Alien Technology has announced the expansion of its family of Gen 2 UHF RFID tags, including new ''World Tags'' designed for uniform use around the globe, and small form-factor tags for item level tagging.

     The new tags extend Alien''s portfolio of tag designs and form-factors for supply chain management, asset tracking, item level identification and other applications. 116.30.145.87 This article is copyright 2006 UsingRFID.com.

Global focus
     The World Tag family addresses cost and performance issues involved in global tag usage. Like the previous Alien ''Squiggle'' tags, the new Alien World Tags operate globally within a narrowly defined performance band from 860 to 960 MHz, which enables each individual tag to be used across the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa.

     The World Tags were created to enable companies to manufacture products on one continent and ship them worldwide using a single RFID tag that delivers consistent performance regardless of its destination.

Common infrastructure
     When used with Alien''s Enterprise RFID Readers, this means companies can deploy a common RFID infrastructure globally, reducing the number of infrastructure designs, software interfaces, development projects and equipment models they need to implement. As a result, upfront implementation and ongoing maintenance costs can be minimized, and returns on RFID investment can be accelerated.

     Keith McDonald, SVP of Sales & Marketing for Alien Technology, said: "By providing the same tag globally, Alien is able to develop economies of scale that result in lower tag and infrastructure costs for end users. In expanding our World Tag family and introducing new extremely small form factor tags, Alien is touching all the bases where UHF RFID can provide value today - from freight, baggage and asset tracking to item level pharmaceuticals, apparel and commodities to products containing liquids and metals."

Three World Tags
The three new tags in the World Tag family include:

Gen2 M Tag: optimized for plastic reusable containers and other difficult-to-tag applications;
Gen2 Castle Tag: optimized for corrugate packaging and 3-inch labels;
Gen2 2x2 Tag: optimized for apparel and baggage tag applications and 2-inch labels.
Smart and small
     The two new small form factor Gen2 tags, both optimized for 902 to 928 MHz operation for use in the Americas and Asia, and both able to operate in near-field and far-field operation modes, can be incorporated in packaging in such a way that they can actually make use of metal components within the packaging to help extend their read range. The new tags include:

Gen2 Mini-Squiggle: Ideal for item level tagging;
Gen2 1x1: Optimized for plastic packaging such as pharmaceutical pill bottles.
The new Gen 2 tags are available immediately in commercial quantities, the company confirmed.

 

 

 

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