches Dogbone Freeze Tag to Track Frozen Goods
RFID tag manufacturer UPM Raflatac has introduced a new ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) EPC RFID tag, the Dogbone Freeze, designed to help track and identify frozen foods, such as fish, meat, vegetables and ice cream, as the goods traverse supply chains. The tag can withstand temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius/Fahrenheit, offers up to 240 bits of EPC memory, and comes in a thin, non-sandwich-type structure with a printable, white, synthetic surface. It features a locked 64-bit tag identifier (TID), including a 32-bit unique serial number, and can be directly applied to items, cases and pallets. European retailer Metro Group is now using the Dogbone Freeze at its distribution center (DC) for frozen foods in Hamm, Germany, after testing a variety of tags (see Metro Sees Progress With Its Frozen-Foods Pilot) to track pallets of frozen food, as well as the locations in which they are stored. The retailer now attaches the Dogbone Freeze tags both on the pallets themselves and in their storage areas, and RFID-enabled forklifts are used to read the tags as the pallets are moved throughout the center. RFID interrogators have also been installed at the DC’s gates.
Siemens Intros Compact UHF Readers for Production, Logistics
Siemens Energy & Automation, a provider of electrical and electronic products, systems and services to the industrial and construction markets, has added two new compact 915 MHz ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID interrogators, the Simatic RF620R and RF630R, to its Simatic portfolio. The Simatic RF620R is equipped with an integrated antenna, while up to two external UHF antennas can be connected to the Simatic RF630R. Both devices can read and encode transponders conforming to the EPC Gen 2 and ISO 18000-6C standards, and located up to 3 meters (10 feet) away. Their compact design enables them to fit into tight spaces, and their Ingress Protection (IP) rating of IP65 means they are protected against dust and low-pressure jets of water from all directions, making them suitable for harsh industrial environments. Both feature Simatic RF communication modules, and can thus be integrated directly into S7 PLCs, as well as in many common communication networks based on Ethernet (ProfiNet, EthernetIP and TCP/IP) and Profibus.
SCM Microsystems Announces New Portable Smart Card Readers
SCM Microsystems, a provider of solutions for secure access, identification and data exchange, has launched two new portable interrogators that support contactless smart cards—the SCT3511 and the @MAXX lite. Both versions are designed to be carried in pockets or purses. Expected applications include contactless payment and ticketing, physical and logical access control (such as secure logon to networks or PCs) and secure physical access to a building. The SCT3511 is a USB token with both contact and ISO 14443 and Mifare contactless capabilities. It acts as a contact reader for ID-000 (SIM card format) smart cards, and has an antenna for use with a dual-interface contact/contactless smart card that supports an antenna connection. The @MAXX lite is a token with both contact and contactless (ISO 14443 and MIFARE) smart card-based functionalities, but also includes on-board Flash memory for secure storage of sensitive data. With a smart card in PC-connected mode, @MAXX lite encrypts data on a hard disk and the onboard Flash memory, and protects access by requiring a PIN entry. The SCT3511 and @MAXX lite are available now through OEM and distribution channels.
Hotels Install Onity’s New Contactless Locking Solution
Onity, a provider of electronic locking systems for the hospitality, corporate, education, government and marine markets, has announced that its new Advance RFID contactless electronic locking solution will be installed at 28 hotels and resorts in 12 countries, accounting for worldwide sales of nearly $1 million and representing more than 5,000 hotel rooms. Installation of the system, unveiled one month ago, has already begun at more than half of those properties, the company reports. Onity is part of fire safety and security solutions provider UTC Fire & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp., a provider of high-technology products and support services to customers in the aerospace and building industries. Onity’s Advance RFID locking system is a modular two-piece system enabling hoteliers to easily upgrade to the latest security technology without replacing the entire lock. The system is Mifare- and NFC-compatible, and supports the ISO 14443A, ISO 14443B and ISO 18092 standards. The Advance RFID line features a selection of aesthetic options, including designer finishes, handle styles and cover plates. The first installation of Onity’s Advance RFID locks took place in May 2009 at the Hacienda Tres Ríos Resort, a luxury Caribbean resort in Mexico’s Riviera Maya region. In total, six properties representing more than 2,100 guestrooms are scheduled for installation in Mexico and Brazil between July and October. Other properties placing orders for Onity’s Advance RFID locks are located in China, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Hungary, France, Mauritius, Sweden, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Rajant Secures FIPS 140-2 Validation for Portable Mesh Network Device
Rajant, a provider of portable meshed wireless network solutions for the military, mining, homeland security, first responder and public safety markets, has announced that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has certified that the company’s BreadCrumb ME2 device conforms to Federal Information Processing (FIPS) Standard Publication 140-2, a U.S. government computer security standard used to accredit cryptographic modules in both hardware and software. The BreadCrumb ME2 is a rugged, wireless transmitter-receiver that supports the IEEE 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi standard and uses Rajant’s InstaMesh technology to form a mesh network that adapts to moving network elements. With the FIPS 140-2 validation, the Rajant BreadCrumb ME2 is now certified for use by U.S. federal agencies for the protection of sensitive information, as well as by Canadian agencies for protected information. The validation, according to Rajant, ensures that the BreadCrumb ME2 not only meets basic security requirements for a cryptographic module, but also provides evidence of tampering in the event of unauthorized use. The BreadCrumb ME2 is designed for used in perimeter security, sensor data collection, video surveillance, convoy security and RFID tracking. The wireless devices are battery-powered, and feature rugged enclosures and single-switch operation.
OTA Training Creates Australasian Group
Dallas-based OTA Training has announced the creation of RFID Australasia, a group focused on facilitating the awareness, knowledge and adoption of RFID technology in the Western Pacific region. The group is open to the public, and upon joining, members can communicate, share knowledge and network with others via an online forum created by OTA Training. In a prepared statement, Jonathan Elcombe, OTA Training Australasia’s GM, said the group’s intent is to increase the number and enhance the quality of connections for everyone interested in or involved with RFID in Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia. Elcombe added that “everyone can learn more about the state-of-the-art RFID technology, research and innovation from academic, government and industrial researchers, as well as connect with counterparts at businesses that have already implemented RFID systems into their commercial operation.” The group’s managers are Elcombe; Chester Lennard, director at Australia’s ElectroCom Pty. Ltd., in Melbourne; and Maurice Waters, OTA Training’s senior account manager. OTA Training will also offer members its OTA courses in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne, Australia. OTA is currently working with its Western Pacific clients, RFID vendors, end-user companies and partners, such as GS1 Australia, to help add to RFID Australasia’s collective knowledge. OTA Training is inviting contacts at these organizations, as well as other RFID-interested professionals, to join.