auto id-winter low

ISSN 1748-0396

Winter 2006

SPECIAL BREWDecreased downtime at BitburgerSPECIAL BREWDecreased downtime at Bitburger

SHAPING THE FUTURE RFID in the supply chain

MAKING IT MAINSTREAMEncouraging RFID adoption

SHAPING THE FUTURERFID in the supply chain

MAKING IT MAINSTREAMEncouraging RFID adoption

PLUS: All the latest scanning, printing, labelling, smartcard and biometrics developments

www.autoideurope.com

AID winter.qxd 30/11/06 11:50 pm

Europe: [email protected]+34 91 435 25 25 • UK: +44 1926 428746Asia-Pacifi c: asiasales@seagullscientifi c.com+886 2 3765 2440 • Japan: +81 3 5847 5780Headquarters (USA): [email protected]+1 425 641 1408 • 1 800 758 2001 (USA & Canada)

BarTender Comes in a Version that’s Right for You

Some label software users mainly care about easy design and fast

printing. More advanced users also need smooth integration with

shipping, manufacturing, inventory, and other supply chain software.

Fortunately, there’s a BarTender designed to fit your needs. The Basic

edition offers easy, stand-alone design and printing. The Professional

edition provides additional design features and

advanced access to numerous database platforms.

Industry-Leading Enterprise Power and RFID Support

The Enterprise and RFID Enterprise editions of BarTender deliver truly

powerful integration features, including functions especially for SAP

and Oracle. ActiveX Automation lets other Windows programs control

BarTender print jobs and the included Commander™ utility lets non-

Windows programs do it too. All editions are translated into 20+ languages.

To see how well BarTender fi ts your needs,

download a full-working Trial Edition today.

BarTender and Drivers by Seagull are trademarks of Seagull Scientific, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. Microsoft,Windows, and the Windows logo are trademarks, or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Does Your Label PrintingSoftware Fit Your Needs?


Winter 2006 AUTO ID EUROPE 3

ContentsAuto ID Europe is the only pan-Europeanmagazine with an exclusively channel circulationthat covers all aspects of automatic identificationand supply chain technology.

NatureEfficient

by BaracodaRoadRunners

“Designed for applicationswhere form factor, weight and autonomy are key”

1D & 2D Bluetooth Barcode Scanners

www.baracoda.comTechnical specifications may change without notice. Non contractual pictures.Bluetooth is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc; and used by Baracoda under license. Baracoda is a trademark of Baracoda SA © May, 2005.

Europe: [email protected]+34 91 435 25 25 • UK: +44 1926 428746Asia-Pacifi c: asiasales@seagullscientifi c.com+886 2 3765 2440 • Japan: +81 3 5847 5780Headquarters (USA): [email protected]+1 425 641 1408 • 1 800 758 2001 (USA & Canada)

BarTender Comes in a Version that’s Right for You

Some label software users mainly care about easy design and fast

printing. More advanced users also need smooth integration with

shipping, manufacturing, inventory, and other supply chain software.

Fortunately, there’s a BarTender designed to fit your needs. The Basic

edition offers easy, stand-alone design and printing. The Professional

edition provides additional design features and

advanced access to numerous database platforms.

Industry-Leading Enterprise Power and RFID Support

The Enterprise and RFID Enterprise editions of BarTender deliver truly

powerful integration features, including functions especially for SAP

and Oracle. ActiveX Automation lets other Windows programs control

BarTender print jobs and the included Commander™ utility lets non-

Windows programs do it too. All editions are translated into 20+ languages.

To see how well BarTender fi ts your needs,

download a full-working Trial Edition today.

BarTender and Drivers by Seagull are trademarks of Seagull Scientific, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. Microsoft,Windows, and the Windows logo are trademarks, or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Does Your Label PrintingSoftware Fit Your Needs?

EDITORIAL5 Talking the Same Language

Chris Love

Without the right scanner, bar-

codes are just an impenetrable

jumble of black and white lines.

With the right scanner, they

provide invaluable information.

FEATURE6 RFID Shapes Our Future

Alan Laidlaw

In this article, the author

speculates on the implications

and future development of RFID

and the label industry in the

supply chain.

FEATURE12 Entering the Mainstream:

Encouraging Widespread

Adoption of RFID

Larry Klimczyk

RFID promises significant bottom

line benefits; yet, it is still consid-

ered by many to lack the plug

and play maturity that managers

have come to expect from their

technology tools.

CASE STUDY16 Reliable, Rapid Printing of

Bitburger Labels

Herbert Dahmen

The implementation of

SATO label printers and LAN

connectivity led to a significant

reduction in downtime at the

Bitburger brewery in Germany.

42 Suppliers Open All Hours for

Supply Chain Knowledge

Data standards body commis-

sions research into technology

use in small grocery suppliers.

44 Four Major Drivers to Grow Active

RFID Market

Key growth to come from Real

Time Locating Systems and

disposable RFID sensor systems.

SMART CARD SOLUTIONS46 Winning Smart Cards

Sagem Orga given two

‘D’ucoty Awards’ in Malaysia.

47 Security is Paramount for Plastic

Card Printing

The need for secure plastic cards

and scratch card printing sees

many companies adopting

Tele-Pak, Inc. technology.

BIOMETRIC SOLUTIONS48 Unisys Australia Signs Biometrics

and Identity Management

Contract with DIMA

Fingerprint scanning and facial

recognition technologies will be

employed to strengthen border

security.

50 Next Generation Biometrics

New palm reader marks the next

step in the evolution of contact-

less biometric technology.

SCANNING SOLUTIONS20 Five Things You Never Knew You

Could Do with a Handheld

Scanner

Hand Held Products unveils a list

of unusual ways to use data

collection devices.

21 Unitech Sets Its Sights on the

Warehousing Market

The HT660 opens up new market

opportunities for Unitech in scan-

intensive applications.

22 Psion Teklogix Appoints New

Premier Partner in Auto ID

BEC (Systems Integration) Ltd

joins exclusive Premier

Partnership programme.

24 Geomagic and Z Corporation

Join Forces

Studio software and ZScanner

700 provide comprehensive

rapid prototyping.

PRINTING SOLUTIONS26 Walkers Midshire Beef Up

Production with Toshiba Printers

Functional and robust, the B-SA4

industrial barcode printer meets

high volume printing demands.

27 Extech Printers Meet Product

Performance Standards

Two-inch, three-inch and four-

inch portable printers gain new

compliance certification.

28 Printronix Furthers Global Sales

with Ingram Micro’s Nimax

Division

Extensive distribution network

puts printer systems into the

heart of supply chains.

30 Green Zebra Printers to Run

Unleaded

Thermal printers compliant with

EU directive for Restriction of

Hazardous Substances.

LABELLING SOLUTIONS32 Continued Worldwide Success for

Aerosol Test Labeller

Unique machine continues to be

in demand from international

pharmaceutical companies.

34 PRISYM Labelling Software

Sparkles for F. Hinds

A UK jewellers gets a ‘one-stop-

shop’ solution for its labelling and

ticketing requirements.

35 New Portable Matrix Express

In-Line Labeller

Unmatched speed, precision and

versatility is offered by the Matrix

Express.

36 Winning Solution for Music and

Media Distribution

NetDespatch Velocity is being

used to manage deliveries for

some major promotional

campaigns.

RFID SOLUTIONS38 Texas Instruments Announces

Availability of EPCglobal Certified

Generation 2 RFID Silicon

Advanced design improves chip

performance to ease supply

chain RFID adoption.


AUTO ID EUROPE Winter 20064 Editorial

Publisher endeavours to collect and include complete, correct and current information in Auto ID Europe, but does notwarrant that any or all of such information is complete, correct or current. Publisher does not assume, and hereby dis-claims, any liability to any person or entity for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions of any kind, whetherresulting from negligence, accident or any other cause. If you do notice any error, we would appreciate if you wouldbring such error to our attention.

Auto ID Europe does not verify any claims or other information appearing in any of the advertisements contained in thepublication, and cannot take any responsibility for any losses or other damages incurred by readers in reliance on suchcontent.

Copyright © 2006, Via Media Ltd All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced ortransmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including by photocopy, recording or information storageand retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Send permission request in writing to Permissions Department, Auto ID Europe, Fax +44 870 487 3469.

Authorisation to photocopy items for internal or personal use, or the internal or personal use of specific clients, is granted forlibraries and other users registered with the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P 0LP, UK.

Transformyour tradingwith Via TraderCutting edge technologyalongside traders withproven track records.

Sign up for yourfree 5 day trial today.

Imagine you are tracking the great in-the-know traders as theymake big gains time and again. Follow them as they employthe most powerful algorithmic trading technology used by theexperts to deliver killer results today.

Whether you are a complete novice, a frustrated amateur or aseasoned pro, a day trader or long term investor, with Via Traderyou will be on the road to a safer, effortless way of trading.

For successful, confident trading and investing, there is only one tip. Via Trader.

Don’t just track the markets, track the successful traders.

EDITORIAL

Editorial director

Kevin Robinson

[email protected]

Tel. +44 1392 202 591

Managing director

Simon Jones

[email protected]

Tel. +44 20 7096 7179

ART

Graphic design, ad materials,

print and production

Jason Regan

[email protected]

Tel. +44 20 8876 1788

SALES ANDMARKETING TEAM

European Sales Manager

Robert Fulwell

[email protected]

Tel. +44 20 7096 7184

Marketing

Clare Picone

[email protected]

Tel. +44 20 7096 7187

Reprints of articles are available

(500 minimum).

CIRCULATION

Circulation manager

[email protected]

Tel . +44 20 7096 7184

Auto ID Europe is free to qualified readers.

To subscribe

Professionals working within the industries we

cover may receive Auto ID Europe free of charge

on completion of a registration card. Individuals

in other industries or countries may purchase a

year’s subscription by sending a cheque for £80

to Auto ID Europe,

Via Media Ltd, Oak House Mews,

43 The Parade, Claygate, Surrey KT10 0PD, UK.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any

form without permission.

VIA MEDIA LIMITED

Managing director

Simon Jones

[email protected]

Tel. +44 20 7096 7179

Editorial director

Kevin Robinson

[email protected]

Tel. +44 1392 202 591

Finance administrator

Catherine Swainson

[email protected]

Tel. +44 20 7096 7178

Registered Office: Via Media Ltd, Oak House

Mews 43 The Parade, Claygate, Surrey KT10 0PD,

UK.

ISSN: 1748-0396


Winter 2006 AUTO ID EUROPE 5Editorial

EditorialTalking the Same Language

Coded information on packaging

— not just barcodes — has the

potential to provide a wealth of

information. But, if there’s no

internationally understood

language, the whole system falls

apart.

A common protocol for barcodes

in grocery retail means that goods

can move seamlessly from

manufacturer to distribution depot

to store. Compare this with the

food service sector, where there are

far more players and many different

routes to market. Manufactured

products can go direct to

restaurants, fast food outlets and

pub groups, or pass through

wholesale, cash and carry or central

distribution depots.The industry

has been crying out for a common

language — and it is now on the

brink of achieving it.

In the UK, OFSCI, the Optimum

Foodservice Supply Chain Initiative,

has given its backing to GS1, a non-

profit-making organization that has

developed a global language for

business, which includes elements

that are key for food service players

created by OFSCI.

OFSCI has worked with GS1 to

create standards and a language for

expressing allergens, the types of

diet that a product is suitable for,

the serving size, preparation and so

on, and these will be incorporated

into the Global Data

Synchronization Network (GSDN)

later this year.These standards

provide a means of expressing

accurate product information using

one common language right across

the supply chain.What’s more, they

mean that any player in the food

service industry, large or small, has a

set of off-the-shelf standards

relevant to their business — which

they can use straight away.

A further benefit of GDSN is that

suppliers will have a choice of code

provider they decide to go with —

they are not tied to a particular

provider. UDEX, which is a familiar

name in food service, has said it will

become GDSN certified by January

2007 — and there are dozens of

global suppliers already adhering

to GDSN standards.

Chris Love, chairman of the OFSCI

advisory board, explained:“We’ve

already said we endorse GDSN and

now is a good time to reiterate our

support.We’ll continue to talk to UK

food service companies during the

coming month, to make sure that

everyone is on board.We’re also

hoping that this will be the catalyst

for more companies to join OFSCI

— we’re very close to realizing

significant savings in the supply

chain for members.”

Leading retailers Asda,Tesco and

Makro have also endorsed GDSN

and are aiming to implement the

standards in 2006/07. For more

information, log onto www.gs1.org

or www.ofsci.org.uk.

“We’re veryclose to realizing

significantsavings in the

supply chain.”

Without the right scanner, barcodes are just an impenetrable jumble ofblack and white lines. With the right scanner, they provide invaluableinformation about what the product is, who made it and when — andmuch more besides.

Chris Love

Chairman

OFSCI Advisory Board

www.ofsci.org.uk


AUTO ID EUROPE Winter 20066

Auto ID EuropeRFID Shapes Our Future

A trip to the supermarket in the

future could hold a few surprises

for the man or woman of 2006.

Imagine the scene.To begin with,

there are no checkout staff. After all,

your shopping is automatically read

and your credit account debited.

More efficient stock control and

logistics means that there are no

irritating spaces on the shelves,

goods reach them faster — and

fresher — and can carry much

more information that you, the

customer, can access directly.

Intelligent shelves and products

with intelligent labels mean that

nothing you buy is ever out of date.

Prices of products with short sell-by

dates automatically reduce

themselves and tell staff to remove

them if their expiry date is reached.

If you want to check this, and also

make sure the product you’re about

to buy is authentic, you can use

your mobile phone to scan the item.

Customers are alerted to offers as

they walk past.You can even be

reminded to buy something on

your usual grocery list or items that

complement the ones you already

have in your basket — cream to go

with the strawberries or crackers to

accompany the cheese, for

example. If the personal shopping

record you accrue is linked to other

information about you, maybe

you’re warned not to buy a product

because of your nut allergy

The extra information RFID

provides means that suppliers are

more able to match their

production to customer needs. In

the case of fresh or short-life

products in particular, more

efficient distribution made possible

by RFID means faster time to shelf,

less waste regarding products

becoming out of date, less wasted

packaging and a subsequent

reduction in costs that feeds

through to the price you pay.

