Symbol to Embed IBM Software into RFID Readers

Published: March 14, 2006

by Alex Woodie

Symbol Technologies will embed IBM's WebSphere RFID Device Infrastructure (WRDI) software on its Symbol XR Series of fixed RFID readers to create "intelligent" RFID readers that can automate the process of routing and managing data from RFID tags, the companies announced yesterday.

By adding WRDI software to its RFID readers, redundancies in the gathered RFID data will be filtered out, and only pertinent information will be sent to a company's application server, which will reduce network traffic, and enable supply chain managers to make quicker and better decisions, the companies say. The Symbol XR Series will work with IBM RFID WebSphere Premises Server, which runs on Linux- and Windows-based xSeries servers.

"The real value of RFID is in the data collected, filtered, and analyzed at the point of business activity. By combining IBM's software with Symbol's XR Series RFID readers, we can deliver valuable business intelligence out to managers on the front line," says Anthony Bartolo, a vice president and general manager with Symbol.