ProScan Systems, a SA leading provider of supply chain, automated data collection and mobile computing solutions, announced today its participation and sponsorship of the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Test Centre project, which launches early October 2006 at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT).
ProScan has been at the forefront of the RFID in South Africa and recently established a division to handle the growing demand for information and solutions on this latest technology. As sole value added distributors for Intermec Technologies, who lead the world with the roll-out and development of RFID products and solutions, ProScan has access to extensive knowledge and expertise. Intermec RFID Gen 2 equipment was recently certified as interoperable with other devices certified by EPCglobal Inc.
The aim of the RFID Test Centre project is to establish an EPC (Electronic Product Code) and RFID test centre to develop local expertise in the implementation of RFID technology using EPCglobal standards. This centre is a first in Africa and will provide participating companies with the means to demonstrate the benefits of RFID technology and the EPCglobal Network(tm).
Partly funded by the NRF (National Research Foundation), this project is an excellent example of the collaboration between government, private enterprise and an academic institution.
Other partners besides ProScan include EPCglobal South Africa, (an affiliate to GS1, a division of the Consumer Goods Council of SA), Techsolutions, Collaborative Xchange, CHEP SA, Business Connexion, Proctor & Gamble, IBM, Roan Systems and Poynting Antennas.
Besides creating standards for the frequency range, EPCglobal Inc, the global organisation chartered to develop technical standards for the Electronic Product Code (EPC), has worked closely with the International Standards Organisation (ISO) to develop shared global standards and methodologies for RFID.
The Class-1 Generation-2 UHF RFID Protocol for Communications at 860MHz - 960MHz was ratified by the EPCglobal(tm) Board in 2004 and was submitted to the ISO process in January 2005, accepted in July this year and published for distribution.
More than a dozen RFID readers, tags and integrated circuits have been certified as Gen 2 compliant by EPCglobal and are commercially available today.
The EPCglobal Gen 2 standard was initially developed by more than 60 of the world`s leading technology companies and describes the core capabilities required to meet the performance needs set by the end user community. EPCglobal Gen 2 is a foundational element for creating standard interfaces and protocols to drive the development of new RFID hardware products to provide accurate, cost efficient visibility of information throughout supply chains.
"This is a significant milestone because it provides recognition of the work that the EPCglobal community is doing to build user-driven technical standards to advance the adoption of EPC/RFID technologies in the supply chains throughout the worlds," said Chris Adcock, president of the EPCglobal Inc.
According to Fiona van der Linde, Unit Leader of EPCglobal South Africa, "Local organisations looking to implement the EPCglobal(tm) Network should subscribe to EPCglobal(tm) South Africa, a division of GS1 South Africa, who will allocate an EPC Manager Number for the unique identification of trade items."
Owen Behr, Business Development Director of ProScan`s RFID division, says, "As the above standards` issues are finalised and ratified, the industry will see a quicker adoption of RFID as companies will have peace of mind knowing that their investment is protected into the future. As RFID technology proliferates, the industry will also see a rapid reduction in costs.
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