Behind the scenes, pallet labels

for goods in the supply chain are

rewritten throughout their journey

and if any chilled or frozen goods

are exposed to higher

temperatures, the message is

passed on and the labels on them

Alan Laidlaw speculates on the implications and future developmentof RFID in the supply chain

changed to show warnings. All this

will be possible with RFID and the

related labelling technologies that

are developing alongside it, but it’s

not necessarily going to be RFID, or

indeed labelling, as we know it

today. Apart from the technical

aspects shaping the shopping

environment of the future, there are

ethical issues too, and the reaction

of the public to the changing

shopping experience. However,

whatever new form retailing — and

the supply chain that feeds it —

takes, RFID will be a contributing

technology.

Alan Laidlaw is Group Sales

Director for Norprint and the

Magnadata Group.

The world’s foremost gathering of RFID practitioners

J. Craig CastoGlobal Leader, RFID, GPS & AutoID TechnologyDow Chemical CompanyUSA

Ian RobertsonDirector of IndustryDevelopmentEPCglobal IncUSA

Philippe Gautier Chief Information OfficerBenedictaFrance

Gerald SantucciHead of Unit, ICT for EnterpriseNetworkingDG Information Society &Media, European CommissionBelgium

Andrew RichmondEuropean Associate DirectorCommercial DistributionPfizer EuropeUK

Book your place now at Global RFID ROI 2007 by quoting the special codeAID1 on the booking form at www.rfid-roi.com or telephone +44 (0) 20 7940 7066

Simon LangfordDirector of RFID Strategy andTransportation SystemsWal-MartUSA

29th & 30th January 2007 - ExCeL, London, UK

Researched and produced by Access Events International – a division of World Trade Group

Featuring the unique speed dating for business system. Accelerate networking and the deal-making process bytaking pre-scheduled business meetings with fellow delegates and leading suppliers. Visit the website for more details

• Realising the ultimate goal for RFID and ROI achievements • Achieving ROI in the short term: is this viable?• Creating the right business architecture for RFID to maximise ROI• Choosing the right solutions and comparing implementation costs • Overcoming RFID privacy issues and the implications for integration• Fine tuning frequencies and their standards - applying Gen 2 and understanding the future for item-level tagging

HOT TOPICS FOR 2007 INCLUDE:

Sponsorsinclude:

WORLD CLASS SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

www.rfid-roi.com

Auto ID mag 225_297 27/10/06 11:14 Page 1AID winter.qxd 30/11/06 11:54 pm

The world’s foremost gathering of RFID practitioners

J. Craig CastoGlobal Leader, RFID, GPS & AutoID TechnologyDow Chemical CompanyUSA

Ian RobertsonDirector of IndustryDevelopmentEPCglobal IncUSA

Philippe Gautier Chief Information OfficerBenedictaFrance

Gerald SantucciHead of Unit, ICT for EnterpriseNetworkingDG Information Society &Media, European CommissionBelgium

Andrew RichmondEuropean Associate DirectorCommercial DistributionPfizer EuropeUK

Book your place now at Global RFID ROI 2007 by quoting the special codeAID1 on the booking form at www.rfid-roi.com or telephone +44 (0) 20 7940 7066

Simon LangfordDirector of RFID Strategy andTransportation SystemsWal-MartUSA

29th & 30th January 2007 - ExCeL, London, UK

Researched and produced by Access Events International – a division of World Trade Group

Featuring the unique speed dating for business system. Accelerate networking and the deal-making process bytaking pre-scheduled business meetings with fellow delegates and leading suppliers. Visit the website for more details

• Realising the ultimate goal for RFID and ROI achievements • Achieving ROI in the short term: is this viable?• Creating the right business architecture for RFID to maximise ROI• Choosing the right solutions and comparing implementation costs • Overcoming RFID privacy issues and the implications for integration• Fine tuning frequencies and their standards - applying Gen 2 and understanding the future for item-level tagging

HOT TOPICS FOR 2007 INCLUDE:

Sponsorsinclude:

WORLD CLASS SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

www.rfid-roi.com

Auto ID mag 225_297 27/10/06 11:14 Page 1AID winter.qxd 30/11/06 11:54 pm

AUTO ID EUROPE Winter 20068 Feature

RFID goods labelling, as we all

know, is producing a label with an

RFID chip that’s cheap enough to

allow individual item pricing, even

on low value and commodity

goods, the Holy Grail being the two

cent label. Don’t hold your breath,

we’re not there yet! This elusive

goal is getting nearer, however, it

could be here in 5–10 years,

depending on whose predictions

you believe.

Supporting technologies are

another important, and often

limiting, factor. All the extra data

RFID can access, from the location

of a pallet, to variations in its

environment are only as good as

the technology that integrates it

into existing enterprise systems,

usually not designed to cope with

all this extra functionality.Without

this effective interface, the potential

added benefits of RFID won’t be

realized.

Reluctance

There is a natural reluctance to

commit to the RFID path until all

these variables are resolved and

reconciled. Some of us are still

looking over each other’s shoulders

Adidas have been successful in

harnessing RFID to help outwit the

fraudsters and tackle the escalating

problem of counterfeiting.With the

production of many branded

goods taking place in the Far East,

illegal surpluses, which don’t carry

the additional costs of licence fees

and royalties, can be marketed

more cheaply and passed off as

originals. Although barcodes can

offer some protection from

counterfeiters, most of this relies on

visual identification, or intelligent

middleware for item-level

authentication. A key advantage of

RFID chips is that they contain a

unique, hard-coded identifier,

which is generated at point of

manufacture.This code uniquely

identifies the tag and hence any

item carrying this tag could be

checked against a manufacturer’s

inventory for validity. If tags are

subsequently killed at point of sale,

or the inventory updated to

indicate tag usage, manufacturers

can be sure that a product

containing a valid tag ID is an

authentic product.

The sticking point to wider and

more general implementation of

Faster Take-Up

Of course, we’ve all been waiting

for the promised RFID revolution to

really ‘take-off’ in the way that

barcodes did. RFID technology take

up in Europe is growing at a

significant pace within food

retailing, mainly spurred on by the

mandates from big US players.

Although the requirements of

FMCG companies are driving the

use of RFID pallet tags, RFID

tagging at an individual product

level has been much slower in

implementation. Not surprisingly, it

is happening more quickly at the

high value end of the market,

where the advantages for product

security and authentication

outweigh the additional cost for

the individual label. In the US, for

example, pharmaceutical

companies already use RFID

technology to help verify the

integrity of their products, and in

the UK, dispensing chemists are

combining barcode and RFID

technologies to help prevent the

dispensing of counterfeit, stolen or

recalled medicines.

There are high profile cases

wherein big name brands such as


ADVERTISING FEATURE ADVERTISING FEATURE ADVERTISING FEATURE ADVERTISING FEATURESeagull Scientific Europe, Inc.C/Conde de Aranda, 14–4°-DchaE-28001 Madrid, SpainTel. +34 91 435 2525Fax +34 91 578 0506Email [email protected] www.seagullscientific.com

A History of Innovation with Label SoftwareFounded in 1985, Seagull Scientific is headquartered in Seattle, USA, a hub of high technology innovation and resources, especially forsoftware. Seagull has long been a major, pioneering force in labelsoftware. It delivered the first true Windows printer drivers for industriallabel printers and the first Windows-based label software for suchprinters. Today, Seagull is the world’s largest developer of Windowsdrivers for thermal printers and its industry-leading BarTender softwarebrand is recognized around the world.

International Solutions and SupportSeagull’s software has been translated into more than 20 languages. To support a worldwide client base, Seagull maintains a European office in Madrid, Spain; USA offices in Seattle and New Jersey; andAsia-Pacific offices in Taiwan and Japan. All offices provide salesfunctions and most offer same-day shipping and free technical support.

Outstanding Reseller SupportSeagull sells mostly through a network of well-supported resellers.Drop-shipping is available at no extra cost and free tech support is provided both to resellers and registered end-users. Resellers receivefree brochures (available in many languages) to redistribute, as well assupporting digital artwork.

Extending Windows Power Across the EnterpriseSeagull has invested heavily in integration with enterprise and supplychain management software running on both Windows and non-Windows platforms. ODBC and OLE DB data access capabilities support import from nearly every major database platform. Support isalso provided for SAP IDocs and Oracle XML label requests. BarTender’s ActiveX Automation capabilities go a step further, allowingother Windows programs to directly launch and control BarTender. And Seagull’s Commander utility allows non-Windows programs to“trigger” BarTender print jobs just by placing a data file on the network(or sending an e-mail).

Supporting RFID “Smart Labels”The availability of programmable radio frequency tags in otherwiseconventional labels is one of the most exciting new labelling developments in years. Seagull is a leader in software for RFID “smart” labelling, supporting numerous RFID standards available in printersfrom the world’s leading manufacturers.

SAP-Certified Interface BarTender is the only label program with an SAP-certified interface for thedirect reading of SAP “IDoc” files without any conversion or translation.

Microsoft Certified Windows CompatibilitySeagull Scientific is a Microsoft-certified partner and BarTender is Microsoft-certified as “Designed for Windows.” That means a simple installation users can do themselves and a familiar “look and feel” thatmakes learning fast. System administration is easy too, because thetrue Windows “Drivers by Seagull” printing architecture requires noproprietary add-on “print managers,” dedicated print servers ornon-standard networking configuration.

High-Speed Label Printing with “Drivers by Seagull”Although Seagull’s true Windows printer drivers can be used by anystandard Windows program, they provide “enhanced” commands especially designed to give BarTender access to high speed printer features Windows does not otherwise support. These include printer-based barcodes, serialization and the automatic download and reuseof repeating label parts.

Specialists in Label SoftwareWith more than 55 employees, Seagull Scientific is dedicated solely tothe development and growth of its BarTender label printing softwareand Windows printer drivers, and the integration of these products withenterprise and supply chain software.

Winter 2006 AUTO ID EUROPE 9Advertising Feature

AID winter.qxd 1/12/06 11:05 am

to see whether it’s worth taking the

plunge; however, the benefits being

experienced by the earlier adopters

are stacking up.

RFID, as it evolves, will

complement barcodes.When

everything is in place to take full

advantage of RFID technology, the

extra benefits throughout the

supply chain will be huge, and it’s

worth reminding ourselves about

some of them.To begin with, the

labels themselves are less sensitive

to dirt, water and other

environmental conditions.They can

be read more quickly than a

barcode and out of line of sight.

Because items don’t have to be

separated, they can be read while

moving on a conveyor or passing

through a loading bay. Manual

intervention will be substantially

reduced, making greater

automation possible. Although the

unit label price is unlikely to come

down to anything like that of

barcode labels, the additional cost

savings and system improvements,

and the extra information and

control options that RFID offers, will

more than compensate for the

extra costs.

Outside the retail supply chain,

RFID is being taken up more

use and many advantages of this

technology.

Label Science

Looking at the typical RFID tag, it is

easy to think in terms of the chip,

but the composition of the rest of

the label or tag has proved, and will

continue to prove, to be just as

important.The paper or plastic, and

especially the adhesive, have to be

up to the job.There are many in the

auto ID sector today, involved in the

specification and development of

RFID products who, while having a

thorough understanding of RFID

technologies, and all the

implications, have only a sketchy

understanding of the fast-changing

science of label manufacture.

Innovation has to be, and is, key in

label manufacture.The challenge

for the label industry is to work

hand in hand with RFID developers

— the whole is greater than the

sum of the parts

In the meantime, with the usual

inventiveness the label business is

known for, many of the practical

operational problems first

encountered as RFID labelling went

live have been overcome. Read

ranges were affected by the metal

on wire cages or the products

themselves, for example, so we

devised materials and techniques

that would overcome it — even

finding ways of using the metal to

boost the signal.

Modern and developing label

technologies are, on a daily basis,

further extending the use of RFID

into other areas. After all, we have

label materials and adhesives that

can withstand all kinds of extreme

and hazardous conditions.

Combined with the many label

manufacturing and printing

techniques developed to enhance

product integrity and security, RFID,

as we have seen, is being able to

prove its worth as a much wider

technology than simply product

tracking.

Future Technologies

Looking ahead, it’s in the field of

label materials and printing that we

are likely to see a raft of intelligent

Although theunit label priceis unlikely tocome down toanything likethat of barcodelabels, theadditional costsavings andsystemimprovements,and the extrainformation andcontrol optionsthat RFIDoffers, will morethancompensate forthe extra costs.


quickly in a number of diverse

areas.These include various mass

transit or stadium events, airline

baggage, passports, postal services

and libraries, as well as financial

services, healthcare and the

tracking of animals. Of course, it’s

easier to develop new concepts

and be innovative in a closed loop

environment than it is to define

protocols and interoperability in a

wider world such as global

distribution chains. However,

experience in these areas will, in

turn, feedback into manufacturing

and logistics as familiarity and

imagination combine to extend the


products coming into more general

use.These include the evolution of

more Smart Active Labels (SALs)

such as those recording

temperature changes and even the

non-chip RFID labels. Also much

talked about, and already

becoming accessible, are chipless

RFID products, which can include

printed antennae, batteries, sensors,

transistors and circuitry, which will

make it possible to produce RFID

tags at a fraction of current prices.

In fact, its possible that these

technologies will ‘leapfrog’ the

current embedded RFID chip

technology.

Flexible electronic displays or e-

paper is, in effect, a computer

screen that can be updated and

rewritten during its lifetime and so

used again and again.This light,

thin, flexible, detachable — even

disposable — product is also likely

to influence the future role of RFID.

To take one example, as goods,

perhaps pallets, are transported, the

label is read and changed remotely

before being wiped clean to start

again.This reuse element makes

the label price much less sensitive.

Intelligent shelves, mentioned

earlier, able to read and interpret

RFID signals, are already a practical

reality. In the decades to come,

several of these techniques will be

combined and their potential for

transforming our working and

private lives is incalculable.This

brings us back to the initial scenario

of the supermarket of tomorrow.

‘Joined up’ RFID and new smart

technologies makes possible a

whole Brave New World where

everybody and everything can in

theory be tracked remotely,

warned, reminded, encouraged,

assisted, protected and priced. How

much of this we will permit and the

associated issues of ethics and

privacy are likely to be exercising

the minds of the business world for

generations to come.

The label industry is a critical

partner in the realization of the

RFID technologies of ‘tomorrow’s

world.’ One prediction we can be

sure of is that our expertise will

have helped to shape that future.

Winter 2006 AUTO ID EUROPE 11Feature



Entering the Mainstream:Encouraging Widespread Adoptionof RFID

Proven Benefits

The advantages of RFID compared

with the barcode have been stated,

although barcoding’s chief

advantage still stands; it is

incredibly cheap to produce.

