Coachella Flyer

(RFIDWorld.ca) Using help from Intellitix, an RFID technology provider for live events, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival gained an additional online audience of 30 million when over 30,000 fans registered for “Live Click” around the festival site.

The system was in place during the two weekends when the event took place. The technology used various touch points, which were spread out across areas around the festival site. RFID wristbands allowed for attendees to automatically check in once they arrived at the site. This allowed the attendees to connect and share their experience with friends and family online.

Check point stands included various ways by which to share experiences online. A post check in point was available as well as photo upload stands, competition zones and digital reward areas. The various modes of interaction online allowed the audience to share their experiences at a high capacity.

Additional features of the RFID technology system include RFID-based access control, which reduces line wait times and eliminates counterfeit tickets. Cashless systems were also set up to retain security and increase convenience for fans.

Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA)

(RFIDWorld.ca) Bombardier Transportation has teamed up with Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) to improve track worker safety while on the job. It will be using it’s advanced RFID and technology services to decrease the number of injuries and deaths associated with working on railway tracks.

Bombarier’s TrackSafe solution creates improved location awareness well before hand by providing automated real-time alerts to both the train operators and track workers.

Track level servicing and maintenance can put many lives at risk and Bombardier’s track safe solution is made to reduce such hazards.

As per the U.S. Transit Federal Administration, between 2003 and 2008, 53% of reported rail transit worker fatalities were related to right of way incidents. The partnership between the two companies will bring more studied analysis into such incidents so that they can be decreased.

RFID Journal

(RFIDWorld.ca) RFID Journal has released a step-by-step guide for how to choose the right RFID system.

The report offers a step-by-step guide for companies so that they can run through the process of selecting a solution or system that suits their needs appropriately. The guide helps to determine which type of radio frequency identification technology will best meet their specific needs. The guide includes a description with performance characteristics of passive, HF, LF, UHF RFID systems as well as of the different types of RFID systems. There are also explanations given in the report about real-time location systems, how RFID works when combined with other systems and suggested alternatives to RFID are also available.

The report has been created especially because it is a very daunting task to choose the right system for your company needs. The unfamiliarity with terms combined with the endless options available make it a very tough decision for any person or company. It is known that many companies end up choosing what they are most familiar with or what they have heard of from others instead of choosing the perfect fit for their individual needs. Many systems integrators sell the system that the company asks for or is most familiar with rather than explaining all the features so this guide will help to work one through the steps involved in selecting the most suitable system. Now for the first time RFID Journal has created a guide which will not only highlight the pros and cons of a system for a companies needs but the systems requirements for different solutions and different applications are also presented.

RFID tag descriptions are available on the report covering a wide variety of hybrid tags, including tags that combine RFID with infrared, GPS and sensors. The recently released report is available now at a special rate. The report will help to make the right choices for both the short and long term. The process requires a company to determine their RFID needs following the steps and then matching those needs to the correct system.

Products Mentioned in this report:
- Passive
- LF
- HF
- and UHF; Active 433 MHz
- Active 915 MHz
- Active 2.45 GHz
- Zigbee
- Ultrasound
- Infrared

Technavio RFID Market Report

(RFID World Canada) TechNavio’s recent analysis report forecasts that the RFID global market will grow at a CAGR of 19.4 percent 2011 through 2015. The main source of this market increase is predicted to come as a result of the retail sector. In addition, the global RFID market has seen in increase in demand for RFID technology in the airport security and baggage safety systems. There is a concern though that the predicted increases could fall in this area due to security and privacy concerns. This could pose a challenge to growth over the years.

The Global Healthcare RFID market is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 29.6 percent over the period 2011-2015. One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the growth of RFID in the Pharmaceutical segment. The Global RFID market in the Healthcare industry has also been witnessing RFID sensors to track sleep patterns. However, security issues in inventory could pose a challenge to the growth of this market.

Input from industry experts has been considered and converted into data in the TechNavio analysis report, 2011-2015. The in-depth analysis covers the Americas, the EMEA and APAC regions. The report also covers the key discussions of the vendor operating in this market as well as the Global RFID market landscape. The key vendors that are taking up the market space are Imping Inc., NXP Semiconductor Inc., Alien Technology Corp. and Intermec Inc.

Some key questions which are answered in the report relate to the rate at which this market size will grow, the challenges that the market growth will encounter, the opportunities that vendors will have over the years as well as the threats that they will have to look out for in terms of growth. The driving factors of the RFID market and the strengths and weaknesses of each of the key vendors will be covered as well.

