RFID Blog

Impinj releases advanced RFID chips

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 08:32:00 +0000

Observing growing demand for RFID tags having additional data storage capacity and product authentication, the leading RFID chipmaker Impinj has launched two new RFID chips recently. These are Monaco/64 and Monza/ID. The striking feature of these chips is that they empower RFID tags to carry more user-programmable data than just a 96-bit EPC. These are highly useful for product authentication for the manufacturing industry of both big and small. Manaco/64: It possesses 64 bits of memory power. It is meant for the applications where users require to add rewritable data to a tag. Manufacturers could use it to store product information, warranty or expiration and lot data. Impinj’s Manaco/64 is highly productive for the Airlines and Pharmaceutical industries where storage of data is vital for the smooth operation of the entire system. Monza/ID: Certified by EPCglobal, the Monza/ID has also possesses 64 bits of memory. The RFID tags with Monza/ID chips are very useful for the big manufacturing companies that badly need product authentication each day. It can be used to encode a unique, unalterable identifier programmed by Impinj when the chip is being produced. Impinj had earlier entered into the market with Gen2 silicon Texas Instruments similar to that of RFID chips. However, it could not hit the market because of STMicroelectronics’ XRAG2 chips. Impinj hopes to dominate the hot RFID market with its latest chips.

RFID sales to touch $3.1bn in 2007, 15 percent less than projected

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 08:32:00 +0000

ABI Research, a US-based analyst firm has revised its previous report on the marketing of RFID software. It now predicts sales of RFID technology will not grow as fast in 2007 as its earlier report predicted. It has reduced its 2007 market forecast for RFID software and services revenues to $3.1 billion. In other terms, it is 15 percent less than the previous projection. The company claims that the growing availability of cheaper off-the-shelf RFID systems and improvements in RFID project planning will lead to firms spending less on RFID than expected. According to ABI Research’s previous report, the global market for RFID readers and reader modules has increased more than 35,000 unit shipments in 2005. The reader unit volumes grew about 14 percent during the first quarter of 2006 in comparison to the Q1 of previous year.

CHEP to exploit RFID technology

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 08:31:00 +0000

Reckoning RFID as the most reliable technology for delivering efficiencies to customers and tracking pooled equipment, CHEP Asia has decided to exploit this latest technology very soon. Recently, CHEP took part in the Australian supply chain industry National Demonstrator Project, piloting RFID technology. CHEP explained, The project produced significant tracking information across the supply chain. Through data sharing, our pallets became individuals for the first time, rather than being lost in the crowd. At present, CHEP with its 7,700 employees is serving world’s leading companies in pallet and plastic container pooling services in 42 countries.

Spanish Army goes live with Savi’s RFID platform

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:31:00 +0000

The Spanish Armed Force (SAF) is now technically empowered to track consignments to its soldiers deployed in the field and to work closely with allies during more complex joint-force operations. The reason, its RFID network and software platform is ready to interoperate with compatible RFID networks installed by NATO and other military allies. Savi Technology, a cent percent subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation has provided the above said RFID networks to SAF. Applying this network, SAF and NATO will automatically track and manage national and multi-national, joint force consignments as they are transported through each other’s supply chains worldwide. The U.S. Department of Defense, United Kingdom Ministry of Defense, Australian Defense Forces, and the Danish Ministry of Defense are also using the platform, which utilizes the Savi Consignment Management Solution (CMS). It also includes Savi’s advanced RFID tags, fixed readers and handheld reader kits.

Innovision Research brings out a white paper on NFC

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:30:00 +0000

Innovision Research & Technology has published a white paper on NFC (Near Field Communication) entitled NFC in the real world-turning the NFC promise into profitable everyday applications. The 12-page document submitted by RFID solution provider Innovision Research is the first major white paper giving a bird-eye view on the use of NFC in a business context. NFC is a standards-based, short-range wireless connectivity technology. It acts like an interface between two electronic devices ensuring consumers to make contactless transactions, access digital content and connect devices with a single touch. Innovision Research finds three major areas for NFC application. These are Peer to peer communication, Service initiation and payment and ticketing. For instance, we take a series of photos using a device say a cell phone or a digital camera. We can print these photos by touching the device against an NFC-supported printer. Likewise, the financial institutions use NFC to issue MasterCard and PayPass to their customers.