However, RFID’s benefits, such as

non-line-of-sight reading, the ability

to read multiple tags at once, the

ability to store information on the

back of a tag, the ability to

consolidate a lot of information in a

very small physical space, the ability

to combine this information with

telemetry information, such as

temperature, and the ability to read

at distance are making some

headway towards creating cost-

effective solutions for enterprise.

A good example is the San

Francisco airport that implemented

RFID in its baggage handling

system.When deciding on the

solution, it found that the optical

option planned was problematic

because of the necessity of line-of-

sight barcode reading.With no

fixed position of the baggage, the

optical system would have had to

be able to scan barcodes from any

orientation as the bag moved

along the conveyor. In fact, owing

to this single complication, the RFID

solution implemented turned out

to be ten times cheaper than the

optical system would have been.

There has been much

speculation regarding the

advantages of adopting RFID. In

fact, many early adopters claim that

they are already seeing a return on

their investment. Companies such

as Kraft, HP and Walmart are all

seeing different benefits from its

use. RFID solutions can address

many specific engineering and

technical issues, but there is no one

size fits all solution — and all but

the simplest solutions will require

specific engineering.

Gartner predicts that RFID will

enter mainstream business in the

next 2 years for the early majority.

Those likely to benefit soonest will

RFID promises significant bottom line benefits; yet, take-up has beenslower than predicted. New developments are leading to morewidespread adoption but it is still considered by many to lack the plugand play maturity that so many managers have come to expect fromtheir technology tools.

consist primarily of organizations in

the transport logistics, supply chain

management, asset management

and security fields.The first of these

groups is likely to be field service

(service level adherence, inspection

compliance, high value asset

utilization and location) where

integrating RFID solutions into

existing IT infrastructures will allow

companies such as Tyco (fire

equipment servicing specialists) to

perform asset management/

visibility functions for assets in the

field. Others such as Chubb could

use RFID for additional benefits in

security patrols to confirm proof of

site inspection.

As the cost of tag technology

comes down, we see third party

logistics companies and express

couriers using RFID, adding greater

depth of information when

integrated with mobile delivery

tracking software. At this stage, only

the biggest players such as DHL

have been actively pursuing this

Larry Klimczyk

Managing Director, Blackbay

Tel. +44 870 766 2831

www.blackbay.com

Auto ID Europe Feature



practice in planning

implementation, by going through

a selection process and piloting. A

higher level of integration into

handheld devices will be expected,

such as into phones and PDAs.

Segment-Specific Requirements:

The availability of readers in

configurations specific to market

segments is also lacking. In areas

such as transport logistics where

readers need to be lightweight,

robust and work all day, suitable

devices are hard to come by and

are not always available in the

frequency band for that particular

region.The successful vendors will

be those that are able to offer a

retrofit approach, meaning

companies don't have to

completely refit their handheld

enterprises commit to learning

about how RFID can be used in

their business.There is now a lot of

case study information available

and there are a number of useful

forums for companies wanting to

critique their applications. However

there is still an understandable

desire amongst most businesses to

know how and why this

technology applies specifically to

their business.This is accompanied

by a ‘see it before you believe it’

attitude; something we, as

providers of this technology, must

be able to demonstrate.

Geographical and Political:

Unfortunately, one size doesn't fit

all applications when it comes to

RFID.This leads to debates

concerning the frequency of usage,

the read range and the need for

active (battery powered) or passive

tags.There are considerable

regional variations regarding

accepted frequencies.This means

that vendors have to design for a

number of frequencies which

delays time to market for pan-

global offerings from a single

vendor.This should not be a

problem if all readers are

interoperable, and that is the

challenge to standards bodies; to

put in place the certification

processes that are robust enough

to ensure interoperability.The

reality is that for some time to

come, solutions will need to be

engineered according to the

project’s specific requirements —

and that in itself prevents the plug

and play expectation and, by

implication, low cost.

China remains a big obstacle.The

lack of decision in China on

available frequencies seems

problematic and may involve

geopolitical and technical issues.

Harmonization of standards initially

generated in the US needs to be

ratified by ISO and other globally

recognized standards bodies to get

late adopting countries to opt in. It

may fall to vendors or integrators in

conjunction with industry and

standards-driven education bodies

to resolve this by encouraging best

technology — DHL ship one billion

packages per year and have stated

that they will tag every package by

2015.

Barriers to Adoption

Demonstrable Returns: So why

haven’t we seen a more rapid take-

up of RFID? There are a number of

factors currently inhibiting the

widespread adoption of RFID; the

most common being risk aversion,

stemming from a lack of

knowledge and market education.

There is certainly a lack of

understanding amongst the

executive management of the

benefits that this technology can

provide whilst, at the same time,

there is a fear of potentially

spiralling costs.The cost of

implementing a solution is still

high. Until recently, the cost of tags

has been a major prohibitory factor,

although this is improving rapidly.

Many organizations also feel that

they can’t afford a major trial that

could run into many thousands of

pounds.The reality is, however, that

businesses can purchase a basic

developer kit for as little as £500.

Also missing is a lack of point

expertise in application systems

integration that is affordable to the

masses. In other words, SME type

companies are looking for tried and

tested solutions to roll out that

include a degree of integration into

their own business for a reasonable

price. Another barrier to adoption is

a lack of clear return on investment.

However, the adventurous

companies have determined that

the ROI will no doubt appear, they

just need to try it out and answer

two important questions: what can

RFID do for the business and, most

importantly, what business

processes are they prepared to

change to maximize the

opportunity? Those companies that

don't address the second question

will not make the most of it and will

end up waiting until there is a

larger majority of users, thus losing

any potential competitive

advantage.

Implementation and training are

rapidly improving as the larger

Larry Klimczyk



technology to start investigating

RFID projects.This can be done

through leveraging wireless

technology such as Bluetooth to

take advantage of a reasonable

penetration of devices in handheld

PDAs today.

In many ways, the issue lies less

in the technology itself and more in

what you do with the information

provided by the solution. RFID

offers something unique in that

information can be held with the

asset or item that is tagged.What is

stopping some companies is a lack

of standardization around the

language used to describe items in

their industry, be it pharma-

ceuticals, forestry, animals or even

dental records. So, for some

companies who have not had

good success with e-commerce,

they will wait for standards that are

adopted to describe objects in their

environment adequately.

There are a number of

organizations that are addressing

these issues. RFID vendors such as

Alien, Intermec and Symbol are

assisting on the technical aspects

of implementing solutions and

provide training to technical levels

on their hardware. Standards

bodies such as EPCGlobal are

establishing compliance testing

methodologies and relationships

with certification bodies to ensure

interoperability across vendor



offerings.The specialist media is

also a major driver of awareness,

providing directory listings,

backgrounders and useful

resources for those looking at

application specific solutions.Test

laboratories such as Odin

Technologies are helping to qualify

technical solutions. Finally, there is a

raft of specialist software solution

providers such as Xterprise,

Oatsystems and RFCode operating

alongside consultancies such as

Manhattan Associates.

Consumer Concerns: There are

some reasonable privacy concerns

as consumer data can be

associated with tags, leading to

consumer apprehension that they

can be tracked with RFID

technology. Privacy advocates see

the potential here for companies to

be able to track consumers long

after they purchase an item; for

example, a sports manufacturer

could scan a sporting event for the

number of people wearing its

products, although standards

bodies and tag vendors are

working together towards methods

that can mitigate these risks.

A lot of these barriers are being

broken down by concerted activity

from standards bodies and the

manufacturers themselves.

Consumer education will be vital to

prevent the perception of a Big

Brother-like technology, but there’s

already a lot of work being done by

consumer groups and lobbyists to

achieve this. In addition to

standards bodies working with

consumer rights organizations to

draw up codes of practice for RFID

usage, we are finding that

significant effort is being made by

retailers to educate shoppers

around the technology. Of note is

the work in marketing the

technology by Metro group in their

Future store in Germany.There is a

lot of education required but these

issues are by no means

insurmountable.

Encouraging Adoption

So, what next? The most important

question to ask ourselves is not

whether RFID technology will be

around or not in the coming years,

but how well will businesses adapt

the processes to make better use of

the data and information this

technology enables.The

technology itself is expected to

become ubiquitous. My feeling is

that it will not be so for a long time,

but will come into mainstream

usage within 2 years for the early

majority. It will be a fully established

technology with global standards

in place and, increasingly, larger

companies will demand suppliers

tag deliveries — this is already a

requirement for Walmart’s top 100

suppliers.To gain competitive

advantage from this, companies

should start to think now about

how to best use this technology to

transform their business processes.

There are ways to test this

technology without investing in a

major trial implementation — you

can get hold of a developer kit for

as little as £500 now.The basic kit is

based on mature RFID technology.

This allows companies that are

aware of the technology to

experiment with the possibility

with no financial risk to the

business.

Without any software

development, it’s possible to start

using it simply by creating some

web pages that you can use with a

standard web browser. It’s also

possible, with some basic code, to

integrate it into your applications.

As the technology matures, we’ll

also see further developer kits

based on the more advanced UHF

frequencies.

These tools allow IS managers to

explore RFID scenarios with a view

to engaging a more substantial

solution as the benefits of this

technology become apparent. It

demonstrates how RFID can be

retrofitted into a mobile enterprise

solution relatively simply.This

approach is particularly attractive

as it allows incremental cost

increases rather than a complete

technology refresh to incorporate

RFID into current processes — such

as those that might currently be

using barcode technology.

More widespread adoption of

RFID is a case of when rather than if

and the companies that can

identify how this technology can

help their business now are the

ones that will reap the greatest

rewards. RFID allows us to think

beyond a simple process of where

a product is to a situation where it

will be able to tell you where it’s

been, in what condition it is, where

it needs to be, by when and much

more. So, businesses need to look at

RFID not simply as a compliance

issue, but rather as a technology

that can transform business

processes and create real

competitive advantage.



Reliable, Rapid Printing of Bitburger Labels

Herbert Dahmen, IT project

co-ordinator for Bitburger,

headquartered in Western

Germany, had just three words to

explain why the brewery chose the

SATO label printer: fast, flexible and

reliable.When it came to replacing

the legacy labelling system in the

company’s laboratory and in the

production department, those

were the all-important criteria. And

only the SATO CL408e printer was

able to satisfy Bitburger’s IT experts’

requirements.“Our existing printers

were still fairly reliable, but not fast

enough and very inflexible. For

example, there was only a standard

printer port, meaning the device

could only be connected to a

single, local computer,”Dahmen

stated.“If a printer broke down, a

replacement had to be found

quickly because, with a total

aggregate output of 3400 to 6800

labels a day, printer downtime

would have had a significant and

negative impact on operations.

Thanks to the SATO label printers,

we no longer need to worry about

extended interruptions to

processes — the CL408e model has

been effectively integrated into our

network. Now if a printer fails, there

is practically no interruption

whatsoever. Employees can access

all other printers on the network,

and print the barcode labels on any

local device.”

Now the SATO barcode printers

are being used in Bitburger’s lab to

make labels for Petri dishes, flasks

and test tubes.“We also produce

labels for sample bottles of beer in

the production department. It is

extremely important for testing and

quality control that containers are

clearly identified using barcodes,”

explained Herbert. In the brewery,

there are two kinds of labels:

Downtime eliminated at the Bitburger brewery, thanks to SATO labelprinters and LAN connectivity! Herbert Dahmen explains.

sample labels, which have a

barcode featuring only the sample

number; and parameter labels,

which have a barcode with both

the sample number and a number

identifying analysis parameters and

results.When this is read using a

handheld scanner, the system

evaluates the information and

directs the laboratory or

production employee

automatically to the correct

location to input the analysis data.

Case Study


Winter 2006 AUTO ID EUROPE 17Case Study

and labelling solutions based in

Rheinbach, Germany, and an

authorized SATO partner. CEO of

WWP, Guido Bollenbach, proposed

the CL408e model based on his

own extensive and positive

experience with SATO technology.

Bollenbach based his

recommendation on SATO printers’

ability to meet the needs of

industrial environments.“There are

several arguments in favour of this

choice. For one, SATO printers are

specifically designed for labels, and

are exceptionally robust and

reliable. For another, the printers are

equipped with a high-speed

processor that ensures quick and

efficient data processing — and

therefore faster printing.What’s

more, the SATO CL408e has so

many interfaces that it can be

integrated into practically any

landscape — ideal for the Bitburger

brewery.”

Before WWP delivered the 17

printers, they had to be sure that

operations are critical,” says

Dahmen.

The brewery, founded in 1817 in

Bitburg, is one of Germany’s leading

beer manufacturers, with a yearly

output of more than four million

hectolitres. Bitburger brewery is a

part of the Bitburger drinks group.

This includes mineral water

producer Gerolsteiner and leading

beer brands König, Köstritzer, Licher

and Wernesgrüner.

One of the key reasons for

introducing the new label printers

was the ability to use the Bitburger

network as an interface. Dahmen

and his team first tested several

models from other manufacturers,

but often experienced slow

network response times.“This was

unacceptable.We didn’t want to

sacrifice speed for network

capability. So we went to

Mr Bollenbach at WWP for advice

on a network-ready industrial

printer,” the IT expert explained.

WWP is a specialist in identification

The legacy printers were

inflexible because of the limited

number of interfaces available.This

meant that any given computer

could only send data to the device

connected to it. As a result, the

failure of any one printer inevitably

resulted in delays in the printing

processes. For Dahmen, the solution

was obvious: the existing

equipment needed to be replaced

by network-compatible printers. It

was equally important to him that

the same printers were installed in

both the lab and production units.

“It really wouldn’t have been in our

best interests to replace only some

of the printers. It was necessary to

deploy identical devices

throughout the network to provide

staff with access to printers in both

units — and from any workstation.

This has the added benefit of

avoiding future driver problems

and incompatibility issues. For a

business as large as the Bitburger

brewery, smooth, uninterrupted


AUTO ID EUROPE Winter 200618 Case Study

the SATO CL408e model could

be easily integrated into the

brewery’s network.They therefore

carried out a pilot project.“We

supplied just one device at first. A

SATO technician assisted us with

printer installation and initial

instruction for the staff,” recalls

Bollenbach. In the 4 weeks

following the installation, the

Bitburger lab and production staff

conducted extensive tests with the

printers.“We wanted to be

completely certain, and tried

everything out,”explained

Dahmen.“We printed a wide variety

of labels and we encountered no

problems whatsoever. But when a

question came up, Mr Bollenbach

and SATO were right there with the

advice and support we needed.

Ultimately, we were more than

satisfied with the SATO printer.”

