Close WindowRFID Update for Tuesday, August 28th
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Issue 672
Will Smith, Editor

Today's RFID Update
1. Featured Sponsor: IDTechEx RFID Europe 2007
2. Editor's Note
3. Classified Listings
4. Top Story: NFC Phones on Shelves Later This Year
5. Vertical News

IDTechEx's RFID Europe; covering smart labels to active RFID

Editor's Note: Today's top story is the planned launch of a cell phone before year-end that will comply with the recently published NFC tag type specifications.

Battery-assisted RFID tag maker Intelleflex has contracted with electronic manufacturing services provider Pimatronics of Hong Kong to manufacture the next line of the company's tags. Intelleflex expects the deal with Pimatronics will allow it to expand both its tag volume production and portfolio of form factors. See the announcement for more.

Lastly, global financial services provider Barclays and wholesale retailer BJ's Wholesale Club have partnered to launch the BJ Visa Card. The card uses Visa's RFID-based payWay contactless technology. It is the first RFID card that UK-based Barclays has launched in the US.
 Products & Services
  - Free RFID Software with Alien 9800 at RFIDSupplyChain.com (site)
  - Until you manage assets with ESP, you might want to try RFID. (site)
  - Real-Time WIP Visibility Appliance from Omnitrol Networks (site)
  - Peel - Stick - Ship(TM): SimplyRFID Pre-Programmed Tags (site)
 Upcoming Events
  - RFID World Boston - September 18 - 20, 2007 (site)
  - Midwest RFID Symposium, Oct 23-24, University of Kansas (site)
  - IDGA's Military Logistics Summit, Sept 10-13, Adelphi, MD (site)
  - LogiPharma 07, Sept. 17-19, Loews Philadelphia Hotel, PA (site)
  - IDTechEx's RFID Europe; 18-19 September, Cambridge, UK (site)
 Research & Whitepapers
  - How RFID Can Decrease Manufacturing Errors (site)
  - RFID Marketing Strategies Report from RFID Update (site)
 RTLS & Active RFID
Sponsored by Ekahau
  - Locate it now. How? Ekahau. That's how! (site)
 Employment
  - RFID Recruiters - 100% Focused on RFID Recruiting (site)

NFC Phones on Shelves Later This Year

When RFID Update spoke with NFC Forum board member and Microsoft executive David Turner a few weeks ago, he predicted that commercially available NFC-enabled handsets would debut before year-end. Sure enough, today $6 billion Taiwanese device manufacturer BenQ announced that it will have a new NFC phone on shelves in just that timeframe.

Called the T80, BenQ's forthcoming handset will feature NFC chip solutions from semiconductor giant NXP (formerly Philips Semiconductors), one of the leading NFC architects and evangelists. The T80 will actually store NFC applications on a removable SD memory card, whose chip is provided by NXP. Storing NFC applications on the removable card will enable consumers to move them to another NFC handset if they choose to change phones. BenQ indicates that the T80 will be the first phone to store NFC applications in such a way.

The company predicts that electronic transport ticketing and payment, access control for private security systems, and electronic wallet services are among the NFC applications for which the phone will be used.

BenQ will launch the T80 in its home market of Taiwan, where the company cites successful pilots and pent-up demand. "We're strongly encouraged by the demand generated by highly successful NFC trials in Taiwan -- from transportation to mobile banking and payment services," BenQ's Barry Dai was quoted in the release.

The T80 is reportedly the first phone to comply with the recently published NFC tag type specifications (see NFC Commercialization Reaches Key Milestone). It was in fact their publication that led Microsoft's Turner to predict rapid commercialization of NFC.

Recall that the tag types are four specifications with which a device must comply to earn NFC certification. The specifications are actually pre-existing proprietary protocols for which infrastructure is already installed. By requiring interoperability with each, the NFC Forum sought to both leverage existing infrastructure and spare it from obsolescence. Whereas today a Japanese consumer may be able to use her cell phone to enter the subway in Tokyo, she could not do so in London with the same phone. The tag type specifications effectively bring such disparate systems under one unified umbrella, allowing consumers to eventually use their NFC phones across multiple systems.

Read the announcement from NXP


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 Pharmaceutical & Healthcare
Intel & Siemens Launch RFID Blood Bank in Malaysia
Pfizer Manager Discusses the Viagra RFID Pilot
RFID Invention to Detect Esophageal Reflux
 Defense & Government
IDTechEx: China is Largest RFID Market in 2007
Alien Earns Protection Under SAFETY Act
How the SAFETY Act Could Protect RFID Vendors
 Asset Tracking
Refueling Firm Sees 6-Month Payback from RFID
Hospital Manages Thousands of Patient Files with RFID
Textile Manufacturer Gets Quick 30% ROI from RFID
 Supply Chain & Logistics
METRO to Penalize RFID Non-compliance
Kids Clothes Firm Outgrows HF, Puts on Gen2 RFID
RFID Solution Fights Counterfeit Tires
 Retail & CPG
TAGSYS Announces Two Apparel RFID Deployments
RFID Enables Innovation in Water Jug Distribution
Investor Analysis of Intermec RFID Deal with METRO
 RTLS & Active RFID
New RTLS Tag Combines RFID and Infrared
Analyst on the Growing Market for WiFi-based RTLS
Analyst: Strong Growth Ahead for WiFi-based RTLS
 Middleware & Software Systems
RFID Reader Interoperability Takes a Step Forward
METRO Moves RFID Pilot to Production, Taps Reva
Software Simplifies RFID Input for Pharma Applications
Products & Services
Free RFID Software with Alien 9800 at RFIDSupplyChain.com
Purchase an Alien 9800 RFID Reader and receive BlueBean RFID Simpleware free- perform rapid prototyping and development of RFID solutions without having to write any code...collect tag information from multiple readers...test reader connections...view all tag data in one batch. Looking for an RFID reader? Receive the free RFID Reader Report at RFIDSupplyChain.com.
Until you manage 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
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.
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.
Upcoming Events
RFID World Boston - September 18 - 20, 2007
A premiere event at the new CMP TechMash Boston, RFID World Boston brings together the foremost luminaries on RFID technology and implementation to discuss the concepts and topics critical to making RFID a reality for today's businesses. Enter code RU01 to save $300!
Midwest RFID Symposium, Oct 23-24, University of Kansas
The 3rd annual symposium and exhibition focuses on closed-loop applications of RFID. Speakers and exhibitors from Motorola, Ekahau, Intelleflex, Fluensee, Intermec, Rush Tracking, SAVR Communications and more will demonstrate RFID's potential to error proof manufacturing, organize the office, and simplify asset tracking in industry and healthcare. www.continuinged.ku.edu
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.
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.
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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RFID Update is the RFID industry daily. Launched in early 2004 to provide timely analysis of RFID industry news, RFID Update publishes editorial briefings every weekday for the growing ranks of top level executives involved in the deployment of RFID. Each issue delivers the breaking news and analysis most pertinent to successful RFID implementations, allowing readers to understand global RFID developments as they happen.

RFID Update Editor: Will Smith, editor at rfidupdate dot com
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