RFID Community in Asia
RFID in Supply Chain Environment (Part 2)
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
by Jack Tay
There is little question that RFID is fast becoming a critical component in the new world of supply chain management, especially in fast growing Asian economies. This is especially so for Asian companies that do import and export business with large Western nations such as the United States and greater Europe. However, even as RFID is necessary, it is important to determine carefully just what needs to be done, and who can help make RFID a success within the company.
When the crucial steps of an RFID implementation project have been carefully integrated, the reliability of system performance can be guaranteed. A dynamic "feedback loop" approach is essential to any ability to provide such guarantees. RFID-services vendors with the requisite experience and expertise to take this approach will have no difficulty offering a performance guarantee with the systems they implement.
Automotive manufacturing and RFID
Increasingly, Asia Pacific is fast becoming the new automotive region, given that manufacturing and labor costs are far lower than the United States and Europe. For example, region-specific models of Chevrolet are manufactured in South Korea (such as the Optra), while Volkswagen and Skoda now has shared manufacturing in China, catering specifically to the mainland Chinese market with the popular VW Passat and Skoda Octavia (and now Superb) models. Even mainstream Japanese car manufacturers are relocating some of their manufacturing of region-specific models (such as Altis and Corolla) to lower-cost locations such as Thailand.
Some manufacturers have used RFID to keep track of the most critical (and sometimes most expensive) item of a car, the engine block. RFID tagging can help reduce misplaced engines (which must be scrapped due to the sensitivity of such products). It is possible that RFID tagging can become important in keeping track of major parts within a car, including the drivetrain assembly, in the near future.
Recommended approach to implementing RFID
Before implementing RFID, it is important to conduct a feasibility analysis of the supply chain environment. Setting out to do a conceptual model, with the right definitions, you should then analyze the process within your entire supply chain (all the way to your ultimate customer and include all stakeholders).
After creating a budget with an invitation to your vendor for demonstrations and any small scale tests, you need to conduct an analysis of your sites, and then have some of your personnels to gauge the usability of the RFID system.
You should attempt to launch your RFID installation in phases, with a test or pilot site, running for perhaps a reasonable length of time, to iron out any kinks in the system. Once you are assured that it will work enterprise-wide, then roll out the system to the entire site. It is also important to re-visit every step of this process of implementation, to ensure that you can improve or tweak the system as necessary.
Outsourcing to a partner
In an ideal scenario, or at least a very small implementation, it may be possible to roll out your RFID system entirely by your in-house team. However, there may be a wisdom to outsource the implementation to a professional services partner, to reduce possible problems during implementation, and also to create accountability and reduce your own exposure to risk. Why is it so?
Researchers have advised that unless you happen to be a data integration specialist, it is entirely possible that your information architecture will break, or affect the corporate ROI.
RF is also an esoteric science whereby specialized skills may be needed to diagnose the RF environment for a site, and to install readers and testing tag performance.
And since RFID expertise is usually not in-house, it may require an outside professional to ensure a solid hardware configuration that will provide better reliability and performance. Nothing beats real world deployment experience, and so for good professional services partners, they would bring to the table real experience that can solve deployment problems, even for pilot runs. Of course, it is important to ensure that your potential partner does indeed have such real world experience, and not simply a portfolio of clients who were "sold" the RFID hardware and other third-party software.
The writer is the Regional Marketing Manager of Intermec Asia Pacific.
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Labels: business, china, project, rfid, scm, tag, technology, tracking
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RFID in Supply Chain Environment (Part 1)
Sunday, November 11, 2007
by Jack Tay
While RFID (radio frequency identification) technology is no longer a new or emerging technology, its adoption in Asia Pacific is sporadic, with pockets of accelerated adoption in certain economies, and certain industries. Against the backdrop of regulatory requirements and internal audit controls which put more stringent demands on operating enterprises, whereby more accountability and traceability must be accomplished, the RFID technology adoption situation would theoretically imply that RFID systems would become commonplace everywhere in Asia.
Some countries, such as China, South Korea and Japan, have successful and more widespread adoption of RFID than other countries in Asia Pacific. Many RFID adoptions come from established sites which have other forms of supply chain implementations, and therefore, are considered retrofitted RFID adoptions. While RFID implementations from scratch would be considered the easiest from a technological point of view, we must not discount that many sites would require a phased-in approach of RFID, starting perhaps with test sites to ensure compatibility with enterprise and back-end software.
What makes RFID great for the modern supply chain environment?
Unlike traditional barcode systems, RFID readers do not require a visual line of sight. This can be useful for proximity scanning of RFID tags on tagged items, rather than demanding personnel to be positioned visually within the logistics items to check their availability. Therefore, RFID systems can be extremely useful for supply chain environments that use optimized storage planning, where items can be stacked back to back. And because of proximity scanning rather than line of sight requirements, more data collection along the entire supply chain can be set up easily, without dramatic process changes.
With RFID tags, whether passive or especially active tags, more information can be stored on the tags, compared to traditional barcodes. For active RFID tags, data can be updated enroute (read/write capability), which provide even more flexibility for supply chain backend systems and their interaction.
Increasing adoption of RFID
RFID is also more practical than ever before, with clear business cases being demonstrated for asset management and supply chain operations alike. For example, TNT Logistics reduced its truck load verification time 24 percent by using RFID to automatically record goods loaded onto its trailers. Hundreds of other companies around the world are also implementing RFID-based shipping, receiving and inventory visibility applications.
A sub-trend behind RFID adoption for inventory, warehouse and distribution operations is the use of vehicle-mounted and other mobile RFID readers to enhance or replace stationary models. With a mobile infrastructure, companies don’t need to purchase, install and maintain a separate RFID reader for each dock door. Forklift-mounted and handheld readers can cover multiple docks, and be used in warehouse aisles and elsewhere throughout the facility, further reducing the required RFID investment. Plus, they put information directly in the user’s hands, so they can prevent errors, rather than just record them after they occur.