SmartCode to set up its largest RFID manufacturing plant in Chicago

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:30:00 +0000

As part of its global expansion strategy, the New York-based RFID manufacturer SmartCode Corp will set up a new manufacturing plant in Chicago, IL. The Chicago plant will be the largest manufacturing unit of SmartCode. SmartCode will produce low cost and high performance EPC RFID products in the new plant for its clients in US, Europe and Asia and expand its networking through out the world. Avi Ofer, CEO of SmartCode Corp points out that the new Chicago centre would further strength company’s leadership position in the global, multi billion RFID market. Especially, it would meet the growing demand of its US clients, he adds. SmartCode Corp’s new manufacturing center in Chicago will have an advanced R&D center, which would provide a quality assurance and testing facility, and a distribution center for the US market.

RFID passports can cause explosions !

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:29:00 +0000

What if a terrorist were to develop a RFID-enabled land mine tuned to the frequency of an American passport when it came in proximity? Could it detonate an explosive? It was the question raised by Kevin Mahaffey, a director of software development at Flexilis in the Black Hat Security Conference. Mahaffey demonstrated how the RFID enabled passport, which the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is about to issue this year possesses inevitable security risk. Mahaffey and his colleagues presented a passport attached with RFID tag and placed a small explosive charge nearby. The passport is about half-inch open. It can be put in pocket or purse. Mahaffey proved how the explosion could be occurred when the passport came within a foot of it. See the video for better understanding. John Hering, director of Flexilis stated, The government has taken great steps in securing the passport, but our one fundamental concern is that the shielding technology is inadequate. The demonstration shows that tags used in the passports can be easily read by terrorists, even though metallic shielding in the passport. The US government’s e-passport idea gets a big blow with this demonstration. The State Department should bring basic changes in the passports.

VeriChip’s infant protection system now available in Australia

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:29:00 +0000

VeriChip Corporation, a subsidiary of Applied Digital in collaboration with Austco Communication Systems will supply its RFID-supported Hugs infant protection system and MyCall emergency response system in Australia. Hugs infant protection system, which the US-based chipmaker developed last year, was tested by most of the healthcare units of America and expressed satisfaction. This system prevents child abduction. No one can take the babies out of the hospital without the prior permission of the security authority. After implementing this system in more than 900 hospitals of America, VeriChip would deploy it in the major hospitals of Australia including St. John of God Hospital, in Berwick, Victoria and Gympie Hospital, in Gympie, Queensland. It will install the MyCall system at Alice Springs Hospital, in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, and for the Uniting Care group in Sydney, New South Wales. Since long, the healthcare units are in search of cutting-edge solutions to protect infants from abduction. The Hugs and MyCall systems will fulfill that objective.

RFID adoption in China in jeopardy

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:29:00 +0000

China’s RFID Technology is in jeopardy and there is no positive indication of its quick revival. In comparison to other emerging super powers, the rate of adoption of this latest technology is quite discouraging in China. It is mainly due to apathy on the part of the policy makers of that country. It is clearly noticeable in the ABI Research report which profoundly explains, As the RFID standard issue enters a new stage aimed at speeding up the adoption of RFID tags globally, the Chinese government remains silent about where the national RFID standard is heading. The national government is not co-operating the EPCglobal. How? Most of the China-made products are exported in the international market. So, its manufacturers must comply with client requests to use an international spec. EPCglobal Hong Kong started its EPCglobal Industry Support Program(EISP) to guide the manufacturers of China. China is continuing its numbering system National Product Code which in fact is against the EPCglobal’s Electronic Product Code. The Chinese government has published a whitepaper on RFID technology. Regrettably, the whitepaper does not give any account of the national standard. More urgent problems are to decide how the government should cooperate or negotiate with EPCglobal; to establish policies to protect the development of the domestic RFID industry; and to secure the benefits of RFID for Chinese tag users in the coming RFID era, the report explains.

Air France-KLM undertakes RFID Luggage-Tag Trial

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:28:00 +0000

In an effort to improve the baggage handling process, the Air France-KLM combine is deploying RFID tags at two drop-off points at Amsterdam’s Schipol airport and one baggage drop-off area at Paris Charles de Gaulle. The RFID project is in its trial stage. The company will evaluate the effectiveness of RFID technology in the airlines management. It has first introduced the RFID-supported tags to luggage checked in by its business class passenger for the planes flying between Paris and Amsterdam. The airlines companies will extent the RFID trial to other airports by the end of the year. Impinj-made RFID chips are in use for the RFID trials. EPCglobal has approved these chips. They are identical to the bar-code printed labels. The label is encoded with the 10-digit unique number and three-digit date created by Air France’s baggage-tracking system. As part of the RFID trial, the airlines company deploys an RFID interrogator at the baggage arrival area at each airport. Besides it, there would be an additional interrogator at Schiphol where the baggage-handling process requires a reader portal to help track and sort baggage checked in at the airport.