Partnership Provides Ease of Deployment and Integration into a Heterogeneous Networking Environment

Wavelink Corporation and Datamax-O’Neil today announced that Datamax-O’Neil has selected Wavelink® Avalanche Mobility Center™ (MC) software to pre-load on all of its wireless, 802.11-enabled mobile printers. This partnership demonstrates Datamax-O’Neil’s commitment to continuously increase the efficiency of its enterprise printing solutions and further solidifies Wavelink’s position as the standard in wireless enterprise management.

Datamax-O’Neil customers are now empowered to deploy industry-leading management software from Wavelink to remotely monitor and configure their Datamax-O’Neil wireless printers, along with additional wireless devices on the network. Customers using Avalanche MC benefit from extensive management functionalities that include centralized remote management, performance monitoring, software distribution and crucial device security.

“Wavelink is a complete management solution that can handle multiple device classes and brands,” said Endre Vargha, vice president of engineering and general manager for Portable Products at Datamax-O’Neil. “Partnering with them enables users that have already deployed Wavelink Avalanche in their network to easily add and manage Datamax-O’Neil printers as part of that environment.”

Wavelink customers can now easily manage and configure Datamax-O’Neil printers through the same interface they use for their other wireless devices. The agreement also adds to Wavelink’s industry-leading network of hardware partners that represent the world’s largest mobile device manufacturers across a broad range of devices.

“The trend for companies to be more mobile and implement wireless technologies continues its strong growth. As the number and type of devices increases, the ability to manage them easily through a single interface becomes even more critical,” said Wavelink president Lamar Van Wagenen. “Datamax-O’Neil is well-recognized as a leader in wireless mobile printing, and our partnership continues Wavelink’s focus on providing powerful management tools that work seamlessly in diverse environments with several different product brands and device types.”

The Datamax-O’Neil 802.11-equipped mobile printers that have been integrated with Wavelink Avalanche Mobility Center include the microFlash family of portable printers, O’Neil Compact portable printers (OC2 and OC3), and the LP3 label printer.

Whether your restaurant is large or small, or offers fine, casual or quickserve dining, your servers and managers will have the tools they need to capture, transmit and access information as needed, wherever they happen to be. As a result, overall operational efficiency is maximized. Productivity is improved through process automation, improving staff utilization. Servers and managers are more effective, able to take the right action at the right time to deliver a level of service that will not only set you apart from your competition — but will keep your guests coming back. And the ability to increase sales and the number of guests while substantially improving service enables restaurants all over the world to achieve a new level of success…and profitability.

Download whitepaper: Maximize the success of your restaurant with mobility

Continue reading »

Coca-Cola has begun beta-testing an RFID-enabled drink dispenser that the company claims will transform the soft drink dispensing industry, by providing more than 100 drink options from a single machine. The machine, known as Freestyle, utilizes RFID technology to identify 30 or more cartridges, determine the quantity of flavoring inside each, and transmit data back to Coca-Cola indicating which drinks are being consumed, and when.

“We consider Freestyle nothing short of a revolution in the fountain dispenser business,” says Ray Crockett, Coca-Cola’s director of communications. The system not only offers consumers a vast choice of Coca-Cola beverages, he notes—from sodas to flavored waters—it also provides the company with real-time insight into what is happening in restaurants across the United States.

Continue Reading: http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/4967

Coupled with collaborative technology, RFID can help manage efficient responses such as the recall of suspected food products and notifying affected parties. For example, a calf can now be tracked from birth to the slaughterhouse as it is in Australia, where the National Livestock Identification System legislation mandated, in 2005, RFID tagging for cattle stock.

There are even pilots where, combined with global positioning system (GPS) and “shock” technology, farmers can manage RFID-tagged cattle within certain geographical boundaries.

Let’s envision how RFID and collaborative technology can work together to help assure the quality of pork humans consume.

Barcode printing solutions that help nurses do what they do best: Provide excellent patient care

Thermal Barcode Printing Solutions That work with you and for you

Zebra thermal barcode wristband and label print solutions offer you and other members of your hospital’s nursing staff an easy way to improve patient safety. This is technology you’ll actually welcome, because rather than hindering your workflow, it actually helps you work more effectively. Consequently, you’ll have more time to do what you do best: care for the patient.

Performing together as a complete, optimal barcode print solution, Zebra thermal printers and genuine Zebra wristbands and labels encode patient data as a barcode and text. Scanning the barcode gives you immediate, automated access to patient information—helping prevent errors and improve patient safety

Download PDF: Barcode Print Solutions for Nurses

Continue reading »

According to a survey conducted by Australia-based University of Wollongong’s Centre for Business Services Science, one reason companies adopt radio-frequency identification technologies is to gain an advantage over their rivals, and another is improved data accuracy. Companies that have not adopted RFID, however, cite the technology’s cost as one of the most important factors influencing their decision.

