Packaging
PowerID Announces Strategic Partnership with STMicroelectronics to Develop EPCglobal Class 1, Gen 2 Battery-Assisted, Passive (BAP) RFID Technology
Tuesday 11. March 2008 - Development and marketing of an array of BAP technologies that respond to demands for high performance RFID
PowerID Ltd., the industry leader in the field of battery-assisted, passive (BAP) RFID technology, announced today it has concluded a strategic partnership with STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a worldwide leading supplier of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips.
Within the framework of the cooperative efforts, PowerID will work with STMicroelectronics to foster the further penetration of BAP technology into existing and new markets. The companies will explore, in a future deal, ways to co-market EPCglobal Class 1, Generation 2 technology to customers that demand high performance RFID where the performance of passive RFID is limited and where active RFID technologies are too expensive or bulky. Based on the known technological constraints, the companies estimate that general availability of PowerIDs BAP EPCglobal Class 1, Generation 2 label would occur in Q2 2008.
The co-developed technologies will be based on the marriage of the unique technology of both companies: PowerIDs thin and flexible, environment-friendly battery and STMicroelectronics integrated circuit family designed to support BAP technology. The resulting technology will provide affordable, high performance RFID products in the ultra high frequency (UHF) range (850-960 MHz) for tracking high value assets in challenging environments.
Both companies are longstanding members of the RFID community. PowerID has stood on the forefront of the BAP RFID field since 2003, and STMicroelectronics has been a leading provider of HF and UHF RFID chips. Prior to co-developing the integrated circuit for PowerIDs BAP label, STMicroelectronics released a product line for use with regular passive RFID technology. Active in RFID standards bodies, both companies are integral members of working groups that are defining BAP and sensor-enabled BAP RFID standards.
“To date, PowerIDs BAP technology has been successfully deployed at industry-leading logistics providers, paper manufacturers, aerospace companies, and automobile manufacturers,” said Erez Kahani, Chief Executive Officer of PowerID Ltd. “As the pioneer in the BAP field, we are thrilled that a market leader such as STMicroelectronics has chosen to partner with us. We look forward to developing and marketing BAP products together and to further expanding and deepening the BAP RFID footprint worldwide.”