UPM Rafsec Participates in EPCglobal Inc’s Hardware Interoperability Test

New Testing Program Developed to Offer Users Interoperable RFID Hardware

UPM Rafsec, the RFID tags supplier having the world's largest integrated capacity, today announced its participation in the EPCglobal Hardware Interoperability testing. The testing is part of an effort by EPCglobal Inc™ to improve Electronic Product Code™ (EPC) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) hardware interoperability within the EPCglobal community. EPCglobal Inc, a joint venture of EAN International and the Uniform Code Council, Inc. ® (UCC®), is a not-for-profit organization entrusted by industry to establish and support the EPCglobal Network™ as the global standard for real-time, automatic identification of information in the supply chain of any company, anywhere in the world.

The Hardware Interoperability testing evaluated the interoperability of UPM Rafsec's newly released 96-bit Class 1 RFID tags with readers supplied by major RFID reader manufacturers. MET Laboratories, a company that provides extensive testing and consulting services, administered the test August 3-5 in a controlled environment located in its Baltimore, Maryland facility. The interoperability test results for the Class 1 UPM Rafsec tag showed interoperability with the Alien ALR-9780 reader. For complete Hardware Interoperability test results, visit www.epcglobalinc.org/interoperability .

"This is extremely significant because it signals a bold step forward in making EPC a reality in global commerce,” says Michael E. Di Yeso, president and chief operating officer of the Uniform Code Council and interim president of EPCglobal. “UPM Rafsec is showing leadership in participating in this testing and has positively positioned itself in this newly emerging marketplace."

"UPM Rafsec is quite pleased with the interoperability results as they are according to our expectations that EPC Class 1 96-bit products will be available from multiple interoperable vendors. It also signals that pilots associated with the various US mandates can begin in earnest with data structures intended to be long lasting.", added UPM Rafsec's President Timo Lindström.

About UPM Rafsec
UPM Rafsec specializes in the production and development of card, ticket and label transponders based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. Founded in 1997, UPM Rafsec is the leading company in its field. The company headquarters and R&D are located in Tampere, Finland, and the production plant in Jyväskylä. In addition, UPM Rafsec has sales offices in USA, Netherlands, Japan and Singapore.

About EPCglobal Inc™ www.epcglobalinc.org
EPCglobal Inc, a joint venture of EAN International and the Uniform Code Council, Inc.® (UCC®) is a not-for-profit organization entrusted by industry to establish and support the EPCglobal Network™ as the global standard for real-time, automatic identification of information in the supply chain of any company, anywhere in the world.

The EPCglobal Network combines Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, existing communications network infrastructure, and the Electronic Product Code (a number for uniquely identifying an item) to enable accurate, cost-efficient visibility of information in the supply chain. The end result helps organizations be more efficient, flexible, and responsive to customer needs.