Finalists Unveiled for the Fourth Annual RFID Journal Awards
NEW YORK, Mar. 18, 2010—RFID Journal, the leading source of news and in-depth information regarding radio frequency identification and its many business applications, has unveiled the finalists for the 2010 RFID Journal Awards. The winners will be announced at RFID Journal LIVE! 2010, the company's eighth annual event, which will be held at the Orange County Convention Center, in Orlando, Fla., on Apr. 14-16.
"We had more than 100 submissions this year, and the judging was closer than ever before, indicating the quality of the submissions was consistently high," said Mark Roberti, RFID Journal's founder and editor. "Attendees at RFID Journal LIVE! will be in for a real treat when they hear the winners present their stories live on stage, and see some of the new products that will be featured in our Best in Show category."
End-user companies were nominated in three categories.
Best RFID Implementation
- Jackson Health: for an RFID solution that manages more than 12,000 mobile pieces of medical equipment
- Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing: for an RFID system that enabled the firm to implement lean-manufacturing processes to improve inventory management, gain production efficiencies and provide supply chain transparency to its major customers
- Minera Norway: for an RFID system that manages pallets of slate from production to warehouse, and on through the shipping process
Most Innovative Use of RFID
- The Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center: for an innovative system designed to reduce patient anxiety and improve workflows
- BP: for an innovative visitor and staff safety system using ultra-wideband (UWB) technology
- The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory: for its use of RFID to modernize the management of nuclear materials
Best Use of RFID in a Product or Service
- Almacafé: for an RFID system that delivers traceability of Colombian special coffees from the farm to the consumer
- Bostwick Laboratories: for an RFID system that optimized specimen tracking and patient identification in a medical diagnostic lab
- Medronic: for an RFID system that automates the management of consigned tissue inventory and meets governing requirements
In addition, ten technology providers were nominated for the Best in Show award, which will be given to the best new product being exhibited at this year's LIVE! event. The finalists are:
- Awarepoint: for its Zigbee-based Real-time Awareness Solution
- Franwell: for a new wearable RFID reader, the RFID Sleeve WR100
- IDS Microchip AG: for its IDS-SL900A EPC Class 3 microchip, with a fully integrated temperature sensor
- Impinj: for its Monza 4 tag chip family, which offers improved sensitivity combined with interference rejection, support for omni-directional antennas (True3D antenna technology), innovative privacy features (QT technology) and expanded memory options
- Motorola: for its MC3090-Z handheld RFID reader, a lightweight, high-performance reader designed for retail and other applications
- Murata: for its Magic Strap LXMS series of antennaless RFID tags, which can be incorporated into products for authentication and short-range identification
- Omni-ID: for its Omni-ID Ultra, a passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) tag with a read range of up to 35 meters (115 feet) on, off or near metals and liquids
- TagSense: for its ZRX active reader and ZT-500 active tag with multiple sensor inputs and a one-mile range
- Tego, Inc.: for its TegoTag-Beyond ID platform, which uses high memory tags to store information about assets and make that data available whenever and wherever needed
- Voyantic: for its Tagformance RFID measurement system, which allows complete characterization of single or multiple UHF RFID tags, including read-range measurements as a function of frequency and orientation angle
This year, RFID Journal introduced a new Special Achievement Award to recognize the individuals who have contributed greatly to the understanding and adoption of RFID technologies. The finalists for 2010 are:
- Sanjay Sarma, co-founder of the Auto ID Center at MIT: for developing the concept of the Electronic Product Code (EPC), and for his leadership of the research team that developed the early EPC systems
- Bill Hardgrave, director of the University of Arkansas' RFID Research Center: for his research into the effects of RFID systems on inventory accuracy, replenishment and business operations
- Robert Bacon and Michael Slocum of the U.S. Navy AIT Office: for their pioneering work in helping to transform the U.S. Department of Defense's supply chain by using RFID technologies
These awards are given in recognition of excellence in the RFID industry. "Each year, we see more and more great implementations and exciting new products," Roberti said. "I'm pleased we are able to shine a light on some of the great things being done in the industry."
In addition to the RFID Journal Awards, LIVE! 2010 will also feature eight industry-specific and how-to conference tracks, nine in-depth preconference seminars, three co-located events, fast-track CompTIA RFID+ training and certification, and numerous technology exhibits and demonstrations conducted by leading technology firms.
For additional information regarding RFID Journal LIVE! 2010 and its co-located events, please visit www.rfidjournalevents.com/live.
About RFID JournalRFID Journal is the leading source of news and in-depth information regarding radio frequency identification (RFID) and its many applications. Business executives and implementers depend on RFID Journal for up-to-the-minute RFID news, in-depth case studies, best practices, strategic insights and information about vendor solutions. This has made RFID Journal the most relied-upon and respected RFID information resource, serving the largest audience of RFID decision makers worldwide—in print, online and at face-to-face events. For more information, visit www.rfidjournal.com.
For more information, contact:
Sonja Valenta
Director of Marketing
RFID Journal
(212) 584-9400