Frontline 2004 Ushers in New Age of Computing

Advanstar Technology Group, a division of Advanstar Communications Inc., together with AIM Global, the trade association for the automatic identification and mobility industry, announced the keynote and general session line-up for this year's Frontline Solutions Conference and Exposition, September 13-15 at Chicago's Navy Pier Convention Center. Industry-leading keynote speakers from the U.S. Senate, AIM Global, the co-founders and architects of the Electronic Product Code (EPC) Standard, IBM, Texas Instruments, Intermec, and technology and business experts from China will provide insight into the state of the automatic identification (Auto-ID) industry.

Frontline 2004 will offer expertise to corporate professionals in such industries as government, retail, healthcare, transportation and industrial.

"To comply with industry and government standards and to create more streamlined business operations, companies must justify an increase in IT budgets to implement smarter supply chain management strategies," said Dan Mullen, president of AIM Global and co-chair of the Frontline event.

Kerry Gumas, vice president of Advanstar Technology Group, adds, "With the dizzying stream of information about new technologies circulating in the market, users are overwhelmed by standards, events, and the latest trends and product offerings. Frontline 2004 is specifically designed to provide attendees with unbiased access to solutions and standards from the leading technology vendors that make data capture, mobility, security, and supply chain implementations successful for companies of all sizes."

On Monday, September 13, Kevin Ashton, former executive director and co-founder of the Auto-ID Center, and currently vice president of marketing and business development of ThingMagic, kicks off the event with the opening-day keynote presentation. From 9 to 10 a.m., Ashton will discuss "The Sensor Age" where computers will be woven into the fabric of our clothes and lives, where everything we buy and own will communicate, and where electronic devices will be as pervasive as printing and paper. Ashton will showcase some of the technology that gives computing its senses and examine the short- and long-term implications.

A special guest in the opening session will be Senator Byron L. Dorgan from North Dakota. Dorgan will provide his observations from serving as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Competition, Foreign Commerce, and Infrastructure; and as a key member of the U.S. Senate's Democratic Leadership team.

Dr. Sanjay Sarma, former research director and associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, co-founder of the Auto-ID Center and currently the chief technology officer and board member of OATSystems, opens the event for its second day at 9 a.m. September 14. Sarma will address the early challenges of achieving return on investment (ROI), increasing inventory turns, reducing shrinkage and counterfeit, and increasing on-shelf availability at each stage of RFID deployments. Sarma will also discuss approaches for obtaining the business benefits of RFID over time that will justify and fund each phase of projects.

Frontline 2004's general sessions offer attendees the opportunity to see real-world examples regarding how to implement RFID and comply with 2005 mandates. Additionally, attendees will also have access to exclusive information on the status of RFID and Auto-ID adoption and standards in China.

General sessions for Frontline 2004 include:

Monday, September 13

• What a Difference a Year Makes

• Auto-ID, RFID, and Mobility -- Separating Fact from FUD

Tuesday, September 14

• Billions and Billions: What Is the Status of Chip Production?

• AIDC in China: An Update from the World's Fastest-Growing Economy

Wednesday, September 15

• RFID and the Bumps in the Road -- RFID Experts Group (REG)

For registration information or to exhibit at Frontline 2004, visit www.frontlineexpo.com.