Aurionpro Inks a Distributor and Implementation Partner Agreement With the Largest RFID Vendor in the Middle East

Aurionpro has entered into a distributor and implementation partner agreement with Middle East industry leader and tracking technology innovator TrackIT Solutions, LLC. Under the terms of the agreement, TrackIT will provide sales support and implementation services of select Aurionpro offerings, including Aurionpro's SCMProFit suite, a leading supply chain management platform.

Based in Dubai, TrackIT Solutions is the most successful Motorola partner in the Middle East and a recognized developer of tracking solutions, with core competencies in RFID and complementary technologies. The value proposition that TrackIT offers for Middle Eastern organizations lies in its ability to provide comprehensive, local, reliable, and cost-effective tracking solutions and consulting services. In order to provide its world-class asset, inventory, vehicle, baggage, and other tracking solutions, TrackIT has established relationships with the world's leading manufacturers of hardware and technology products. In addition, TrackIT has a demonstrated record of success in providing system integration services on diverse platforms for a wide range of industry verticals.
 
While the initial relationship centers on a distribution and implementation arrangement, initiatives are actively being planned to expand the partnership, including the co-development of innovative solutions for the supply chain market and the integration of the Aurionpro SCMProFit suite with the value-added RFID and tracking solutions from TrackIT.

Fold’s Scannable Barcode App Aims to Streamline Bitcoin Payments

A new mobile bitcoin payments app is seeking to present digital currency consumers with a convenient, all-purpose spending solution. Fold, the latest effort from the makers of Coin For Coffee and Card for Coin, enables consumers to make bitcoin payments using a mobile app that can integrate with a variety of point-of-sale (POS) systems.

Essen bags RFID mandate for Dubai’s Cavalli Club

Next time technology entrepreneur Carlos Johnson comes calling at Cavalli Club in Dubai, he will be greeted by name and escorted to the preferred corner table without him having to prove his identity at the door. Johnson would be able to avail of such personalised services, including getting his favourite drink even without having to order, as the Club’s hostess already knows of his arrival and preferences by tapping into a system powered by Mumbai-based Essen RFID. 

Oak Ridge National Labs deploys combination PIV, CIV smart card ecosystem - See more at: http://secureidnews.com/news-item/oak-ridge-national-labs-deploys-combination-piv-civ-smart-card-ecosystem/#sthash.BIDKQbJk.dpuf

Oak Ridge National Labs, a technology research facility for the U.S. Department of Energy, is deploying a mix of PIV and CIV credentials throughout its Tennessee facilities. The new smart card credentials will be used for physical and logical access, says John Watson, group manager for the Laboratory Protection Division System at Oak Ridge. The lab went with the PIV smart cards for those employees who travel and need to use the credentials for access to other facilities, while CIV credentials will be for those who are just using the cards on site. The CIV credentials were less expensive than the PIV, Watson says.

Leading the way in RFID applications

Silent Partner Technologies announced its latest product line specifically for Fire and EMS organizations—IntelliView, and IntelliShelf further extending its Asset and Inventory Management system for Fire and EMS organizations.

Recently SPT won a prestigious contract to provide complete Asset and Inventory management for the City of Ft. Lauderdale Fire Department—one of the busiest Stations in the US. According to the organization, one of the key reasons for selecting the SPT product line is its comprehensive approach to solving the department's complete needs within one application, and doing it with the latest technology including both Passive and Active RFID.

“The City of Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Department is constantly striving to  advance in updated equipment and technologies to enhance daily operations and overall accountability with all Department (City) assets. Through the use of RFID technology the Department will enhance Fire Logistics operations in regards to all supplies and equipment utilized. Fire Operations will utilize the     technology to enhance ordering, restock and inventory checks. This new technology is accurate and reduces time frames drastically compared to actual physical counts that had to be conducted on a routine basis" — says Cris Dietz, Battalion Chief City of Ft. Lauderdale Fire & Rescue.

The updated solution combines a variety of applications all into one comprehensive system which manages Inventory—both serialized (such as narcotics), and non-serialized such as general station supplies (paper, mops, brooms, etc.). Furthermore, regarding Inventory, the system uses “smart shelf” (IntelliShelf™) technology thus removing the need for any human interaction.

Adoption of the innovative system by the City of Ft Lauderdale's fire-rescue department demonstrates how other Fire & EMS organizations can reap the benefits of specific/custom RFID asset and inventory management processes and tools.

Lifesaving equipment needs constant monitoring, and medical providers need to track drug supplies, equipment, temperature within a compartment or an ambulance, and availability of assets for mobile and in-house procedures. Medical responders, disaster-relief companies, and other industries face increasingly complex logistical situations whereby not having the “right equipment” on a call can prove catastrophic. This is where the “real-time”—all the time visibility of “mission critical” assets is essential and big part of the SPT solution suite.

Would Mark Twain have scanned a QR code?