“WWP delivered the devices in

no time at all.We received the

industrial printers within a few days,

and gradually replaced our old

equipment with the new SATO

models.There was still work to do

on the LAN connections at the

production department — not all

desktops had access to the

network at the time of delivery.”At

the lab, existing network

connectivity enabled quick

installation of the CL408e printers.

However, integration of the new

label printers took 5 weeks at the

production department. Five of the

label printers are now up and

running in the lab, and a further 12

have been implemented in

production. Guido Bollenback, CEO

of WWP, led an afternoon training

session where he told Bitburger

employees everything they need to

know about using the

SATO CL408e.

Integration of the 17 SATO

printers into the network has

enabled Bitburger to boost the

flexibility and efficiency of its

operations.Thanks to SATO’s

cutting-edge solution, problems

with individual printers no longer

impact productivity. Dahmen, IT

project co-ordinator, summarized

the benefits:“If there is an

unexpected device failure, another

SATO label printer is immediately

activated — so we don’t need to

rush to replace printers, and can

eliminate downtime. In addition,

the printer’s ability to support rapid

data transmission within the

network accelerates processes.The

solution is everything we hoped for

— fast, flexible, and reliable.”

“If there is anunexpecteddevice failure,another SATOlabel printer isimmediatelyactivated — sowe don’t needto rush toreplace printers,and caneliminatedowntime.”


AUTO ID EUROPE Winter 200620 Scanning Solutions

Five Things You Never Knew YouCould Do with a Handheld Scanner

Hand Held Products, the global

leader in image-based linear and

2D data collection solutions, sees a

growing number of unusual ways

to use handheld devices, which in

addition to traditional data

collection, are also used for a broad

variety of other purposes.

The list of unusual applications

has been compiled from a survey

of how Hand Held Products’ devices

are being used in innovative ways

— but that have not necessarily

become mainstream just yet.The

Hand Held Products unusual usage

top five are as follows:

1. Mobile computers being used to

measure the fuel level in gas

deliveries (for example, at Italian

fuel company Liquigas).The

device is connected to an

electronic head that measures

the level of gas left in the truck.

2. Handheld devices with imaging

technology used to take

photographs of payable cheques

by a cleaning company to send

them electronically to a bank.

3. Devices taking orders, processing

credit card transactions and

printing receipts in restaurants,

airplanes and at outdoor events.

4. Mobile devices using Bluetooth

to see which products will be out

of stock to replenish vending

machines.

5. Handheld devices taking down

mileage and fuel levels for car

rental companies after being

returned from customers.The

devices also store data after

visual inspection, take

photographs of possible damage

and print receipts.

Sometimes handheld devices are

used in common applications, but

in unusual settings. For instance, a

castle in Denmark uses the device

for its ticket collection, while in

Germany, imaging technology is

used to track and register blood

samples.

“Most people are aware of what

types of applications our devices

are typically used for. However, they

are often surprised by the versatility

and the possibilities our Adaptus

Imaging Technology has to offer,”

said Roel Vreeburg, Hand Held

Products’ senior VP international

sales and marketing.

Hand Held Products Receives

ISO 9001-2000 Certification

The company has also announced

that its EMEA Service and Repair

Department has achieved the ISO

9001-2000 certification. After an

intensive auditing process, the

Eindhoven-based department was

able to conform on every single

aspect of the ISO standard.

The ISO 9001-2000 certification

means that the organization has a

quality system in place that

guarantees that all customer

requirements are met, whilst

constantly maintaining a high level

Hand Held Products unveils a list of unusual ways to use datacollection devices

of quality and conforming to

regulatory requirements.

For Hand Held Products, this

qualification underlines the

ambition to ensure and exceed

standards.The aim is to set the

EMEA Service and Repair

Department as an example for

service and repair partners across

the EMEA region. Partners can make

use of the knowledge at the centre

to equip their repair facilities and to

make these ESD safe, for example .

“We are very proud that we have

successfully completed the

auditing process. It means that our

Service and Repair Department

offers the highest possible level of

service. It also emphasizes the

commitment to quality we have

throughout the entire

organization,”added Vreeburg.“It

has been a long journey, but a very

worthwhile one.The fact that we

were not required to perform any

corrective actions to achieve the

standard made it even more

special.”

The 4800 Industrial 2D Imager isthe first handheld area image readerpowered by Adaptus Imaging Technology.

Scanning Solutions


Winter 2006 AUTO ID EUROPE 21Scanning Solutions

Unitech, the third largest worldwide

manufacturer of rugged PDAs, has

launched the new, compact and

aggressive HT660 mobile computer

as part of its handheld terminal line.

Packed with features, including an

optional gun grip, this device opens

up new market opportunities for

Unitech in scan-intensive

applications.

The unit comes with MCL

Collection, an open-standards-

based development environment

that enables quick and easy

creation, integration and

deployment of mobile applications.

MCL Collection comes as standard

with the HT660, along with the

Microsoft Windows CE 5.0 Core

operating system, an 802.11 b/g

radio and Bluetooth — offering

one of the best price/performance

ratios in its class.

The optional gun grip makes the

HT660 ideal for scan-intensive

applications, particularly in the

warehouse.This opens up a variety

of new applications for Unitech’s

partners.

Take away the gun grip and the

HT660 is small and perfectly

balanced, making it equally suitable

for a variety of real-time data

capture applications in the

manufacturing, retail, transport and

logistics sectors. Its size also makes

it ideal for applications requiring

single handed operation.

Weighing only 330 grams, the

HT660 weighs considerably less

than other units in this class.This

has been achieved without any

compromise to its rugged design

which withstands multiple 1.5 m

drops to concrete. It is also IP54

rated, making it suitable for use in

damp or dusty environments and

includes comfortable rubber grips

— designed to prevent the unit

Unitech Sets Its Sights on theWarehousing Market

slipping out of the hand.

Its versatile design gives users

the option of using the integrated

laser scanner, the 36 key

luminescent keypad or the VGA

colour touchscreen for data entry.

User productivity won’t be reduced

by low batteries, as the HT660 has a

10 hour battery life that will last a

full shift. Data is further protected

by the unit’s back-up battery that

lasts 72 hours, ensuring no data is

lost. In addition, the charging cradle

is designed to support an

additional battery — ensuring a

spare is always available.

Unlike most of its competitors,

the HT660 comes with a

comprehensive range of onboard

software as standard, including

MCL rapid application

development tools, auto installer,

WiFi site survey tool, back up utility,

server management and a scanner

utility to set up scanning

functionality.This enables quick and

easy set up and use straight out of

the box.

Including a universal power

supply, RS232, USB and modem

connectivity, a Li-Ion rechargeable

battery pack,Windows CE 5.0 Core

and the MCL Collection suite, the

HT660 comes with everything the

user needs in a single package.

Raymond Wolfert, EMEA Sales

and Marketing Manager for Unitech

Europe commented:“The HT660

extends our range of rugged

mobile computers into the

warehousing and manufacturing

environments and opens up a

variety of new applications for us.

We can now offer our partners a

product for all common

applications, enabling them to take

advantage of opportunities that

were not available to them in the

past and helping them to grow

their Unitech business.”Further

information on the HT660 can be

found at www.HT660.com/PR or by

emailing HT660@unitech-

europe.com.


Spirit Data Capture Limited has sold

110 Symbol MC3000 mobile

computers to Target Express, one of

the UK’s leading independent

express delivery companies.The

Symbol units form the basis of a

new barcode scanning system

designed to boost the efficiency of

Target’s operations.

Target had decided to automate

key processes within the distri-

bution cycle, initially focusing on

scanning items at the point of

collection.This would enable the

company to identify any problems

at an early stage, so that it could

then take the necessary corrective

action. Chris Bale, Group IT Director

of Target Express, explained:“We

realized that many of our manual

processes would benefit from

automation. At the same time, we

wanted to move towards

‘management by exception’ — a

system that would enable us to be

proactive in identifying any issues,

so that we could provide a rapid

response.”

The company asked Spirit Data

Capture, an independent

consultancy it had used before, to

source a device that would be

ergonomic, easy to use, flexible, and

future-proof. Chris continued:“We

wanted to carry out the application

development and testing internally,

and then hand over the normali-

zation and management of the

devices and the infrastructure to

Spirit.”

Spirit recommended the Symbol

MC3000 — a lightweight, rugged

mobile computer which met all of

Target’s criteria.“The Symbol is a

low cost, versatile solution that is

ergonomic, easy to use and robust,”

said Chris.“Writing applications for

it was simple.The units are packed

with features, and can capture

images as well as data.They are also

ready for technologies such as RFID

in the future.”

“The Symbol isa low cost,versatilesolution that isergonomic, easyto use androbust.”

Chris Bale, Group IT Director of Target Express

The MC3000 is the Target for Spirit

He added:“The scanners are

performing extremely well. Our

drivers have found them easy to

use, which has shortened the

return on investment cycle.The

speed from application

development to deployment was

also very quick, and the unit can

easily be leveraged for other

applications. Spirit is providing us

with excellent support as we move

forward.We will continue to work

closely with them in the future.”

Psion Teklogix, a global leader in

mobile computing, has announced

that BEC (Systems Integration) Ltd,

specialists in data capture and RFID,

have been selected to join its

exclusive Premier Partnership

programme.The partnership

enforces Psion Teklogix’s

commitment to developing its

Auto ID technology, which will

enable customers to collect and

identify data automatically in “real-

time,”bringing even more accuracy

and speed to its handheld devices.

As a Premier Partner, BEC

(Systems Integration) Ltd will

receive a host of benefits including

priority access to product training,

solution updates and support

marketing activities. In addition, it

will also benefit from technical and

sales backing — plus a secure web

link between both partners’

websites. BEC (Systems Integration)

Ltd has committed to meeting

pre-agreed revenue targets,

undertaking training on Psion

Teklogix’s products and providing a

high standard of support to

customers.

Tony Hampson, Operations

Director at BEC (Systems

Integration) Ltd commented:“Psion

Teklogix was an obvious choice as a

partner, mainly based on its

Workabout Pro mobile computer

(WAP) and its modular capabilities,

but also because of its competitive

price point and dedication to its

partner base. Each of these factors

has helped to strengthen our own

propositions and compete in an

increasingly tough market. In fact,

just today we ordered our first

devices for a customer planning to

use WAP across two UK sites, which

is a fantastic way to mark the start

of our partnership!”

Duncan Smillie, UK Managing

Director for Psion Teklogix,

concluded:“BEC shares the same

values as Psion Teklogix, having a

reputation that is second-to-none

for a professional and customer-

centric approach.The company is

forward-thinking and works

competitively in an array of

different vertical markets, which

allows Psion Teklogix to expand its

expertise into new areas. It also

ensures that both companies will

be going to market armed with

arguably the best Auto ID product

out there!”For more information on

becoming a Psion Teklogix partner,

please visit the company’s website

at www.psionteklogix.co.uk or call

+44 1628 648 800.

Psion Teklogix Appoints NewPremier Partner in Auto ID



Following the recent partnership

announcement between

Belgravium and Voxware, Inc., the

two organizations are pleased to

announce that, following a rapid

development and testing

programme, a fully operational

Belgravium ‘Voice Recognition

System’ is now available for

demonstration and

implementation.The system has an

operating platform based upon

Voxware’s VoiceXML,VoxBrowser

software which enables real-time

voice solutions on Belgravium’s

Atlanta 8000 Series Mobile

Terminals.

Belgravium’s Voice Recognition

System has the ability to support

increasing numbers of distribution

operations within a range of

industry sectors. Food Service,

Grocery and Cold Storage

industries, Retail and General

Merchandising through to

Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals

can all benefit from the proven

benefits of voice technology.The

Atlanta’s ability to be a barcode

terminal for part of the day and the

ease with which it can be

converted into a Voice Terminal

enables it to overcome the

complex business demands that

face most warehouse and

distribution operations. It is, quite

simply, the most flexible Voice-

enabled CE device on the market.

The significant benefits of the

Belgravium’s Voice Recognition

System are fully realized when

applied to a range of standard

warehouse activities, including

order picking, replenishment,

goods received, stock checking,

quality assurance, returns and

shorts processing. Hands-free

operation can result in productivity

improvements of up to 20% and

accuracy levels of 99%.Voice allows

reductions in warehouse

other materials associated with

alternate methods of order

selection are reduced or eliminated.

Key Software Features (VoxBrowser)

include the following:

• Activity Based Streamlining:

Voice has the ability to react to

conditions as they occur,

directing and co-ordinating

workers to accomplish tasks in

the most effective way.

• Adaptive Voice Recognition: A

continuous speech recognizer is

impervious to high noise and

automatically ignores workers’

conversations with colleagues.

• Continuous Speech

Recognizer: Workers can speak

with natural pace and rhythm,

rather than pausing between

words or characters.

• Language Blueprints: Workers

can quickly set up user profiles.

• Multilingual: Supports the

simultaneous use of multiple

distinct languages.

Key Hardware Features of the

Atlanta 8000 Series mobile

computer:

• Maximum Wireless

Interoperability: Spread

spectrum, GSM/GPRS, GPS and

Bluetooth Radio options.

• Industry Standard Operating

System: Windows CE.Net

• Touch Screen Display: A high

contrast 1/4 VGA touchscreen

display, ideal for use in direct

sunlight.

• Internal Scanner Options:

Barcode scanning and RFID tag

reading.

• Optimum Power Management:

12 hour battery life with a

maximum 2 hour charging time.

For further information please visit

the Belgravium website

www.belgravium.com.

Belgravium Launches New VoiceRecognition System

Winter 2006 AUTO ID EUROPE 23Scanning Solutions

operational costs, providing a safer

working environment, reduced

training times and lower turnover

of staff. Costs of printers, paper and



Geomagic (www.geomagic.com), a

worldwide software and services

firm, has announced that it has

signed an exclusive, joint worldwide

agreement with Z Corporation

(www.zcorp.com). As part of the

deal, Geomagic will provide

Geomagic Studio software in a

comprehensive bundle with the

new Z Corporation ZScanner 700.

The ZScanner 700 is the first self-

positioning 3D laser scanner.The

lightweight, handheld device is

ready to use in minutes and free of

traditional mechanical arms,

making it ideal for scanning hard-

to-reach places. It offers real-time

surfacing, captures 3D data in one

continuous process to reduce post-

processing, and uniquely allows

objects to be moved during

scanning. Geomagic is the global

leader providing software for

effectively and automatically

processing 3D scan data for

applications that range from

reverse engineering to inspection

and analysis.

Geomagic Studio creates

accurate models from any physical

part, making it ideal for emerging

applications such as the mass

production of customized devices,

build-to-order manufacturing, and

digital asset archiving for the

automatic recreation of legacy

parts. Geomagic Qualify offers a

certified way to compare as-built

versus as-designed with automatic

reporting to make inspection

analysis simple, fast and cost-

effective.

