ODIN Technologies has turned its hand once again to the scientific benchmarking of RFID technology, this time focusing squarely on the leading EPC-compliant handheld RFID readers, concluding that Symbol, Psion and LXE are distinct market leaders.

     The new ''2005 RFID Handheld Reader Benchmark'', sponsored by Unisys, analysed the leading handheld EPC RFID readers head-to-head. The RFID Handheld Reader Benchmark was developed to provide prospective end users with an objective insight into how well they work in real world cases, and what criteria should be considered when deciding on which products to use. 116.30.151.81 This article is copyright 2005 UsingRFID.com.

     According to ODIN Technologies'' president & CEO, Patrick J. Sweeney II, many ODIN and Unisys clients have been considering the use of handheld devices for their RFID compliance and asset tracking programmes. "If you were to attend a trade show, you might come away thinking that there were ten to twelve handhelds ready to tackle your mobile RFID needs but reality suggests otherwise," warned Sweeney. "Just listening to the marketing spin and trade show pitches could lead to the wrong buying decision, potentially leaving you with a US$5,000 paper-weight. The new benchmark not only scientifically evaluates the performance of the leading handhelds but it also describes the critical categories for evaluating the few products available today."

Questions researched
The benchmark''s background research was designed to answer several questions that are considered critical to end users. For example:

 

When should I consider using a handheld RFID reader to support my business process?
 
What is important when evaluating a handheld RFID reader?
 
Which handheld RFID readers should I evaluate given my use case?
 
Which handheld RFID readers lead the pack in performance and usability?

Criteria examined
     Only EPC-compliant RFID readers were used since no Generation 2 handhelds are yet available, but ODIN expects to see similar relative performance as Generation 2 upgrades occur throughout the year. The company''s researchers evaluated handheld readers based on 16 criteria in three categories:

 

Performance
     The analysis compared the handheld reader performance across several categories including distance, radiation pattern, battery cycle time and orientation sensitivity.
 
Flexibility
     When deploying handheld RFID readers, flexibility is a critical characteristic that can be leveraged to custom tune the handheld to meet demanding use case requirements.
 
Ergonomics
     Comfort, weight and user interface are each critical elements for anyone who will be using the RFID handheld for several hours each day.

     Peter Regen, Unisys Vice President and Global Visible Commerce Practice Lead remarked, ODIN technologies has consistently provided high-quality, objective benchmark studies that assist organisations in making informed decisions about RFID technology. Mobile handheld readers are one of the most rapidly developing areas of RFID technology with new and improved products hitting the market every quarter. As these technologies mature, we will see RFID-enabled handhelds used to enhance productivity in everything from warehouses to stores to field support organisations. This benchmark is exactly what end users need today: a trusted source for objective and scientific RFID information.

Handheld leaders
     Christopher Fennig, director of professional services for ODIN Technologies, used his experimental physics background to oversee the analysis. As he explained, "Without a doubt the units provided by Symbol, Psion and LXE are the most advanced in the industry. No one handheld RFID reader surpasses its competitors in all evaluation categories."

     But there were some clear differences in both performance and usability - for example, one unit ranked at the top in eight of the sixteen criteria evaluated. According to Fennig, RFID handheld technology is maturing rapidly, and the units evaluated by the benchmark report all show great promise.

 

 

 

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