Container tracking and RFID
With the global struggle against terror or theft, it is imperative that any component of the entire supply chain must be secured, and authenticated, so that there is no breakdown in the process. With RFID tagging, containers, and pallets, can all be adequately tracked and authenticated, along every step of the process from manufacturing to the ultimate client’s location, however remote the location may be. This is not merely a customer requirement (often to comply with internal controls and procedures), but also increasingly a governmental requirement in many locations (especially in the United States and Europe). With adequate tracking through RFID tags, shippers and manufacturers can account to governments and customers, but also build in a "shield" to protect their brands, given that brands these days can break easily due to some lapses in accountability.
The second part of this article will discuss the RFID adoption in automotive manufacturing and a recommended approach to implement RFID.
The writer is the Regional Marketing Manager of Intermec Asia Pacific.
RFID in Supply Chain Environment (Part 2)
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Labels: business, china, japan, mobile, reader, rfid, scm, tag, technology, tracking
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RFID in China: 7000 Years of Innovation
Monday, August 27, 2007
by Adi Tedjasaputra
Yesterday was the last day of a 3-month exhibition about scientific discoveries and technological inventions made by the Chinese for the past 7000 years. The exhibition held in Singapore Science Centre covers eleven areas of Chinese invention, i.e. astronomy, compass, gunpowder, printing, mechanics, architecture, weaving, ceramics, paper making, bronze casting and traditional medicine. It was interesting to find RFID technology being used to demonstrate Acupuncture associated with Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Acupuncture is a well-known medical technique in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Seeing a human body as a delicate balance between two opposing and inseparable forces: Yin and Yang, Qi or Chi (vital energy) is believed to circulate throughout body along meridians influenced by the balance between Yin and Yang. In a healthy body, Chi flows freely through meridians without blockage, stagnation or weakening. Xue (acupuncture points) are the locations where Chi of the Meridians rise close to the surface of body. It is believed that a human body consists of 12 main meridians, 8 secondary meridians and more than 2,000 acupuncture points (See reference 1, 2 and 3 for more information).
One of the exhibition highlights is an Interactive Acupuncture Chart. The main part of the system is a human body model illustrated with meridians and acupuncture points. This model gives visitors an opportunity to learn about different meridians and acupuncture points available throughout human body. Some key acupuncture points are tagged with small black coin-shaped passive RFID tags with a diameter of 14 mm and thickness of 3.2mm.Another important part of the system is a flashlight-shaped RFID reader connected to a host computer. The 125kHz RFID reader serves as a probe to the human body model. Whenever a visitor points a key acupuncture point that is tagged with an RFID tag, a touch-screen display located nearby the human body model will give a corresponding information.
The system was interactive and easy to use for the visitors of all ages. The visitors explored and played with the system without realising the technology complexity. Some visitors who are interested to find the key acupuncture points related to their illness explored the human body model with the RFID reader easily.
Interestingly, during my exploration with the system, I accidentally discovered one of the RFID tags on the floor nearby the human model. Instead of examining all the key acupuncture points on the human body model to find the origin of the tag, I scanned the RFID tag and read the corresponding information on the touch-screen display. I easily located the exact location of the tag where the tag originated on the human body model. I put back the tag where it belongs and I was satisfied that the system functions as it should be.
Thanks to Cheong Hee Kiat for his generosity and recommendation.
The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.
References
1. Wikipedia. Acupuncture. Wikipedia. Retrieved on 27th August 2007.
2. NCCAM (December 2004). Acupuncture. NCCAM. Retrieved on 27th August 2007.
3. ICBS, Inc. Channels or Meridians in Acupunture. ICBS, Inc. Retrieved on 27th August 2007.
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Labels: china, reader, rfid, singapore, tag, technology
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Will NFC become a killer technology?
Monday, August 06, 2007
by Eunice Sari
While contactless credit card is still a hot issue in the island-country of Singapore, several vendors in the region have started to buzz the concept of contactless mobile payment during a seminar last week.
The keyword is: NFC. The question is: Will it be a killer technology?
Near-Field Communication or NFC is a short-range 13.56 MHz wireless technology that can transfer data up to 424 kbits/s. Using standardized protocols developed by industry-sponsored NFC Forum, inter-device NFC communication is expected to establish two-way link and exchange data among different consumer products, such as mobile phones, televisions, personal computers and digital cameras. Touching and waving are the most common interaction styles that promise convenience as any other contactless technology. Nevertheless, the current usage of NFC technology is still limited to contactless card payment, contactless mobile payment and interactive smart poster.
Thian Yee Chua, the CEO of CASSIS, during a seminar in Singapore last week, emphasized the need to build an NFC ecosystem, an environment for consumer-service, for a wide adoption of NFC technology. Lim Boon Heong, the Marketing and Business Development Director in NFC business of INSIDE Contactless further detailed the importance of NFC handset availability, win-win business models and an open standard.Contactless mobile payment is one of the applications highlighted during the seminar. Several pilots planned and initiated have involved major credit card companies, banks, merchants, mobile service providers, mobile network operators, such as: VISA, JCB, MasterCard, CCV Holland B.V, KPN, Nokia, PaySquare, Philips and ViVOtech, SK Telecom, Orange, France Telecom, China Fujian Mobile Communications Co. Ltd., Xiamen Branch and Xiamen E-Tong Card Company Ltd, 2-Eleven, Gemplus, CASSIS.
