IBM to Launch New RFID Printer

IBM will release on May 4 its InfoPrint 6700 M40 thermal/RFID printer, enabling small and midsize businesses to print and encode bar codes as well as other information on labels.

The InfoPrint 6700 series enables small and midsize businesses to print reports, text and bar-code labels, as well as OCR (optical character recognition) printing and media handling. The InfoPrint 6700 M40 adds on to these features by allowing businesses to produce RFID tags for cases, pallets and other items, through which they can keep track of their inventory.

“The IBM InfoPrint 6700 M40 will not only print bar codes and human-readable information on labels, but with the RFID encoder option, also encode the RFID inlay in the labels as the other information is being printed,” Doug Seitz, worldwide RFID/industrial offerings manager at the Armonk, N.Y., company, told eWEEK.

/zimages/4/28571.gifNIST advises on RFID security risks.Click hereto read more.

The RFID printer includes remote management features such as PMU (Print Management Utility), which allows users to check the status of the system, perform diagnostics, change or reload configuration settings, and take traces.

The printer also offers users PXML integration with IBM WebSphere, giving customers the ability to centrally manage printer and reader devices. In addition, the M40 provides users with several connectivity options, including serial, parallel, USB 2.0, Ethernet and wireless Ethernet while also having the ability to control industry-standard thermal data streams, which enables users to combine multiple printers with a single device.

“Bar-code users will benefit from the flexibility and advanced remote management capabilities built into the printer to help them improve availability and upgrade it as needed,” Seitz said.

When available, the InfoPrint 6700 M40 be priced at $1,750.

Editors Note: IBMs InfoPrint 6700 series enables SMBs to print labels. It was incorrectly reported in this story that it would provide ribbons to print labels.

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