RFID pioneer Dr. Harley Heinrich, RFID chief technologist for Intermec Technologies Corp., has been named to co-chair the EPCglobal Inc. work group charged with completing a draft RFID standard for a generation of RFID technology known as C1G2 or UHF Generation 2. Major global retailers and other industry leaders have stipulated the use of the capabilities found in UHF Generation 2 technology for case and pallet-level inventory and goods tracking. This draft standard is scheduled to be ratified by the EPCglobal Inc. Technical Steering Committee in September 2004.
EPCglobal Inc., a joint venture of the standards bodies EAN International and the Uniform Code Council, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to developing and overseeing standards for the newly emerging Electronic Product Code. As part of that work, Intermec and other EPCglobal Inc. participants are leading the development of standards for the use of RFID technology in a number of industries, including retail supply chains.
“UHF Generation 2 RFID technology offers companies compelling opportunities to improve their business processes across entire supply chains,” said Intermec Vice President Mike Wills, who leads Intermec RFID initiatives. “Intermec, EPCglobal Inc. and fellow participating RFID technology companies are committed to the rapid development and adoption of the types of worldwide global standards that will allow companies to securely and confidently implement UHF Generation 2 technology.”
RFID (radio frequency identification) is a complement to industry’s current bar code-based tracking systems, allowing companies to automatically track inventory throughout an entire supply chain. RFID automatic data collection typically does not require line of sight or manual scanning as do most bar code-based systems. For example, information from RFID-tagged cases on a pallet can be read automatically using fixed, mobile or handheld readers rather than requiring individual bar code scanning. UHF Generation 2 RFID technology adds the capability to change and update the information on each tag as it proceeds, providing new levels of up-to-date information for better decision making.
About Intermec
Intermec Technologies Corp., a UNOVA Inc. (NYSE:UNA) company, is a leader in global supply chain solutions and in the development, manufacture and integration of wired and wireless automated data collection, Intellitag® RFID (radio frequency identification), mobile computing systems, bar code printers and label media. The company’s products and services are used by customers in many industries to improve productivity, quality and responsiveness of business operations, from supply chain management and enterprise resource planning to field sales and service. For further information, visit www.intermec.com.
