Printronix, Alien Technology Announce RFID Development Solutions
16 September, 2003
category: Contactless
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ – Printronix Inc. (Nasdaq: PTNX – News), the leading manufacturer of integrated enterprise printing solutions for the supply chain, today announced it is working with Alien Technology Corp., the provider of ultra-low cost radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and hardware, to develop RFID printing solutions. The first solution, Printronix’s RFID smart label developer’s kit, uses Alien Technology’s tags to give early adopters of RFID technology a complete development environment for the printing and encoding of smart labels. (See the press release, “Printronix Introduces EPC-Compliant Smart Label Developer’s Kit For RFID Pilots.”) “This alliance brings together the leaders in bar code quality and RFID tags to give customers the most reliable and lowest-cost RFID solution for the supply chain,” said Andy Chapman, chief technology officer and senior vice president of engineering and product marketing, Printronix. “As the RFID industry is developing, Printronix is taking a leadership role by providing users with practical RFID printing applications right now.”
Both companies also are united through their respective strategic alliances with Manhattan Associates, also announced today by Printronix. (See the press release, “Printronix Joins Manhattan Associates Team on “RFID In A Box” Solution.”) Alien Technology and Manhattan Associates announced their strategic partnership in June. All three companies are expected to work together to support complementary technologies and roll out total RFID solutions to the supply chain.
Printronix’s smart label developer’s kit is backed by Printronix’s reputation of having the most advanced bar code quality and verification solutions on the market. The kit includes Printronix’s PrintNet® Enterprise, a Web-enabled remote network print management system that provides instantaneous visibility to every network printer and allows users to simultaneously configure an unlimited number of Printronix printers. This edition of PrintNet Enterprise also supports the additional RFID encoder capabilities.
“Our companies are keenly focused on bringing better RFID solutions to the market,” said Tom Pounds, vice president of corporate development and product strategy, Alien Technology. “Coupling Alien’s pioneering RFID tags with Printronix’s bar code quality and verification solutions is an opportunity for customers to gain significant visibility to and momentum within their supply chains. Together, our companies are building real business solutions that will become benchmarks in the supply chain.”