Chicago September 26, 2002 Alien Technology, a provider of low-cost radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, is set to support the universal data appliance protocol (UDAP) from wireless supply chain solution provider Savi Technology.
The partnership will give customers seeking cost-effective RFID solutions in supply chain and logistics applications the opportunity to integrate Alien RFID hardware using UDAP to link information from automated data collection devices to Savi's Web-based software platform, the two companies said.
Alien's low-cost tags will make it economically feasible to affix RFID devices directly onto products for real-time, item-level visibility, adding a new dimension to Savi's Asset Management and Transportation Security System applications, the partners said.
UDAP-enabled devices capture and interpret data at critical junctures in the supply chain and automatically transmit the data to a local Savi Site Manager, which then sends it through the real-time event engine to Savi's SmartChain platform. From there, the data is converted into actionable information that can be managed by Savi's software applications, and information can be shared between secured trading partners through a Web interface called the SmartChain Logistics Portal.
"Alien's low-cost RFID product line will extend the capability of our visibility software, which now secures and manages the lifecycle of supply chain assets, ranging from pallets and totes to rail cars and truck trailers," said Lani Fritts, Savi's director of business development. "We expect that Alien's adoption of the UDAP protocol will enable significant new applications by allowing customers to economically tag cases and even items."
"The combined benefits of our low-cost hardware and Savi's software will be very attractive to users seeking fully-integrated solutions to their toughest supply chain challenges," said Tom Pounds, vice president of marketing and business development for Alien.
Savi and Alien also work together as members of the Auto-ID Center coordinated by MIT and Cambridge University. The Auto-ID Center is an industry-sponsored effort to develop an electronic product code that will enable the broad adoption of the next-generation of automatic identification technology for tracking and managing products in the retail supply chain.
