http://www.datacollection.eu en Copyright Editrice TeMi Srl Fri, 3 Feb 2012 14:05:50 +0100 Fri, 3 Feb 2012 14:05:50 +0100 Ernesto.Salvioli@datacollection.eu webmaster@datacollection.eu http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10528 Sato will be showcasing its comprehensive range of retail application solutions at the Retail Business Technology Expo 2012, alongside its business partner, Datalogic, a world-class producer of bar code readers, data collection mobile computers, RFID and vision systems. Sato's retail technology specialises in particular with price markdown, promotional, shelf-edge, footwear and garment-tagging applications. In addition, Sato also manufactures a wide-range of environmentally-friendly labelling materials. To speak to Sato’s experts on the range of available retail solutions, visit them on stand 860. The Retail Business Technology Expo will be held in London, 13th & 14th March 2012, Earls Court. The website: http://www.retailbusinesstechnologyexpo.com/ Fri, 3 Feb 2012 13:58:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10528 news http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10503 CITURA, the multimodal Bus-Tram-Parking transportation network of Reims greater area, launched its new contactless ticketing system with C.ticket®, ASK contactless paper ticket and LoGO, ASK desktop reader, when the brand new tram was inaugurated. In 2010, Reims greater area transportation network changed name and visual identity. It was an ambitious project focused on sustainable development and driven by a beautiful artwork holding the colors of the new buses and Trams of Reims greater area. Innovation goes beyond the new transportation modes and its outstanding graphical chart since it also involves the ticketing system of the greater area switching to contactless technology. Home reloading in contactless technology: a first in France! To upgrade its services offer, Reims Metropolis transportation network decided to include the contactless reader LoGO in its portfolio and enable subscribers to reload their “GRAND R” contactless smart card on internet at home, at the office...User-friendly with its USB connection and compact with an attractive design, LoGO can be included in any environment, at home or at institutions who signed a distribution agreement with CITURA network. So far, the transport operator signed an agreement with schools, the 6 City Hall of the greater area or the CCAS (Social Activities Association) to increase the number of reloading points for CITURA network customers. To replace former paper tickets and go “full contactless”, Transdev Reims now offers C.ticket®, ASK contactless paper ticket, to address occasional users. With this new transport medium, CITURA targets tourists travelling around the Champagne region. “Launching our new transportation network and particularly the tram is part of our sustainable development global policy, says Mr. Eric Omnes, Sales and Marketing Director at CITURA network. The contactless paper ticket is a 100% recyclable transport medium thanks to ASK technology. This allowed us to implement a system to recycle tickets. We dispatched dedicated boxes for end users to throw away used tickets at each tram station and at the main Bus-Tram stations. We are the only ones in France to offer this service, he adds.” Contactless paper tickets can be purchased directly in the buses and at the automatic vending machines at the tram stations. They can be reloaded 4 times with the same transportation fare. ASK, with a global offer of contactless paper tickets and readers, participates to the sustainable mobility of Reims metropolis and facilitates the daily commute of citizens and visitors. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:35:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10503 news http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10497 The TSC TDP244 from TSC Auto ID is a cost-effective thermal direct desktop label printer with a heavy-duty double-walled housing and a large memory with 8 MB DRAM and 4 MB FLASH, used preferably in administration, the warehouse and trade. During the selection process for the Hermes contract, the TSC TDP244 was a top pick due to its reliable technology and customisable design. For use in the Hermes PaketShops, TSC Auto ID configured the printers according to the specification of PDS Entwicklungs- und Service GmbH. They were integrated into the existing data system using a built-in Bluetooth module, and are reliably printing the 4x2-inch labels affixed to incoming and outgoing packages, ensuring smooth logistics. In addition to their technical advantages and custom configuration, the TSC TDP244 also has a body that can be adapted to customer-specific needs: The housing of the label printer was implemented in a grey colour specially selected by Hermes and has the Hermes branding clearly displayed on two sides. The rapid integration of the 14,000 TSC label printers ordered into the existing PaketShop software solution is to be handled by PDS Entwicklungs- und Service GmbH. The complete replacement of the printers used earlier will be winding down by 2013. The particular complexity of the project lies in the fact that two different printers with different printer languages, each with a custom label format, must be supported simultaneously during the transitional phase. The smooth operation of that process is also ensured by the implementation of the PaketShop software, which the Cologne-based company themselves provided. PDS Entwicklungs- und Service GmbH was already at the side of HLGD with consulting services during the pilot phase and call for offers for the printers, and will continue to handle service in future for the hardware and software used. PDS Entwicklungs- und Service GmbH has supported Hermes since 1998 in the mobile technical equipment of the delivery company and the PaketShops. