Cambridge, Mass.– February 24, 2003. ThingMagic announced today the licensing of its Agile RFID Reader Design to the Retail Solutions Group, a business unit of Tyco Fire & Security. Under this agreement, the Retail Solutions Group will deliver a new generation of dual band HF/UHF radio frequency identification (RFID) readers capable of handling existing and emerging protocols, including the Auto-ID Center's EPC specifications.
The Retail Solutions Group will distribute these readers under the brand name Sensormatic. ThingMagic will have access to these products for distribution to its own customers under its own brand name. The Retail Solutions Group and ThingMagic plan to cooperate on further design and development of the Agile Reader Platform.
ThingMagic started design work on the Agile Reader Platform in 2001 with the goal of creating a device targeted for applications in the global supply chain. This application is widely considered the most promising market for RFID technology in the near future. The Agile Reader currently operates at the two most important RFID frequency bands of 13.56MHz and 915MHz and covers the most relevant RFID protocols, including the MIT Auto-IDCenter’s EPC standard. The first generation of this design was utilized by the Auto- IDCenter in its field test program in the fall of 2002.
ThingMagic recognizes that, in addition to highest performance and design standards, large-scale, end-user deployments are dependent on readily available system integration services. Bernd Schoner, Managing Partner of ThingMagic, emphasizes that, "The Retail Solutions Group’s global footprint, their expertise in the deployment of RFID and anti-theft systems, and their access to sophisticated manufacturing facilities through Tyco Fire & Security will be extremely important for the global rollout of RFID technology. We are excited about this relationship with the Retail Solutions Group because their excellence in system integration beautifully complements ThingMagic’s excellence in design and development."
The adoption of RFID technology in supply chain management and retail applications is in the early stage of deployment with many companies undertaking significant pilot programs. As these programs progress, they will need installation support and a reader platform that can address the different frequencies and protocols that will be tried in different warehouse and retail environments. George Reynolds, vice president of RFID for the Retail Solutions Group, explains, "ThingMagic’s innovative design, coupled with our more than 30 years experience delivering innovative solutions to the retail marketplace, will allow our team to deploy an adaptable RFID reader as we assist our customers in making these systems work in challenging supply chain and retail environments."
