Close
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Menu
Search
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home IT Management
    • IT Management
    • Mobile

    Sun Expands RFID Testing, Tools

    By
    Jacqueline Emigh
    -
    September 28, 2004
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      After setting up an initial RFID test center in Dallas last May, Sun Microsystems Inc. will follow up with a similar facility somewhere in Scotland, said Vijay Sarathy, group marketing manager for RFID at Sun.

      Sarathy said he sees large systems integrationists such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard Co. as Suns competitors in RFID. But middleware makers such as OATSystems Inc.—and potentially even Microsoft Corp.—are “coopetitors,” he said.

      Beyond an expanded program for retail compliance, Sun is using this weeks EPCglobal show to announce its first RFID toolkit, along with an RFID offering for members of its iForce Partners alliance and an RFID warehouse management solution combining offerings from Sun, SSA Global and SIS Technologies.

      Sun has been involved with RFID standard setting for four or five years now, Sarathy said in an interview with eWEEK.com from the EPCglobal show in Baltimore. “As a maker of large-scale and secure things [that run on] networks, RFID seemed like a natural for us.”

      Sun was among the first batch of companies to be invited to join the Auto-ID Center, the predecessor to the EPCglobal industry group, he said. Sun officials served as chairs of at least two Auto-ID committees.

      The company has been working with customer Gillette on RFID compliance for more than two years now, in Wal-Mart field tests as well as in other trials. “Eventually, well move on with Gillette to other parts of the value chain, extending RFID to [Gillettes] partners and customers,” Sarathy said.

      Sun situated its first RFID test center in Dallas to allow easy access for participants in the Wal-Mart trial. The next one will be located in Scotland “because we have a large presence there,” he said.

      /zimages/6/28571.gifClick here to read about Wal-Marts RFID pilot, which has drawn criticism from some suppliers and competitors.

      “A number of countries in the Asia Pac [Asia Pacific] have also been asking us for RFID,” Sarathy said, adding that Sun is working on RFID implementation with the Taiwanese government.

      “Weve also been working with the DOD [U.S. Department of Defense] to understand their requirements for unique identifiers, and to meet their mandate in tagging our products,” he said.

      But Sun views its role mainly as a provider of hardware and middleware infrastructure, applications and services, he said. “We dont make [RFID] readers, for example. Thats for our partners.”

      /zimages/6/28571.gifTo read about RFID being served 7-Eleven style, click here.

      In the RFID world, IBM and HP are Suns competitors, he said. “But were leading both of them,” he added, pointing to Suns longstanding RFID middleware product, which is known as Sun Java System RFID Software.

      On the other hand, smaller RFID vendors such as OATSystems are “coopetitors” to Sun, according to the Sun executive. “RFID is an industry ripe with coopetitors.”

      Even Microsoft could be a coopetitor, “if we can figure out a way to run their applications on our software,” Sarathy said.

      /zimages/6/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms Supply Chain Management & Logistics Center for the latest news and analysis of enterprise supply chains.

      Avatar
      Jacqueline Emigh

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Why Data Security Will Face Even Harsher...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 1, 2020 0
      Who would know more about details of the hacking process than an actual former career hacker? And who wants to understand all they can...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      How Veritas Is Shining a Light Into...

      eWEEK EDITORS - September 25, 2020 0
      Protecting data has always been one of the most important tasks in all of IT, yet as more companies become data companies at the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      How NVIDIA A100 Station Brings Data Center...

      Zeus Kerravala - November 18, 2020 0
      There’s little debate that graphics processor unit manufacturer NVIDIA is the de facto standard when it comes to providing silicon to power machine learning...
      Read more
      Apple

      Why iPhone 12 Pro Makes Sense for...

      Wayne Rash - November 26, 2020 0
      If you’ve been watching the Apple commercials for the past three weeks, you already know what the company thinks will happen if you buy...
      Read more
      eWeek


      Contact Us | About | Sitemap

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      Terms of Service | Privacy Notice | Advertise | California - Do Not Sell My Information

      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×