When exploring radio frequency identification (RFID) solutions for your business, it’s essential to research and find the right company to partner with. But with the expansiveness of the RFID industry, how can you be sure you’re picking the best RFID company?
What is RFID?
RFID stands for radio frequency identification technology, is a adaptive technology that can be used in many different industries. Today industries such as retail, manufacturing, medical, and education all use RFID for purposes such as asset tracking and loss prevention.
One of the most useful aspects of RFID is that it is able to read a large amount of tags at once. Gathering data and syncing it with you chosen RFID visibility software. By doing so, RFID can to jobs like boost inventory accuracy to 99.9%. It is a technology that enables the automation of many different tasks that would normally take hours, days, or in some cases weeks. The larger the company, the more SKU’s the more benefit RFID provides.
With so many applications for RFID technology it’s not surprising that there are numerous companies manufacturing RFID tags and readers. RFID tags come in various frequencies, certain frequencies being more common for particular applications. Certain RFID manufacturers only manufacture passive RFID tags, while other larger manufacturers manufacture practically every variety of tag and reader.
We break up RFID manufacturers into six categories:
- The Big Names in RFID
- Retail Focused RFID Providers
- Tracking Focused RFID Providers
- IoT Focused RFID Providers
- General RFID Providers
- NFC Focused RFID Providers
Scroll down to the RFID category that interests you, or browse through the entire list.
1. The Big Names in RFID
Zebra is one of the most known and trusted manufacturers of RFID technologies. Zebra manufactures readers for every environment, including fixed, handheld, and handsfree RFID readers. Zebra offers antennas and RFID printers that allow companies to print their own RFID tags at will. With over 300 RFID technology patents it’s no wonder that many businesses turn to Zebra for their RFID needs. Zebra is able to offer companies decades of experience and the reliability that comes with a solutions provider experienced with working with the biggest and best companies in the industry.
Alien is a veteran in the industry supplying RFID technology for 20 years. Alien provides RFID tags and labels, RFID readers and antennas, RFID IC’s and Professional Services including their well renowned Alien Academy.
Avery Dennison is a global manufacturer and distributor of packaging, adhesives, apparel branding, and consumer goods packaging. In addition to this Avery Dennison delivers an array of RFID solutions including scanners, printers, tags, and NFC solutions.
This newly public long trusted RAIN RFID provider focuses on powering business intelligence with item intelligence. Impinj provides solutions for many industries including retail, healthcare, transport, manufacturing and hospitality.
2. Retail Focused RFID Providers
Checkpoint is specifically focused on the retail space and boosts 45 years of RFID experience. Checkpoint provides solutions for loss prevention, tracking, labeling via their RFID hardware and RFID software.
Another retail specific RFID provider, Nedap provides industry specific RFID solutions, including solutions for supermarkets, DIY stores, fashion, electronics and Health and beauty retailers.
Tyco claims to have deployed 80% of the top 200 of the world’s retail solutions. Tyco’s main differentiator is their Sensormatic anti-theft system, which is utilized by a high percentage of retailers around the world.
3. Tracking Focused RFID Providers
Smartrac is a Dutch company and the world’s largest supplier of RFID inlays for ePassports. In addition to passports Smartrac is mainly focused on retail store optimization and IoT solutions.
Alliance Tech is an event technology solutions provider focused on business intelligence for tradeshows, conferences and events. The company was the first to offer an Intelligent Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) solution to track attendee interests and preferences at conferences. Alliance Tech has extensive experience in successfully delivering event solutions for Attendance Tracking, RFID, Lead Management, Registration, Mobile, and Social Media.
By automating data collection, RFID technology vastly reduces human effort – and error. Because RFID, BLE and GPS technologies read multiple tags at once without requiring a line of sight, customers are able to more quickly and accurately locate assets without scanning labels one-by-one. When tracking assets is easy to do, it gets done. Radiant RFID’s asset tracking platform answers the question, “Where is that…?”
4. IoT Focused RFID Providers
GlobeRanger’s (a Fujistu company) IoT platform, iMotion, enables the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial Internet by simplifying the development, deployment, and management of RFID, mobile and sensor-based solutions
OrbComm provides asset tracking applications which enable Internet of Things (IoT), RFID and sensor-based technologies to improve supply chain visibility, ROI, operational efficiency and manage risk.
Provides wide-area RFID solutions, IoT software platforms, and cloud and mobile development services for IoT and Big Data.
5. General RFID Providers
ThinkMagic solutions capabilities include systems design, RFID hardware (readers, tags, antennas), database web hosting, integration with third-party systems, and installation and maintenance services. They have a history of deployments in the RFID industry in environments ranging from distribution centers to shopping carts and pickup trucks
A global retailer, atlasRFIDstore offers one of the world’s largest selections of RFID hardware and systems across all RFID technologies. It carries a large selection of RFID hardware including readers and tags that cover a broad range of frequencies and offer specialty RFID readers and tags that are designed to meet the various needs of every industry.
