Information regarding RFID development, flowing in recently from around the world, clearly focuses on the standardization of RFID tags, which is leading to the widespread adoption of this technology. Work is also underway to popularize the applications of the “radio barcode,” which means that EPC technology is slowly stabilizing, and most global “players” are cooperating rather than competing in this area. This bodes well for EPC applications for global supply chains. New RFID Demo Labs have been launched in Europe (Using RFID). Manhattan Associates Inc. has announced the opening of five new laboratories in Europe showcasing the operation of RFID technology. These laboratories are a showcase for the Manhattan system called “RFID in a Box.” They will simulate a customer environment in which a potential user will have the opportunity to compare various RFID technologies and equipment with their own products. The laboratories, located in Paris, Sophia Antipolis (France), Munich, Utrecht (Netherlands), and Bracknell (UK), will allow customers to expand their knowledge of RFID development. Interested parties will also be able to see how to fulfill the obligation of RFID technology compliance in the supply chain (including standards used by METRO, TESCO, Wal*Mart, and others). “Live” demonstrations in the labs will show how to use RFID tags and labels in conjunction with warehouse management solutions to enable automatic data collection for individual products, bulk packaging, and pallets, as well as demonstrate automated warehouse operations such as unloading and loading, and goods receipt and dispatch. The laboratories in Sophia Antipolis and Utrecht will also be used to test the reading of tags placed on products. Simulating the customer environment will allow the company to assess the suitability of various RFID techniques and hardware equipment for specific products.
The article comes from the magazine “e-Fakty” 5/2005.