Zebra Technologies Europe Limited (Nasdaq: ZBRA), a global leader in delivering on-demand printing solutions for business and process improvement, and a pioneer in the targeted adoption of radio frequency identification (RFID) for global business, today announced it has begun shipping its R4Mplus UHF RFID printer/encoder with fully integrated support for ISO 18000-6B and Philips U-Code 1.19 transponders. Built upon Zebra's proven Z4Mplus platform, the R4Mplus has been uniquely configured to support European specifications and regulatory requirements and can operate at 100 percent duty cycle relative to encoding tags, unlike many other RFID offerings on the market today. The R4Mplus can also support new, emerging protocols via firmware upgrades, including the forthcoming EPC Gen 2 protocols, offering investment protection as RFID standards evolve.
In addition, by offering XML-enabled printing, the R4Mplus supports easier integration with ERP applications, such as SAP and Oracle. The R4Mplus offers an immediate, low-risk and cost-effective solution for suppliers racing to conduct RFID pilot tests and for meeting RFID compliance initiatives issued by the major retailers in Europe, such as Metro. With a wide range of connectivity options and robust printer-management software, the R4Mplus is designed to run smoothly from day-one of implementation. And, native support for UNICODE enables the R4Mplus to output most of the world's leading languages without modifications - an important advantage for organizations with global supply chains. The R4Mplus is also upgradeable to support future Gen 2 RFID protocols as new and updated standards evolve, offering investment protection as your needs change.
As a member of Metro's Store of the Future Initiative, Zebra is staying at the forefront of developments in RFID "smart label" technology, standards and applications for supply chain and business improvement programs designed to help suppliers meet the RFID compliance labeling requirements as they take effect throughout 2005 and the coming years. The R4Mplus will also be featured at ECR Retail Show in Paris and at SAP's Sapphire event in Copenhagen during April.
"The top suppliers to the big European retailers will need to comply with the new RFID initiatives that these organizations have set forth for case and pallet labeling," said Bernard Williams, European business development manager for RFID at Zebra. "Zebra's objective is to provide a printer/encoder that provides the features to best enable them to meet this goal." As a pioneer and leader in RFID printing/encoding technologies, Zebra has been researching and developing RFID technologies for more than eight years and was the first company to produce an integrated, on-demand RFID printer/encoder nearly four years ago.
Zebra's R4Mplus is ideal for use in a wide range of manufacturing and supply chain applications, including logistics, shipping and receiving, and distribution. The R4Mplus is the latest in a wide range of RFID printer/encoders to support applications not only in supply chain management but also in health care and life sciences, express parcel, entertainment and asset management. The R4Mplus is available - along with smart media tailored for specific applications - from a network of suppliers across Europe that can provide both products and services to assist companies in their RFID implementations.
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