Alien to ship next-generation RFID readers

Alien Technology announced last week a multiprotocol Gen 2 RFID reader, the ALR-9800, which improves read performance and speed over earlier models. Using an Intel XScale processor, the reader will be Java- and .Net-enabled for embedding “first pass business logic” in the reader, according to John Price, director of software engineering systems at Alien. The ALR-9800 reader runs using either a Linux or Microsoft Windows CE OS.

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With intelligence in the reader as well as in the host server, users tell a reader to look for tags of a certain type, evaluate the results, and notify an administrator rather than having to poll all of the readers, Price said.

According to Christine Overby, a principal analyst at Forrester Research, putting intelligence in the reader is yet another indication that the enterprise is moving toward a distributed architecture.

The Gen 2 RFID reader works with currently available tags. Gen 2 tags are not expected to ship until late next year. The ALR-9800 reader will be available this September, however, and will work with the current Class 0 and Class 1 tag standards. The ALR-9800 will have a list price of $2,399.

Alien also announced deals with IBM, Microsoft, and Oracle to support those companies’ supply-chain software solutions.

In related news, newly launched TrueDemand Software is developing business applications and predictive analytics tools for RFID that it says will, among other things, help companies make more accurate demand forecasts and better monitor their inventory before products run out of stock.

Mayfield and Bay Partners are backing TrueDemand with $6 million in funding.