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With an eye toward research and innovation, Alien Technology on Feb. 6 opened its RFID Solutions Center in Dayton, Ohio.
Alien Technology, based in Morgan Hill, Calif., develops RFID (radio-frequency identification) tags and readers.
The research center is a collaborative effort, in as much as its open to Alien hardware manufacturing competitors, as well as to an entire community of suppliers, end customers, software partners and educators focused on RFID technology advancements, according to Stav Prodromou, CEO of Alien Technology.
The Dayton center “represents not just the Alien commitment to furthering the value of RFID, but also that of numerous Solutions Center partners and supporters across multiple industry segments, government and military agencies, and academia,” Prodromou said in a statement.
Partners to date include RFID hardware and software vendors, system integrators and end users: Accraply, Siemens, GlobeRanger, Intel, Lowry Computer Products, Markem, Oracle, Paxar, Printronix, Psion Teklogic, Sun Microsystems, Unisys, VeriSign, Vue Technology, Weber Marking Systems and XIO Strategies.
The 23,000 square foot facility, a division of Alien, will focus on application development in a number of areas where RFID is relevant now and may be used in the future: supply chain visibility, consumer visibility and better operating efficiency for the public and private sector.
The facility itself comprises technical labs, test and piloting facilities—along with the equipment to simulate a real-world implementation in a number of industries, including consumer packaged goods, retail, transportation, defense and pharmaceuticals.
The Dayton solution center also hosts Aliens RFID Academy.
“Weve trained 1,300 students from over 700 companies in areas of collaboration and alliances with major solution providers,” said Damon Bramble, the General Manager of RFID Solution Center Dayton. “Were working on next-generation solutions from distribution and transportation and on to the retail shelf.”
Bramble said the research and development teams will take generally existing products and integrate them to show what capabilities are available today, “and well look forward six to 12 months to identify technologies that can come.”