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10497 news http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10493 Antares Vision has entered a strategic partnership agreement with Cognex Europe for a joint development of inspection systems dedicated to track & trace and e-pedigree applications. Under this agreement, Antares and Cognex technical teams will cooperate to develop and market new, high performance reading stations required to implement the next generation of Track&Trace systems. The new developments will take advantage of the most advanced Cognex camera platforms – renewed to be at the leading edge in the artificial vision technology – to implement innovative reading tasks related to the aggregation phase of Track & Trace. This means – for example - the ability to read several Datamatrix codes (over 100 simultaneously) even in difficult reading conditions such as in presence of fully wrapped bundles or in high speed applications. The new solutions will be part of the ATS-Antares Tracking System, a complete suite of hardware and software to implement Traceability in accordance with the latest regulations in the pharmaceutical industry. ATS includes the widest range of serialization devices (over 7 different models) to print and check Datamatrix unique codes, and aggregation devices to build the parent-child relationship on board of packaging machines such as bundlers, case packers, palletizers. The ATS software modules include a plant manager to interface corporate ERPs, manage unique serial numbers and communication to the Ministry of Health database, a line manager to monitor in real time the production line by line, and a warehouse module to manage commissioning and decommissioning of aggregated units before shipment, once work orders are closed. ATS is already installed and in full production on over 250 production lines in Turkey (the first country to enforce complete Track & Trace regulations) and in Europe. This agreement follows a long record of cooperation between Antares and Cognex on several large Track & Trace projects in the pharmaceutical industry. “We successfully cooperated with Cognex on several large projects related to Track&Trace. This agreement furthers Antares long-term vision of empowering the ATS system through leading edge technology, promoting an open architecture where the customer is able to choose from a wide range of line devices and can easily interface with several vendors’ platforms.” said Adriano Fusco, Antares Vision Marketing manager. “Collaborating with Antares Vision dramatically broadens the market potential of our cameras in the pharmaceutical industry, and gives to our European partners access to the most performing Track & Trace platform. This agreement is particularly important as Track & Trace regulations are currently under enforcement by several governments in order to face drug counterfeiting” according to Olivier Féraille, Cognex Sales Manager South Europe. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:40:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10493 news http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10496 The subscribers of Business Solutions Magazine have recognized Seagull Scientific for the fourth year in a row as a "Best Channel Vendor." Seagull was one of only two manufacturers of label software to be honored, and the only one honored for a fourth consecutive year. According to the survey, which was tallied from over four thousand individuals at more than a thousand reseller companies, Seagull’s top two categories were Product Features and Product Reliability. (Seagull Scientific's flagship product, BarTender, has also been recognized by the readers of BSM for all three consecutive years of a separate survey for "Best Channel Product.") Business Solutions collected 10,833 votes from more than 1,000 resellers voting for a multitude of vendors in a variety of vendor categories. Manufacturers of numerous hardware and software products were voted on, ranging from barcode printers and scanners to point-of-sale and payment process software. Standard across the various vendor categories, resellers were asked to evaluate seven qualities: Service/Support; Channel Friendly; Channel Program; Product Features; Product Reliability; Product Innovation; Adequate VAR Margins. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10496 news http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10492 Albis Technologies is protecting the most valuable assets of any organization – its people – through cutting-edge active RFID products and solutions. Albis Technologies’ Zone Monitoring & Find (ZOMOFI®) Division, known for its expertise in developing active RFID solutions to suit specific applications and environments, has responded to the crucial need for people safety in environments where conditions demand systems that ensure workers are protected on every level. Organizations, whether commercial, industrial or institutional, need to protect the safety and health of their people, and active RFID plays an important role by enabling the tracking of staff, information, or sensitive data. A most recent application where Albis’ people safety solution is in place is at the Netherlands-based organization Falck, a leader in rescue and safety courses designed especially for staff in the off-shore and maritime sector. Falck has installed a ZOMOFI® people safety system in its largest training centers in Holland. Through the installation, Albis, in collaboration with security system provider Nsecure, demonstrates how active RFID can help in the prevention of incidents and the effective handling of emergency solutions for a safer working environment. “The system is configured with ruggedized tags and controllers to monitor operations for secure evacuation and people tracking in real-time, offering high flexibility risk avoidance in rescue situations and improved education and safety,” said Zeno Stämmer, Vice President of Albis Technologies and Head of the company’s RFID division. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:33:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10492 news http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10491 Inside Secure and WISeKey announced a partnership to create a new breakthrough evolution of the WISeAuthentic solution suite which provides protection against counterfeiting, offers powerful sales monitoring and direct marketing capabilities. WISeAuthentic employs time-tested security technologies to help luxury brands ensure the authenticity of their goods from the supply chain to the end customer and beyond. The new generation of the authentication solution, which will be developed and marketed jointly by the two companies, will provide a convenient way for retailers and consumers to verify the authenticity of luxury goods at the point of sale, using smartphones enabled with Near Field Communication technology (NFC). WISeKey will employ Inside Secure’s new VaultIC(TM)150 security module, which combines tamper-proof security with a wireless interface that communicates with a smartphone or other NFC reader to determine the product’s authenticity. “Our WISeAuthentic service is already at work defending luxury brands in their fight against counterfeiters, to monitor their sellout operations, and establish a lifelong bond with customers. Our partnership with INSIDE Secure will be a major step towards the future, scaling our solution to store an unforgeable digital certificate of authenticity in formats other than just smartcards by taking advantage of the power of NFC technology. Today’s smartphones allow us to offer new value added services that luxury brands can offer their clientele, making it easier than ever before to prove a product’s authenticity,” said Carlos Moreno, vice president, digital brand management at WISeKey. “This kind of solution could be applied to many industries in addition to luxury goods, including gemstones, fine wines, pharmaceutical and medical products, and aeronautical and automotive parts.” WISeKey’s digital brand protection solutions are based on proven public key infrastructure (PKI) technology that creates a cryptographically secured digital certificate of authenticity containing the product’s identity code. The NFC tag ID will be impossible to replicate, and the solution will be available at a small fraction of the cost of sales lost from counterfeits. The IACC (International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition) estimates that brand holders lose approximately USD600 billion of revenue annually due to counterfeiting. “The NFC interface is key in this application because it enables the strong cryptographic capabilities of the VaultIC to operate on induced power, allowing it to be employed in products like handbags or wine bottles that do not have their own built-in power source,” said David Richetto, marketing manager for embedded security products and applications manager for secure ICs at INSIDE Secure. “The elliptic curve asymmetric cryptography this system uses offers the strongest protection available to combat counterfeiters, yet allows a compact, cost-effective design, and we can use it to create NFC tags small enough to be available in a variety of form factors to accommodate the shape of various products.” “NFC is now rapidly being adopted by all the major smartphone makers, providing an ideal platform consumers can use for a broad range of NFC applications, including the ability to verify that the goods they purchase are genuine,” said Christian Fleutelot, general manager of the VaultIC secure microcontroller solutions business unit at INSIDE Secure. “Our single-chip NFC security module can embed banking-level security directly within products cost effectively to protect brands, and by partnering with WISeKey, we can deliver a complete authentication solution that’s easy for retailers and consumers to use.” Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:30:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10491 news http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10466 The Handheld Group, manufacturer of rugged PDAs and mobile devices, continue their expansion with a new office in the UK. The new subsidiary, Handheld UK & Ireland Ltd, will cover the key UK and Irish markets and will enable Handheld, the fastest growing global manufacturer of rugged handheld devices, to support existing and new partners generate new business opportunities in the expanding UK market. The UK office is Handheld’s fourth new subsidiary in the last 12 months. Following demand from existing partners, resellers and customers the new UK office, located centrally in Leamington Spa and close to Birmingham Airport, will strengthen Handheld’s growing reseller network and customer base in the UK and Ireland. Product support, service, marketing and sales related services are all areas where existing and new customers will see immediate benefits. Handheld UK will be managed by industry veteran Dave Cawsey. Prior to joining Handheld, Dave held senior UK, international and global management positions in a number of enterprise mobility solutions vendors and joins the Handheld Group with twenty-plus years of operational and sales experience in rugged mobility solutions. Handheld recently strengthened its presence in the important German, Austrian and Swiss markets with the acquisition of TimbaTec, the hardware division of its distribution partner Latschbacher GmbH. TimbaTec has now transitioned to Handheld Germany GmbH and Handheld Swiss GmbH, both fully owned by Handheld Group. With the new office in the UK, the Handheld Group now has eight subsidiaries in addition to the group’s headquarters in Sweden: in Finland, UK, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Australia and the USA. Four of these were added in the last twelve months alone. Handheld is the fastest growing manufacturer of rugged handheld devices in the world. Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:22:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10466 news http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10444 The latest installment of the Motorola Solutions annual Holiday Shopping Survey highlights that three in four (75 percent) surveyed retail associates and managers feel they provide a better in-store customer experience when equipped with the latest mobile technologies. In fact, shoppers echoed a similar sentiment as more than two-thirds (67 percent) of surveyed shoppers reported heightened satisfaction with retailers where in-store associates utilized the latest technologies to assist in the shopping experience. The rising availability of shopping-assisted options across all shopping channels has raised customer service expectations for shoppers and retail associates. According to the survey, more than eight in ten (83.3 percent) surveyed retail associates and managers believe