 | Thursday, August 9, 2007
Issue 659 | | Will Smith, Editor |  |
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Editor's Note: Today's top story is Alien Technology's recently-earned protection under the SAFTEY Act and what it means for the company.
IBM today announced a new electronic pedigree system that the company says will enable all stakeholders in the pharmaceutical supply chain, from the manufacturers to the hospitals, to verify the pedigree of individual bottles or packages. "Big three" pharmaceutical distributor AmerisourceBergen is already using the solution for its pilot in Sacramento, California.
Lastly, Hong Kong RFID solution provider SCHMIDT RFID has launched an RFID-based Smart Retail System (SRS) at two mi-tu stores in Hong Kong. mi-tu, an Italian-style fashion brand, now offers customers fitting rooms and dressing mirrors that detect an item's RFID tag and display matching suggestions. "Our customers find that the instant suggestions and wider choice provided by the SRS systems make shopping easier and more satisfying," said mi-tu's Katherine Ho, adding that the upsell possibilities makes it a compelling business proposition for mi-tu. "With the Smart Fitting Rooms and Dressing Mirrors in our stores in Hong Kong, we can now increase sales by 30 percent." |
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| Upcoming Events | - IDGA's Military Logistics Summit, Sept 10-13, Adelphi, MD (site)  | | - RFID World Boston 2007, Sept 18-20, Boston, MA (site) | | - LogiPharma 07, Sept. 17-19, Loews Philadelphia Hotel, PA (site) | | - IDTechEx's RFID Europe; 18-19 September, Cambridge, UK (site) | | | Products & Services | | - Real-Time WIP Visibility Appliance from Omnitrol Networks (site) | | - Until you mange assets with ESP, you might want to try RFID. (site) | | - Peel - Stick - Ship(TM): SimplyRFID Pre-Programmed Tags (site) | | | Research & Whitepapers | | - How RFID Can Decrease Manufacturing Errors (site) | | - RFID Marketing Strategies Report from RFID Update (site) | | | RTLS & Active RFID | | 
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| | - Locate it now. How? Ekahau. That's how! (site) | | | Employment | | - RFID Recruiters - 100% Focused on RFID Recruiting (site) | |
Alien Earns Protection Under SAFETY Act
RFID products and services provider Alien Technology this week announced that their solutions related to baggage and cargo tracking have been granted protection under the SAFETY Act in the event of an act of terrorism. The company has deployed such solutions at airports around the world. RFID Update spoke with Ronny Haraldsvik, Alien's vice president of marketing and industry relations, about the SAFETY Act and what it offers both Alien and other RFID vendors.
The SAFETY Act was passed by the US government after 9-11 out of concern that companies would avoid developing important homeland security technologies and solutions for fear of liability in the event of a terror attack at locations where their products were deployed. The SAFETY Act offers qualifying companies protection from excessive liability in such cases, thereby removing the disincentive for companies to develop much-needed anti-terror- and homeland security-related solutions.
Raymond Biagini of the Product Liability defense practice at national law firm McKenna Long & Aldridge and a primary architect of the SAFETY Act recently asserted that the protection it offers is highly pertinent to RFID vendors (see How the SAFETY Act Could Protect RFID Vendors).
Alien's Haraldsvik agrees. "The SAFETY Act is something we've been monitoring for quite some time," he said, noting that the protections extend not just to Alien itself, but also to its partners and customers. "We determined that SAFETY Act protection is a very important step for Alien, but also to let our customers know that our solution in this space protects them as well." The result is competitive advantage, since both customers and channel partners are likely to choose a protected solution over one that is not.
Defense is one of Alien's four vertical focuses, so the company stays abreast of relevant laws and government initiatives. "There are all sorts of certifications and designations vendors can earn when dealing with the government, but this is probably one of the most important ones," said Haraldsvik.
Despite that, the RFID industry as a whole has been slow to pursue SAFETY Act protection. McKenna Long & Aldridge's Biagini told RFID Update that there is a general lack of awareness among RFID vendors. Haraldsvik speculated that a lack of resources is probably to blame, given the relatively small size of many vendors. "It can be hard for any small company, like many in the RFID space, to be fully aware of all the things that are going on with the government and its certifications." That said, once a vendor has decided to pursue SAFETY Act protection, the process is pretty straightforward. "It's just a matter of giving it the necessary focus and resources," said Haraldsvik.
Alien offers baggage and cargo tracking through its wholly-owned subsidiary Quatrotec, which Alien acquired last May. Quatrotec focuses on safety and security solutions related to the transportation market, and in fact Alien bought the company for the express purpose of gaining a foothold in that market.