Yet, Bank of America that has conducted an NFC trial in collaboration with Venyon Oy and its 5000 employees at one of its corporate campus in Delaware reported in May 2007 that the NFC portion of the trial has flopped due to variety reasons, including undesirable mobile phone model and problems in downloading payment application to the handsets.In addition, a security issue in the form of protocol vulnerabilities may become worse if NFC-enabled mobile phones can act as cards or terminals, can be programmed by their users and can communicate with each other (Anderson, Ross. RFID and the Middleman. Retrieved on 06-08-2007).
The writer is an ICT Consultant and Researcher with various affiliations to academic and industry organizations. Her current research interest includes ICT4D, m-Learning, e-Learning, Web 2.0, healthcare, wireless and mobile technology.
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Your Comments
The current NFC solution, being highly dependent on mobile handset (as far as mobile solution is concerned), is seen as the limitation. Such limitation can be overcame by a solution which will not depend on mobile handset.
- Eric Tan, Watchdata, Singapore, Sunday, August 12, 2007 -
- Eric Tan, Watchdata, Singapore, Sunday, August 12, 2007 -
Labels: 2.0, business, card, china, mobile, nfc, payment, rfid, security, singapore, technology, trial
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Sustainable Growth of RFID Supply Chain Markets
Saturday, July 14, 2007
by Adi Tedjasaputra
The steadily growing demand for RFID solutions in the Asia Pacific region is inevitable, particularly in the supply chain markets. However, a threat is looming that the current growth will not be sustainable. A fair cost-sharing mechanism, rational motives and justified returns from RFID technology investments are the key ingredients to achieve long-term and sustainable RFID technology adoption.
With the number of contactless smart card unit shipments in the Asia Pacific region at approximately 230 million cards and the Asia Pacific RFID supply chain market that earned $170.3 million in 2006 (Frost & Sullivan 7 Jun 2007, RFID versus Contactless Smart Card and Frost & Sullivan 30 Jun 2007, Asia Pacific RFID Supply Chain Markets), it is hard to ignore the steady growing demand for RFID solutions in the region.
Heating up the emerging markets, METRO Group – the world's fourth largest retailer located in Germany has launched an initiative called Advanced Logistics Asia program since last year. The aim of the program is simply to improve the flow of goods along the supply chain between China (Hong Kong) and Germany with the use of RFID technology.
Speaking to FoodProductionDaily.com, Christian Maas - a METRO Group spokesperson, recently gave a comment on the pressure on its suppliers for adopting RFID and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) technology: "Suppliers doing without the innovative technology (RFID and EDI – ed.) will bear the higher process costs resulting from a lower efficiency. Suppliers participating in the RFID roll-out will benefit from a preferred treatment."The remark implies that METRO Group believes in 3 things:
- The technology used by METRO Group, including RFID, is innovative.
- RFID will help suppliers achieving lower process costs as a result of higher process efficiency.
- A preferred treatment is an incentive for suppliers to participate in the RFID roll-out.
Faced with the requirement for RFID technology compliance, suppliers should ask the following question: Is there any rational motive that can justify the adoption of RFID technology further into internal business processes? The answer to the question is crucial for any supplier to take a strategic decision whether to implement RFID technology only for the sake of compliance or integrate the RFID technology further into internal business processes.The answer from the 26 METRO Group's industry partners from Asia (not 30 suppliers or partners as published previously in various media) participating in "Tag it easy" pilot project has already been decided: compliance.
As a part of the Advanced Logistics Asia program, the "Tag it easy" pilot project was launched in late May 2007. The project aims to enable consumer good industry partners in Hong Kong to apply RFID labels on the shipments to Unna, Germany.
Basically, there are only 3 things that the Asian suppliers participating in the project need to perform:
- Use Metro Link portal to order pre-printed RFID labels for packages exported to Unna, Germany.
- Manually attached the RFID labels to the export packages.
- Manually read the data on the RFID labels affixed to the outgoing goods using a handheld reader.
Judging from the manual labour-intensive processes that are still heavily involved in the project, it will be difficult for suppliers to justify that RFID is an innovative technology that can help them to achieve lower process costs and higher process efficiency. The suppliers involved in the project may get a preferred treatment from the METRO Group and detailed proof of good delivery, nevertheless, it is still questionable whether the preferred treatment and detailed proof of good delivery can actually justify the additional operational costs and process waste.On the other hand, METRO Group can benefit tremendously from data quality improvement, process efficiency improvements along the supply chain, and real-time asset visibility & control, while the third-party RFID vendor - Checkpoint Systems, Inc. can profit from the use of their Check-Net® products and services.
The situation confirms the results of our previous study on RFID adoption in Supply Chain Logistics and Retail Logistics, in which a fair cost-sharing mechanism between retailer (METRO Group) and consumer good suppliers is essential for a sustainable RFID adoption to take place. In addition, it is also necessary for consumer good suppliers to be able to justify their investments in RFID technology with rational motives and justified returns. A specific business case for each unique consumer goods supplier and a customised solution to RFID system integration challenges are no longer nice-to-have. It has already become a fundamental requirement for a sustainable RFID adoption and sustainable growth of RFID supply chain markets.
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Labels: business, card, china, project, reader, rfid, scm, tag, technology
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New Oracle Asia Research and Development Centre in Korea
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Oracle Corp. launched a new Oracle Asia Research & Development Center in Korea yesterday, in addition to established Asian centers in Japan, China, India and Singapore.
The research and development center located in Yeoeuido, Seoul, will help Korea to introduce its products to the global market and enable Korean government and businesses to take advantage of information and skills acquired by Oracle Research and Cevelopment Centers in other countries.
The center staffed only by Korean engineers will focus on embedded software, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology and ubiquitous city project.
Source: The Korea Herald
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The research and development center located in Yeoeuido, Seoul, will help Korea to introduce its products to the global market and enable Korean government and businesses to take advantage of information and skills acquired by Oracle Research and Cevelopment Centers in other countries.
