Microsoft Canada RFID Council
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Solutions Make it Easier for Canadian Retailers and Manufacturers to Manage their Inventories and Track and Ship Merchandise
Microsoft Brings Together Major Partners Delivering RFID Solutions on the Microsoft-based Platform in a New RFID Council
Mississauga, ON – July 5th, 2004 – Microsoft Canada Co. announced today its growing list of partners creating innovative Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) solutions on the Microsoft-based platform to help Canadian manufacturers, distributors and retailers reduce human error in data collection, improve inventory visibility and provide better customer service.
“T4G was founded almost 10 years ago by a group of retail industry veterans, so we know the retail industry and we know RFID will have a major impact on this industry,” said T4G Limited President Geoff Flood. “Our out-of-the-box Microsoft-based Analytics for RFID Systems (MARS) solution helps enable retailers to perform detailed analytics on their RFID data, manage the increase in this critical new data effortlessly and effectively and make business decisions in real time.”
RFID combines the benefits of the silicon chip and radio frequencies to provide increased levels of product and asset visibility across the supply chain.
“HP fully understands how RFID technology can be used to streamline supply chains, improve inventory control, track baggage and assets within an airport and provide enhanced customer experiences,” said Victor Garcia, Managing Principal, Mobility Program Office and Chief Technology Officer, HP Canada. “HP is uniquely qualified to help customers realize the benefits of RFID technologies because of our knowledge of real-world applications, our implementation experience and lessons learned deploying RFID within our own manufacturing facilities. We also understand the business, technical and logistical challenges associated with the design, implementation and support of RFID solutions, bringing a unique perspective that creates value for our customers. ”
Ship2Save provides RFID supply chain logistic solutions for the specific needs of a particular vertical market. “We built our new RFID Middleware Software with Microsoft .NET because it would help shorten our time to market,” said Sam Falsafi, Director of Business Development & RFID Strategy, Ship2Save. “Time to market is critical for us, and .NET helped us get to market quicker by as much as 32 per cent.”
“Microsoft is committed to providing a platform on which our technology partners can create RFID solutions to meet the needs of our joint customers,” said Javed Sikander, Program Manager for RFID strategy at Microsoft Corporation. “We are working closely with technology partners and customers to align our strategies and help ensure that they can create RFID solutions on the Microsoft-based platform that meet their requirements."
A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Cactus Commerce Inc. has been helping organizations bring more efficiency to their complex business processes since 1995. “As RFID standards evolve, we continue to leverage our existing products to meet the changing needs of our enterprise customers in the manufacturing, retail and logistics industries,” said Pierre Deschamps, Executive VP, Cactus Commerce Inc. “Our solutions, including Cactus GDS Accelerator for BizTalk® server, ensure data accuracy and reduce costs for trading partners providing the foundation for successful RFID deployments.”
Microsoft Canada also announced today the formation of a new RFID Partner Advisory Council to look at RFID requirements and how to take advantage of today's technology to make it easier for Canadian retailers and manufacturers to reduce inventories, improve product availability and track and ship merchandise.
“Microsoft is assembling a wide range of partner support for RFID solutions built with Microsoft®.NET connection software,” said Lasha Dekker, Director, Developer and Platform Evangelism, Microsoft Canada. “As part of the Canadian RFID Council, Microsoft and the technology partners on board so far plan to address industry needs with RFID solutions that are low-cost, simple to deploy and built on a robust scalable technology stack.”
Partners participating in the Canadian RFID Council include: Bell Canada, HP Canada, T4G Limited, Ship2Save, Cactus Commerce Inc., BearingPoint, RCM Technologies Canada Corp., CapGemini, Texas Instruments, SIRIT Technologies Inc and J.L. Albright Ventures.
“Bell Canada is pleased to participate in the RFID Partner Council,” said Brad Fisher, General Manager, Consumer Services Development, Bell Canada. “This is yet another innovation to come from our ongoing relationship with Microsoft and it reaffirms our commitment to providing Canadians with innovative and secure solutions that simplify their lives.”
Companies looking to find out more about RFID solutions Microsoft technology partners are creating, Microsoft Canada is also launching the RFID Partner Highlight Web site, at https://msdn.microsoft.ca/RFID/partners with logos, overview descriptions of solutions and links to partners working in RFID.
For developers becoming more interested in RFID and looking for guidance and information, Microsoft Canada is now including specific RFID articles, content and links on its Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Canada Web site at https://msdn.microsoft.ca/RFID .