Intermec Technologies Corp. (Everett, Wash.) has adopted Cisco Systems' (San Jose, Calif.) wireless technology as its next-generation wireless platform, Intermec said. Intermec will sell, service and support Cisco's wireless infrastructure, giving customers a single point of contact to manage their wireless network and mobile computers.
Intermec and Cisco combine business-critical wireless infrastructures with best-in-class automated data collection technologies to deliver integrated, end-to-end systems based on open standards. Cisco's Unified Wireless Architecture provides seamless, secure wireless communication for Intermec CCX-certified mobile computers today, and in the future will support the next generations of technologies, such as RFID (radio frequency identification), VoIP and VoWLAN. As business needs dictate the need for features such as advanced security, centralized management and location services, Intermec and Cisco will offer investment protection and ease of migration for these technology upgrades, as well.
"Retail, transportation, warehousing and manufacturing customers stand to gain a significant technology advantage by having a single-source solution for their entire wireless networking needs," said Brett Galloway, vice president and general manager, Cisco Systems Wireless Networking Business Unit. "By teaming, Intermec and Cisco now offer a superior range of wireless solutions to best meet the myriad of customer needs and environments."
The companies already have worked together to provide integrated systems that transform business processes for customers such as the St. Louis-based Dierbergs grocery chain. "Our Cisco wireless network and Intermec mobile computing equipment are keys to staying flexible and agile in a competitive market," said Robert Sanabria, Dierbergs director of IT. "Cisco and Intermec together provide an integrated, end-to-end wireless mobile computing system that helps us quickly deploy new applications and capabilities."
Cisco and Intermec also have combined efforts on RFID technology, with the recent announcement of Cisco's inclusion in Intermec's Rapid Start patent licensing program. Building on that focus, Intermec's IF5 RFID reader recently was verified as the first RFID device to be compatible with the Cisco RFID Solution, allowing the IF5 to be placed automatically into a company's Cisco infrastructure without any manual configuration.
Source: Intermec Technologies Corp.
