LXE, Intel and Sirit to Collaborate on Forklift-mounted RFID Data Collection Solutions

Effort targeted at companies looking beyond compliance, to include antennae and RFID readers for forklift applications

Effort targeted at companies looking beyond compliance, to include antennae and RFID readers for forklift applications

Atlanta — March 2, 2005 — Technology companies LXE, Intel and Sirit are collaborating on what they say will be the first forklift-mounted radio frequency identification (RFID) data collection solutions for use in warehousing and distribution that will enable customers to garner the benefits of RFID throughout their warehouse beyond simple compliance.

As the lead in this development, LXE brings its 35-plus years of experience in developing wireless products and solutions, antenna engineering talent through its sister divisions in EMS Technologies, and a customer base including most of the top companies implementing RFID in their supply chain operations today, according to the provider.

The new systems will utilize the Intel IXP4XX product line of network processors for application processing and network transmission. The processors are based on high-performance, low-power Intel XScale technology, enabling implementation in a variety of form factors.

Sirit brings its RFID design capabilities and will provide the RFID expertise and RFID reader module components supporting EPCglobal Class 0, Class 0+, Class 1 and UHG Gen2 protocols. The reader will leverage Sirit's existing technology collaboration with Intel to produce standards-based building block technology for RFID readers, the solution providers said in their announcement of the project.

"LXE has always excelled in delivering products and solutions for mobile data collection," says Jim Childress, LXE president and general manager. "Our history illustrates the value of real-time mobile data capture, versus static or batch. Now LXE extends that value to RFID-based data collection."

Dick Sorenson, LXE director of product management, added that as companies move beyond pure compliance operations, they are coming to need reliable solutions for forklift-based operations. "With a mutual commitment to open standards, we've got the right teammates in Sirit and Intel with complementary skills to meet the challenge," Sorenson said.

Doug Davis, vice president of Intel's Digital Enterprise Group and general manager of the company's Infrastructure Processor Division, noted that Intel provides a range of computing and communications building blocks to support the growing RFID infrastructure. "This development effort can help customers use that infrastructure to rapidly realize cost-savings at the warehouse," he said.

William Staudt, president and CEO of Sirit, said that his company anticipates building on the relationship that Sirit has had with LXE over the past three years. "In particular, we look forward to following the success of a mobile, standards-based solution such as LXE's MX3-RFID with a forklift solution as supply chain customers move beyond compliance to reap benefits of RFID internally," Staudt said.

For a contrary view of the future of the RFID market, see the article "The O'RFID Factor: A 'No Spin' Look at Where Radio Frequency Identification Is Headed," in the October/November 2004 issue of Supply & Demand Chain Executive.

For more information on trends relating to radio frequency identification, follow this link for an extensive listing of SDCExec.com articles, featuring the latest research findings on the RFID, including adoption, return on investment and barriers to implementation.

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