The center staffed only by Korean engineers will focus on embedded software, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology and ubiquitous city project.
Source: The Korea Herald
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Labels: business, china, india, japan, project, rfid, singapore, technology
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China Authorizes RFID Products Compatible with ISO 18000-7
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Edited Press Release.
Savi Technology received official approval this week from the China State Radio Regulation Committee (SRRC) to use its family of active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) products throughout the country. Savi Technology's tags and readers approved by SRRC, a division of the China Ministry of Information Industry, are compatible with the ISO 18000-7 (International Standardization Organization) standard for active RFID products operating at the 433.92 MHz radio frequency band.
"China’s certification of Savi's hardware products further validates international recognition that active RFID technology standard ISO 18000-7 is the global standard," said Fraser Jennings, vice president of Standards and Regulatory Affairs for Savi Technology, a Lockheed Martin company. "This milestone event facilitates the deployment of our proven RFID-based solutions to improve the real-time visibility, management and security of global shipments within, to and from China – the world’s largest manufacturing center."
By approving Savi's hardware equipment, China has authorized the use of active RFID products compatible with ISO-18000-7. These product approvals in China, combined with similar prior approvals in North America, South America, Europe and Pacific Rim markets such as Australia, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong, "clearly show the solid support for the 433 MHz frequency as the worldwide choice for active RFID," Jennings said.
Following extensive testing and document reviews, SRRC has issued Savi Technology a Radio Transmission Equipment Type Approval Certificate and Code for five of the company's flagship hardware products, including tags, readers and signposts.
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Savi Technology received official approval this week from the China State Radio Regulation Committee (SRRC) to use its family of active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) products throughout the country. Savi Technology's tags and readers approved by SRRC, a division of the China Ministry of Information Industry, are compatible with the ISO 18000-7 (International Standardization Organization) standard for active RFID products operating at the 433.92 MHz radio frequency band.
"China’s certification of Savi's hardware products further validates international recognition that active RFID technology standard ISO 18000-7 is the global standard," said Fraser Jennings, vice president of Standards and Regulatory Affairs for Savi Technology, a Lockheed Martin company. "This milestone event facilitates the deployment of our proven RFID-based solutions to improve the real-time visibility, management and security of global shipments within, to and from China – the world’s largest manufacturing center."
By approving Savi's hardware equipment, China has authorized the use of active RFID products compatible with ISO-18000-7. These product approvals in China, combined with similar prior approvals in North America, South America, Europe and Pacific Rim markets such as Australia, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong, "clearly show the solid support for the 433 MHz frequency as the worldwide choice for active RFID," Jennings said.
Following extensive testing and document reviews, SRRC has issued Savi Technology a Radio Transmission Equipment Type Approval Certificate and Code for five of the company's flagship hardware products, including tags, readers and signposts.
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Labels: china, iso-18000-7, rfid, security, singapore, tag, technology
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ASEAN Recognizes the Importance of RFID
Monday, September 25, 2006
The Sixth ASEAN Telecommunications & IT Ministers Meeting held in Brunei Darussalam, 18-19 September 2006 were attended by the ASEAN ministers responsible for Telecommunications and Information Technology.
During the meeting, the ministers agreed to endorse a plan of action called Brunei Action Plan that outlines a programme of action in building ASEAN capacity to enhance the region's competitiveness in the ICT sector.
One of the important points in the action plan is the agreement to forge links with strategic partners and key ICT international organisations to pool resources and expertise by deepening cooperative activities with Dialogue Parners, in particular China, the European Commission, India, Japan and Korea, particularly in the areas of ICT, including Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology.
The official document of the Brunei Action Plan is available from the ASEAN Secretariat website.
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During the meeting, the ministers agreed to endorse a plan of action called Brunei Action Plan that outlines a programme of action in building ASEAN capacity to enhance the region's competitiveness in the ICT sector.
One of the important points in the action plan is the agreement to forge links with strategic partners and key ICT international organisations to pool resources and expertise by deepening cooperative activities with Dialogue Parners, in particular China, the European Commission, India, Japan and Korea, particularly in the areas of ICT, including Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology.
The official document of the Brunei Action Plan is available from the ASEAN Secretariat website.
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Labels: china, india, japan, rfid, technology
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Press Release: OMRON Introduces EPC Gen2 Global Loop Inlay
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Edited Press Release.
OMRON Corporation announced availability of the V750 series Gen2 Global Loop inlay which can be used under North American, European and Japanese radio frequency bands in a single tag design. Aimed at consumer electronics manufacturers and suppliers to major retailers, the new inlay will be ready for shipment from early August 2006.
The Gen2 Loop is optimized to ensure robust read performance when the tag is applied to items containing materials unfriendly to RFID, for example, the metallic components used in electronics equipment and products with high moisture content. With non-metallic objects, the Gen2 Loop realizes the same high read performance as the Class 1 Loop inlay currently available from OMRON (see Figure 1 below).In addition, the new inlay delivers a read performance of approximately 1 meter even when in close proximity to metal objects (see Figure 2 below). The Loop tag also delivers reliable read ranges when the orientation on the product is not fixed or could change after application. As a direct result, the Loop inlay can improve pallet tag read rates.
OMRON Gen2 global loop inlays can be used with all international UHF RFID frequencies from 860 to 960MHz with little or no performance degradation. The addition of the Global Loop inlay to the already announced Wave tag expands OMRON's ability to meet a wide range of applications for today's international supply chain needs. Potential applications of the new inlay include tags and labels for use in the electrical appliance and pharmaceutical industries, where the ability to read large shipments of products speedily, simultaneously and from a distance will realize significant cost reductions.
