Ready for RFID.
Jump into the RFID era by building a back end that takes advantage of real-time information.
Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology seems simple enough. Slap tags on cartons, install some readers, and then track merchandise as it moves through the supply chain. Yet this is just the tip of the iceberg. RFID technology and Electronic Product Codes (EPC) provide businesses with an unprecedented, real-time view of the location, status, and integrity of their assets. Simply put, it is transforming how companies do business.
Sun, a leader in driving RFID and EPC standards, has created a set of solutions that use this technology at its best--solving problems such as asset tracking, inventory management, and fraud and theft prevention. Sun solutions help companies:
- Increase return on investment
- Boost customer satisfaction
- Strengthen brand integrity
- Create closer relationships with partners
"Many people are caught up in the details right now--what tags to use, where to put antennas, that sort of thing," says Vijay Sarathy, Sun's global marketing manager for RFID. "These are issues that will soon be resolved. What enterprises really need to look at is how to architect their back-end business processes to take advantage of the real-time information flow that RFID technology provides."
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Highlights
- Enable asset visibility across the supply chain
- Upgrade inventory management
- Boost fraud and theft prevention capabilities
- Improve customer satisfaction and brand integrity
- Strengthen partner relationships
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For many vendors, including Sun, embracing RFID technology is essential. By the end of the decade, global RFID spending is likely to reach billions of dollars. Industries driving the market include consumer packaged goods, retail, automotive, military, and homeland defense.
Mandates from government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Defense (Sun is a DoD supplier) and retailers such as Wal-Mart are also boosting adoption. Wal-Mart's top 125 suppliers already ship RFID-tagged goods to the retail giant.
Sun Java System RFID Software
Although basic RFID technology has been around for 50 years, global networking is what gives RFID technology its market-altering power. "Networked RFID" is one of several sensor-driven network technologies that are enabling new applications and achieving new levels of business efficiency.
"Think of the World Wide Web 10 years ago. That's the potential."
Vijay Sarathy
Sun Global Marketing Manager for RFID
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The Sun Java System RFID Software is Sun's RFID middleware platform offering. It provides the foundation for deploying EPC-enabled networks. With the Java System RFID Software, customers improve asset visibility, safety, and integrity across the supply chain. Sun's RFID software is designed specifically to provide high levels of reliability and scalability, while simplifying the task of integrating it with multiple existing back-end enterprise systems.
The Java System RFID Software consists of two software components: the Sun Java System RFID Event Manager (Event Manager) software and the Sun Java System RFID Information Server (Information Server) software. Both are available for free download.
Sun Java System RFID Tag and Ship Solution
For Sun customers, the Sun Java System RFID Tag and Ship Solution can handle short-term needs. By enabling the application of EPC-compliant RFID tags to shipments, this solution allows customers to meet today's mandates and build a foundation for more extensive and integrated RFID-based applications.
Sun Industry Solution and Reference Architectures
For complex deployments, Sun has taken all the elements in the RFID value chain--RFID tags, readers, middleware, and RFID-enabled applications--and created a set of industry-oriented solutions. These combinations of Sun and best-of-breed partner software, hardware, and services make up the Sun Industry Solution Architectures (ISAs).
Sun's Reference Architecture for RFID technology allows Sun to adjust and scale the ISAs to meet customer needs without reinventing the wheel for each new customer. The Reference Architecture offers a proven methodology that reduces time to deployment and ensures performance levels.
Sun's RFID ISAs simplify the process of building an RFID solution. This reduces the chance of error and dramatically cuts implementation costs. Each ISA is tailored to the requirements of its respective vertical industry.
For example, Sun's RFID ISA for Manufacturing, Distribution, and Logistics is an end-to-end architecture that uses RFID for warehouse management and Advance Shipment Notification processes. This ISA includes:
- RFID middleware, including the Sun Java System RFID Software with the Event Manager and Information Server software components
- RFID readers from Symbol/Matrics
- RFID printers from Printronix for programming RFID tags
- Integration middleware from Tibco that moves RFID data from RFID middleware to applications
- RFID-enabled warehouse applications that provide warehouse management functionality
RFID at Sun
Sun has already implemented an RFID solution to meet mandates from its government customers. Among the many positive results is a seven percent improvement in material transfer accuracy.
Sun has also created a state-of-the-art RFID test center in Dallas. This 17,000 square foot warehouse allows Sun to explore issues such as optimized tagging and back-end data integration. Sun customers use the facility to make sure their products meet mandated RFID requirements, as well as to test pilot projects before rollout.
As Sun continues to develop RFID tools, Java technology and Jini network technology will play a major role in creating open, flexible solutions for customers.
Tracking the Future
RFID and other automatic ID technologies are still in their early stages. "Think of the World Wide Web 10 years ago," says Sarathy. "That's the potential."
"As RFID takes off, Metcalfe's Law--which states that the value of a network increases exponentially with the number of nodes--will drive applications, efficiencies, and other business benefits that we can only guess at today."
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