Datalogic is pleased to announce

the availability of the Mobility

Developer Assistant software suite

for its Windows based range of

mobile computer products — a

rich application programming

interface specifically for wireless

application development.

Applications created for one kind of

mobile computer can be

transferred to another without

additional porting costs.

Furthermore, it reduces the skills

needed to create professional

applications for Datalogic’s mobile

computers.

For mobile application

development, the Mobility

Developer Assistant from Datalogic

offers a vast set of development

and connectivity tools that

accelerate the implementation of

commercial-grade wireless

applications for retail operations,

inventory control, supply chain

management, warehouse

management and fleet

management.

The Mobility Developer Assistant

provides all of the necessary tools

to develop C# managed

applications on Datalogic’s mobile

computers.These tools include

class libraries, sample applications

and the associated documentation.

The Mobility Developer Assistant

enables Microsoft .NET compact

framework developers to

programmatically access the value-

add features of Datalogic’s mobile

Geomagic and Z Corporation Join Forces

New Software Suite from Datalogic

Geomagic Studio software and ZScanner 700 handheld 3D scannerprovide comprehensive rapid prototyping

The joint agreement represents

the fusion of two visionary

companies actively pursuing the

democratization of the prototyping

and scanning market for industries

such as aerospace, automotive,

consumer, education, footwear,

government, healthcare and

packaging.The combination of the

ZScanner 700 with Geomagic

Studio and Geomagic Qualify

brings a highly sophisticated level

of digital shape sampling for rapid

prototyping, design and quality

assurance (QA) at the lowest price

point available today in the market.

“We’re delighted to make easy-

to-use 3D scanning and accurate

digital reconstruction accessible to

the wider market for everyday use,”

said John M. Kawola, executive vice

president of sales, marketing and

development for Z Corporation.

“Combining the ZScanner 700 with

Geomagic software offers

customers the best of both worlds

in one convenient and affordable

bundle.”

“Geomagic is pleased to be part

of this worldwide partnership

aimed at bringing the benefits of

DSSP to an ever wider market,” said

Andrew Stein, vice president of

product management and

marketing for Geomagic.“Together,

at a cost-effective price, Geomagic

and Z Corporation are offering

technologies that will revolutionize

the world of digital shape

reconstruction and alter the

paradigm for many of the

applications in which it's used.”

computers. It helps developers of

applications for mobile computers

to quickly develop rich and full

feature applications and reduce the

programming skills needed for

traditional C application

programming. For more information,

visit www.datalogic.com.



Walkers Midshire Beef UpProduction with Toshiba Printers

Walkers Midshire Foods, the award

winning producer of sausages and

traditional cooked meats, has

recently expanded its operation

and has again chosen a Toshiba

product, the new B-SA4 industrial

barcode printer, to meet its

growing demand for increased

label production.Toshiba’s B-SA4

provides both the functionality and

robustness to meet the high

demands of the company’s large

weekly label requirement.

Walkers Midshire sausages are

produced under retailers’ own

brands, and customers include

Tesco’s and other leading UK

supermarket chains.The company

produces a vast amount of packed

sausages every week; these need to

be packaged, labelled, boxed and

dispatched to meet the stringent

delivery requirements imposed by

the major retailers.The process

needs to be seemless, as

bottlenecks could delay delivery

and potentially lead to the order

being rejected by the retailer.

The company was already using

a Toshiba B-472 printer for labelling

outer box cartons; the printers were

reliable and consistently produced

easy-to-read barcoded labels that

allowed Walkers Midshire to meet

the demands and specific needs of

their customers.

However, with its expansion,

Walkers Midshire realized that they

would need new printers to cope

with the weekly increase in

production — together with peak

period increases, particularly during

the summer months and at

Christmas.The printing solution

was critical to the delivery of

‘on-time’ product to customers.

Therefore, it was essential that any

new equipment was able to

produce the range of labels

needed for product packaging, was

robust and reliable, and had the

capacity to print the high volume

of labels required each week.

“We had been using the Toshiba

B-472 printer for 6 years; it was very

reliable and accurate but our

growth required us to look for a

new solution,”explained Ivan

Martin, who oversees label

production for Walkers Midshire.

“We briefly trialled another product,

in fact it was from a competitor of

Toshiba’s, but found it unreliable

and the output quality was poor —

downtime in our business just isn’t

an option!”

Martin continued:“Our supplier,

Ampersand, recommended the

Toshiba B-SA4. Once installed, we

were able to see immediate

improvements. It easily coped with

and met the high demands of the

company’s weekly label

requirement with no delays,

problems or rejections —

operating for some 16 hours a day.”

Functional and robust, the B-SA4 industrial barcode printer meetshigh volume printing demands

The B-SA4 300 dpi print head

guarantees accurate quality labels

and has the functionality to print

the variable information required

by the customer. Simple to use, the

printer can be operated by any

member of staff, thus reducing the

possibilities of bottlenecks during

peak production periods.

“The reassurance of such a

dependable solution enables me to

concentrate on other areas of the

business without having to think

about product reliability,” said Ivan.

“The exceptional performance

means we have capacity to

increase production for seasonal

demand without worrying about

the capabilities of the printer.The

advanced functionality allows us to

use the printer for other

applications without having to

purchase additional hardware. It is

an extremely reliable product and

consistently performs

outstandingly. Having trialled and

experienced a competitor’s

product, quite honestly, we would

not look back.”

And the future is bright; Walkers

Midshire have big expansion plans

that involve extending their

current packing lines to include

additional Toshiba products.The

exceptional networking

capabilities of the B-SA4 printer

series will enable the company to

manage the whole network of

printers from one central source.

The current Toshiba B-SA4 printer

is so critical to the business

operation of Walkers Midshire that

staff have affectionately named her

… Sheila!

Printing Solutions


Winter 2006 AUTO ID EUROPE 27Printing Solutions

“All our portable printers are

designed for both indoor and

outdoor use,” said Tony Revis,

manager of Extech Data Systems.

“On occasion, additional protection

is required in areas of high moisture

and dust and our environmental

cases are great additions to our line

of accessories.The cases were

designed to obtain IP54 rating, rare

in the field of portable printing.We

added IP54 certification to

supplement our existing IEC 68

certification that certifies operating

and storage temperature, humidity,

shock, vibration and drop to

concrete.”

Extech Data Systems stands

alone in combining IP54 and

IEC 68, and thus offering the only

portable printers certified to

maintain the durability required in

demanding field mobile

environments. In addition to

maintaining compliance with IP

and IEC standards, the printers are

ETL listed, conform to ANSI/UL STD

60950, and are certified to

CAN/CSA STD C22.2 No. 60950-00.

A full one-year warranty on all

Extech peripherals including print-

head is standard and extended

programmes are available.

Extech Data Systems, a leading

developer of portable printers for

enterprise-wide applications, has

announced the addition of Ingress

Protection (IP) certification to its

already well-established list of tests

and certifications used to

demonstrate the operational and

safety features of its comprehensive

line of portable printing products.

Developed by the European

Committee for Electro Technical

Standardization, IP Ratings specify

the environmental protection an

enclosure provides from solid

objects and liquids.

Most recently, Extech’s S2500THS,

S3750THS and S4500THS printers

gained IP54 ratings for dust and

water resistance in their respective

environmental cases, indicating

that the printers are protected from

dust (limited ingress) with no

harmful deposit and water sprayed

from all directions (limited ingress

permitted).

Extech Printers Meet Product Performance StandardsTwo-inch, three-inch and four-inch portable printers gain newcompliance certification

Heading EastEuroprint, a printer located in

Poznan, Poland, has ordered the first

Alprinta 74V web offset printing

press from Müller Martini.The

machine will be delivered soon and

is equipped with six continuously

size-variable offset printing units

and two gravure printing units.

Europrint will print mono-material

films and laminated papers and

films for packaging on the

machine.These packaging films will

be prepared solely as reels and are

intended primarily for the food

industry.

Forms Technology in Moscow,

Russia, is investing in the country’s

first Concepta.The machine is

equipped with ten offset printing

units, whereby flexo inserts can be

used in print units of 5 and 10 for

finishing dual-sided, four-colour

printed mailings.While forms and

simple mailings represent the

company’s current area of

production, high-quality and

finished mailings will be produced

in the future … opening a new

market to Forms Technology

(www.mullermartini.com).

The first Alprinta 74V is going toEuroprint in Poland.


AUTO ID EUROPE Winter 200628 Printing Solutions

Printronix Inc., the leading

integrated supply chain printing

solutions manufacturer, has

announced that it has entered into

a distribution agreement with

Ingram Micro Inc., the world’s

largest technology distributor, to

distribute Printronix’s industrial

enterprise printers through Ingram

Micro’s Nimax Division, a leading

distributor of automatic

identification/data capture (AIDC),

point-of-sale (POS) and mobile

computing products. Under the

terms of the agreement, Nimax will

add Printronix’s SmartLine family of

world-class ultra-high frequency

(UHF) radio frequency identification

(RFID) and RFID-ready thermal

barcode printing systems to its line

card.

“Our distribution agreement with

Nimax is a natural extension of our

channel strategy, which commits to

delivering technology, solutions

and service leadership to our

growing worldwide base of

resellers,” said James B. McWilson,

senior vice president, sales, the

Americas and EMEA, Printronix.

“Their deep understanding of AIDC

applications will expand resellers’

abilities to deliver advanced

industrial printing solutions that

improve supply-chain efficiencies

and profitably enable the transfer

of goods and information

worldwide.”

“Our new relationship with

Printronix gives our customers a

recognized and respected choice

for their barcode and RFID printing

solutions,” said John Soumbasakis,

vice president and general

manager, Nimax Division.“We

recognize Printronix as an

innovator in RFID-ready barcode

and RFID label printers.They took

an early position in establishing a

worldwide network of RFID

resellers, as well as software and

hardware partners who helped end

users embrace this important

technology and benefit from it. By

adding Printronix to our line up,

we're expanding our technology

footprint as well as our customers’

sales and service opportunities.”

Printronix industrial printers

deliver the broadest range of

enterprise printing technologies

and solutions for global enterprises.

The SmartLine family of world-class

UHF RFID printing systems provides

maximum versatility and flexibility

for RFID smart label applications.

The SL5000r MP2 delivers true

Gen 2 RFID encoding designed to

EPCglobal Gen 2 specifications,

whereas the T5000r thermal

barcode printer operates in

demanding manufacturing or

distribution environments and

features an open migration path to

RFID.These printers feature

EPCglobal Gen 2 Certified

Hardware RFID Smart encoding

technology and address a wide

range of applications and global

frequency requirements.

Printronix Furthers Global Saleswith Ingram Micro’s Nimax DivisionExtensive distribution network will place Printronix’s thermal barcodeand RFID printer systems into the heart of supply chains — withunsurpassed service and support

Printronix’s industrial printers offerreliability and innovation.


Winter 2006 AUTO ID EUROPE 29Printing Solutions

Specialist and secure print services

group BemroseBooth has made a

significant investment in new Océ

Varioprint MICR printers and

associated technology — primarily

to manufacture cheque books for

the company’s financial customers.

BemroseBooth, already a long-

term Océ partner using its digital

web mail security printing systems,

has bought three Océ VarioPrint

5160 machines to replace its

ageing systems. It currently

supplies many of the UK’s major

financial institutions.

Andy Blundell, BemroseBooth’s

Sales and Marketing Director said:

“This is a clear message of our intent

to provide continued service and

commitment to our cheque book

customers in the financial sector.

“The new printing technology

brings significant productivity

improvements to our operation in

line with our company initiative

into operational excellence.”

Simon Wheeler, head of Océ UK

Ltd’s Commercial Division, said:“We

are delighted that BemroseBooth

has chosen us as a strategic partner

to support its cheque book

production business, which will

complement the work we are

already doing in other areas.”

“BemroseBooth will quickly

realize the benefits of these high-

speed printing systems that offer

new opportunities to help business

growth in a secure environment.”

The equipment being installed at

the Derby, UK, headquarters can

feed different base stocks from up

to 12 feeder bins. Up to eight stocks

can be printed with variable data

and the other four can feed cover

stock to ultimately deliver collated

sets, ideal for cheque books with

BemroseBooth Commits to theFuture for Cheques

full barcode integrity.

The installation will be

completed before the end of the

year and a unique development of

a bespoke fully integrated in-line

cutting and stacking unit — to

optimize the production of cheque

books — will be available in the

first quarter of 2007

(www.bemrosebooth.com).

The Océ Varioprint MICR printer

NatureEfficient

by BaracodaRoadRunners

“Designed for applicationswhere form factor, weight and autonomy are key”

1D & 2D Bluetooth Barcode Scanners

www.baracoda.comTechnical specifications may change without notice. Non contractual pictures.Bluetooth is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc; and used by Baracoda under license. Baracoda is a trademark of Baracoda SA © May, 2005.


AUTO ID EUROPE Winter 200630 Printing Solutions

Zebra Technologies Corporation, a

global leader in on-demand

printing solutions for business

improvement, recently announced

that as part of its commitment to

the global environment, Zebra

thermal printers are in compliance

with the European Union’s (EU)

Restriction of Hazardous

Substances (RoHS) directive.

Zebra successfully introduced

lead-free components into its

product portfolio, not only to

ensure uninterrupted product

shipments for customers in Europe,

but as part of its overall intention to

help protect and preserve the

Earth’s natural resources. In addition

to reducing or eliminating the use

of hazardous substances, Zebra’s

environmental policy includes

conserving resources, reducing

energy consumption, and

designing for recycling.

“Our proactive steps to comply

on a global scale reinforce Zebra’s

long-standing position as an

environmentally responsible

corporate citizen,” said Ken Wasko,

Zebra’s vice president of corporate

quality.“ Designing and producing

‘green’ printers for the world market

demonstrates our ongoing

commitment to environmental

excellence, while we continue to

deliver the best-in-class quality and

reliability that our customers have

come to expect from Zebra

printing solutions.”

Zebra’s RoHS-compliant printers

span the entire product range from

high performance label printers to

compact and lightweight portable

printers to on-demand plastic card

printers.The “green”models include

the following: the industrial Zebra Z

Series, 105SL, XiIIIPlus Series, Stripe,

S4M and PAX4 Print Engines; QL,

Cameo and RW series mobile

printers; LP and TLP desktop

models; and P110i, P120i and P330i

card printers.