When smartphones evolved to the point where they could scan quick response codes, many produce companies were among early adopters of the two dimensional codes. Now, four years into the trend, some in the industry are abandoning the black and white squares. Others, including HarvestMark founder Elliot Grant, say reports of the death of QR codes are like the proverbial premature obituary for Mark Twain — greatly exaggerated. Courtesy CMIUsing redesigned bags for its imported Ambrosia apples this season, Columbia Marketing International is running a QR code test in conjunction with a consumer contest for upscale kitchen gadgets to determine how shoppers access their website. Not comfortable with either of those views, Columbia Marketing International, Wenatchee, Wash., decided to dig for data. “We’re a little surprised with the initial data,” said Steve Lutz, vice president of Wenatchee, Wash.-based CMI. “Conventional wisdom is that QR codes are dead, but we are still getting a lot of traffic. The problem is we don’t know where the scans are being done, at home or in the store.”

Latest Innovation from Silent Partner Technologies

Silent Partner Technologies (SPT) announced its latest product line specifically for Fire and EMS organizations—IntelliView and IntelliShelf, further extending its Asset and Inventory Management system for Fire and EMS organizations.

Recently SPT won a prestigious contract to provide complete Asset and Inventory management for the City of Ft. Lauderdale Fire Department—one of the busiest Stations in the US.  According to the organization, one of the key reasons for selecting the SPT product line is its comprehensive approach to solving the department's complete needs within one application, and doing it with the latest technology including both Passive and Active RFID.

“The City of Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Department is constantly triving to advance in updated equipment and technologies to enhance daily operations and overall accountability with all Department (City) assets. Through the use of RFID technology the Department will enhance Fire Logistics operations in regards to all supplies and equipment utilized. Fire Operations will utilize the technology to enhance ordering, restock and inventory checks. This new technology is accurate and reduces time frames drastically compared to actual physical counts that had to be conducted on a routine basis," Cris Dietz, Battalion Chief City of Ft. Lauderdale Fire & Rescue, said.

Smartphone Check-Ins: Not Quite an Aladin's Lamp

Smartphone check-ins seem destined to be as commonplace as frette sheets on hotel beds;  Earlier this week Hilton announced that guests will not only be able to book rooms and check-in and check-out but also choose their rooms via their smartphone. Given the exponential growth of the "head-down tribe", smartphone users who walk, talk and even sleep with their head down and eyes fixated on their devices, it seems like a natural if not a brilliant idea.

Hard Rock Reduces Labor Expenses with RFID Tracking System

Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park has implemented the InvoTech UHF-RFID Uniform System to automate control and management of the property’s 6,000-plus uniforms.  The InvoTech Uniform System reduces labor expenses associated with manual handling and increases employee accountability with automated uniform tracking. 
 

RFID vs. iBeacons: Which is better for event marketing?

What better place to trial iBeacons then among a load of early-adopter hipsters at a Brooklyn arts and innovation festival. At Northside Festival iBeacons were used to push out alerts about backstage passes, the ability to queue jump, surprise tickets and food vouchers. The trial was carried out by MasterCard, which said it would be tracking metrics such as app downloads, alerts seen and actions taken, alongside conversations on social.

British Clothing Retailer Sees RFID as 'Enriching Experience'

Giulio, a fashion store located in Cambridge, England, has completed a four-month trial of a radio frequency identification system designed to track when garments are placed on or removed from a hanging rail, and to display information regarding those products to customers. The retailer now intends to install the technology at additional locations within its store.

Cubiq Uses RFID to Create 'Magic Closet'

Start-up Cubiq has announced its Cubiq On-Demand Concierge Storage Service, which uses RFID-tagged plastic storage containers, which it calls cubes. Each cube is about 24 inches long, 19 inches wide and 12.5 inches tall, with a volume of 18 gallons and a weight limit of 50 pounds. An Alien Technology ultra-high frequency (UHF) EPC Gen 2 Squiglette (ALN-9730) tag is affixed to the container's interior and a bar-coded label is attached an exterior side. Customers contact Cubiq, which sends one of its "concierges" to the customer's home.

Brazilian Clothing Wholesaler Invests in RFID

Brazilian children clothing wholesaler Brascol is tagging the merchandise that retailers buy at its wholesale outlet, and has installed RFID-enabled checkout system to enable faster purchases by those customers. The RFID system, supplied by iTag Technology, relies on RFID tags made with NXP Semiconductors’ Ucode7 UHF chips to quickly identify a shopping cart’s contents.

eAgile Inc. earns US Patent for its eSeal RFID-enabled packaging solution

eAgile Inc. announced  that the U.S. Patent Office has granted a patent for the company’s eSeal(TM) RFID-enabled packaging solution. The eSeal solution solves many of the underlying concerns surrounding the nearly one trillion containers consumed annually by the medical, cosmetics, food and beverage industries. These industries require visibility throughout the distribution process to combat counterfeiting and product tampering.

