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(COMTEX) B: Philips and TI to test RFID chips ( Datamonitor )

Jun 17, 2005 (Datamonitor via COMTEX) -- Rivals Royal Philips Electronics and
Texas Instruments said yesterday they would jointly test their RFID tags for
interpretability to help fast-track the adoption of an RFID standard slated for
global acceptance.

Essentially, the companies want to ensure their technical interpretation of the
Generation 2 RFID standard jibes. They said in doing so, it would build
businesses confidence that different RFID tags would work together under Gen 2
and, in turn, spur its usage.

"It's something that we believe is needed at this moment in time in this
industry," said Tony Sabetti, director of TI retail supply chain products.

Gen 2 is important because the International Standards Organization is currently
reviewing it as the global standard for RFID technology. Gen 2 has a number of
advantages over first-generation EPC Class 0 and Class 1 standards, including a
disabling feature [F6 comment -- oh really? -- capable of being re-enabled after
being disabled? -- disabled (and re-enabled?) just how, exactly? -- remotely,
just like the RFID chips' other functions? (. . .)], security password and
superior performance that allows more RFID tags to be read per second.

Sabetti said Dallas, Texas-based TI may test its RFID chips with other
companies. "We've made it very clear to the industry that we're open to working
with people," he said.

TI and Netherlands-based Philips will begin testing their products later this
month and expect the trail to wrap up in October.

Gen 2 applies to the ultra-high frequency band centered on 900 MHz and was
ratified by RFID industry group EPCglobal last December, with the help of TI,
Philips and scores of other RFID companies.

This is not the first time TI and Philips have jointly tested their chips. They
initially got together in 1996 to test pre-EPCglobal RFID tags.

Copyright (C) 2005 Datamonitor. All rights reserved
URL: http://www.datamonitor.com

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[F6 note -- in addition to (items linked in) the post to which this post is a reply and (the many) preceding and following, see also (items linked in) http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=6675135 and (the many) preceding and following]