Initially shipping to EU countries,

Zebra will continue to roll out

RoHS-compliant parts and printers

to the rest of the world throughout

2006. More information about RoHS

compliance and other

environmental initiatives at Zebra is

available online at the company’s

website www.zebra.com/

environment.

Green Zebra Printers to Run Unleaded

Thermal printers from Zebra Technologies compliant with EU directivefor Restriction of Hazardous Substances

Zebra’s “green” family of printers.

“Our proactive steps tocomply on a global scalereinforce Zebra’s long-standing position as anenvironmentally responsiblecorporate citizen.”


SC_AID Euro0706.indd 1 6/6/2006 10:16:05 AM



Underlining the outstanding

worldwide success of its Aerosol

Test Units, Sessions of York has

installed yet another of these

sophisticated machines into a large

pharmaceutical house in Iran.

Designed and manufactured by

Sessions of York, the advanced

testing and self-adhesive labelling

units are now in use in a wide

range of pharmaceutical

companies throughout the world.

Believed to be the only machine

of its type in the world, this

advanced range of machines is

designed, developed and

manufactured by Sessions for

automatic checkweighing, testing

and labelling of medical aerosol

containers.The microprocessor-

based units provide all the

necessary elements of a

sophisticated quality control

system with a single pass of the

product. Its key feature is accurate

synchronization and full control

throughout all operations.

With conversion to totally digital

timing and overall PLC control

providing cost saving enhance-

ments in both machine setting and

output, the machine setting is

simple and product handling is

extremely reliable with an output of

60–70 units per minute. Product size

changeover is made straightforward

by the software, with no need for

engineering staff intervention in

most cases.

Automatic valve testing checks

that operation of the valve causes a

measured dose of drug to be

delivered within a specified period

of time.To ensure product security,

a barcode reader checks the codes

printed on the container labels

against a preset code in the

computer’s memory and rejects

failures automatically.

A labelling unit mounted above

the machine applies preprinted

self-adhesive labels around the

aerosols at the labelling station. An

optional hot foil print unit will

overprint labels with date, batch

number or code mark. After

labelling, each container is scanned

by an ultraviolet sensor to ensure

that it carries a label.

Built around its proven spray test

and weigh modules, the Aerosol

Test Unit also features software-

driven spray testing, embedded

photocells to eliminate adjustment

for different sizes of can, and three-

phase motors with inverter control,

all in stainless steel cladding. In

addition, operator information

concerning the state of the unit

can be read using the machine’s

operator interface, which features

touchscreen control. Should the

machine stop, fault location is

immediately pinpointed to enable

rapid clearing — leading to

minimal downtime.

A full FDA IQ-OQ validation

package is available with the

Aerosol Test Unit, which can be

supplied as a two-station machine

providing weigh and spray test, or

as a complete five-station machine

with valve test, labeller, barcode

reader, a full vision inspection

system, and outfeed collation/boot

insertion station.

The main feature of Sessions’

range of Aerosol Function Test

Units is that all operations are

accurately synchronized and fully

controlled.The machines operate

on a fail-safe system and unless a

product accept signal is received

by the microprocessor, a container

is ejected automatically into a

holding receptacle. If there is

consistent failure at any station, the

programme can be set to switch

the machine off after detecting a

predetermined number of

consecutive rejects.

Sessions of York is acknowledged

to be one of the UK’s leading and

most progressive manufacturers of

self-adhesive labels and labelling

equipment.The company supplies

an extensive range of high

performance labelling machines,

which are available ex-stock or can

be custom built to suit individual

requirements. For more information

on this and other Sessions of York

products, please visit

www.sessionsofyork.co.uk.

Unique machine continues to be in demand from major internationalpharmaceutical companies

Labelling SolutionsContinued Worldwide Success forAerosol Test Labeller


Winter 2006 AUTO ID EUROPE 33Labelling Solutions

option used for loading code into

printers, keypad devices and other

software.

“I’m really excited about how

easy our new XML interface makes

it to print labels from Oracle’s

applications — it’s the perfect

complement to our long-standing

SAP capabilities.We’ve even

included pre-made versions of

Oracle’s ten ‘seeded’ label designs,

so users can get the system up and

running with hardly any effort,” said

Harold Boe, President and Chief

Technical Officer.

BarTender 7.75 comes with the

newly released “Drivers by Seagull”

version 7.0.4, which supports more

than 1500 printer models from over

50 major printer manufacturers.

These drivers can be downloaded

free from www.seagullscientific.com.

More detailed information on

BarTender 7.75 and XML support,

including white papers and articles,

are available on the website as well.

In addition, a fully functional 30-day

trial edition of BarTender is also

available for download at

www.seagullscientific.com/

aspx/btw_down.aspx.

Seagull Scientific has released

version 7.75 of their BarTender label

and RFID software. New features

include a data interface for XML

“Label Requests”generated by

Oracle’s Warehouse Management

(WMS) and Mobile Supply Chain

(MSCA) applications.The XML data

interface also works with many

other applications that can

generate XML. Other new features

include a configurable print code

modifier for in-the-field code

modifications and enhancements

to the printer code template export

BarTender Version 7.75 Adds Oracle XML Interface

w w w . p r i m e r a e u r o p e . d eSO WHY WAIT? VISIT www.uk51.lxlabel.com

If you produce your labels using the LX810, there will be: • no production delays• no minimum order quantity• no materials wastage

©dtm2006_AutoIDEurope

compatible with:

If you still produce your colour labels using a bureau service, there is a better alternative. The LX810 uses the latest inkjet technology to print personalisedlabels directly from your office PC. The LX810 prints labels on demand, in exact quantities and, for short runs, more economically than traditionaloffset /flexo press production. The print quality meets the highest standards and is scratchproof and water resistant.

Save time and money! Print your own colour labels!

Full-Colour Labels AtYour Office, Warehouse,

Factory or Store!Print Your Own

Short-Run Product Labels

Wide Variety of Substrates,Including Water-Resistent

Labels!Make all of your

labelslook this good!

• high-resolution colour labels with spectacular 4800 dpi print resolution

• one label at a time or thousands per day

• no long lead times• no minimum order requirements• no obsolete label inventory• no plate and die charges

• many different label and tag materials, including inkjet coated high-gloss, semi-gloss and matte labels

• brilliant, full-colour labels• perfect solution for box labels

that can be exposed to water, rain and snow


With 108 shops, 1000 staff and

more than 7500 stock items, the

need for an accurate, foolproof and

reliable labelling, ticketing and

stock control system is vital to the

smooth running of F. Hinds

jewellers, one of the most

recognizable names on the High

Street. In business since 1856, one

of the secrets of their success is the

way the company has embraced

modern technology and the

PRISYM labelling software and

printer ‘package’ from PRISYMID is

the latest example of this

philosophy.

“We needed to make all-round

improvements and introduce

greater efficiencies into our

ticketing system,”explained Steve

Mellows, Business Supplies

Manager for F. Hinds.“Our unique

combination tickets/labels have

become quite complex and do not

just contain the barcode and

product description.Their design

means that one label contains not

only our internal stock processing

information, but also the actual

ticket that attaches to the item and

a price carrier in all our shop

windows.”

Their existing ticketing machines

were coming to the end of their

useful life, so F. Hinds began the

search for a ‘one-stop shop’ solution

to include software, label/ticket

stock, printers and, most

importantly, full service support.

Key requirements that were

instrumental in PRISYMID gaining

the business:

• Modular software that could be

easily used and modified, and

would integrate their internal

inventory control requirements

with their shop ticketing needs

— especially as F. Hinds wanted

to initiate and hence reduce the

amount of data inputting from

their purchasing department.

• Improvements to the look of the

label by using a heavier weight

label stock and a glossier finish

— they claim that PRISYMID were

the only company able to

provide 150 gsm material as

standard!

• The need to provide fan-fold

labels rather than reel-fed labels

— making them easier to post,

especially in the light of the Royal

Mail’s new pricing policy. Again,

easily provided by PRISYMID.

• The recommendation of three

SATO GT424e and one ZEBRA

Z4Nplus thermal printers gave

the right combination for all their

labels, both in terms of print

quality/definition and accuracy

— especially for their dumb-bell

labels, used primarily to ticket

rings, where 600 dpi was vital.

• An overall service package that

would support F. Hinds’ total

ticketing department.

“The real clincher though, as far as

we were concerned, was PRISYM

Datawatch, a unique bridging

program that provides a link

between our Purchase Order

system and labelling design.This

totally integrates our needs and

minimizes data inputting. I estimate

that processing time for label

production has been cut to a

twentieth of what it was!” said Steve

Mellows.

“Speed of change is vital,

particularly when, for example, the

gold price may be highly volatile or

there are legislative and tax

revisions. PRISYM allows us to get

revised labels out to our 100-plus

shops very quickly — something

we were not able to do in the past.”

PRISYM Labelling SoftwareSparkles for F. HindsThe UK’s leading independent jewellers relies on PRISYMID for a‘one-stop-shop’ solution to their labelling and ticketing requirements



Koch Equipment LLC offers its

newly manufactured, portable

Matrix Express in-line labelling

machine — which enables

operators to easily position the

labeller anywhere in their

packaging line to apply virtually

any size pressure-sensitive label,

such as IRCs (instant redeemable

coupons) and primary and

nutritional labels to the tops of

boxes and packages.

According to Steve Kingeter, vice

president of sales and marketing:

“Packagers and processors will be

amazed by the unmatched speed,

precision and versatility delivered

by the Matrix Express. It is ideal for

labelling the tops of boxes and

packages, and is designed with a

removable base, which gives

operators the option to either

position the labeller anywhere

along their packaging line or

mount the labelling head onto an

existing conveyor.”

Kingeter continued:“Just like our

Matrix Film and Package Labeler,

the Matrix Express also features an

innovative, open and easy access

design combined with angled and

rounded surfaces to promote water

runoff. Manufactured from stainless

steel and machined PET-P and

Delrin materials, the Matrix Express

is easily cleanable and makes

almost all of its surfaces visible for

inspection.”

Jim Harte, chief engineer, added:

“When we were designing the

Matrix Express, our goals included

the delivery of a cost-effective,

flexible labelling solution that

would reduce direct labour costs,

improve production efficiency and

improve sanitation and hygiene

capability.We achieved that and

more, and are already planning

several enhancements to add even

New Portable Matrix ExpressIn-Line Labeller


more versatility to this incredible

labelling machine.”

Koch Equipment is a full line

manufacturer and distributor of

equipment for meat production,

food processing, packaging and

labelling. A one-stop-shop for

vacuum chamber packaging

machines, skin packaging

machines, modified atmosphere

packaging machines, labellers,

rollstock parts, accessories and

service as well as a full range of

processing equipment including

stuffers, bowl cutters, injectors,

mixers, grinders, tumblers, dicers,

slicers, smokehouses and kill floor

equipment. For nearly 125 years,

Koch Equipment has been the

name more packagers and

processors trust for their

equipment needs

(www.kochequipment.com).

“Packagers and processorswill be amazed by theunmatched speed, precisionand versatilty delivered bythe Matrix Express.”


AUTO ID EUROPE Winter 200636 Labelling Solutions

NetDespatch Velocity, the web-

based service for booking, labelling

and tracking parcel shipments, is

being used to manage deliveries

for some of Britain’s major

promotional campaigns.This is a

result of its use by distribution and

fulfilment company, Music and

Media Distribution (MMD), who

handle large promotions for many

well known companies, delivering

nationwide using Amtrak.

During major promotions, MMD

often has to manage very large

volumes of orders to fulfil and

deliver promotional items around

the UK. MMD has turned to

NetDespatch to automate

despatch processes, to eliminate

paperwork, streamline work,

improve turnaround and provide

traceability through to delivery.

MMD use the Amtrak Online

Despatch System, provided by

NetDespatch, to import their

delivery information and print the

appropriate barcode labels for

despatch.Via the web, NetDespatch

also provides full postcode

checking, address book

management, paper and electronic

manifests, pick-lists and, through

Velocity Connector, facilitates the

remote printing of barcoded parcel

labels so shipments can be

prelabelled and ready for collection

from any location. Deliveries can

then be tracked and proofs of

delivery viewed by simply logging

onto the web.

“With NetDespatch we can

always see what is going on, as up-

to-the-minute information on every

order is always available to view

online. And with the integration

possibilities provided by

NetDespatch, we can benefit from a

seamless flow of electronic

information and total visibility of

our operations.That is a very

powerful asset in a business like

ours — where delivering customer

service is paramount,” said Chris

Davies of Music and Media

Distribution.

MMD provides a complete order

to delivery service for an array of

products with a core business in

CD duplication and packaging.

Promotional campaigns are

handled through MMD’s sister

company, Promotional Handling

Ltd, who process orders, hold stock

and package with gift wrapping

where required.With nationwide

delivery next day via Amtrak,

consignments vary from gift

vouchers to bottles of wine and

plasma TV screens.

“The combination of Amtrak

delivery network and NetDespatch

Velocity offers us real flexibility.The

services open up all sorts of

opportunities for us to manage

operations in a different way,

allowing us to do things that we

could not do before and giving us

the freedom to offer our customers

a wider and better range of

services,”commented Davies.

Enquiries should be directed to

www.netdespatch.com or

[email protected].

Winning Solution for Music andMedia Distribution

“Thecombination ofAmtrak delivery

network andNetDespatch

Velocity offersus real

flexibility. Theservices openup all sorts of

opportunities forus to manage

operations in adifferent way,allowing us todo things that

we could not dobefore.”



Etiquette has launched a unique

and innovative website, designed

to take the hassle and uncertainty

out of selecting and ordering

thermal printer ribbons for thermal

transfer label and barcode printers.

The website, available at

www.theribbonfactory.co.uk, allows

users to select the brand of their

printer, whilst the technical trickery

of the site calculates all available

ribbon grades, colours, widths and

lengths, ensuring that you are

never left with printer ribbons that

are useless to your printer.

The Ribbon Factory is part of a

growing network of websites

constructed by Etiquette to bring

ease of use, advice, guidance and

support to its increasing army of

online customers. It follows

www.TheLabeller.com and

www.labelview.co.uk, both

websites designed to bring support

and product information to

customers.

“TheRibbonFactory.co.uk is all

about ease of use for the visitor.

From the concept of the website,

through to completion, we

focused on how we can make

ribbon selection easier,” Martin

Williams, Marketing Manager

explained.“Whereas experienced

users of thermal transfer printers

will know exactly which printer

ribbons go with each printer,

there are many many more who

are suffering with selecting

correct ribbons, especially with

the rebranding of so many

printers and such a wide variety

of grades, widths and lengths

available. TheRibbonFactory.co.uk

Ribbon Revolutiontakes care of all of that, and also

provides a simple, yet

comprehensive guide, to

selection. It couldn’t be easier.”