"With RFID deployments expanding both globally and to a wider range of SKU's, a global tag that performs across all UHF frequency bands and is less sensitive to materials and orientation is clearly a benefit for our customers," says Bill Arnold, chief strategist at OMRON RFID. "If a company uses the OMRON global inlay, then it has no need to handle the complexity of different tag selection for each region or SKU requirements. This means our Gen2 global loop inlays help to reduce total RFID tag application costs and operation time."
Table 1
Model V750-D22M02-IM
Minimum delivery lot 5000 pcs/roll
Inlay price Open price
Protocol EPCglobal Class 1 Generation 2
Operating frequencyUHF band: 860MHz to 960MHz (Japan, U.S., Europe, China, Asia, etc.)
Memory 240 bits NVM(EPC: 96 bits)
Dimensions 68mm×70mm
Operating temperature -20˚C to 55˚C (no icing, no condensation)
Storage temperature -20˚C to 55˚C (no icing, no condensation)
Storage humidity (maximum) 60% RH
External view of V750 Series Gen2 Loop Inlay
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OMRON Corporation announced availability of the V750 series Gen2 Global Loop inlay which can be used under North American, European and Japanese radio frequency bands in a single tag design. Aimed at consumer electronics manufacturers and suppliers to major retailers, the new inlay will be ready for shipment from early August 2006.
The Gen2 Loop is optimized to ensure robust read performance when the tag is applied to items containing materials unfriendly to RFID, for example, the metallic components used in electronics equipment and products with high moisture content. With non-metallic objects, the Gen2 Loop realizes the same high read performance as the Class 1 Loop inlay currently available from OMRON (see Figure 1 below).In addition, the new inlay delivers a read performance of approximately 1 meter even when in close proximity to metal objects (see Figure 2 below). The Loop tag also delivers reliable read ranges when the orientation on the product is not fixed or could change after application. As a direct result, the Loop inlay can improve pallet tag read rates.
OMRON Gen2 global loop inlays can be used with all international UHF RFID frequencies from 860 to 960MHz with little or no performance degradation. The addition of the Global Loop inlay to the already announced Wave tag expands OMRON's ability to meet a wide range of applications for today's international supply chain needs. Potential applications of the new inlay include tags and labels for use in the electrical appliance and pharmaceutical industries, where the ability to read large shipments of products speedily, simultaneously and from a distance will realize significant cost reductions.
"With RFID deployments expanding both globally and to a wider range of SKU's, a global tag that performs across all UHF frequency bands and is less sensitive to materials and orientation is clearly a benefit for our customers," says Bill Arnold, chief strategist at OMRON RFID. "If a company uses the OMRON global inlay, then it has no need to handle the complexity of different tag selection for each region or SKU requirements. This means our Gen2 global loop inlays help to reduce total RFID tag application costs and operation time."
Table 1
Model V750-D22M02-IM
Minimum delivery lot 5000 pcs/roll
Inlay price Open price
Protocol EPCglobal Class 1 Generation 2
Operating frequencyUHF band: 860MHz to 960MHz (Japan, U.S., Europe, China, Asia, etc.)
Memory 240 bits NVM(EPC: 96 bits)
Dimensions 68mm×70mm
Operating temperature -20˚C to 55˚C (no icing, no condensation)
Storage temperature -20˚C to 55˚C (no icing, no condensation)
Storage humidity (maximum) 60% RH
External view of V750 Series Gen2 Loop Inlay
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Labels: china, epcglobal, gen2, inlay, japan, omron, rfid, scm, tag, technology
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Press Release: China's first NFC Mobile Payment Trial in Xiamen
Friday, June 30, 2006
Edited Nokia Press Release
Xiamen, China - On 27th June 2006, Nokia and its collaborators, China Fujian Mobile Communications Co., Ltd., Xiamen Branch, Xiamen E-Tong Card Company Ltd., and Philips, announced the first NFC Mobile Payment Field Trial in China at Xiamen City, Fujian Province, China.
During the trial, one hundred of volunteer consumers of China Mobile in Xiamen will experience first hand the conviniences of mobile payment enabled by NFC technology. The consumers will use the NFC enabled Nokia 3220 mobile phones to make mobile payment through any point-of-sales covered by Xiamen E-Tong Card, including locations such as on the public transportation buses, ferry boats or at restaurants, movie theaters in Xiamen City.
E-Tong Card is a contactless transportation card, conforms to ISO 14443 Type A, compatible with Mifare. It has a volume of issuance of 800,000 in Xiamen City.
In addition to the standard E-Tong Card function, consumers can check their card balance and the last nine transaction records on their mobile phone display. They can also use their Nokia mobile phone to access a built-in, WAP-based website, to find out stores and venues that accept E-Tong Card and the interesting product or service information.
Mobile payment is one of the most welcomed emerging mobile applications. Market research in Shanghai, China by AC- Nielson in 2006 showed that over 80% of consumers are interested in the functional integration of city transportation cards and bank payment cards into mobile phone.
Nokia has launched the world first NFC enabled mobile phone, Nokia 3220, in April 2005. And the commercial trials using Nokia 3220 for mobile payment have been completed successfully in the U. S. A., Germany, and Malaysia.
Mr. Joseph Zheng, Director of NFC Consumer Solutions in China at Nokia Ventures Organization Asia, said: "Nokia is dedicated to innovations from technologies to applications and business models. The successful kick-off of the first NFC Mobile Payment Field Trial is very encouraging to all of us participating in the mobile payment value chain. It also demonstrates our confidence in the NFC technology and the new business model it enables. With the progress of NFC Mobile Payment Field Trial, there would be more types of mobile payment available, which will bring totally new user experiences for the mobile phone users in China, and create values for the whole mobile application ecosystem."
