European supermarket chain extends RFID push
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Tesco will use the technology in more stores, focusing this time on tracking cases and pallets, rather than individual items.
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IBM announced Monday a $250 million investment in RFID (radio frequency identification), an emerging technology that is being mandated by the likes of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
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The first indication that the value of RFID (radio frequency identification) will extend beyond the supply warehouse was shown last week by WhereNet, a provider of wireless location and communications technology.
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Ziff Davis - HP is working with specialists BearingPoint and OATSystems on RFID for Wal-Mart compliance and other retail implementation. Meanwhile, the major IBM competitor is building "domain knowledge" about RFID in manufacturing.
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(InfoWorld) - IAnywhere SolutionsÂ is adding location tracking capabilities and support for a wider range of sensor technologies in RFID Anywhere 3.0, the latest version of its sensor management software announced on Monday. The previous versions of RFID Anywhere allowed customers to collect data from RFID (radio frequency identification) tags, create reports with that data and integrate the data with other enterprise applications. With the latest version of the software platform, companies can collect more data including location and environmental information from a variety of technologies including active RFID, passive RFID, RTLS (Real Time Location System) and barcode into a single reporting and tracking system. Previously, customers using a variety of sensor and tracking mechanisms would use separate management software tools to monitor each technology, said Martyn Mallick, director of RFID and mobile solutions for iAnywhere. Passive RFID is theÂ technology used by Wal-Mart StoresÂ and other retailers to track products or pallets of products as they move through the distribution system. Active RFID chips can hold more data and can be read from a greater distance. RTLS is used primarily to track and find items, such as computers or medical equipment. RTLS sensors often communicate with Wi-Fi networks. RFID Anywhere 3.0 users can also collect environmental data. Some active RFID tags now include light, temperature and humidity sensors, Mallick said. By collecting that data along with tracking and location information, users can make better business decisions, he said. For example, a produce shipper can decide to send a load of lettuce that has been exposed to above-optimum temperatures to a local retailer where it can be bought and consumed quickly, rather than send it across the country, potentially taking days for it to reach store shelves. RFID Anywhere 3.0 is integrated with existing RTLS location and active RFID systems, collecting data from software from Ekahau, AeroScout, RF Code, and others. Collecting information from thousands of tags can produce an overwhelming amount of data, but RFID Anywhere allows users to set parameters to help control the flow. "The most important thing we recommend really to customers is that not all the data is valuable," Mallick said. "Typically 75 percent to 80 percent of data can be filtered out because it's not of value." Some data may only be useful for one or two days, after which it can be deleted. Other data doesn't actually need to be collected. For example, if a product is sitting on a shelf, its sensor doesn't need to repeatedly send data saying that it hasn't moved. The sensor reader can instead be programmed only to send data once the product moves, he said. RFID Anywhere 3.0 will become available later this month. Customers can deploy the software in as many sites as they want, paying based on how many data collection devices are connected to the network.
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One-stop shopping takes another step forward.
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While Wal-Mart acknowledges that RFID implementations in its distribution centers are behind schedule, it says the overall effort is on track and it has hastened efforts to add the technology to its stores.
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This company has just started using some new RF guns in its warehouse. Workers use the handheld terminals to scan RFID tags on the conveyor -- or at least they're supposed to.
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Meat and milk from cloned animals  moved a step closer to European Union supermarket shelves on  Friday after the bloc's top food safety agency said cloned food  products are safe to eat.
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The European Union called Monday for more movement from its partners in World Trade Organisation talks after WTO chief Pascal Lamy injected a sense of urgency into attempts to revive the negotiations.
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The impact radio-frequency identification has throughout an entire supply chain is top of mind for a number of companies experimenting with the technology.
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Ray Hagedorn, an IT manager at Sara Lee Foods, said in an interview that the company is taking a 'slap and ship' approach to its use of RFID tags while it learns more about the technology and looks for ways the tags can provide business benefits.
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Retailer Nordstrom keeps improving its operations.
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This retailer's still trying to loosen up.
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The massive retailer has reportedly renewed efforts to build its presence there.
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Wal-Mart&#39;s CIO talks about the potential for RFID to revolutionize the retailer&#39;s &quot;take-care-of-the-customer&quot; processes.
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Unisys Corp. and the Department of Defense have signed a deal under which Unisys will continue to operate the agency's RFID based supply chain network for at least another  year.