Bolaji Ojo EETimes Supply Network (03/30/2004 3:00 PM EST)

Infineon Technologies AG said it has opened a new radio frequency identification (RFID) center in Graz, Austria, to support designers, equipment manufacturers and end-market users interested in developing and deploying the technology.

The RFID system lab is charged with identifying the practical uses of the radio frequency technology especially in the area of logistics and supply chain management of goods and services, according to the company.

RFID has been receiving greater attention from electronic component suppliers and equipment vendors since last year when major retailers like Walmart Stores Inc., Target and the United States Department of Defense announced they would begin utilizing the technology in their operations.

Infineon said it would adopt a comprehensive development approach that would address all segments of the technology, including the antenna, smart label readers and the system platforms required for RFID operations.

The company's solutions could be adapted for use in a variety of industries, including supply chain and logistics management in the automotive and textile sectors, according to company executives.

"The success of RFID technology in logistics applications will depend on its optimum integration, with all its advantages and restrictions, into existing logistics infrastructures," said Bodo Ischebeck, senior director and general manager, Ident Solutions Business Activities at Infineon. (Munich, Germany.)

"Through our competence in the radio frequency interface, information technology and RFID-relevant process management in logistics, Infineon can be a single source provider of RFID system solutions suitable for a broad IT landscape and designed for the simple and trouble-free introduction of RFID technology into existing logistics systems," added Schebeck.

The Infineon RFID center will encompass four related functions, including live demonstration of the technology and its applications to customers and development and verification or test of typical RFID logistics solutions.

The center will also provide an avenue for the determination of performance and limits of RFID technology "to ensure the proper functioning of the RFID infrastructure," the company said.

The last function of the unit would be as a meeting point for the various people involved in either the development or deployment of the technology.

Infineon first established a research and development center in Graz six years ago and employs 140 people at the location. The company said it develops chips that "exchange data with readers via radio waves" at the Graz center.