Alien is bullish on near-term opportunities in transportation, according to Haraldsvik, and believes it offers a comprehensive, SAFETY Act-protected portfolio that includes everything from RFID baggage track-and-trace to bomb detection. He pointed to the bill signed just last week by US President George W. Bush that requires screening of all cargo on passenger planes within three years and screening of all US-bound shipping cargo within five years. "We are going to see significant acceleration in the transportation segment, especially airports, in the next six to nine months," predicted Haraldsvik.
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| Upcoming Events | IDGA's Military Logistics Summit, Sept 10-13, Adelphi, MD
Join the "who's who" of logistics at the leading event for senior-level defense logistics professionals. Join thought leaders and decision-makers to discuss the latest implementation strategies and program initiatives to ensure the flexibility and preparedness of our military's future. Special keynote by: GEN John Abizaid, USA (Ret), Commander, USCENTCOM (2003-2007). www.militarylogisticssummit.com. | RFID World Boston 2007, Sept 18-20, Boston, MA
RFID World Boston: the official industry event for the global RFID community. Find out how RFID provides security, privacy, and authentication for products, personnel, and property. The conference covers issues from the technology available for securing RFID transactions to consumer concerns about privacy. Save $200 off registration now. | LogiPharma 07, Sept. 17-19, Loews Philadelphia Hotel, PA
LogiPharma presents 3 days of knowledge-sharing and idea exchange on the challenges and issues surrounding pharmaceutical supply chain management. For more information please visit www.logipharma.com. | IDTechEx's RFID Europe; 18-19 September, Cambridge, UK
IDTechEx's RFID Europe, in its eighth year, is the premium event covering RFID, technology analysis and market insight. Hear from AIR FRANCE KLM, Ahold, BP, TNT, MasterCard, Tube Lines, Sony, City Link and others. Explore technologies from printed RFID to smart tickets and cards to RTLS and sensor networks. Register with code: UPDATE97. | | | Products & Services | Real-Time WIP Visibility Appliance from Omnitrol Networks
Meet the industry's most innovative award winning RFID solution that enables complete work-order traceability in manufacturing. Real-time web-based dashboards and multi-site monitoring for work-order pedigree and traceability, including proactive bottleneck management and real-time performance analytics optimizing shop-floor efficiency. All at the lowest TCO in the marketplace. www.omnitrol.com/WIP. | Until you mange assets with ESP, you might want to try RFID.
Get visibility into critical assets when they're out of reach. Motorola's RFID solutions track employee-assigned IT equipment, monitor maintenance schedules, or manage assets essential to your business. It's a proven solution for watching over your assets. And it's just another way Motorola puts Enterprise Mobility in the palm of your hand. HELLOMOTO | Peel - Stick - Ship(TM): SimplyRFID Pre-Programmed Tags
Military-grade, Class 1 Generation 2 RFID Tags pre-programmed to DoD 252.211-7006 specifications shipped same day for less than $1 each. Find out why over 1,000 DoD (Department of Defense) suppliers choose SimplyRFID for their RFID needs. Visit us at www.SimplyRFID.com for no hassle RFID solutions. | | | Research & Whitepapers | How RFID Can Decrease Manufacturing Errors
Specialized RFID tags that are optimized for use on or around metal are an effective and viable alternative to bar codes for error proofing applications in manufacturing. Learn the financial impact of errors and recalls and how RFID can be used for error proofing and other manufacturing processes. Get the full report now. | RFID Marketing Strategies Report from RFID Update
Thirty-nine pages of original research on RFID audience perceptions, including 30+ figures of tactics, content & messaging, and recommendations to guide marketing strategy. Also, Top-10 RFID company rankings based on 550+ survey respondents. View the executive summary free, with Top-3 sample rankings. Only $495 Individual License or $795 Corporate License. Available now | | | RTLS & Active RFID | Locate it now. How? Ekahau. That's how!
Ekahau RTLS (Real-Time Location System) automatically tracks assets and people via your existing Wi-Fi network. Control costs and improve asset management with Ekahau. For more information, visit us at www.ekahau.com. | | | Employment | RFID Recruiters - 100% Focused on RFID Recruiting
Whether your company is looking for the best RFID talent or you have the best RFID talent and are looking for the best RFID employer, RFID Recruiters offers the most focused approach to your objective. To learn how the RFID industry and the RFID job market are evolving, visit www.rfidrecruiters.com |
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