Data capture solution offers RFID alternative
technology will be unveiled at the RetailSystems 2005 Expo next
week.
ImageID, the company behind the Visidot system, argues that manufacturers and suppliers need a cost-effective data capture solution that works now. Current difficulties in deploying RFID (radio frequency identification) technology mean that some suppliers are experiencing a visibility gap within their supply chain.
"The promised asset visibility of RFID will yield significant benefits throughout supply chain in the future, but companies need data capture solutions that work today," said ImageID product manager Roger Hecker.
"Supply chain and logistics operations need near-100 per cent reading accuracy, real-time data for true visibility across the supply chain, standards-based solutions for interoperability with other systems, a cost-effective solution with minimal recurring costs, and solutions that work now."
Indeed, although RFID technology, which hooks miniature antennas up to tiny computer chips smaller than a grain of sand to track items at a distance, is being seen as the best means of ensuring traceability of goods throughout the supply chain, affordability has become a key concern.
Many suppliers, obliged to install RFID technology because of regulatory pressure and retail mandates, are worried that the cost the technology is still prohibitive. At a recent Softworld Supply Chain event, experts argued that worries over cost implications are still hindering the adoption of RFID technology amongst many organisations.
ImageID is therefore using RetailSystems 2005 to launch its newest version of the Visidot multiple-asset data capture solution.
"The Visidot system is a field-proven, near-100 per cent accurate, multiple-asset data capture solution that delivers these benefits and is working now," said Hecker.
Based on imaging technology and sophisticated algorithms, the Visidot solution is capable of identifying and decoding hundreds of unique standard barcodes simultaneously in a single read. The solution is used in supply chains to provide per-asset visibility and to increase operational efficiencies. The RetailSystems 2005 Expo runs from 24 to 26 May in Chicago, USA.
However as ImageID itself admits, RIFD technology looks like it is here to stay. An IDTechEx report, entitled RFID Forecasts, Players and Opportunities,predicts that the total value of this market, including systems and service, will rocket from $1.95 billion in 2005 to $26.9 billion in 2015.
