Apr 08, 2005This article was originally published by RFID Update.
April 8, 2005—Tom Ridge, former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has joined the board of directors of Savi Technology, a leading RFID solutions provider based in Silicon Valley. Ridge, a former governor of the state of Pennsylvania, was appointed by the Bush administration to lead the Department of Homeland Security upon its inception shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The new department, with Ridge at the helm, was under constant scrutiny from the press for the first few years, and Tom Ridge became a household name for many Americans. He resigned late last year, writing in his resignation letter, "After more than twenty-two consecutive years of public service, it is time to give personal and family matters a higher priority."
Savi's news that Former Secretary Ridge has joined its board of directors is a boon for the company that was founded around RFID child-tracking but quickly evolved into a supply chain visibility pure-play. Not only is Ridge high-profile, as former Secretary of Homeland Security he is seasoned in the challenges and opportunities that concern protecting goods coming across U.S. borders from abroad. His selection of Savi as a company with which to get involved therefore represents a strong vote of confidence from a veritable expert in the space. Ridge was quoted as saying, "Savi is a leader in the development of RFID solutions in both the government and commercial sectors and I believe there is a real opportunity to improve the management and security of global supply chains using this technology."
Savi is actually not Ridge's entrée into the RFID market. A number of weeks ago it was announced that he would be giving the keynote address at this year's RFID Journal Live!, being held next week in Chicago.
Ridge's interest in RFID reaffirms what many in our market already know: the technology will prove a key facilitator of supply chain management and visibility, and consequently, security. There is a certain prestige in being closely associated with the first Homeland Security Secretary that can only serve to further adoption of RFID and secure the attention of those that have not yet taken much notice of its potential.
See the press release at Savi Technology