Mr. Xu, volunteer consumer of China Mobile in Xiamen said: "With the integration of E-Tong Card to my mobile phone, I feel so convenient to make payment. It is cool! I hope it will be put into commercial use soon"
NFC is a contactless technology based on open interface and standard platform. Nokia is actively participated in the development of NFC Standards, and co-founded the NFC Forum with Philips and SONY.
With the development of NFC technology, mobile phone becomes a safe, convenient, speedy and fashionable payment instrument. NFC technology is compatible with current contactless smart card infrastructure, so there is no need for significant upfront investment on NFC technology.
NFC device can work under both active and passive mode. For active mode, NFC device can work as a reader and generate its own radio frequency field to identify and read smart card and tag. For passive mode, NFC device can emulate as a card or tag to be read. In this trial, NFC phones work under this passive mode. In addition, two NFC devices can set up communication very conveniently as long as they are close to each other (within 10cm).
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Xiamen, China - On 27th June 2006, Nokia and its collaborators, China Fujian Mobile Communications Co., Ltd., Xiamen Branch, Xiamen E-Tong Card Company Ltd., and Philips, announced the first NFC Mobile Payment Field Trial in China at Xiamen City, Fujian Province, China.
During the trial, one hundred of volunteer consumers of China Mobile in Xiamen will experience first hand the conviniences of mobile payment enabled by NFC technology. The consumers will use the NFC enabled Nokia 3220 mobile phones to make mobile payment through any point-of-sales covered by Xiamen E-Tong Card, including locations such as on the public transportation buses, ferry boats or at restaurants, movie theaters in Xiamen City.
E-Tong Card is a contactless transportation card, conforms to ISO 14443 Type A, compatible with Mifare. It has a volume of issuance of 800,000 in Xiamen City.
In addition to the standard E-Tong Card function, consumers can check their card balance and the last nine transaction records on their mobile phone display. They can also use their Nokia mobile phone to access a built-in, WAP-based website, to find out stores and venues that accept E-Tong Card and the interesting product or service information.
Mobile payment is one of the most welcomed emerging mobile applications. Market research in Shanghai, China by AC- Nielson in 2006 showed that over 80% of consumers are interested in the functional integration of city transportation cards and bank payment cards into mobile phone.
Nokia has launched the world first NFC enabled mobile phone, Nokia 3220, in April 2005. And the commercial trials using Nokia 3220 for mobile payment have been completed successfully in the U. S. A., Germany, and Malaysia.
Mr. Joseph Zheng, Director of NFC Consumer Solutions in China at Nokia Ventures Organization Asia, said: "Nokia is dedicated to innovations from technologies to applications and business models. The successful kick-off of the first NFC Mobile Payment Field Trial is very encouraging to all of us participating in the mobile payment value chain. It also demonstrates our confidence in the NFC technology and the new business model it enables. With the progress of NFC Mobile Payment Field Trial, there would be more types of mobile payment available, which will bring totally new user experiences for the mobile phone users in China, and create values for the whole mobile application ecosystem."
Mr. Xu, volunteer consumer of China Mobile in Xiamen said: "With the integration of E-Tong Card to my mobile phone, I feel so convenient to make payment. It is cool! I hope it will be put into commercial use soon"
NFC is a contactless technology based on open interface and standard platform. Nokia is actively participated in the development of NFC Standards, and co-founded the NFC Forum with Philips and SONY.
With the development of NFC technology, mobile phone becomes a safe, convenient, speedy and fashionable payment instrument. NFC technology is compatible with current contactless smart card infrastructure, so there is no need for significant upfront investment on NFC technology.
NFC device can work under both active and passive mode. For active mode, NFC device can work as a reader and generate its own radio frequency field to identify and read smart card and tag. For passive mode, NFC device can emulate as a card or tag to be read. In this trial, NFC phones work under this passive mode. In addition, two NFC devices can set up communication very conveniently as long as they are close to each other (within 10cm).
Send your comments and discuss.
Labels: business, china, malaysia, mobile, nfc, payment, rfid, technology
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Update on the EPCglobal Efforts in Asia: Fail or Prevail?
Friday, February 17, 2006
The promise of EPCglobal RFID standardisation and regulatory efforts to reduce the cost and complexity of RFID system integration is still far from reality, especially in Asia.
As an exclusive industry-driven group, EPCglobal Inc has an interest to push its own proprietary standard as a global standard for the benefit of its members. Despite of its emerging role in defining the roadmap for RFID standardisation in the Asian continent, the organisation has not yet succeeded to lobby the Chinese Government for adopting the EPCglobal's UHF Electronic Product Code (EPC) standards as its national standard. There is no official account on the EPCglobal's standardisation hardship in China, but it is widely known among the Chinese RFID players that the EPCglobal's standardisation effort in China has been a failure.
On the other hand, RFID Asia has received an information that the Indonesian Government has been successfully lobbied by the EPCglobal/GS1 Indonesia to allocate a frequency spectrum according to Electronic Product Code (EPC) specified frequencies. It is expected that the frequency regulation in Indonesia will become official by the middle of this year. There is no official report on the amount of monetary value spent by the organisation to achieve this goal.
Send your comments and discuss.
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As an exclusive industry-driven group, EPCglobal Inc has an interest to push its own proprietary standard as a global standard for the benefit of its members. Despite of its emerging role in defining the roadmap for RFID standardisation in the Asian continent, the organisation has not yet succeeded to lobby the Chinese Government for adopting the EPCglobal's UHF Electronic Product Code (EPC) standards as its national standard. There is no official account on the EPCglobal's standardisation hardship in China, but it is widely known among the Chinese RFID players that the EPCglobal's standardisation effort in China has been a failure.