that shoppers can easily find a better deal so customer service is more important than ever. From a shopper perspective, 33 percent of shopping trips ended with shoppers leaving before satisfying their intent to purchase, costing an average of $125 per trip. Of those lost opportunities, more than 73 percent did not complete their purchases with the original retailer. While shopper activity and spend remains higher in-store than online, retailers need to continue to address the needs of the omni-channel shopper. Online purchases swelled by more than 18 percent compared to 2010 and 63 percent of surveyed shoppers with smartphones downloaded some type of shopping application. Increasing online spend has created variances in satisfaction between offline and online experiences - almost 41 percent of shoppers were not satisfied with the ability to receive in-stock status in-store compared to 20 percent online. Approximately 27 percent of shoppers were not satisfied with the ease of finding correct prices in-store versus approximately 14 percent online; and 42 percent of shoppers were not satisfied with the check-out process in-store compared to 15 percent online. Online shoppers cited a much higher dissatisfaction rate (41 percent compared to 25 percent) for the return/exchange process, providing a significant advantage for in-store retailers. Two complimentary surveys were fielded from Nov. 26 through Dec.13, one targeted to shoppers and one targeted to in-store associates, staff and in-store managers. The surveys were designed to reveal the experiences and attitudes that each group has toward the use of certain shopping technologies and the impact on customer satisfaction. Respondents to the Shopper survey were selected from the Research Now Consumer panel to represent a general distribution of the consumer population over 18 years of age. 1,231 respondents completed the shopper survey without knowledge of Motorola Solutions sponsorship. “Retailers continue to deploy technology to improve the shopping experience but need to pay closer attention to the growing expectations of the omni-channel shopper” commented Michelle Crissey, Customer Solutions Lead, Motorola Solutions. “Rather than just give them technology and call it a positive experience, customers prefer that retailers use the technology in a meaningful way to actually give them a better experience, both in-store and for fulfillment of online and mobile orders.” Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:45:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10444 news http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10442 MECTEC and CAEN RFID have joined their efforts to optimize their resources and share their experience in the field of RFID UHF printers and applicators. The MECTEC D30/T50 and D40/T60 printers now integrate the CAEN RFID Quark RFID UHF module, currently the smallest on the market. The D30/T50 and D40/T60 printers combined with the vast Mectec range of applicators provide a wealth of solutions for print, apply and RFID encoding, according to EPC Gen 2 standards and specifications, with label sizes from 100x50 mm up to and beyond A5 labels. Due to the reliable, robust and easy to use design of the MECTEC family machines, more than 24 hours of reliable labelling is possible, even in the most harsh industrial environments. “It is a privilege to work closely with CAEN RFID” says Joachim Holgersson, MECTEC’s Technical Director. “CAEN RFID is well known for its deep knowledge in the RFID field, their good technical service and for their high quality product. The high capacity of the Quark module and the small size made it very easy to integrate RFID into our printers both during production and as an upgrade in the field.” “We are very proud to collaborate with MECTEC, appreciated all over the world for its high quality of product” says Luca Nardini, CAEN RFID’s Sales Manager, “this is an important innovation able to quickly introduce the RFID technology into the labelling process at industrial level”. The printers/applicators are available today in the MECTEC product range. Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:41:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10442 news http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10413 GS1 has recently announced the availability of a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) Tool, which companies can use to perform initial analyses and risk assessment on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology and Electronic Product Code (EPC) implementations. The tool was developed in collaboration with GS1 Member Companies and Member Organisations, and provides an assessable and streamlined approach to meeting European Commission guidance on industry accountability for RFID applications. "The year 2011 will remain etched in our memories as the most decisive year for turning the concept of Privacy Impact Assessment into a reality in Europe,” stated Gerald Santucci, Head of the Unit responsible or RFID in the European Commission DG Information Society. “Thanks to the outstanding collaborative work of companies, consumer organisations, privacy groups, and data protection and security legal experts, we have a comprehensive framework for conducting privacy impact assessments in the RFID field. GS1’s launch of a tool for privacy impact assessments undeniably constitutes a major step forward in the development of industry-based, sector-based and/or application-based PIAs in Europe and globally. This is a tremendous accomplishment that holds the promise of more successful developments in 2012 for incorporating privacy in RFID application design, thus building trust in RFID applications." The tool is based on the PIA Framework, which was endorsed in April 2011 by the EU Commission, the European Data Protection Authorities (also known as Article 29 Working Party), GS1 and several industry trade associations. The tool aims to help companies - particularly Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) - determine any potential privacy risks and the steps to take to address them. The tool is designed to structure a company’s ability to identify and evaluate key areas of potential privacy risk and offer control measures. Its aim is to