“We now have a complete end-to-end solution that also secures the chain of custody from manufacturer to customer,” says Peter Phaneuf, president of eAgile Inc.

eSeal customers can expect to gain the following benefits:
* Security. eSeal verifies the contents of sealed containers and cartons to ensure the product is genuine, not part of a recall, within the expiration date and has not been tampered with.
* Visibility. Every eSeal tagged item bears its own secure and unique ID for e-pedigree or regulatory compliance and can be individually tracked throughout distribution with a location and time/date stamp.
* Simplification. eSeal closures and shrink seals are designed to replace current packaging and can be introduced with minimal disruption.

Barcode system to cut errors

The anaesthetists at Palmerston North Hospital are going hi-tech with a new barcode scanning system as part of MidCentral District Health Board's move to a paperless system. The SAFERsleep system, which is where medication is delivered in barcoded syringes and scanned into the system, will provide anaesthetists with visual and audio confirmation of what drug is being used before it is administered. DHB medical head anaesthetist Dr Alberto Ramirez, who is co-ordinating the project, said it would "improve the quality of care" for patients with better quality and accuracy of records and also reduce the number of errors with drugs.

The Energy Sector Embraces RFID

A new event will show that the energy and construction sectors are beginning to get serious about the adoption of radio frequency identification technologies. Large construction projects are mind-numbingly complex, with materials needing to show up at a job site in precise sequence Bechtel is using RFID technology to track materials as they move through a complex local supply chain to arrive on Curtis Island, off the coast of Queensland, Australia, where three liquified natural gas (LNG) plants are being built. An active RFID system has helped Bechtel shorten cycle times, reduce costs and achieve transactional benefits during material-handling activities.

How Can a Government Use RFID to Make a Country Better?

Radio frequency identification unfortunately cannot feed the poor, end illiteracy, reduce disease or eliminate crime, but it can still do a lot of good for a country. If I were ever appointed as a nation's Secretary for RFID or Minister of RFID, here is what I would do: I would educate all cabinet secretaries (ministers) and the administrators under them about what the technology is, how it works and what the potential benefits are. I would then give them six months to submit a report regarding where they think RFID could be used within their area of responsibility.

Clever RFID solution helps passengers recover lost bags

Supported by all passenger airports globally, the clever suitcase tag uses RFID chips to keep track of your bags and travel details and ensure that if they do go astray, they can be identified anywhere in the world. The ReboundTAG uses two RFID tags—one acts as a digital yet anonymous identifier (i.e., it tells the system and no one else who the bag belongs to) and the other is reprogrammed with your travel details every time you arrive at the desk and check in your cases. RFID tags communicate with digital readers and scanners without requiring a power source of their own, so they never need recharging and always work.

Rady Children's Hospital Tracks Anesthetic Drugs Via RFID

Managing medications used by anesthesiologists during surgery is as time-consuming as it is critical to ensuring that all product is available when needed. To automate this process of replenishment—thereby saving time and preventing any mistakes—San Diego's Rady Children's Hospital is among the medical facilities employing a medication-tray management system provided by MEPS Real-Time that employs passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID tags.

Vizinex RFID Signs License Agreement With Omni-ID

Vizinex RFID has signed a patent licensing agreement for Omni-ID's innovative radiation decoupler technololgy. The agreement allows Vizinex RFID to manufacture and sell RFID tags incorporating Omni-ID's technology embodied in US Patents 7768400, 7880619, 8264358 829927 and 8502678.

Omni-ID announced the Omni Global Technology Licensing Program (OGTL) in 2012. This program was launched to provide access to Omni-ID's unique patented technology for the industry's first commercially viable on-metal RFID tag product line, enabling further market expansion and new growth opportunities.

What Is the Maximum Range of an RFID Reader?

There are many different types of radio frequency identification technology, each with its own read range. Passive low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) tags can be read from a distance of about 3 feet (0.9 meter), whereas some active systems can read tags from 1,000 feet away or more. If you are asking about passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID, the range depends on several factors. One is the reader antenna's power output, which is regulated in most countries. Typically, the output is limited to 2 watts of effective radiated power (ERP). But in Pakistan, the government is working to establish regulations that would limit output to just 0.1 ERP, so the read range will be more limited than in other countries.

RFID and the Internet of Things

A recent article on an Internet of Things framework described efforts to form a consortium that would focus on improving the interoperability of devices that were connected to the internet for communications.  The plan was to "...define a common communications framework based on industry standard technologies to wirelessly connect and intelligently manage the flow of information among personal computing and emerging IoT devices, regardless of form factor, operating system or service provider." 

Furniture Retailer Adds RFID to Its Brick-and-Mortar Showroom

Designer-brand online furniture retailer Made.com is employing a solution provided by CloudTags that includes supplying shoppers with tablets so they can access information via Near Field Communication (NFC) RFID tags attached to furniture on display at the company's London showroom. The solution enables visitors to create a wish list of products they like, for later review, and uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons to allow the retailer to track which areas of the showroom shoppers visit, and the amount of time they spend at each location. If a customer opts to share his or her name with the system and create a personal account, it can also link the furniture that individual liked at the showroom with subsequent sales online, thereby providing the retailer with valuable information.