On the other hand, RFID Asia has received an information that the Indonesian Government has been successfully lobbied by the EPCglobal/GS1 Indonesia to allocate a frequency spectrum according to Electronic Product Code (EPC) specified frequencies. It is expected that the frequency regulation in Indonesia will become official by the middle of this year. There is no official report on the amount of monetary value spent by the organisation to achieve this goal.
Send your comments and discuss.
Labels: china, epcglobal, indonesia, rfid, technology
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The first Gen2 project in Hong Kong and the South China region
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
UPM Rafsec, an RFID tag and inlay manufacturer, announced on Monday that it has entered into an agreement with Supply Chain and Logistics Technology Holdings Limited (SCL), a joint-venture of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), to deliver UPM Rafsec Gen 2 RFID tags. UPM Rafsec together with SCL will supply tags to Novetex Spinners Limited (Novetex), a single site woollen spinner, for the project that will mark the first Gen 2 RFID initiative in Hong Kong and the South China region.
The new RFID system being deployed for Novetex by SCL, consultant as well
as hardware & solution provider for the project will touch three different
processes in Novetex’s Zhuhai warehouse - the receiving process, cycle
counting and the delivery process. Novetex expects substantial enhancements in operating efficiency at its warehouse when the project is fully deployed.
Marcus Vaenerberg, Vice President Sales at UPM Rafsec, comments “We’re
extremely excited to be taking part in the first Gen 2 project in the
South China region. The technology is just starting to take hold here.
However this region is very dynamic. Our collaboration with SCL, an ideal
partner for us, will permit us to expand our presence significantly in
this rapidly growing market.”
Novetex’s complete RFID identification and tracking solution will go live
in early 2006.
Read more »
The new RFID system being deployed for Novetex by SCL, consultant as well
as hardware & solution provider for the project will touch three different
processes in Novetex’s Zhuhai warehouse - the receiving process, cycle
counting and the delivery process. Novetex expects substantial enhancements in operating efficiency at its warehouse when the project is fully deployed.
Marcus Vaenerberg, Vice President Sales at UPM Rafsec, comments “We’re
extremely excited to be taking part in the first Gen 2 project in the
South China region. The technology is just starting to take hold here.
However this region is very dynamic. Our collaboration with SCL, an ideal
partner for us, will permit us to expand our presence significantly in
this rapidly growing market.”
Novetex’s complete RFID identification and tracking solution will go live
in early 2006.
Labels: china, gen2, inlay, project, rfid, scm, tag, technology, tracking
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RFID ticketing application in Shanghai, China
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
The Ba-Shi Group, host of the Tennis Master Cup in Shanghai, China, through 2007, said Monday it has installed radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to prevent counterfeit ticketing.
After embedding Texas Instruments (TI) Inc's Tag-it HF-I ISO/IEC 15693 inlays into the tickets for sporting events, seat and section number, date and unique ID were encoded. This ticket will later be authenticated by a number of RFID readers installed at Shanghai Qi Zhong stadium's gates and several RFID handheld readers carried by the event staff inside the stadium. In addition, the ticket will also provide an option for spectators to pay for refreshments and merchandises.
Systems integrators who worked on the project include Shanghai HSIC Application System Co., Ltd., Shanghai Shenbo Intelligent ID Technology Co., Ltd., and Shanghai East Ticket Co., Ltd. Hua Shen supplied the stationary and handheld RFID readers. Tickets were printed using the CL408E-HF, 13.56 MHz ISO/IEC 15693 RFID printers from SATO Shanghai Co., Ltd.
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After embedding Texas Instruments (TI) Inc's Tag-it HF-I ISO/IEC 15693 inlays into the tickets for sporting events, seat and section number, date and unique ID were encoded. This ticket will later be authenticated by a number of RFID readers installed at Shanghai Qi Zhong stadium's gates and several RFID handheld readers carried by the event staff inside the stadium. In addition, the ticket will also provide an option for spectators to pay for refreshments and merchandises.
Systems integrators who worked on the project include Shanghai HSIC Application System Co., Ltd., Shanghai Shenbo Intelligent ID Technology Co., Ltd., and Shanghai East Ticket Co., Ltd. Hua Shen supplied the stationary and handheld RFID readers. Tickets were printed using the CL408E-HF, 13.56 MHz ISO/IEC 15693 RFID printers from SATO Shanghai Co., Ltd.
Labels: china, project, rfid, shanghai, tag, technology, ticketing
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RFID adoption in Asian maritime industry is heating up
Friday, October 28, 2005
EPCglobal and Maersk Logistics, a division of A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, are sponsoring an RFID project in south China in cooperation with the Hong Kong government.
It is expected that the implementation of RFID technology could reduce some paperwork, reduce cargo theft and prevent product counterfeiting by employing automatic data identification and collection facilitated by radio frequency technology.
The project is expected to begin later this year and end in December 2006, with findings from the pilot published in the following year.
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It is expected that the implementation of RFID technology could reduce some paperwork, reduce cargo theft and prevent product counterfeiting by employing automatic data identification and collection facilitated by radio frequency technology.
The project is expected to begin later this year and end in December 2006, with findings from the pilot published in the following year.
Labels: china, epcglobal, maritime, project, rfid, technology
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RFID research investment in Taiwan
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
After loosing its edge in IT product manufacturing to mainland China, Taiwan invests more in research and development to stay competitive.
Microsoft Taiwan is a good example how the high-tech industry in Taiwan invests in research and development. After producing an RFID prototype for postal service, the Microsoft Technology Center is now working on health care solutions using RFID technology.
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Microsoft Taiwan is a good example how the high-tech industry in Taiwan invests in research and development. After producing an RFID prototype for postal service, the Microsoft Technology Center is now working on health care solutions using RFID technology.