be flexible enough to allow broad usability by organisations in different business sectors and of different sizes, while at the same time fostering a harmonized approach in the EU. Several companies have already announced they will be using the tool for new applications. They include retailers like Carrefour, Metro Group and Walmart/Asda, manufacturers like Procter & Gamble, logistic providers like Deutsche Post DHL and technology providers like Checkpoint Systems. On the SME front, Baxi, and Italian heating manufacturer has also announced they will use the tool for their new applications. GS1 will work closely with its Member Organisations throughout the European Union to ensure that the Privacy Impact Assessments are implemented in as harmonised a way as possible. Use of the tool is not limited to the EU, GS1 encourages conducting such assessments as a best practice in other regions. The GS1 EPC/RFID Privacy Impact Assessment Tool is available at http://www.gs1.org/epcglobal/pia Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:42:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10413 news http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10411 Zetes is launching a fixed enrolment station that combines the capture of photographs, biometric fingerprinting and signatures. This station brings together all three necessary components for “live enrolment” during the production of official identity documents which satisfy ICAO norms, e.g. for identity cards, passports or driving licences. This permanent station includes the same features as Zetes’ mobile biometric kit, which has been successfully used during a number of voter enrolment projects in Africa. To date, more than 60 million people have been enrolled for voting using Zetes’ mobile biometric kits. Featuring a more solid construction, Zetes’ fixed enrolment station is designed to be permanently installed in communities, embassies, consular posts, airports or other administrative centres. Zetes has already completed several permanent installations, for example, on the Ivory Coast, for the production of biometric passports, biometric visas and consular cards and in Belgian embassies, for the statements of information required for producing Schengen visas and passports. These installations satisfy the same demands in terms of security, but do not require a major logistical operation or time consuming installation and maintenance. Using its previous experience Zetes has developed a complete solution, which is extremely flexible, ergonomic and easy to maintain. For instance, the various elements can be separated in order to correspond to the configuration of the site, e.g. capture of digital fingerprints and signature at the counter and taking of photographs elsewhere. In addition, the enrolment station can be equipped with a variety of different biometric readers. Finally, if the taking of a live photograph is not required on site, a scanner can be installed on the operator’s side as an alternative, in order to obtain a digital copy of the photograph provided by the citizen in question. In addition to providing enrolment stations and training services, Zetes also provides services for AFIS deduplication, creating secure databases (e.g. national registers) as well as the production and personalisation of documents. Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:32:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10411 news http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10408 Vocollect, along with Mexico-headquartered partner NetLogistiK have successfully deployed Vocollect Voice at Tiendas Comercial Mexicana, S.A. de C.V., the third largest supermarket chain in Mexico. As part of Vocollect’s voice-enabled distribution center vision, Comercial Mexicana has deployed Vocollect Voice in the functional areas of picking, receiving, shipping/ line-loading and cross-dock/put-to-store. This implementation has helped the company realize productivity improvements of 25 to 50 percent and accuracy increases from 98 to 99.6 percent. Founded in 1930, today Comercial Mexicana has 200 stores in six different formats serving over 50 cities across Mexico. It operates four distribution centers (DCs): national facilities for dry goods (538,000 square feet) and perishables (377,000 square feet) and two regional facilities. Currently the dry goods facility uses Vocollect Voice for picking and receiving and the perishable DC uses Vocollect Voice for picking, cross-dock/put-to-store, receiving, shipping/line-loading, and irregular picking. Before Vocollect Voice was deployed, distribution center workers were not always following established internal procedures and processes. This resulted in too many incorrect orders, which then created customer service issues and affected the company’s tracking capabilities. According to Carlos Ramos, corporate logistics director at Comercial Mexicana, “Our most important goal is to continuously improve our service levels to our 200 stores. We needed to become as efficient as possible in throughput and order velocity and accuracy. Vocollect Voice has helped us to meet and exceed our productivity goals and our customers have definitely noticed our faster and more accurate response times to meet their needs.” Vocollect Voice has reduced worker training time from two weeks to two days. Picking productivity reached a 25 percent improvement over previous RF scanning handheld devices in the perishables DC and has climbed to more than 50 percent in the dry goods DC. The addition of a catch weight capture process realized a greater than 50 percent improvement over formerly manual processes. Order accuracy in the dry goods DC increased from 98 percent to 99.6 percent, which has had a tremendous financial impact with the volume of order processing. The company achieved a positive return on investment in less than 12 months, much earlier than anticipated and planned for by management. “Comercial Mexicana has made great strides in enhancing customer satisfaction through the use of Vocollect Voice across multiple distribution workflows,” said Francisco Giral, chief executive officer, NetLogistiK. “The ability to interleave various workflow tasks through Vocollect Voice has helped the company minimize bottlenecks and reach a level of productivity to manage seasonal peaks with its existing workers.” Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:21:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10408 news http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10441 Zebra Technologies now offers WhereLAN III, the company’s third-generation real time location systems (RTLS) sensor. Adding to Zebra’s depth and breadth of offerings, WhereLAN III provides one-meter accuracy, giving customers a greater level of real-time visibility to manage assets and maximize the returned value at a significantly decreased total cost of ownership. WhereLAN III addresses the requirements of a wide range of industries. For example, auto manufacturers can achieve parking spot level accuracy for vehicle tracking and drivers can eliminate the need to search for vehicles when loading them for conveyance or other operations. Industrial users can pinpoint the location of racks and containers at all times, minimizing inventory on the factory floor. Additionally, WhereLAN III’s extended long range provides cost-effective coverage in large, high-clearance areas such as hangars in aerospace applications. Navis, part of Cargotec Corporation and a Zebra partner, is the provider of Zebra’s WhereNet product family to the marine container terminal industry. Recently, a terminal-wide installation of WhereLAN III has been beta-tested at Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT) in California to track container movement across the terminal. “We are very pleased with the initial results we have seen with WhereLAN III at Long Beach Container Terminal,” said Anthony Otto, president, LBCT. “The new WhereLAN III will enable increased efficiency and quality of service. With WhereLAN III, LBCT will further automate cargo movement and benefit from advanced features of its Navis Terminal Operating System.” “WhereLAN III’s technology gives our customers the edge needed to outperform their competitors,” said Santiago Romero, product manager for the Zebra Technologies. “Together with our partners, we provide turnkey and custom solutions to reengineer business processes while lowering the total cost of ownership of real-time location systems.” WhereLAN III includes a software-defined radio with leading-edge digital signal processing and “Snap Shot” technology that more than doubles the location accuracy of previous generations. The new wireless timing technology eliminates the cost of Ethernet drops and timing cables with no loss of location fidelity. Using optional Wi-Fi and revolutionary wireless time synchronization, WhereLAN III enables cable-free installations for both indoor and outdoor applications. WhereLAN III also allows fully remote operation with solar-powered energy systems, eliminating the need for expensive subterranean wiring outdoors. Zebra engineered its WhereLAN III to be fully backwards compatible with the previous generation of location sensors, allowing customers to use both generations together. Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:34:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10441 news http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10443 ScanSource Europe has announced the expansion of its European headquarters to new premises in Brussels. The move, which occurred in late December, provides the value-added distributor more physical space to add resources for all areas of the business. ScanSource Europe operates based on a centralised model, with all back office operations and value-added services, such as vendor partner relations, stock management, reseller technical support, customer services, financial services and marketing located in one location to provide customers enhanced service levels and maintain scalability of all services. The move to a larger office means that ScanSource will have the physical space to maintain this concept of scalability over the mid to long-term and will be able to accommodate extra Account Managers as required to continue to provide resellers a dedicated point of contact for all their needs. “We felt it was the optimum time to be moving our headquarters into new office space” said Xavier Cartiaux, President, ScanSource Europe. “Over the past 10 years we have consistently invested in our account manager teams and back-office operations units to provide resellers high levels of pre- and post-sales support. We look forward to continued growth in the future.” Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:44:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10443 news http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10410 UK drug distribution firm Pharmacy Plus has chosen rugged mobile devices from Psion PLC to implement a new Electronic Transport Management System (ETMS) that will improve the way they manage the collection and delivery of drugs. The new system will ensure that drugs are always delivered when and where they are needed to care home residents that have an important medical requirement. Pharmacy Plus, based in Bristol, has been a pioneer of pharmaceutical innovation since it was established in 1994. During the last few years, they have created an unparalleled model of service delivery specifically for care homes, which involves the management of prescriptions from the point of ordering and dispensing to the point of supply, using sophisticated IT systems. Tariq Muhammad, Managing Director of Pharmacy Plus, said: "At Pharmacy Plus, we aim to offer a service which is based on quality, safety and efficiency. Our business has grown rapidly and we now provide services to over 800 surgeries and 400 care homes. In a typical month, we process over 100,000 prescriptions and handle 200,000 medication packets, so an efficient foolproof system is a must. "Most pharmacies make collections and deliveries using manual paper-based systems. However these are not without their challenges. For example, if a prescription goes missing, as they sometimes do, it is very hard to trace where it has gone and this causes inconvenience to surgeries, care homes and not least the patient who is affected by any delays." The new Electronic Transport Management System improves the way Pharmacy Plus staff liaise with GPs surgeries as well as manage the