The Retail Tag by Mikoh Corp. offers conventional read distances in the supply chain, allowing inventory tracking, replenishment, and management schemes to operate without constraints resulting from short read distances. (Some RFID tags can be read from as far as 20 feet.) In practice, when a customer purchases a product with the Retail Tag the tag can be unfolded to reduce the read distance while leaving the tag readable.
If merchandise is returned, the tag can serve as verification of the authenticity of the product using the item-level identification contained on the tag. It can then be returned to its normal state and will be readable for a distance, permitting it to function normally inside the supply chain during return, restocking, or throughout any other disposition of the item.
"The benefits of item-level RFID tagging are lost if the item has to go back into inventory and the read distance of the tag can't be restored," noted Dr. Peter Atherton, chief technology officer, Mikoh Corp. "The ability to restore the read distance without applying a new tag and reentering the associated data maintains the efficiency of item-level tagging while addressing consumer privacy concerns," he continued.
The Smart & Secure Retail Tag includes a patented tamper-evident technology which confirms the integrity of the tag. The tag is disabled if it is tampered with or moved, preventing the tag from being placed on a counterfeit item that is then returned to the store.
Earlier, Mikoh had announced a tamper-evident tag for government use which does not disable the tag but will report it has been tampered with.
