ATLANTA -- SEEBURGER Inc., announced that it is extending its RFID middleware offerings with the introduction of IDnet, the market's first hosted solution for implementing an EPC-compliant "slap and ship" program. The monthly subscription service eliminates the need for companies to install and manage the software required to match barcodes to RFID/EPC codes, print RFID/barcode labels, and automatically generate and transmit advance shipping notices (ASNs). It also offers optional label verification before goods are shipped, can issue electronic invoices, and maintains a complete audit trail of all operations, including time of shipping and ASN transmittal as well as ASN receipt logs.
The service is designed to help smaller companies lower RFID compliance costs and fulfill associated ASN requirements, as well as to provide an interim solution for larger organizations that cannot deploy enterprise-wide RFID systems in time to meet initial compliance deadlines.
IDnet can be set up in less than one day, with labels printed either at the customer site or a third-party service bureau. Pricing for the IDnet service begins at less than $500 per month including one on-site printer.
Customers that decide to upgrade to an in-house RFID solution can easily transition to SEEBURGER's RFID Workbench, a scalable platform with advanced data, tag, and hardware management capabilities for different phases of RFID deployment. The Workbench platform includes a standalone solution for pilot projects and small companies, and an enterprise edition that integrates with internal applications and external trading partners.
"Over the next few years, tens of thousands of suppliers will need to supply RFID labels for products they ship to the U.S. Department of Defense and to retailers like Wal-Mart, and many of these suppliers either can't afford to spend $15,000 or $20,000 on RFID equipment or will not have the infrastructure in place soon enough to meet their customers' mandates," said Scott Lewin, SEEBURGER President. "IDnet equips suppliers with all the tools needed to comply with RFID mandates at a very low cost of entry, and without the need for changes to existing infrastructure, by supplying SEEBURGER's robust RFID engine through a hosted model."
IDnet will be hosted at SEEBURGER's data center and offer secure online access to all reports and functions, including the system used to trigger the transmission of advance shipping notices. The company is partnering with leading RFID hardware and services suppliers, including Printronix Inc., NCR Corporation, and Venture Research Inc., to provide a turnkey solution that includes printers, labels, tag placement and case proofing assistance.