The TechNavio reports’ table of contents is as follows:

01. Executive Summary
02. Introduction
03. Market Coverage
04. Market Landscape
05. Geographical Segmentation
06. Vendor Landscape
07. Buying Criteria
08. Market Growth Drivers
09. Drivers and their Impact
10. Market Challenges
11. Impact of Drivers and Challenges
12. Market Trends
13. Key Vendor Analysis
13.1 Impinj Inc.
13.2 Alien Technology Corp.
13.3 NXP Semiconductor Inc.
13.4 Intermec Inc.
14. Other Reports in this Series

RFID Windshield Tag for Automatic Vehicle ID Tracking

(RFIDWorld.ca) iDTRONIC’s new Windshield Tag UHF constitutes a solution for safe and durable identification of vehicles, based on modern RFID-Technology.

In this case, the modern RFID technology allows a rapid and steady registration of passing vehicles over a distance of several meters. The new and very thin Windshield Tag UHF is simply stuck on the pane, whether inside or outside — the functionality stays the same. The tag is weather-proof, UV resistant and equipped with a theft protection, ensuring the designated usage. Maximum safety is provided: the chip is destroyed when the tag is removed.

In addition, the functionality of the new tag can be expanded. In combination with the RFID technology, barcode and 4c logo print as well as the integration of further safety features is smoothly realizable: The Windshield Tag UHF can be designed so that it perfectly fits customer-specific applications.

Applications for the new RFID UHF Windshield Tag are access control to carparks, automatic toll systems and production and logistics amongst others.

The dimensions of iDTRONIC’s new tag are 105 × 35 × 0.2 mm and it consists of 2 layers polyester. It stands temperatures of up to +150?°C.

American Barcode and RFID

(RFIDWorld.ca) American Barcode and RFID (AB&R), a top Automatic Identification and Data Collection (AIDC) solutions provider has chosen Phoenix NAP, a data center, for its collocation needs. Phoenix NAP, a primary network access point (NAP) and premier Infrastructure as a Service provider made the announcement and is delighted to create this partnership.

AB&R mentioned that Phoenix NAP’s impressive growth, infrastructure and scalability options are what brought it on top of their list to provide the services needed. In addition AB&R was also attracted to Phoenix NAP’s reputation for high-quality service, which helped to make the ultimate decision.

Dino Farfante, President and COO of AB&R said, “Partnering with Phoenix NAP allows us to rapidly expand our services business .

While working together, AB&R will now be able to offer application hosting out of Phoenix NAP, allowing its clients to use top-notch identification, tracking, and management software without the hefty costs that usually come along with each use.

Ian McClarty, President of Phoenix NAP said, “We are excited to welcome AB&R to Phoenix NAP.” Further he said, “Moving from its own internal data center into a large-scale, full service data center for the first time can seem daunting, and we are glad that we could meet all of their expectations. We look forward to seeing them flourish while also expanding our relationship with them ”.

ABI Research Annual RFID Report

(RFIDWorld.ca) According to ABI Research it is expected that $70.5 billion will be generated between 2012 and 2017 from sales of RFID readers, transponders, software and services. Sixty percent of the accumulated revenue over the next five years will be generated from government, retail, transportation and logistics. These four sectors have been identified by ABI as the most valuable sectors for RFID growth potential. The market is expected to grow 20 percent year over year per annum.

John Devlin, ABI Group Director, stated that up to date the automobile sector was promising for RFID growth especially for immobilization and keyless entry but due to slower rises in automotive production volumes, the sector will lose its leading role in the RFID market. Other established markets have retained excellent potential for advanced adoption but the automobile industry is already deeply penetrated with RFID technology so there is not as much room for growth. Retail is the single most prominent sector, which will grow exponentially by 2015 in the RFID market.

The ordering process will become more advanced, merchandize will be better shelved and it will be less likely to get lost. These improvements as a result of RFID technology are what will make retail the largest RFID sector in the years to come. Customer –facing services will also be driven by RFID with NFC for product information and smart marketing.

The government sector is in high demand of RFID technology because of its drive for increased efficiency in applications such as fleet management, asset tracking, personnel location and security.

Even transportation and logistics require the ability to accurately track and trace items and goods. Smarter public transit systems require contactless ticketing to improve efficiency and cost levels.

Royal Bank Bluesfest - Ottawa

Continuing its rich history of innovation, Canada’s largest blues festival—ranked by Billboard Magazine as one of North America’s top-ten most successful music events—the RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest, has today announced that it will be adopting cutting edge RFID (radio-frequency identification) cashless payment and access control technology.

During the July 4-15 event in Ottawa, more than a quarter-of-a-million music fans will be able to use their RFID wristband to pay for food, drink and other goods around the site, while the chip securely stores their entrance tickets. Ticket holders will benefit from much faster access into Bluesfest, and shorter lines at food, beverage, and merchandise outlets. The technology also prevents any counterfeit ticketing, and will provide Bluesfest organizers with a next generation platform for future creative initiatives with sponsor partners and artists.