CAEN RFID is a company in Automatic Identification (AutoId). It has focused its activities in the Radiofrequency Identification (RFID) in the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band. UHF RFID technology allows to read and write information on devices, named tags or transponders, placed on objects for their identification. Read/write operations can occur without line-of-sight, at longer distance and faster speed compared to other passive technologies, thus allowing a cheaper and more efficient process automation.
6. NFC Focused RFID Providers
NXP provides solutions ranging from high power RF reader ICs to NFC. This company expanded from traditional smart card applications to a wide infrastructure based on NFC enabled devices. Interesting fact: the NFC in your phone is most likely provided by NXP.
Broadcom Corporation, a leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, announced in 2014 the integration of NFC into its Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices (WICED™) software development kit (SDK).
Omni-ID began as a research and development team formed in the 1990s within QinetiQ, an international defense and security technology company. The team was charged with exploring and challenging the boundaries of RFID. The result was a groundbreaking technological improvement — passive UHF RFID tags that provide near perfect accuracy in harsh environments, including in the presence of metals and liquids.
If you or your company are in the market for an RFID based system you may want to note that the majority of RFID manufacturers do not offer installation or consultation services. This need is fulfilled by YIIRO RFID company. Choosing the right supplier can be a difficult task. If you would like to spend a few minutes talking about your RFID project please feel free to contact us for a no strings attached consult.
Why Should You Purchase the RFID Tag Reader Manufactured by YIIRO RFID company?
The type of RFID company you choose will depend on your needs and the specific industry you are in, but not all RFID companies are created equal. There are several important factors to consider when choosing an RFID company, such as the company’s experience, solution, pricing, and support structure.
- What is their experience in your industry? YIIRO RFID providers that have experience in your industry over 10 years will be able to understand your needs better and recommend the best solution for your application.
- What type of solutions do they offer? YIIRO RFID company specialize in passive RFID, it can offer the specific solution you are looking for, whether it is an off-the-shelf product or a customizable solution.
- How will their RFID solution be integrated into your existing systems? YIIRO RFID API SDK can seamlessly integrate its solution into your current systems.
- What is the return on investment (ROI) of their RFID solution? YIIRO RFID company will provide the RFID solution with reasonable cost to make sure your best ROI.
- Is their RFID solution scalable? YIIRO RFID company offers a solution that can grow with your business.
- What types of RFID tags and readers do they offer? There are several different types of RFID tags on the market (passive RFID tags, etc.), each with its own unique capabilities. The same goes for RFID readers (UHF RFID readers, etc). YIIRO RFID company offers tags and readers compatible with your assets and will meet your needs.
- What customer support services do they offer? YIIRO RFID company provides enough customer support, whether it is online FAQs, a knowledge base, or live customer support.
Things to Consider Before finding an RFID company that is a good fit for your business
Before exploring potential RFID asset tracking vendors, it is crucial to understand your business needs clearly. When exploring RFID solutions, there are a few key factors to keep in mind:
- What assets do you need to track? The first step is to determine which assets you need to track. This will help you identify the RFID tags and readers you will need.
- Where are your assets located? The location of your assets will also play a role in determining the type of RFID solution you need. If your assets are spread out over a large area, you will need an RFID solution that can track assets at long range.
- What is the size and scope of your project? The size and scope of your project will also impact the type of RFID solution you need. If you are only tracking a few assets, you may not need as robust or sophisticated a solution as you would if you were tracking hundreds or thousands of assets.
- How often do you need to track your assets? The frequency with which you need to track your assets will also be a factor in determining the type of RFID solution you need. If you only need to track assets occasionally, you may not need as sophisticated a solution as you would if you needed to track assets in real-time.
- What is your budget for RFID asset tracking? Your budget will play a role in determining the type of RFID solution you can afford. There are a variety of RFID tags and readers on the market, each with its own price tag. Ensure you have a clear understanding of your budget before exploring RFID vendors.
- What is your timeline? Your timeline is another critical factor to consider when exploring RFID solutions. If you need a solution quickly, you may not have time to implement a custom solution. On the other hand, if you have a longer timeline, you may be able to invest in a more sophisticated solution.
Once you have a clear understanding of your specific needs, you can contact an RFID company to find out more about their products and services.
Conclusion
RFID technology is growing more complex, making it difficult to know which company to trust for your needs. By evaluating the critical factors in this guide, you will be able to select the best RFID provider for your business. At YIIRO, we are committed to providing our customers with the latest and greatest RFID technology available. We invite you to explore our RFID solution and contact us today. Thank you for reading!