Alien Technology Announces Availability of 96-Bit, Field-Programmable, EPC Class 1 RFID Tags; New Tags Fulfill Key Commercial and DoD Requirements.MORGAN HILL, Calif. -- Alien Technology(R) Corporation, a leading provider of Radio Frequency Identification See RFID. (RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) A data collection technology that uses electronic tags for storing data. The tag, also known as an "electronic label," "transponder" or "code plate," is made up of an RFID chip attached to an antenna. ) products, today announced the release of EPC (1) (Entertainment PC) See HTPC. (2) (Electronic Product Code) A standard code for RFID tags administered by EPCglobal Inc. (www.epcglobalinc.org). Class 1 tags with 96-bits of user-programmable memory. The new tag family is based on Alien(R)'s third generation of UHF (Ultra High Frequency) The range of electromagnetic frequencies from 300 MHz to 3 GHz. In the U.S., analog television has used UHF channels 52 to 69 in the 700 MHz band. EPC Class 1 integrated circuits, code named "Lepton lepton (lĕp`tŏn') [Gr.,=light (i.e., lightweight)], class of elementary particles that includes the electron and its antiparticle, the muon and its antiparticle, the tau and its antiparticle, and the neutrino and antineutrino associated with ." The Lepton-based tags deliver up to 40% more read range than previous models, providing robust operating margin for challenging applications. Fully compliant with Wal*Mart and U.S. Department of Defense initiatives taking effect in January 2005, the new tags operate according to the EPC Class 1 standard, the only field-programmable tag standard recognized by EPCglobal. The new tags will be used by hundreds of suppliers from around the world to track cases and pallets in the retail and DoD supply chain. Alien's tags are suitable for use in Europe, where new regulations for UHF RFID operation have just been ratified. These updated regulations will allow higher performance of UHF RFID systems in Europe -- approaching the performance seen under U.S. FCC (1) (Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC, www.fcc.gov) The U.S. government agency that regulates interstate and international communications including wire, cable, radio, TV and satellite. The FCC was created under the U.S. operation. EPC Class-1 tags are the only ones recognized by EPCglobal that can operate under these new standards. Lepton-based tags for Pacific Rim countries such as Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan and Australia are also forthcoming. The Lepton-based tag family includes updated versions of Alien's current designs, plus new tags optimized for pharmaceuticals, baggage tags, retail hang tags, and other applications. "Our customers and partners have made Alien's Class 1 RFID hardware the most widely adopted for key supply chain initiatives," commented Tom Pounds, VP of Corporate Development for Alien. "The enhanced read performance provided by the Lepton IC will make our Class 1 products even more attractive." Readers and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) The rebranding of equipment and selling it. The term initially referred to the company that made the products (the "original" manufacturer), but eventually became widely used to refer to the organization that buys the products and reader modules supporting the new tags are available from Alien now. Alien is also working with leading reader, handheld, printer and applicator ap·pli·ca·tor n. An instrument for applying something, such as a medication. applicator, n a device for applying medication; usually a slender rod of glass or wood, used with a pledget of cotton on the end. vendors to ensure the same widespread interoperability with Lepton that has been proven with earlier generations of Class 1 products (www.epcglobalinc.org/interoperability). Alien is also working with leading label converter companies to ensure availability and reliability of Lepton-based RFID labels. Alien will begin customer sampling of the new tags in October and initial production shipments in November. Production capacity for the new tags will be two billion units in 2005. About Alien Alien Technology Corporation is a leading provider of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) products for global customers in government, retail, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, transportation, and other industries. Using its patented manufacturing process, Fluidic Self Assembly (FSA FSA Financial Services Authority FSA Food Standards Agency (UK) FSA Farm Service Agency (USDA) FSA Financial Services Agency (Japan) (R)), Alien(R) manufactures EPC tags in very high-volumes and at low cost. The company also provides RFID readers for a variety of applications including supply chain management, logistics, and anti-counterfeiting, to improve inventory management and reduce operating costs. Alien is an active member of EPCglobal. More information about Alien Technology Corporation can be found on the Company's website at www.alientechnology.com. Alien, Alien Technology and FSA are trademarks or registered trademarks of Alien Technology Corporation in the United States and other countries. |
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