Directv Uses RFID to Cut Inventory Time From Years to Weeks

Broadcast satellite company Directv is implementing a radio frequency identification system to track 200,000 pieces of equipment at three broadcast centers, as well as nearly 200 smaller facilities. The system is intended to reduce inventory tracking time tenfold, the company reports, while also boosting inventory accuracy from 75 percent to 97 percent. The solution, provided by RFID Global Solution, allows Directv to conduct inventories of servers and other equipment, via a combination of handheld and cart readers. The equipment, which is being tagged with passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) EPC Gen 2 RFID inlays, includes video compression equipment, amplifiers, routers, switches, decoders and antenna-related systems.