Sep 15, 2021RFID4U has released an Android- and iOS-based RFID asset-tracking app to address a gap that the company has found for customers looking to test RFID technology before investing in a full enterprise-wide rollout. The TagMatiks AT Lite solution includes a free Android, Apple iOS or Microsoft Windows app that users can download to their smartphone or laptop then leverage via a handheld reader, as well as a variety of tags to test RFID technology at their facilities. Some integrated RFID handheld readers can run the app directly on the device.
While the app is free for use with up to 99 tags, customers can purchase handheld readers and various tag options—which can be pre-printed and pre-encoded—directly from RFID4U, after which they can begin to test a system. Until now, says Archit Dua, RFID4U's director of strategic development, "Using an enterprise version setup usually involved hand-holding between customer and vendor, and it takes time, effort and significant cost from both sides."
The TagMatiks AT Lite solution
That process, Dua says, often presents an obstacle to deploying a system from which a company may benefit, whether for a large-scale deployment at multiple sites or for a small installation tracking only a few hundred or thousand assets. In either case, he says, RFID4U found that when it comes to piloting and deployments, "There's a learning curve, and that takes away from a company's ability to get a project off the ground." To address the problem, RFID4U had already developed a kit enabling users to test the technology in-house before undertaking a full rollout.
Originally, the solution had leveraged Windows to enable companies to test the technology, display data on projectors and share that information with management. Now, Dua says, the system is simpler and offers added features, while being more accessible so individuals can begin capturing data via their Android and iOS devices, as well as with devices running Windows. "We're making it easier for them to get their hands on it," he adds, as customers can simply visit an app store. In that way, there is less need for IT approval before purchasing a piece of software. Users can simply utilize their phones and track RFID tags within an estimated 30 to 60 minutes. Dua calls the Lite solution "a miniature version of an enterprise system."
The app-based solution is available now, the company reports. The system is condensed to be as simple as possible, Dua says, and it includes typical workflows, such as check-in and check-out. For instance, if a company is employing RFID to monitor tools used onsite, the tags could be interrogated via a handheld reader as each asset was provided to a worker and then returned.
Archit Dua
The app includes inventory-counting functionality. Users could track the inventory or assets at a specific site by opening the app and walking through an area with a handheld device tethered to a mobile phone or some other device running the app. They could also use the system to transfer assets from one location to another by assigning groups of tagged items to a particular zone or room within the app. The technology can automate the collection of data for reporting on a daily or weekly basis.
The app comes with a tool that enables users to import tagged assets from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, or to scan barcodes or input assets when reading the RFID tags. For those looking to utilize further functionality, such as GS1 encoding, or who want to print their own tags, the app supports such features. "They can test out what data to input," Dua states, "and turn features on and off to see the effect or value each feature brings."
The system is available in multiple languages and users can personalize it by creating their own fields. For instance, a tool-tracking application might include data such as the last calibration date for each item, as well as issue alerts when calibrations are due. On the other hand, companies tracking returnable containers could categorize assets based on the weights they carry, or on where they are shipped and when they are returned.
The goal for RFID4U, Dua explains, is for the app to help companies adopt the technology. To that end, the company offers what it calls "one-click migration" so that businesses using the app can save a configuration and the tagged assets they have set up through their testing process, then migrate the data to an enterprise solution, as long as they purchase it from RFID4U. "They can then have all the historical data" already collected, he says. The company can provide users with pre-encoded tags that can be pre-printed with human-readable numbers and barcodes, so that users can associate tags via a barcode reader or input data directly into the app.
RFID4U sells both on-metal and RFID labels, depending on a customer's needs. Users could also purchase a printer and then print the labels, peel them and apply them to items in-house. To support the learning process, Dua says, the company created what it calls its "Success Hub," by which users can view step-by-step instructions regarding how to set up a reader, how to pair it to a smart device, how to read tags, and how to run reports or manage the collected data.
The system provides troubleshooting content via videos and articles to help users deploy the technology at their own pace. "We're continually adding to this growing database of help content," Dua says. What's more, the app provides support for RFID-based sensors. Using RFID to track humidity, temperature or impact is a growing aspect of the market, he adds, and customers can test the process of using tags to read temperatures in bulk, with temperature sensors linked to each RFID tag.
Sanjiv Dua
Ultimately, says Sanjiv Dua, RFID4U's CEO, the goal is to get RFID into more hands. "Historically," he recalls, "when we launched the TagMatiks platform a decade ago, the biggest hurdle was convincing people, and we thought, 'What can we do to jumpstart the market?'" The focus, he explains, is not just on large companies but also small operations, such as a laboratory within a large company or a "mom and pop" retail site.
While the TagMatiks AT solution has been widely used for simplified testing, purchasing the system often involved seeking permission from a company's IT department. "Apps are more familiar for users," S. Dua says, adding that the ability to test numerous tag types is another benefit they expect businesses to gain. "If they go directly to a tag manufacturer asking for sample tags, the company might send two. What are you going to do with two?" The kit is designed to include a larger volume of different tag types for substantive testing in various environments and on multiple materials.
Until now, S. Dua states, "Most of the time, any RFID project becomes a science experiment for a customer and salespeople. We don't want that. We want people to just test it at a low cost." The app is free for use with up to 99 tags, though users can pay $499 for 750 tags, $999 for 2,000 tags, or $1,999 for 5,000 tags. Customers can purchase the readers and tags on their own, or RFID4U can provide them. "We support nearly all major RFID handhelds in the market," he says.
All read data captured with TagMatiks AT Lite is stored in the app. That means the system can operate without an Internet connection. Once users are ready to proceed with a full enterprise deployment, they can migrate the data they have collected into RFID4U's cloud-based software. The Lite version will continue to be available at no cost, and the company hopes that the system will enable businesses that have not previously deployed RFID to begin testing the technology.