(Original article: http://www.smartbrief.com/news/comptia/storyDetails.jsp?issueid=6BBCD91D-F82A-4F8E-A30B-79D6476F5235&copyid=D42F4495-2E52-4B17-B810-DB06651E6965)

Today’s Reality—Closing the Productivity Gap

With an increasing emphasis on cost reduction, global enterprises are looking for ways to improve efficiency and accuracy in their supply and distribution chains. To remain competitive, distribution centers, manufacturers, and short-haul and long-haul carriers must change the way they label and track goods. Success depends on maximizing efficiency throughout all supply chain operations—front to back. Exploiting mobile labeling technology is fundamental to achieving optimal efficiency.

The most effective way to improve efficiency and keep labor costs under control is to minimize the amount of time required to label materials, work in process, finished products, boxes, and pallets. Centralized labeling solutions significantly reduces productivity and injects inaccuracies; thus, even the slightest improvement to the handling process will yield significant cost savings.

Barcode and RFID labels are by far the fastest and most accurate method to identify and track materials and products throughout the supply chain, and within warehouses and distribution centers. Used in multiple industries, centralized printing stations affix barcodes and RFID to the materials, finished goods, and packages. When integrated with enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, these systems are a proven solution for significantly boosting operational efficiencies and reducing costs. However, tightening the supply chain even further calls for mobile printing solutions that equip workers with seamless mobility throughout the warehouse—wherever and whenever they need it.

“By using mobile wireless printers at the receiving dock to issue goods receipts, Driscoll Strawberry Associates reduced the time to process receiving transactions by 25 percent.¹”

1. Zebra Case Study, “Driscoll Picks Perfect Mobile Solution for Distribution Account Reconciliation”

View this white paper as a PDF
Continue reading »

Zebra G-Series™ desktop printers are now available with a factory-installed, efficiency-enhancing cutter or peeler option. This means the G-Series now offers a full complement of options to meet additional applications within healthcare, retail, manufacturing and other industries.

The peeler, which is available on both GK and GX models, automatically peels the lining from each label before application, saving the printer operator time and labor.

The automatic, full-width guillotine cutter is available on GX models only. Particularly useful for heavier stock, including tag stock up to 7.5 mil, the cutter option is easier to use than the alternative manual tear-off mode. It also provides better-quality label edges.

Both options are available factory-installed peeler. Neither option is available as a field-upgradeable option.

Tetherball, an industry leader in mobile loyalty and rewards solutions, has unveiled its breakthrough RFID-based mobile marketing platform and a test with International Dairy Queen.

According to CBS News, the test is being conducted at a single Dairy Queen store in Rochester, Ind. The solution tracks customers’ purchases and makes are make customized coupon recommendations upon their entering the store.

“We are a big believer in the future of mobile marketing,” said Jamie Guse, Web site manager for International Dairy Queen Inc. “Through (Tetherball’s) innovative RFID-based Mobile Loyalty Program, we are able to provide great offers to our customers in a fun and easy way while precisely measuring the effectiveness of our Dairy Queen Mobile Rewards Program.”

International Dairy Queen Franchisee Dave Reasner has been working with Tetherball for nearly two years to refine the mobile loyalty program for his stores. The program now averages more than 900 members per store, with continued solid growth in membership and redemption rates. The solution is “making a measurable difference in our year-over-year traffic and revenue,” he said.

Mobile banking and payments is considered a promising area, in which near-field communications (NFC) is widely viewed as the pinnacle. NFC promises to turn the mobile phone into a secure credit card by enabling the exchange of data between devices over about four inches of distance. While companies work out the kinks to make it attractive for all members of the ecosystem, including carriers, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags that can be affixed to the mobile phone are cropping up as a temporary solution – one that Aite Group senior analyst Nick Holland says is extremely flawed.

“This is seen by the people who put the stickers out as some interim technology that will magically get us to NFC, whereas what is really required is a solid business case for NFC and a level of merchant penetration for contactless payments that makes NFC viable,” Holland said. “This, as far as I’m concerned, is a step in the wrong direction. This is not something that will accelerate NFC. If anything, it’s going to be a distraction.”

Companies including Blaze Mobile, MasterCard, First Data and, as of today, Alcatel-Lucent and Tetherball, are among those using RFID stickers to bridge the gap to NFC. Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) announced today its touchatag venture will work with Belgacom mobile and micro payments company PingPing, to create an open model of application development for contactless cards and mobile payments. Through the partnership, Belgian consumers can use one contactless card or sticker to launch mobile payments or other mobile applications.