New NXP test center to drive RFID deployments
NXP Semiconductors has established a Reference Design Center (RDC) with hopes of increasing demand for RFID technology. The center is located near Graz, Austria, and is used as a testing center for RFID systems under real-life conditions for various industries such as pharmaceutical, manufacturing and retail. Working in collaboration with key industry bodies such as EPCglobal and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the facility will help NXP and its partners deliver RFID solutions with optimum read ranges and system configuration.
New NXP Test Center to Drive RFID Deployments
Reference Design Center Delivers Business Ready Applications for all RFID Frequency Ranges
EINDHOVEN, Netherlands–NXP Semiconductors, the independent semiconductor company founded by Philips and market leader in RFID chips, has established a Reference Design Center (RDC) with the aim of facilitating deployment and adoption of RFID technology.
Based near Graz, Austria, the RDC improves the performance and reliability of existing RFID systems by thoroughly testing applications under real-life conditions for various industries such as pharmaceutical, manufacturing and retail. Working in collaboration with key industry bodies such as EPCglobal and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the facility will help NXP and its partners to deliver RFID solutions with optimum read ranges and system configuration. The RDC will develop new RFID solutions with a ‘frequency agnostic’ approach, as wireless frequency ranges are assessed and recommended based on the exact needs of the individual application.
“The successful adoption of RFID hinges on smoothing out the issues surrounding interoperability and standardization, as in the past various stakeholders have developed solutions independently of each other,” said Andrew Nathanson, practice director, AIDC/RFID Technologies, Venture Development Corporation. “In order for organizations to be able to benefit from business-ready RFID solutions, there needs to be greater collaboration between all parties to ensure greater synchronicity in the use of RFID.”
“RFID technology fundamentally changes how organizations operate, so it is essential that, before implementing RFID solutions, all the elements are ready to use in your business environment,” said Jan-Willem Reynaerts, general manager, RFID, NXP Semiconductors. “In the past, system integrators have only been able to find out how components perform in actual applications when conducting trials with end-users. An environment such as NXP’s RDC ensures these solutions are business ready, removing the need for beta testing, improving the calculation for the return-on-investment and providing an extra level of confidence for the customer.”
One of the key applications for RFID is in the retail supply chain – on pallet, case and item level. The technology provides benefits, such as a more efficient goods receiving process and improved anti-counterfeit protection. In the future RFID will shorten checkout processes and enable an even better service for the customer. Keen to continually improve its logistical processes, Germany-based METRO Group is working with NXP, using the RDC to test a range of UHF RFID tag readers for use in its in high-density warehouses across Germany.
“It’s good to see NXP open a facility dedicated to the advancement of RFID and industry-wide research. We know that RFID benefits the supply chain for our as well as several other sectors by offering an excellent level of efficiency and transparency. The next step is to ensure that each application is optimized, which is the objective of the RDC,” said Dr. Gerd Wolfram, Managing Director of MGI METRO Group Information Technology. “The RDC provides the necessary infrastructure required to evaluate RFID solutions for businesses like ours including labs, testing equipment and pallet moving equipments to recreate the most appropriate real-life conditions.”
NXP’s RDC application specific analysis and optimization transcends the simple design-in of products. All elements of the solution can be developed and evaluated from the first engineering sample to the middleware and the final product. Through collaboration with all stakeholders, this approach ensures that systems integrators and end-users can rely on performance and benefit from improved return on investment.
About METRO Group
METRO Group is one of the most important international retailing companies. In 2006 the group reached sales of about € 60 billion. The company has a headcount of some 270,000 employees and operates about 2,400 outlets in 30 countries. The operating business is performed by the sales brands which operate independently in the market: Metro/Makro Cash & Carry – world market leader in cash & carry wholesale, Real hypermarkets and Extra supermarkets, Media Markt and Saturn – market leader in consumer electronics centers in Europe, and Galeria Kaufhof department stores.
About NXP Semiconductors
NXP is a top 10 semiconductor company founded by Philips more than 50 years ago. Headquartered in Europe, the company has 37,000 employees working in more than 20 countries and posted sales of EUR 5 billion in 2006. NXP creates semiconductors, system solutions and software that deliver better sensory experiences in mobile phones, personal media players, TVs, set-top boxes, identification applications, cars and a wide range of other electronic devices. News from NXP is located at www.nxp.com.
Forward-looking Statements
This release may contain certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of NXP and certain plans and objectives of NXP with respect to these items. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future and there are many factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