collection and delivery of drugs to care homes. Each Pharmacy Plus delivery driver receives a Psion Ikon rugged handheld computer running the ETMS. The Psion Ikon resembles a large mobile phone and has a touch screen, barcode scanner, camera, SIM card and GPS as well a range of other features. The new ETMS will enable Pharmacy Plus to deliver a number of benefits for doctors' surgeries, care homes and the company's delivery drivers. For doctors' surgeries, there will be a near elimination of lost or misdirected prescriptions, which will reduce the pressure on GPs and surgery managers to reissue scripts. The ETMS will also ensure the security of prescription related documentation. In the future, surgery receptionists will provide an electronic signature via the Psion Ikon to confirm the pick-up of patient prescriptions. The devices can also act as a relay point for messages from the surgery to the Pharmacy Plus Customer Services centre. For the care homes, the ETMS will lead to improved delivery performance with medications being delivered to the right homes and the right time, every time. The system also affords additional flexibility versus manual systems because it will enable drivers to be in constant contact with head office, which will enable them to re-route to pick up urgent drugs so that they can be rushed to care home residents as needed. Finally, for drivers, the system will prevent drivers from being sent to surgeries that are closed. The Psion Ikon handheld computers also have a tracking device to help locate drivers at any time. In keeping with couriers in other industries, the ETMS will provide drivers with their daily pick-up and delivery schedule without the need for them to travel into the office – saving time, fuel, money and inconvenience. When coupled with the launch of a new fleet of vehicles, equipped with satellite navigation, the ETMS will promote greater driver efficiency. Separate to the ETMS, Pharmacy Plus vehicles have been fitted with a Dallas Key, which enables the company to download information on driver behavior (i.e. harsh breaking, excess speeding and fuel consumption) to identify areas for further efficiency. Tariq Muhammad said: "Without constant change, Pharmacy Plus would not be where it is today. We want to ensure that we are maximizing efficiency and providing our support staff and customers with the best technology on offer today. The ETMS running on Psion Ikon devices is tailor-made for our needs and its focus on drug and prescriptions management will take our accountability to a new level. These types of systems do exist in organisations, such as DHL and others, but they have never been deployed in a pharmacy organisation before". Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:23:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10410 news http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10409 The new PrintPAD 99EX from Datamax-O’Neil combines the company’s PrintPAD integrated printing solution with Honeywell’s Dolphin 99EX mobile handheld computer. Offering mobile workers the convenience of a “carry, charge and communicate” solution, the PrintPAD 99EX combines a sleek, ergonomic design with rugged reliability. It meets the demanding requirements of route accounting, direct store delivery and other field service applications. Honeywell’s Dolphin 99EX mobile computer provides extreme durability, cutting-edge wireless technology, user-friendly design and multi-functional data capture for front-line workers operating in both indoor and outdoor environments. Combined with Datamax-O’Neil’s PrintPAD cradle and printer, the integrated solution is designed to take mobile worker productivity to a new level while helping to reduce operating costs. The Datamax-O’Neil PrintPAD cradle charges both the printing unit and the Dolphin 99EX simultaneously, eliminating the need for multiple A.C. and D.C. adaptors and chargers. The unit can even be truck-mounted and charged between service appointments via a vehicle cigarette lighter adapter. In addition, the PrintPAD 99EX provides effortless and reliable communication between the handheld and the printer. An optional built-in magnetic stripe card reader allows the easy collection of credit or debit card payments, which makes it ideal for point-of-sale applications. Users can quickly determine the printer’s Bluetooth, charging and power status with the PrintPAD’s external LEDs. The PrintPAD offers intelligent power management and a programmable sleep mode that provides extended battery life. For direct store delivery applications, optional DEX capabilities are available, allowing communication via DEX connections with no special software or mechanical switches. The PrintPAD and Dolphin 99EX have been tested to successfully survive multiple six-foot drops to concrete. In the often rough-and-tumble mobile work environment, the extreme reliability and durability of the PrintPAD 99EX solution has become a solid requirement for both indoor and outdoor mobile applications. Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:22:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10409 news http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10406 The Duo, a new compact handheld sales and payment device from Opticon, is designed for retail, hospitality, and other mobile payment applications. Its unique architecture allows for both of its main functions to be operated separately on the two different sides of the terminal. This ensures that the point of sale function remains open for all of the architectures, while the payment function meets secure PCI requirements. This device is the first convenient portable solution offering both Point-of-Sale and multiple secure payment technologies in one device. Its unique two-sided architecture allows sales to be entered on one side, and payments processed on the other. Separating the two core functions ensures that the Point-of-Sale side remains open-architecture, whereas the payment side remains compliant to financial (PCI) standards. Featuring a 4.3-inch touch screen, an accurate barcode scanner and high-speed ports for Bluetooth and WiFi connections, the Duo is ideal for processing and collection of orders at the point of sale. Various peripheral devices can be connected via Bluetooth. The Duo knows no boundaries. Sales and payments can now be made anywhere on the shop or restaurant floor improving the customer experience and increasing sales for the business. Running Windows CE 6.0, the Duo provides an industry standard environment which makes it easy to install and run custom applications. The Duo is provided with a high capacity 2300mAh Li-Ion battery. Flexible power saving features help extend operating time even further. The device can be charged through a USB interface or a separate cradle where a spare battery can also be placed in its own slot for recharging. Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:18:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10406 news http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10402 Intermec, Inc. and ecom instruments, a worldwide operating manufacturer of intrinsically safe mobile solutions for over 25 years, have entered a joint partnership to develop and deliver an innovative and explosion-protected mobile computer product for key markets requiring computing solutions for hazardous environments in 2012. “Intermec’s partnership with ecom demonstrates our continued dedication for product innovation and providing best-in-class rugged mobile computing solutions to our customers and channel partners,” said Earl Thompson, senior vice president of mobile solutions business unit, Intermec. “As Intermec continues to enhance its portfolio of mission-critical solutions, we look forward to collaborating with ecom on this ground-breaking product that will help define a new industry standard for those needing the latest in explosion protection technology.” This relationship will leverage Intermec’s rugged mobile computer experience and ecom’s competence in developing portable intrinsically safe devices to bring to market leading solutions that are approved for use in hazardous areas. ecom’s technology ensures worldwide certifications for use in explosive atmospheres, ranging from global IECEx, European ATEX to the North American NEC approvals required by refineries, chemical plants, and pharmaceuticals, among others. Together, Intermec and ecom will address market demand for innovative mobile computing solutions that can withstand the rigors of use within the most hazardous environments. “Operational pressures are continually impacting technology buying cycles for hazardous areas as businesses are looking for not only ruggedness and intrinsic safety, but a total mobile solution that enables them to perform efficiently in mission-critical environments,” said Rolf Nied, president, ecom instruments. “We look forward to collaborating with Intermec on technology innovations that offer next generation mobility requirements and better empower mobile workers in hazardous areas.” “We continue to see strong demand for specialized mobile computers and communications solutions certified for use in hazardous environments with explosive atmospheres. ecom instrument’s expertise in hazardous environments combined with Intermec’s leading rugged handheld solutions represent a strong partnership to address this critical opportunity,” according to David Krebs, VP Mobile & Wireless at VDC Research. Sat, 24 Dec 2011 15:14:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10402 news http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10414 As part of its drive to capture the ADC market, Datalogic S.p.A. has announced Datalogic Scanning, Datalogic Mobile, Enterprise Business Solutions and Evolution Robotics Retail will be integrated to form Datalogic ADC (Automatic Data Capture) as of 1st January 2012. This significant business development move, which capitalizes on major investments made so far by Datalogic Group in the Automatic Data Capture market, is set to confirm Datalogic's world class leadership position and responds to market needs in terms of quality, flexibility, efficiency and the highest possible level of customer satisfaction. Datalogic Group CEO, Mauro Sacchetto said: "This decision is a key factor of Datalogic Group's strategy of growth to address and maximise market focus and to enhance our competitiveness in the two reference markets, namely Automatic Data Capture (ADC) and Industrial Automation (IA), our major pillars of growth." In other vertical and emerging markets there is a requirement for a cohesive approach to customer demand as ADC applications grow in sectors such as government, healthcare, transportation and leisure. In emerging countries where there is an increasing adoption ground for retail automation and intelligent systems, flexibility and mobility are also key driving factors. Bill Parnell, currently CEO of Datalogic Scanning and Datalogic Mobile, will lead the new division as CEO of Datalogic ADC. "This business realignment integrating leading practices across four great businesses, will bring Datalogic significant opportunities and enhance our position in the market. it will improve our service by having 'one face to the customer', with a specialized focus on various industries and vertical market applications," he said. In addition, the integration will allow Datalogic to offer its customers and global partners a broader product portfolio all from one source - ranging from hand-held and fixed retail scanners to mobile computers and integrated business solutions. Overall performance will be enhanced through the adoption of best practices along with a focus on products and total solutions aimed at specific vertical market requirements. Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:51:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/news.do?lng=en&id=10414 news http://www.datacollection.eu/article.do?lng=en&id=956 In this report, IDTechEx forecasts that the RTLS market will rise from $255 million to only $293 million in 2012 but then powering up to nearly $4 billion in 2022 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:05:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/article.do?lng=en&id=956 Articles http://www.datacollection.eu/article.do?lng=en&id=953 RFID tops the chart in medicine with vastly increased safety, efficiency and ROI Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:02:00 +0100 http://www.datacollection.eu/article.do?lng=en&id=953 Articles