SAMSys’ RFID Hardware Deployed at Bradshaw International for Wal-Mart RFID Project

SAMSys’ MP9320 UHF Long-Range Reader is being used to perform verification functions ensuring the readability of RFID tags applied to Bradshaw pallets and cases destined for Wal-Mart’s pilot RFID distribution centers in Texas. MobileXe, the supply chain consultant and system integrator that designed and implemented Bradshaw’s RFID system, selected the SAMSys hardware because of a proprietary open architecture that provides a wide choice of tags as well as the ability to change tag protocols now or in the future without the need to change readers.

The system that MobileXe designed for Bradshaw’s 1-million-square-foot distribution center in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, incorporates Electronic Product Code ( EPC ) tag generation in a standard “pick to label” process. This approach to meeting RFID requirements is enabling Bradshaw to eliminate the cost of a standalone “slap and ship” or middleware solution.

EPC labels are printed and applied only to EPC-flagged items, then given to an order puller or checker. Once a pallet is full or the order is complete, the EPC items are delivered to a special verification conveyor where the SAMSys reader is installed. A photo eye triggers the reader and determines a good or bad read. A bad read stops the conveyor, triggers a light tree, and requires a manual push-button reset.

This pilot system or a variation is expected to expand to other areas of the Bradshaw facility as RFID adoption spreads, potentially creating a need for RFID equipment at each of the dozens of doors in the company’s warehouse.

“Tag verification is a critical step in the RFID process, and we needed a reliable reader that provided maximum flexibility in tag selection,” said Brian Foster, IT manager at Bradshaw International. “SAMSys is not affiliated with any particular tag vendor, so their multiprotocol support allowed us to pick any tag while also giving us the assurance that we will have a protocol-agnostic upgrade path as new tag technologies emerge.”

“Companies like Bradshaw are leading the way on RFID through their participation in Wal-Mart’s electronic product tracking initiative, and their choice of RFID equipment is setting an example for the rest of the industry,” said Cliff Horwitz, chairman, CEO and president of SAMSys Technologies Inc. “The use of our readers at Bradshaw, Jack Link’s Beef Jerky and for other Wal-Mart compliance projects is therefore positioning us to capture significant market share as RFID gains momentum, both to aid product tracking for trading partners and to help businesses improve their internal operations.”

The SAMSys MP9320 UHF Long-Range Reader deployed at Bradshaw supports all EPC tag protocols including EPC Class 0, 0+, Class 1, ISO18000-6A, 6B, 6B "fast", Philips U-code 1.19, 1.19 "fast", Intermec Intellitag, and EM Marin 4022, 4222, 4223, and is upgradeable to EPC Class1 Gen 2. It also offers multi-regional support via configurability for North America FCC ( 902-928 MHz ) and European ETSI ( 865-869 MHz ) regulatory environments.

About SAMSys Technologies Inc.:
SAMSys Technologies Inc. ( SAMSys ), founded in 1995, is a world-leading provider of radio frequency identification ( RFID ) hardware solutions and RFID integration consulting services designed to evaluate and recommend optimal RFID solutions to enhance existing business process. SAMSys offers a family of products to simplify the installation and ensure the ongoing performance of the overall RFID hardware infrastructure. SAMSys is a public company whose shares are listed for trading on the TSX Exchange under the symbol: “SMY”. The Company has a total of 47.6 million shares outstanding. Visit SAMSys at www.samsys.com and www.investorfile.com.

About Bradshaw International:
Bradshaw International, headquartered in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, markets a wide assortment of kitchen tools, gadgets, bakeware, cookware, food storage and tabletop products. Marketed under the Good Cook™ brand name, Bradshaw maintains the number one market share for kitchenware in grocery stores, currently distributing in more than 35,000 retail store outlets in North America, New Zealand and Australia. For more information, visit www.goodcook.com or call 800-421-6290.

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