The technology is being provided by Montreal-based solutions provider Intellitix, which last year activated one-million RFID wristbands. The Canadian company counts Coachella, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza among their clients in the US, in addition to Festival d’été de Québec.
“Working with Intellitix on this initiative is a natural fit,” says RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest executive director, Mark Monahan. “They’re industry leaders and have already established an excellent track record with some much-respected music events across the continent,”

Serge Grimaux, Intellitix head, says: “Just as Bluesfest is renowned for its progressive line up, greening policies, and the admirable charitable work it undertakes, adopting our technology shows it innovating again, at yet another level. We’re extremely happy that such a world-renowned festival has chosen to work with the market leader for RFID solutions at festival and live events.”

TegoDrive - Tego RFID Software

(RFIDWorld.ca) Tego, Inc., a provider of RFID solutions for smart assets, unveiled its TegoDrive(TM) software at RFID Journal LIVE! in Orlando. TegoDrive treats information stored on RFID tags as files and folders on the desktop. By installing the software on a handheld RFID device or on an end-user’s desktop connected to a fixed reader, tasks such as adding new content to a tag are as simple as “save-as” or drag-and-drop.

With TegoDrive, RFID tags are represented as folders on the desktop, and files in the folder correspond to data stored on the tag in User Memory. High-memory TegoChips(TM) in particular are ideal when using tags to store data such as photos, documentation, scanned forms or web content via common file formats including pdf, jpg, htm, or txt data files.

TegoDrive eliminates the bottleneck and cost of customizing proprietary RFID reader applications to work with existing enterprise software. Microsoft(R) Windows(R) becomes the reader application program, and accessing RFID assets becomes a simple drag-and-drop extension of desktop computing. TegoDrive allows tag users to store and retrieve their own data, regardless of the format it is in, and to access tags using standard operating system commands already familiar to them.

“As RFID progresses to fulfill its promise as the ‘Internet of Things,’ TegoDrive takes RFID usability to another level with a simple plug-and-play addition to enterprise networks,” said Timothy Butler, Tego president and CEO. “By eliminating the challenge of integrating readers into business computing environments, TegoDrive transforms RFID into a readily networked extension of user applications for immediate benefits.”

As Simple as Drag-n-Drop “Seeing TegoDrive for the first time, our users were amazed by its simplicity,” said Dennis Khoo, CEO at Xerafy. “Now, TegoDrive makes it easy for customers to write data directly to our high-memory XL tags without requiring special programs or data formatting for tag encoding.”

TegoDrive will allow more first-time users to bring RFID into their business without the upfront cost and effort of customization with IT support. It transforms RFID from being a specialized adjunct technology into something as familiar as a USB flash drive.

In aviation, for example, an FAA Form 8130-3 must accompany each aircraft part. The industry has not yet developed a standardized format for including this document on RFID tags. TegoDrive resolves this issue since the complete Form 8130-3 can easily be put onto the part’s tag as a pdf, jpg, htm, or txt file and then universally accessed at point of use.

The shipping industry provides another example. The Advance Shipping Notice (ASN) is a commonly used form that serves as a packing list or manifest for shipping containers and cargo pallets in almost every supply chain. The efficiency of including ASNs on tagged goods for easy inspection during transport, without needing customized reader software, will spur RFID adoption across this industry.

“It is critical for end users to understand how to effectively leverage and manage RFID data using today’s passive UHF systems,” states Michael Liard, Director of RFID at VDC Research Group (Natick, MA). “As a result, software has become more important than ever, serving as a key component to maximizing the value of RFID systems and data. Software innovations such as the drag-and-drop functionality achieved via TegoDrive enhance the value proposition of RFID for a broad range of applications and simplify the use of RFID technology.”

Daily RFID China's Parking Management RFID Development Kit

(RFID World Canada) Daily RFID in China has introduced a new parking system so that traditional parking control problems can be diminished. The functional RFID system will benefit specific parking areas and gated communities. It will help to find specific parking areas, to check parking records and to understand the overall parking condition.

The RFID parking system will improve parking conditions and security. It will allow to automatically record the information of the vehicle as soon as it enters the parking lot and the system will also be alerted when the vehicle leaves the parking lot. The likelihood of losing vehicles will be reduced by having a divided space for householder and temporary parking spots.

The RFID system comes equipped with RFID windshield tags, and RFID reader DL910, as well as the necessary software. The system is available with both wired and wireless connection because the host computer is connected by TCP/IP within the system.

Not only will the efficiency of the parking system be improved but the security of the parked cars will also improve. The system has been well designed with ISO18000-6B or ISO18000-6C (EPC Gen 2) standard.