SAP, Infineon Team Up To Accelerate RFID Deployment Cycles

Infineon Technologies AG today will launch a radio-frequency identification package designed to help companies more easily connect and manage RFID hardware and software from multiple suppliers for everything from incremental rollouts to full-scaled business processes. It's built on the SAP NetWeaver platform and Infineon's RFID You-R Open device-integration platform.

The announcement is being made at SAP TechEd 2004, SAP's developer-education conference in San Diego.

The platform aims to accelerate deployment and reduce costs and risks associated with managing RFID components from multiple sources. The platform can manage a range of RFID implementations, from tags to enterprise applications, including RFID device management, as well as related hardware and software products and services.

Built on the open SAP NetWeaver technology platform, SAP's RFID offering includes SAP Auto-ID Infrastructure, SAP Event Management and preconfigured EPC reports in SAP Business Information Warehouse. It also includes plug-and-play integration into enterprise-resource-planning-based supply-chain execution and asset-management processes. SAP's open Auto-ID Infrastructure aims to help customers automate their RFID implementations and incrementally tie RFID-enabled business processes into back-end systems.

Infineon's RFID solution You-R Open is an operating environment that links a company's existing non-RFID-based logistics infrastructure to its newly installed RFID-supported infrastructure. You-R Open supports a range of RFID hardware, including smart labels, readers, programmable logic control, automation devices, PCs, servers, hardware components and IT networks. It also supports electronic product code global and other RFID standards. You-R Open allows configuration, installation, operation, and maintenance of a complete RFID infrastructure by offering a flexible device-management interface for all existing RFID reader and printer devices.