|
|
|
|
|
| 2002.08.26 |
|
Joint MIT Auto-ID Center to develop Wireless IC tag technology
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President: Norio Wada hereinafter: NTT) and NTT COMWARE Corporation (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President: Yuji Matsuo hereinafter: NTT COMWRE) joined with MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Auto-ID Center in US to pursue the research, development, and standardization for Wireless IC tag(*1). This Center is developing an extremely low-cost Wireless IC tag which links with networks as the future version of bar code technology to make physical distribution more efficient. Both NTT and NTT COMWARE believe that Wireless IC tag advocated by Auto-ID Center is a strong candidate to set the standard in the future. After this, NTT's objective is developing to the network functions to match up to the Wireless IC tag. NTT COMWARE is trying to accumulate the know-how of Wireless IC tag and develop a related system. Both will contribute to the research and development with the view of achieving positive result.
|
 |
[What is MIT AUTO-ID Center]
MIT AUTO-ID Center is doing research and development and standardization for the future version of bar code system. It aims to make physical distribution more efficiently by rapidly reading and managing very small Wireless IC tag with individual ID attached to every product at each distribution stage. This center was established in 1999 and it is now supported strongly by bar a code standardizing organization, major distributors, major consumer goods makers, and technological venders.(see Table1)
Wireless IC tag has advantages more than bar code:
- Possible to read data automatically by passing a certain place without using human hands.
- Possible to read a lot of data collectively.
- Difficult to be copied and counterfeited.
Moreover, Auto ID Center advocates the use of Wireless IC tag which has the following features. (see Fig1)
- Possible to manage not only kinds of products but also individual articles, since a code on Wireless IC tag includes a serial number to identify individuals items.
- Possible to make the tag extremely low-cost and manage information flexibly, since a code is recorded on Wireless IC tag and products information is recorded in the database on the network .
- Possible to use Wireless IC tag among many companies, due to standardizing (1)the code of Wireless IC tag, (2)description language for products information database, and (3)the system to refer to products information in database with a code.
Due to these features, if Auto-IC Center-type Wireless IC tag is read at every physical distribution process, the flow of products can be controlled and managed at extremely low cost. As a result, it is possible to make physical distribution more efficient by optimizing stock management and minimizing lost products. The savings in costs could cover the introduction cost of Wireless IC tag. (The detail information about Auto-ID Center is on http://www.autoidcenter.org)
[The Purpose of Participating]
NTT group is proceeding with research and development to achieve ubiquitous service(*2) as a main source of information circulation service in the 21st century. It is important that companies recognize information such as the location, the kind, and the function of everything automatically. And also to supply services linking with network for using many kinds of information circulation services at any time, anywhere. NTT group believes that ubiquitous service can play an important role as an entrance for many types of information as well as physical distribution.
NTT group is proceeding with its research and development centering on network functions to manage and use Wireless IC tag information. As examples, a reader network to scan Wireless IC tag in all kinds of services and functions to keep security and privacy, another is a large-scale distribution database in order to supply services for a great number of goods with Wireless IC tag. Through these research and development, NTT group will be responsible for infrastructure management business of servers and database to manage information of AUTO-ID Center-type Wireless IC tag and platform supplying business.
NTT COMWARE has substantial experiences and has developed for a variety of companies' internal system including SCM(Supply Chain Management) system(*3) as a system integrator. In cooperation with MIT AUTO-ID Center, it will develop the know-how to relate information managed by computers with goods distributing via Internet. It will develop various systems such as an efficient SCM system and a goods management system in a company or a home, which adopt AUTO-ID Center-type Wireless IC tag by using the know-how accumulated in fields besides physical distribution. It is also developing SI business in order to serve the ubiquitous society where everything has its own ID.
In the future, both companies will participate with the AUTO-ID Center with the research and the development using AUTO-ID Center-type Wireless IC tag in each company, and cooperating with other sponsors of AUTO-ID Center.
[Glossary]
- *1:Wireless IC tag
- This is a small tag, is also called RFID tag. An ID is recorded in an IC chip on it, and is retrieved with an electric wave.. As data on it can be read without contact, it is not affected by dirt and dust, downsized, and located on a small space, since it operates by exchanging with an electric wave. It can work without a power source because of non-contact power transferring from antenna, and the running expenses is low.
- *2:ubiquitous service
- Ubiquitous is "omnipresence" in Latin, that is to exist everywhere. In information processing and information communication area, words such as ubiquitous computing and ubiquitous networking are used, they include the meaning of being able to use everywhere. NTT has two main pillars of optical soft service and ubiquitous service in information distribution service of the 21st century. Ubiquitous service is connecting a variety of equipment as well as human to network and makes them link. As a result, it gives safe, convenient, and comfortable services at any time anywhere.
- *3:SCM(Supply Chain Management) system
- This is a management technique of company's activities. It manages company's activities by using computers, from accepting and sending out an order with business acquaintances and getting materials to managing inventory and delivering products. It has effect on cutting extra stock, office processing, and cost.
Table1. List of AUTO-ID Center Sponsors (as of Aug,23th,2002)
Users (28companies)
|
Chep International
Coca-Cola
CVS
Dai Nippon Printing
Department of Defense
Ean international
Home Depot
International Paper
Johnson & Johnson
Kimberly-Clark
Kraft
Metro
Pepsi
Pfizer
|
Procter and Gamble Company
Sara Lee
Target Corp.
Tesco Stores Ltd.
The Gillette Company
The Phillip Morris Companies
Toppan Printing
Uniform Code Council
Unilever
United States Postal Service
UPS
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Westvaco
Yuen Foong Yu Paper Mfg.Co.,LTD.
|
|
| Technical venders (36companies)
|
Accenture
ACNielsen
Alien Technology
Avery Dennision
Cash's
Checkpoint Systems, Inc
Ember Corporation
Flexchip AG
Flint Ink
GlobeRanger
Intel
Intermec
Invensys PLC
Markem Corp.
Matrics
Morningside Technologies
NCR Corporation
|
OATSystems
Philips Semiconductors
PriceWaterhouseCoopers
Rafsec
RF Saw Components
SAP
Savi Technology
Sensormatic Electronics Corp
Siemens AG
Siemens Demtic
STMicro
Sun Microsystems
Symbol Technologies
TAGSYS
ThingMagic
Toray International, Inc.
Zebra Technologies Corp.
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.
NTT Comware Corp.
|
|
reference URL: http://www.autoidcenter.org/sponsors_companies.asp
|
|
|
