Motorola Inc. is pairing up with Intelleflex Corp. to develop radiofrequency identification (RFID) hardware. Both companies plan to ship new products next year.
Schaumberg, Ill.-based Motorola says new RFID applications will depend on products with more user memory, long-range operation, security and sensors that monitor environmental conditions, including temperature.
Intelleflex of Santa Clara, Calif. makes multi-protocol RFID tags and readers for applications like asset tracking, fleet management, supply chain automation, parts maintenance and access control. Its battery-assisted passive readers have ranges of up to 50 metres and are designed to read around metals, glass and liquids. It recently demonstrated live cattle tracking in the Calgary stockyards as they were sold at auction. Its on-tag memory showed the history of each animal, including ownership and inoculation records.
Both companies plan to combine their technologies to create new products and Motorola is investing money in Intelleflex.