At present the website caters

for Datamax, Graham, Markem,

RJS, Sato, Tec and Zebra barcode

and label printers.“Etiquette’s

premium quality thermal ribbons

are enhanced especially for

maximum print performance,”

explained Tom Bunce, Sales

Director.“High carbon content

guarantees a crisp, sharp black

image – so crucial for the printing

of graphics, text and barcodes.”

Etiquette are the UK’s experts in

labels and labelling. For further

information about the entire

range of products and services,

visit www.etiquette.co.uk or call

+44 845 222 0354.

The world’s bestseller... just got better.

Millions of customers can’t be wrong...

• Superior ease of use – Adaptus™ Imaging Technology 5.0 enablesimproved depth of field, faster bar code reading and higher tolerance tomotion.

• Improved comfort – A new, ergonomic design reduces user fatigueand enhances productivity.

• Legendary durability– No moving parts means years of worry-freeservice.

Discover how our series of 3800 linear imaging solutions can deliver theperformance and peace of mind you expect from the leader in image-based data collection.

Call +31 40 2901 600 – or visit us atwww.handheld.com/supplychain

Hand Held Products EMEA HQ – Nijverheidsweg 9-13, 5627BT Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 40 2901 600 Fax: +31 40 2425 672 e-mail: [email protected]

Introducing . The next generation 3800.

How do you improve on the world’s best selling linear imager? You make everything about it even better.

HHP_halfpage_SupplyChain 6/9/06 15:43 Page 1



RFID SolutionsTexas Instruments AnnouncesAvailability of EPCglobal CertifiedGeneration 2 RFID Silicon

Using an advanced silicon design

that improves tag performance and

facilitates speed and visibility of

retail supply chain goods,Texas

Instruments Incorporated has

announced the availability of its

EPCglobal Inc. certified

Generation 2 (Gen 2) ultra-high

frequency (UHF) silicon.

Offered in wafer and strap form

factors,TI has developed its Gen 2

silicon on the most advanced

analog process node at 130 nm

and with a built-in Schottky diode

for more efficient conversion of

radio frequency (RF) signal energy.

The result is silicon chips with low

power consumption and increased

chip-to-reader sensitivity. Users can

also write to TI’s chips under the

lowest RF power conditions in spite

of the background electromagnetic

interference (EMI) that is common

in typical supply chain factory floor

and warehouse environments.

Companies deploying

UHF-based RFID systems based on

TI’s Gen 2 technology can

potentially capture a greater

percentage of reads on cases and

pallets as they move through

manufacturing and distribution

channels.With improved chip-to-

reader sensitivity, companies can

expect to more accurately track

products and packages at all points

throughout their supply chain

operations and improve process

flow.TI’s chip also delivers reliable

read range performance across

both standard and dense reader

mode operations. As a result, users

are less constrained in the set-up

and placement of RFID readers and

can more readily achieve effective

results and maximum read rates.

Offering greater design flexibility

to customers,TI is providing its

Gen 2 silicon to inlay, label and

packaging manufacturers in three

convenient forms: bare wafers to

support various assembly

processes; processed wafers

(bumped, sawn with back grind)

that are suitable for immediate use

with commercially available inlay

equipment; and silicon chip on

straps for label and packaging

manufacturers who are printing

their own antennas.TI is also

offering reference antenna designs,

enabling customers to develop

labels and tags that optimize its

Gen 2 silicon.

“Users of EPC Gen 2 tags, from

box and label manufacturers to

distributors of consumer product

goods, have different needs and

expectations from RFID systems

that power their supply chains.With

TI technology, they can take

advantage of the form factor that is

Advanced design improves chip performance to ease supply chainRFID adoption

best suited for their manufacturing

flow,” said Tony Sabetti, director of

UHF/Retail Supply Chain,Texas

Instruments RFID Systems.“TI’s

Gen 2 chip is available in a variety

of form factors that users will find

convenient and flexible.”

TI has been awarded the

EPCglobal Certification Mark for its

new UHF Gen 2 silicon.The

certification mark signifies that TI’s

silicon has been tested and

operates according to the

EPCglobal Gen 2 Air Interface

protocol standard ratified in

December 2004. Meeting all of the

EPCglobal Gen 2 and ISO/IEC

18000-6c required specifications

with 192 bits of memory, this chip

also goes beyond the standard

requirements to provide additional

functionality by supporting “block

write”and “block erase”commands.

TI’s Gen 2 silicon is intended for use

in the manufacture of passive RFID

tag products operating in the 860

to 960 MHz. frequency band. For

more information on TI’s Gen 2 chip

and strap, please visit the website

www.ti.com/epcgen2.


Winter 2006 AUTO ID EUROPE 39RFID Solutions

Ashton, a spokesperson for the

RFID Consortium and Vice

President of Marketing for

ThingMagic.“During our

discussions with Via Licensing, it

quickly became apparent that we

share a common vision to bring

together essential RFID patent

holders with a view to accelerating

market acceptance of the RFID

standard.”

“We fully support the RFID

Consortium’s goals of creating a

patent licensing programme for

UHF RFID essential patents and

better servicing patent holders and

their licensees,” said Ed Schummer,

President,Via Licensing.“We also

strongly believe in the viability of

UHF RFID technology, and

appreciate the opportunity to

undertake a significant role in

supporting overall RFID market

development.”The RFID

Consortium and Via Licensing have

The RFID Consortium and Via

Licensing Corporation recently

announced that Via Licensing — a

subsidiary of Dolby Laboratories —

will administer the ultra-high

frequency radio frequency

identification (UHF RFID) patent

licensing programme. A

recognized leader in patent

programme development and

administration,Via Licensing’s

expertise includes intellectual

property law, technology

standardization, strategic business

development, and programme

administration.The RFID

Consortium comprises companies

involved with radio frequency

identification technology.

“Working with Via Licensing

promises to accelerate our efforts

to solicit essential patent holders

and ultimately create a patent pool

that benefits the RFID industry and

patent holders alike,” said Kevin

signed a non-binding term sheet,

which provides that Via Licensing

will manage the RFID licensing

programme and work with

essential patent holders, as well as

conduct further calls for additional

essential patents.Tony McQuinn,

Director of Licensing Programs and

Business Development for Via

Licensing, will manage this

programme.

Joint licensing programmes

provide the market with a

convenient and cost-effective way

to obtain licenses to the patents

essential to practice a standard. By

doing so, the programmes

encourage greater adoption of the

standard.Without such a joint

license, the process of providing

and obtaining necessary licenses

would be more cumbersome and

expensive for all parties.

The proposed licensing

programme will be made available

to all essential patent holders,

regardless of whether they were

involved in the development of

RFID standards. Under the

proposed licensing arrangement, all

essential RFID patents owned by

members of the RFID Consortium

will be made available to interested

companies via a single license on

fair, reasonable and non-

discriminatory terms.The RFID

Consortium’s goals are to promote

rapid adoption of RFID by

facilitating easier access, by

manufacturers and customers alike,

to essential RFID patents and to

provide patent owners the

opportunity to receive fair

compensation for those patents, all

at a reasonable cost to the end-

user.

For information about joining the

RFID Consortium, e-mail

[email protected] or call

+1 312 807 4399.

RFID Consortium Selects ViaLicensing for Patent Programme

“We fully support

the RFID

Consortium’s goals

of creating a patent

licensing programme

for UHF RFID

essential patents

and better servicing

patent holders and

their licensees.”


AUTO ID EUROPE Winter 200640 RFID Solutions

NCR Corporation has expanded its

global radio frequency

identification (RFID) team with the

appointment of Andy Robson as

business development manager,

NCR RFID Global Group, for Europe,

the Middle East and Africa.

Recruited as part of NCR’s aim to be

a leading global provider of end-to-

end RFID solutions, Robson brings

more than 25 years of experience

and expertise in both retail and

asset management to this newly

created role.

At NCR, Robson is responsible for

the deployment of RFID solutions

that meet the operational

objectives of customers in the

retail, financial services and allied

sectors.This is in addition to

consolidating relationships with

NCR’s technology partners and

driving forward RFID standards,

working with European and

national government authorities

and trade bodies such as EPCglobal

and ISO. Robson joins NCR from

CHEP, the pallet and container

company, where his responsibilities

included developing electronic

product code and RFID ‘track and

trace’ services and driving forward

the definition of industry standards.

He has also held senior roles at

General Electric Information

Services UK, the Institute of Grocery

Distribution and Fisons plc, the

agrochemical and pharmaceutical

company.“Through intensive

solution development, acquisitions

and partnerships, and the

recruitment of key RFID experts,

NCR is rapidly building one of the

industry’s most comprehensive

RFID portfolios,” said John Greaves,

vice president of NCR’s RFID Global

Group.“With his experience at

supplier, industry trade body and

supply chain management

organizations and his technical

background, Andy Robson is ideally

placed to help retailers and

manufacturers define and execute

RFID strategies.”

NCR delivers end-to-end, global

RFID solutions that help businesses

solve real business problems.The NCR

TransitionWorks portfolio of RFID

solutions includes hardware, thought-

ware, tags, services and software.

NCR Expands Global RFID Team

“With his experience atsupplier, industry trade bodyand supply chain managementorganizations and histechnical background, AndyRobson is ideally placed tohelp retailers andmanufacturers define andexecute RFID strategies.”

Andy Robson, specialist in retail andasset management, to spearheadNCR RFID growth in EMEA.



A recent survey commissioned by

GS1 UK, the independent supply

chain standards body, indicates that

small grocery suppliers recognize

the business case for adopting

supply chain technologies. Almost

nine out of ten (86%) of those

surveyed said that they would

adopt supply chain technologies if

they could gain a competitive edge

in the market, and 87% said they

would use supply chain

technologies if they helped to

improve their customer service.

The survey, which was carried

out by IFF Research, consisted of a

sample of 100 grocery suppliers

with 1–50 employees. Respondents

were asked about their knowledge

and use of a wide range of supply

chain technologies including

barcoding, RFID, EDI (Electronic

Data Interchange) and GDS (Global

Data Synchronization).

It seems that education and

support may prove vital for

technology providers to gain

entrance into the untapped small

suppliers market. Survey

participants listed the main barriers

to adoption as lack of

understanding and awareness of

the technologies (62%), while 50%

believed that adopting supply

chain technologies would require a

significant change in their business

culture or direction.

These barriers contrast with the

widely held belief that suppliers

adopt new technologies simply

because of pressure from retailers.

Only 3% of suppliers using

barcodes, for example, stated that

the reason for adopting them was

because supermarkets demanded it.

Commenting on the results of

the research Gary Lynch, Chief

Operating Officer at GS1 UK said:

“It’s clear that smaller suppliers are

willing to look at new technologies

but fear the skills and information

gap, and the change that this might

impose on their organizations.We

believe that it is our responsibility

to work with these companies to

bridge this gap. It is also the

responsibility of technology

providers to demonstrate how their

solutions can add real value and

improve the bottom line without

disrupting business.”

In response to the survey

GS1 UK, whose members include

thousands of companies like those

questioned, has launched a series

of SME initiatives across its network

of training centres in the UK.These

will include reduced rate training,

free events and user group

meetings all aimed at helping to

educate companies on improving

supply chain efficiency.

This willingness to embrace new

technologies is a far cry from

people’s notion of the greatest

shopkeeper of all time. Of those

surveyed, 49% selected Arkwright,

the local shopkeeper in ‘Open all

Hours’ as their favourite celebrity

shopkeeper. Other favourite

shopkeepers included:Young

Mr Grace from ‘Are you being

served?’ (13%) and Berta and Babs

from ‘Acorn Antiques’ (6%).

GS1 UK has driven innovation in

the supply chain for more than

30 years. It is part of the global GS1

organization, dedicated to the

development and implementation

of global data standards and

solutions for the supply chain. GS1

standards are the most widely used

in the world. GS1 UK helps industry

to implement these data standards

through the use of barcodes, RFID,

Global Data Synchronization (GDS)

and electronic business messaging

(www.gs1uk.org).

Suppliers Open All Hours forSupply Chain KnowledgeData standards body commissions research into supply chaintechnology adoption amongst small grocery suppliers

It’s clear thatsmaller suppliersare willing to lookat newtechnologies butfear the skillsand informationgap, and thechange that thismight impose ontheirorganizations.


Identify with success. With Auto Identand laser measurement systems from SICK!

SICK AG | Waldkirch | Germany+49 7681 202-0 | www.sick.com

ww

w.m

rh.d

eINDUSTRIAL SENSORSINDUSTRIAL SAFET Y SYSTEMSAUTO IDENT

Whether 2D code scanners or bar-code scanners, RFID or complex Auto Identreading systems: SICK stands for unambiguous identification and precisevolume measurement – so count on high effectiveness and greater economicefficiency in everyday processes! SICK is the leading supplier of Auto Identsolutions for logistics, vehicle production, packaging machine constructionand the electronics industry. Rely on products in which experience and expertiseare built-in. For best results. Consistently.

Further information at www.sick.com

Nuremberg, Germany28.–30. Nov. 2006Hall 7a, Booth 310



and customer satisfaction, for

example. Important factors are

increased competition in consumer

goods, the new terrorism, threatened

epidemics of disease, coping with

increasing numbers of elderly

persons and consumers demanding

better service and more information.

The second driver is the reduction

in cost and size of the tags and

systems.With lower power circuits,

button batteries are now adequate

for most applications and even

printed batteries are gaining a place.

In the future, miniature fuel cells,

printed photovoltaics — including

the new power storage

photocapacitors — and other power

The value of sales of active radio

frequency identification (RFID)

systems will grow very rapidly from

0.55 billion dollars in 2006 to $6.78

billion in 2016, according to a report

from analysts IDTechEx, titled “Active

RFID 2006–2016.”The primary factors

creating this growth will be Real

Time Locating Systems (RTLS) and

disposable RFID sensor systems,

including ones in the form of Smart

Active Labels (SALs). IDTechEx

forecasts that this rapid growth will

be due to four major factors.

The first is the much stronger

market demand for tracking, locating

and monitoring people and things.

This is driven by security, safety, cost

Lawrence Holsworth, EMEA

marketing manager from Printronix,

the leading provider of UHF RFID

printing solutions, said:“This lowering

of revenue expectations is almost

certainly down to a more realistic

understanding of the market

adoption of RFID technologies.What

we are seeing here is that the

development and evolution of the

technology — and the market —

has created greater consolidation

and focus.Nonetheless, I believe

forecasts for next year will almost

certainly show significant growth.”

