Intermec, Philips Semiconductors and Gemplus Tag Submit Joint Proposal to ISO For the Use of RFID in Item Management Applications.

Business Editors, Technology Writers

EVERETT, Wash. & EINDHOVEN, Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 31, 2001

Intermec Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UNA), Philips Semiconductors and Gemplus have jointly submitted an updated proposal to ISO 18000-6 for a UHF protocol to be used in item management applications.

The proposal follows last week's announcement of a joint submission to GTAG(TM), an initiative of the UCC-EAN voluntary standards organization charged with studying the use of RFID (radio frequency identification) in supply applications. The proposal to ISO is a further step in the cooperation of the three major industry players, expanding the joint standardization efforts to cover all market segments using RFID tags and labels.

RFID technology allows companies to track items without the line of sight requirements of automatic data collection. RFID systems typically use computer chips packaged with tiny antennas, known as tags, and readers known as interrogators to provide information at many times the speed of traditional bar code technology.

The joint proposal defines a standardized protocol for ISO 18000-6. This will enable users of UHF smart label technology in all markets to build RFID systems incorporating components from more than one vendor. By ensuring interoperability, the proposed standard means a reader from one manufacturer would, for example, be able to decode labels from different manufacturers.

The ISO 18000-6 proposal includes additional commands, offering increased possibilities to meet further application requirements. It is an extension to the proposal recently submitted to GTAG(TM). For system integrators implementing solutions on different frequencies, the command set and memory structure of the ISO 18000-6 proposal allows use of the same data management as defined by ISO 18000-3 mode 1 or mode 2, making higher communication layers independent from the carrier frequency.

Commenting on the announcement, Christoph Kauer, manager of the RFID product line at Philips Semiconductors, said: "Once again we are showing that industry leaders working together can drive forward proposals that will benefit all users of RFID technology. We are delighted to continue our cooperation with Intermec and Gemplus to promote standardization for RFID technology."

"RFID technology has already demonstrated its enormous ability to enhance efficiency and productivity throughout a supply chain," said Winston Guillory, vice president, Intermec Intellitag(R) RFID business unit. "Our three companies are dedicated to working together because we know that development of industry standards mean its benefits will become accessible more quickly to more companies worldwide."

"Recognizing the important role of ISO for standardization of smart labels for which our three companies have been extremely active, we have jointly decided to extend our GTAG proposal to ISO SC31 with the objective to further support RFID technology standardization," said Alastair McArthur, associate managing director for Gemplus Tag.

About Intermec

Intermec Technologies Corp., a UNOVA Inc. (NYSE:UNA) company, is a leader in global supply chain solutions and in the development, manufacture and integration of wired and wireless automated data collection, Intellitag(R) RFID (radio frequency identification) and mobile computing systems. The company's products and services are used by customers in many industries to improve productivity, quality and responsiveness of business operations, from supply chain management and enterprise resource planning to field sales and service. For information about Intermec, visit www.intermec.com.

About Philips Semiconductors

Philips Semiconductors, which had annual revenues of approximately US$5 billion in 1999, designs and manufactures semiconductors and silicon systems platforms. Philips Semiconductors is spearheading the emerging field of systems on silicon solutions with the innovative Nexperia(TM) platform and VLSI Velocity(TM) tool set. The company's Sea-of-IP(TM) design methodology allows plug and play intellectual property blocks for easily customizable products. The company is a leader in communications, consumer, PC peripherals and automotive semiconductors, which are key applications for convergence in end-user products. Philips Semiconductors is headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, and has operations throughout the world. For more information: www.semiconductors.philips.com.

About Gemplus Tag

Gemplus Tag is a division of Gemplus, an $817 million company and world leading provider of smart card based solutions. Gemplus Tag is dedicated to the identification and tracking of objects through RFID. The Group's technological expertise in the contactless field and its remarkable production capacity have contributed to Gemplus Tag world leadership in the manufacturing of smart labels. Gemplus Tag has a worldwide network of business partners who create turnkey solutions and provide local technical and commercial support to customers. Gemplus's web site is located at www.gemplus.com.

Notes to the editor:

The ISO 18000 standard defines a radio frequency identification (RFID) standard for item management. ISO 18000-6 defines the part of the standard addressing RFID devices operating in the UHF band. ISO 18000-3 applies to 13.56 MHz.

GTAG(TM) is the UCC and EAN initiative created in response to the growing interest in performance standards for RFID. GTAG(TM) aims specifically at requirements of the supply chain management market.