Alien RFID

Alien Technology has developed a low-cost tracking system that offers a solution. With Alien's electronic product code (EPC) tags, which are based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, manufacturers can track product cases and individual packages from the warehouse to the retail shelf, cutting operating costs and reducing inventory and billing errors. All Alien RFID systems seamlessly integrate into your existing IT infrastructure using standard network protocols.

Gillette plans to deploy the Alien RFID tags over the next three years in field tests and later, real applications—all designed to help Gillette keep products on the shelves when and where consumers want to buy them. Gillette uses Alien RFID technology in a cost-effective wireless solution that tracks and traces products through its supply chain. Alien's EPC tags, which are added to product cases today, include a unique identifier that transmits information to Alien's RFID reader via radio waves.

Alien Technology Corporation is a leading provider of reliable, high-volume, low cost, EPC compliant Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) products. Alien RFID readers provide a wide range of options: from industrial readers for supply chain to compact reader engines suited for handhelds and printers and are interoperable with numerous other Class 1 vendor products, ensuring ease of implementation and multiple sources of supply.

Alien RFID Technology's tags have been designed for maximum sensitivity and orientation insensitivity. When used with circularly polarized antennas, all of Alien RFID tags are orientation insensitive. The Alien RFID tags are orientation sensitive, and read best when they can be aligned properly during reading (as in assembly line applications). These Alien RFID tags can be custom converted to labels, badges, etc.

Alien Technology displayed a Wal-Mart Athletic Works® running shoe with an Alien RFID tag inserted under the insole. Alien said that the shoe was for display purposes only and that there were no planned/current trials or applications in those shoes. However, there was much excitement at the conference over the possibilities for RFID chips in shoes. Their stated reason for wanting to chip shoes was to keep shoe sizes together and match pairs.

GE Technology Finance has raised Alien Technology Corp.'s equipment loan line of credit from $2 million to $7 million. The increase will be used to bankroll manufacturing equipment for Alien's Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) production line and to finance the expansion of its FSA(R) manufacturing line.

Both NCR and Alien are technology board members of the Auto-ID Center. Alien is working to create ultra-tiny chips to power low-cost RFID tags. NCR is the leading maker of stationary bar code readers for checkout counters, with 37 percent of the market in 2001, according to Venture Development Corp. The company installed the world's first bar code scanner in a supermarket in 1974. The new device combines NCR's laser scanner with an Alien RFID reader.