Labels: china, investment, research, rfid, taiwan, technology
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RFID South China Experience Center
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
In its company news dated August 19, 2005, it is announced that i-Emanate System Consulting and Lenx (Guangzhou) sign a cooperation agreement to build RFID South China Experience Center for the demonstration of RFID ticket management system, RFID in manufacturing assembly, RFID in warehouse ,Wal-mart's Mandate, RFID library ansd smart shelf. There is no detail information regarding the center, but from the illustration in the news, it looks like they are going to showcase their i-Emanate Middleware.
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Labels: china, experience, rfid, technology
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The Big Plan: After ASEAN, Europe and China
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Pentamaster Corp Bhd aims to tap the radio frequency identification (RFID) market in Asean this year, and later Europe and China. Jointly with RFID Solutions LLC, it plans to set up a centre of excellence for RFID technology in Bayan Lepas, Penang.
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Labels: asean, china, europe, rfid, technology
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Patent for RFID with human touch and vibration
Friday, July 15, 2005
RC Group (Holdings) announces that two additional patent applications relating to RFID hardware products and proprietary IP technology have been accepted by the State Intellectual Office ("SIO"), Peoples Republic of China.
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Labels: china, human, patent, rfid, technology, touch, vibration
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RFID Growth in China
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Growth in the radio-frequency-identification market in China is expected to reach $616 million by 2009, up from the $146 million the segment generated in 2004, a new analysis suggests.
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Labels: china, rfid, technology
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UPM Rafsec in China
Thursday, June 30, 2005
UPM Rafsec has partnered with Ubhitech, Vision Electronics and Best Technology in China on a non-exclusive basis.
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Labels: china, rfid, technology, upm
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White Paper Draft on Chinese RFID Policies
Sunday, June 26, 2005
A number of government departments are working on a white paper covering the development of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, which will make keeping track of products easier.
Zhang Zhiwen, an official from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), said yesterday at the third China International EPC/RFID Summit in Beijing that MOST and the other 13 government departments have finished a draft of the white paper on RFID technology policies.
"The biggest difficulty for the development and deployment of RFID in China is that we do not have a system," said Zhang.
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Zhang Zhiwen, an official from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), said yesterday at the third China International EPC/RFID Summit in Beijing that MOST and the other 13 government departments have finished a draft of the white paper on RFID technology policies.
"The biggest difficulty for the development and deployment of RFID in China is that we do not have a system," said Zhang.
Labels: china, policy, rfid, technology, tracking
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The First Electronic Pedigree System in Pharmaceutical Industry
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Purdue Pharma L.P. is working with Unisys Corp. and SupplyScape Corp. to implement a RFID pilot program and develop the pharmaceutical industry's first electronic pedigree system. One of the potential advantages of the electronic pedigree is keeping out counterfeit drugs such as the case of importing counterfeit Viagra from China in the United States last January.
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Labels: china, pedigree, pharmaceutical, rfid, technology
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Chinese Wumart Stores in Sync with the Nation's IT Development
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
The Chairman of Wumart Stores,Inc., the largest retail chain in Beijing, Dr. Zhang Wenzhong today spoke at the RFID China Forum that Chinese retailers have accelerated the application of information technology, while Wumart Stores has been taking the lead since its establishment in the early 90s.
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Labels: china, rfid, supermarket
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Northeast Asian Countries To Conduct Joint Experiments Of RFID Technology
Monday, April 18, 2005
In the wake of their agreement on standardizing radio frequency identification (RFID) search code, electronic commerce industry associations in Korea, China and Japan plan to start joint experiments of RFID technologies and tracebility in the first half of this year at the earliest.
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SAMSys teams with Tagistics on Chinese-supply-chain RFID system
Friday, April 15, 2005
SAMSys Technologies Inc. of Toronto is teaming with Hong Kong-headquartered Tagistics Corp. to provide an end-to-end system for radio frequency identification of goods from China.
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Labels: china, rfid, samsys, scm
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VeriSign in China
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
A long-term focus of VeriSign in China will be on the emerging radio frequency ID (RFID) technology. VeriSign, trying to shift its advantage from the Internet, is designated by the RFID standard organization EPCGlobal to manage the root Object Naming Service (ONS) for the EPCGlobal network.
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Labels: china, epcglobal, rfid, verisign
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China Works Out RFID Standards
Friday, March 04, 2005
The Chinese government and industries within China are working to develop RFID standards that are in line with specifications being used elsewhere in the world, representatives from the delegation told InformationWeek. "China will use EPCglobal and ISO standards, but with some modifications to satisfy special needs in China," said Qiang Bai, CTO at uniView Technologies.
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Labels: china, epcglobal, rfid, standard
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SPAR Group Enters China with Joint Venture Agreement
Thursday, February 17, 2005
SPAR Group is a diversified international marketing services company, providing a broad array of productivity enhancing in-store services including the use of RFID for in-store services to help Fortune 1000 companies and retailers improve their sales, operating efficiency and profits.
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China considers frequency standard
Thursday, January 27, 2005
China remains far from deciding its standard for radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, as the country is still evaluating the issue, but could decide the frequency as early as this year.
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Labels: china, frequency, rfid, standard
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Robots hit town, wearing Prada
Saturday, January 22, 2005
In late summer 2001, a patent filed by Victor Chu, a fashion technology product designer, showed an unusual label for a garment. Instead of plain embroidered washing instructions and whether the garment was made in China or Italy, Chu's labels included an electronic component - a liquid crystal display for showing information.
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Labels: china, prada, rfid, robot
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GE tests cargo container security system
Friday, January 21, 2005
GE's Security business and China International Marine Containers Group (CIMC) have completed a commercial field test of a cargo container secured with radio frequency identification (RFID) and sensor technology.
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Labels: business, cargo, china, container, ge, rfid, security
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