For information regarding IDTechEx’s

forecasts, visit the website

www.activerfideurope.com.

Four Major Drivers to Grow ActiveRFID Market

sources will have a role to play.This

will help to overcome constraints of

lifetime, cost and size.

Thirdly, open standards are now

becoming available — notably the

new ISO 18000 EPC Types 3 and 4

and IEEE 802.15.4.Lastly, IDTechEx

has seen development by

companies leveraging many newly

popular forms of short range

wireless communication, particularly

WiFi and ZigBee.

In a related news release,

ABI Research has reduced its 2007

market forecast for RFID software

and services revenue to $3.1 billion,

down 15% from the analyst house’s

previous estimates.

CASIO Europe GmbH · Bornbarch 10 · D-22848 NorderstedtTel.: +49 (0)40-52 86 5-407 · Fax: +49 (0)40-52 86 5-424

E-Mail: [email protected] · www.casio-europe.com

Mobile Power. Scanner terminals and Pocket PCs:CASIO offers the perfect Hardware for your Business.

CASIOs success in the mobile data collection

market is based on outstanding hardware and

reliable project management. From the light,

ergonomic scanner terminal to the fully rugge-

dized Pocket PC with Windows®CE®-technology

– CASIO offers the perfect hardware to fit your

ambitious and innovative business solutions.

For further information please contact your local

distributor or directly get in contact with us.

Retail and POS

Market ResearchTransport & Logistics

Mobile Ticketing & Sales

Sales & Field Force

Warehouse &Mail Order

Courier & ParcelServices

201x132_SupplyChain_06 27.10.2006 13:09 Uhr Seite 1


If you are looking for a permanent or interim solution to fulfilyour management or IT resourcing requirements you need toconduct a thorough search.

At CEC Resourcing we are constantly seeking out and select-ing the highest calibre candidates for our database. For our clients this gives them the reassurance that we onlyput forward the most appropriate individuals.

We pride ourselves on providing the flexible resourcing sup-port that consistently meets the high standards set for us byour clients and candidates.

Whether you have an immediate need for additional support, oryou simply want an informal chat about our capabilities, pleasecall Fiona McCowan or Jon Glover on +44 (0)20 7251 4646.

Alternatively, if you are contemplating your next career move,please contact us by email, [email protected],attaching your CV if appropriate.



Winning Smart Cards

Sagem Orga Singapore won not

one, but two prizes for innovative

smart card technology at CardEx

Asia 2006 in Kuala Lumpur

(Malaysia).The subsidiary of the

Paderborn-based smart card expert

made a strong impression at the

‘D’ucoty Award’ having won two

bronze awards in the categories of

“Technology Excellence”and

“Market Leadership” in the Banking

sector.

Sagem Orga Singapore won the

award in the “Banking Technology

Excellence”category for its

lenticular card body for EMV credit

cards. In a special production

method, the card’s top layer is

replaced by a lenticular film that

creates a three-dimensional

moving picture effect.This special

card body was used to depict a

breakdancer in motion on the front

of the “United Overseas Bank VOX

Visa Wave card”and a shifting

image of a gift box on the “Real

Rewards MasterCard” issued by

AmBank.

Furthermore, the semi-

transparent card body technology

for the dual-interface cards won an

award in the “Banking Market

Leadership”category.The card’s

translucent front exposes the

copper antenna in the card’s

interior and thus makes the

technology visible to cardholders.

This technology was implemented

by EON Bank (Malaysia) for their

Visa Wave EMV credit cards.

“Despite the introduction of the

EMV Chip on the card, the card

body itself remains the visual

marketing and customer

segmentation tool of the issuing

bank.These awards are further

proof of Sagem Orga’s innovative

and customer-centric approach,

and underscores our track record of

receiving awards in the Asian

banking market,” said Silvio

Stockmann, head of the Business

Unit Banking at Sagem Orga.

The award-winning card

products from Sagem Orga were

successfully launched for the first

time in Malaysia and Southeast Asia

in 2005.The smart cards’ attractive

design and contactless payment

function resulted in an excellent

subscription rate from the

customers of the respective banks.

Sagem Orga given two ‘D’ucoty Awards’ in Malaysia

This reflects not only that

customers prefer to have designer

credit cards in their wallet, but also

that banks profit from conveying a

modern and technological brand

image. As a result, that generates

high transaction rates.

The ‘D’ucoty Award’ is presented

by CardsNow!Asia to recognize

companies and personalities that

support and contribute to the

worldwide smart card industry. A

nomination committee, together

with five internationally recognized

experts, chose the winners from the

main sectors of Telecommuni-

cations, Banking and Government

(www.sagem-orga.com).

“These awardsare further proofof Sagem Orga’sinnovative andcustomer-centricapproach.”

Silvio Stockmann, head of the Busi-ness Unit Banking at Sagem Orga

Smart Card Solutions


Winter 2006 AUTO ID EUROPE 47Smart Card Solutions

universities are using plastic cards

to limit access to certain areas of

their business or campus. Our

superior technology allows us to

add barcodes, double barcodes or

magnetic stripes on the plastic

cards for an added level of security,”

Geyra explained.

Plastic cards with a magnetic

stripe are vital for almost any type

of business.When they work with

Tele-Pak for their plastic card

printing needs, they can take

advantage of their advanced

technology and create a card that

limits the access to the information

with security encryption. If the card

ends up lost or stolen, the

information remains confidential.

Tele-Pak, Inc. is indeed an

innovator in secure plastic cards

and as such has developed an

unparalleled reputation in the

industry.Their continued

commitment to investing in

technology to provide the highest

quality, most secure cards, at an

affordable price will ensure a

satisfied client base for years to

come. For more information, please

visit www.tele-pak.com.

temperatures and is tamper

evident.

All types of organizations turn to

card printers like Tele-Pak, Inc. for

their scratch card printing and

other plastic card printing

requirements.“Security has become

vitally important to our customers.

They want to ensure that no matter

what type of plastic card they are

getting printed, that they can be

assured that it has the security

measures necessary,” stated David

Geyra from Tele-Pak, Inc.

“In addition, more and more

companies and even colleges and

With businesses using plastic cards

for a variety of purposes, such as

phone cards, gift cards, smart cards,

loyalty cards, as identification

badges and more, it is becoming

increasingly important that the

card printing company has the

technology required to implement

security measures. Security minded

companies turn to organizations

such as Tele-Pak, Inc. to ensure their

plastic cards are as secure as

possible.

“We needed a phone card

printed as a promotional item for

our customers.We wanted a

scratch-off security label to conceal

the PIN and keep it tamper-proof

until it reached the customer,”

explained John Jensen, promotions

manager for a large organization.

“After researching many

companies, we went with Tele-Pak,

Inc. because they have the

technology to provide superior

scratch card printing and we knew

the cards would be secure,”he

concluded.

Tele-Pak’s scratch-off system is

the most secure available.The

scratch-off can be a label or a

specially developed print method.

The scratch-off cannot be

penetrated by any intensity of light

— including medical imaging

equipment — it cannot be

removed (lifted) by any means,

including blades, it will not change

characteristics at high

Security is Paramount for PlasticCard PrintingMany organizations use plastic and plastic coated cards for a variety ofbusiness purposes. The need for secure plastic cards and scratch cardprinting has many of them turning to Tele-Pak, Inc. for all their cardprinting needs.

TELE-PAK Card PrintingPrint layer of Scratch panel



Unisys Australia Signs Biometricsand Identity ManagementContract with DIMA

Unisys Corporation announced

recently that its Australian

subsidiary has signed a contract

with the Australian Government

Department of Immigration and

Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) for an

identity authentication solution.

Unisys will provide DIMA with an

identity solution that will be

implemented initially in

immigration detention centres.

During the course of the contract,

biometrics will be deployed

progressively to other business

processes such as the overseas

refugee and humanitarian

caseload and the secondary line

— where a passenger is

redirected from standard entry

lines for additional assessment,

such as increased identity

validation or “watch list” matching

— at Australian airports.The new

solution, designed to strengthen

Australia’s borders, will use facial

recognition and fingerprint

scanning technology.

“Unisys has played a key role in

biometric and identity

management projects globally,

from ID cards and travel

documentation to border control,

voter registration, defence and

homeland security, airport and port

security,” said Allen Koehn,

managing partner, Public Sector,

Unisys Australia-New Zealand.“A

flexible, scalable identity

management solution will help

maintain Australia’s security.”

Unisys will lead a team of

biometrics and identity

management specialists, including

the University of Canberra, Daon,

the International Biometric Group,

Cognitec, NEC,Tactics, and Aulich

& Co.The company has

implemented similar biometric and

identity management solutions for

government agencies around the

world. Examples include the US

Registered Traveler pilot

programme, the HANIS (Home

Affairs National Identification

Fingerprint scanning and facial recognition technologies will be employedto strengthen border security

System) project for the Department

of Homeland Affairs in South Africa,

and the MyKad (multipurpose ID

card) project for the National

Registration Department in

Malaysia.

Most recently, Unisys announced

this summer that it has been

selected to supply, install and

support a six-month biometrics

field trial for Citizen and

Immigration Canada (CIC), which

will test the benefits of introducing

fingerprint scanning and facial

recognition technologies into CIC

operations. Approximately 15,000

fingerprints and facial images will

be collected from field trial

participants (www.unisys.com).

“Unisys hasplayed a key rolein biometric andidentitymanagementprojects globally,from ID cardsand traveldocumentation toborder control,voterregistration,defence andhomelandsecurity”

Allen KoehnUnisys Australia-New Zealand

Biometric Solutions


Successful business is aboutnever standing still. Constantly changing to meetthe needs of customers. Delivering excellence.

And, most importantly, standing head and shouldersabove the competition in your marketplace.Via Media exists to help you do just that. We’re here to give you that

precious headroom via our complete selection of specialist B2B

marketing and communication products and skills.

Each month we publish a number of high-quality, professional journals

that are regarded as a must read in their industry sector. We’ve invested

heavily in research to ensure that everyone who receives each of the

magazines is qualified to do so. Our clients know that they are advertising

in an environment that can only enhance their profile.

Plus, we can offer you the opportunity to reach your customers via well

planned and executed live events.

We can even provide a full agency backup if that’s what you need.

Get your business moving.

Call us today.

Via Media LtdOak House Mews, 43 The Parade,Claygate, Surrey KT10 0PD, UK

Telephone: +44 (0) 1623 786198Fax: +44 (0) 1623 [email protected]

VIA MEDIA


AUTO ID EUROPE Winter 200650 Biometric Solutions

Next Generation BiometricsNew palm reader marks the next step in the evolution of contactlessbiometric technology

scanning their palm. It’s

glamorous. And, most important

of all, it’s extremely secure and

reliable. When used with a

password, possibility of a false

positive is virtually nil. When used

with a smart card, the possibility

simply does not exist.”

Biometric templates can be

captured and encoded onto

smart cards, using a card printer

and Databac’s Dataimage ID

software. Palm prints are then

checked against the template

held on the card — for instant

verification and an additional

layer of security. Visit

www.databac.com for more

information.

access control. Palm Scan Indoor is

the same but has standard keys

that need to be pressed. Palm Scan

Outdoor features the reader only.

With prices starting from around

£1000, Palm Scan offers an

affordable solution at the high end

of the biometric scale and comes in

at three times cheaper than iris

technology.

“Palm Scan is the most

comfortable, user-friendly

biometric solution on the

market,” said Databac managing

director Charles Balcomb.“It has

none of the psychological barriers

of other biometric systems. Being

contactless, there are no greasy

finger marks to put users off

The Rimax Staff On Time Palm Scan

was recently unveiled, marking an

industry first in biometric

technology. Palm Scan is the first

palm reader of its kind that

identifies users by their palm print.

Launched in the UK by exclusive

distributor Databac Group, Palm

Scan offers a state-of-the-art

contactless solution for access

control, and time and attendance

monitoring, for up to 2100 users.

Palm Scan is ultra-reliable, highly

secure, easy to operate and very

user-friendly.

Boasting a false negative ratio of

less than 0.1 per cent, Palm Scan is

exceptionally efficient. Contactless

operation means it can be

mounted in a hermetic terminal (in

the case of Palm Scan Outdoor) for

a solution that is vandal-proof,

weather-proof and totally hygienic

— an important consideration in

crisis situations such as the SARS

outbreak. Operation is as simple as

holding the palm up to the reader,

with no user training required and,

importantly, offering a user-friendly

alternative to more intrusive

biometric technologies such as iris

or facial recognition.

Unlike other hand-based

technologies, Palm Scan reads the

lines, scars, wrinkles and folds on

the surface of the palm and uses

them to build a map that is unique

to the user.Three versions are

available: Palm Scan Window, Palm

Scan Indoor and Palm Scan

Outdoor.The Window version

features 10 ultrasound (contactless)

keys, which can be programmed to

identify activities like lunch breaks

in time and attendance

applications or to add pin codes for


ARMOR S.A. FRANCE • 20, RUE CHEVREUL • BP 90508 • 44105 NANTES CEDEX 4 • TEL +33 (0)2 40 38 40 00FAX +33 (0)2 40 38 40 18 • www.armor-group.com / e-mai l : [email protected] FAX +33 (0)2 40 38 40 18 • www.armor-group.com / e-mai l

ARMOR APR®6 RAISE YOUREXPECTATIONS

ARMOR has put all innovation capability into the development of a new wax/resin ribbon dedicated to fl at head printers: .

The result is not only an extremely good, sharp and dark printing quality… but also comfort for the user (extreme versatility and sensitivity, combined with no noise, no static, no ghosting) while printing and therefore, total comfort for the distributor.

Another step in making Thermal Transfer easier.

✓ More than just quality… Comfort.✓ Our innovation at your service.

WAX WAX/RESIN RESIN

N E Wfor FLAT HEADP r i n t e r s

AutoID_AP_APR6.indd 1 22/06/06 16:17:46

SATO. The solution for all your Identification, Traceability & Labelling needs. As a pioneer in the automaticidentification industry SATO provides more than customised solutions for fast, efficient and cost-effective identifica-tion. Our products are not only “best-in-class”, they are also very user friendly. And our committed service guaranteessimple and effective solutions for all your needs. SATO’s ambition is to be your first choice in identification.

SATO. More than labelling.

G&

CO

www.satoworldwide.com

SAT0127 Plane UK 297x225 12/09/06 8:09 Page 1AID winter.qxd 1/12/06 12:08 am

auto id-winter low

Documents