 | Thursday, September 27, 2007
Issue 693 | | Will Smith, Editor |  |
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Editor's Note: Today's top story is a DVD-tagging proof-of-concept pilot for supply chain and retail inventory management operations. Sponsored by EPCglobal, the pilot will see participation from an impressive array of retailers, entertainment companies, and RFID vendors.
Singaporean IT services provider Frontline Technologies has partnered with Ngee Ann Polytechnic to establish the Enterprise Visibility Solution Centre, which will focus on the development of RFID-based real-time location systems (RTLS) in Asia. AeroScout will supply the RTLS platform for the Singapore-based center. See more in the announcement.
Lastly, in light of all the recent developments around the METRO implementation, SupplyChainDigest has published a handy timeline of the German retailer's RFID activity dating back to early 2003. |
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DVD Movies to Star in Retail RFID Pilot
Coming this fall to your home screen: DVD movies with RFID tags on the packaging. Movie studios, distributors, DVD replicators, and retailers are piloting item-level Gen2 RFID tagging on DVD movies as a proof of concept for supply chain and retail inventory management operations. The EPCglobal-sponsored pilot announced this week has Hollywood and retail star power: 20th Century Fox, Cinram, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Technicolor, Warner Home Video, Mosaic Entertainment, Handleman, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart are among the participants, which also includes other undisclosed retailers and studios.
"The pilot is to demonstrate how EPC tags would work on DVDs from manufacture full through to retail," Rob Thibault, director of external affairs for EPCglobal North America, told RFID Update. "All of the participants can get real-time information on where any product is at any time."
Plans call for more than 12,000 individual DVDs to be tagged during the eight-week pilot that is scheduled to conclude in November. Fifteen titles will be tracked, but they have not been finalized and may change during the course of the trial, according to Thibault. Replicators, which manufacture the DVDs, will apply Gen2 smart labels to the shrinkwrap around each case. The tags will be read when DVDs leave the replicator, arrive at retail facilities, and when they are stocked on shelves. Pilot partners will use the EPCIS standard to exchange product data.
Technology companies who have announced their participation are: ADT Sensormatic, Avery Dennison, Checkpoint Systems, Impinj, Motorola, Nashua, NXP Semiconductors, OATSystems, Omron RFID, Printronix, SATO America, T3Ci, TrueDemand Software, UPM Raflatac, VUE Technology, and Zebra Technologies.
Best Buy and Wal-Mart stores in the Minneapolis/St. Paul and Oklahoma City areas will take part in the trial, and Thibault said other retailers will also participate but will not announce their involvement. RFID-tagged DVDs should be readily identifiable by consumers because the smart label containing the EPC RFID inlay will also include a printed logo and notification that the product contains an RFID tag.
EPCglobal's press release puts considerable emphasis on allaying potential consumer privacy concerns. The press release states an EPC label "... can only transmit its unique number when it is less than about 10 feet from a reader that activates the label... The actual distance from which an EPC label can be read may be shorter because barriers such as shopping bags and other factors such as the presence of metal materials or nearness of walls or other obstructions weaken a reader's signal."
The statement about 10-foot range is interesting for several reasons. First, because EPCglobal and RFID vendors rarely publish specific RFID range figures, in part because range varies significantly based on environmental and other factors. Second, when discussing range product manufacturers routinely claim 20- and 30-foot read ranges for their Gen2 products, and the standard was developed specifically to support supply chain processes that require more than 10-foot range. Long range is not usually a requirement for retail shelf monitoring applications featuring handheld readers (which generally use less power and thus have shorter range than fixed-position models), yet the statement hints at potential reading difficulties in retail environments.
Analysts and vendors have frequently touted DVDs as having high value potential for item-level tagging. The trial will test common assumptions but may be most significant for its size and participants. Best Buy has already conducted its own DVD tracking pilot earlier this year, which Best Buy International CEO Robert Willett credited with an 18.7 percent revenue increase at the pilot store (see investment firm Baird's coverage).
NXP, another pilot participant, previously announced an RFID security solution that can disable DVDs from the time they are produced until they are purchased through legitimate channels (see NXP and Kestrel Partner on RFID Antitheft for DVDs). The system was developed to deter shoplifting and diversion. The EPCglobal project is not piloting any security applications, according to Thibault.
"Consumers won't necessarily see all these benefits during the pilot test, but that the future of EPC holds tremendous promise," EPCglobal President Chris Adcock is quoted in the pilot announcement. "We've all had the frustrating experience of a store associate telling us that a DVD is in stock, but they can't find it on the shelves. EPC can help eliminate that problem."
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| Upcoming Events | Symposium: RFID Integrated Supply Chains, Sept. 27-28, TX
The third annual RFID Integrated Supply Chain Symposium will convene at Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business, Waco, Texas, September 27-28, 2007. Sessions address the changing landscape of integrated supply chains, RFID strategies and implementation. Sponsors include the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Sirit Inc., and Zebra. More information: here. | IDGA's Border Management Summit, Oct 22-25, Wash., DC
Get the latest SBInet updates from DHS and Boeing! Speakers include: David V. Aguilar, Chief, Office of Border Patrol; Robert Mocny - Acting Director, US-VISIT; Robert Jacksta - Exec Dir Traveler Security & Facilitation, CBP; Greg Giddens - Exec Dir, Secure Border Initiative; and Dr. Kirk Evans - Program Mgr, SBInet. www.bordermanagementsummit.com. | RFID Solutions: Securing the Commerce of Tomorrow -- Oct. 10
Join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and SAP in Washington, DC to discuss the balance between regulation and innovation and responsible approaches to issues in areas such as national defense, port security, food and drug safety, and pandemic preparedness. For more information call 202.463.5500. Register Today. | 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 | | | Webinars | Webinar: Making the Case for RFID
Join ABI's Mike Liard and Intermec for a discussion on how to find the benefits, profitability, payback and ROI of RFID. We'll cover key considerations and compelling applications, and offer insight into best practices and lessons learned. Finally, we'll discuss how to make the case for RFID in your business. Register today. | | | 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 | | | 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 | | | Products & Services | 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. |
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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.
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