HAND HELD PRODUCTS CARRIES OUT RFID SURVEY

A new survey conducted by Hand Held Products, the world's leading supplier of image-based data collection systems, has shown the vital need for investment in RFID (Radio Frequency Identification).

Hand Held Products surveyed a wide range of European resellers who specialise in automatic identification technology. Some 89% of those questioned said that they believe it is crucial to invest in RFID. Furthermore, 80% of these plan to take part in a RFID project or pilot within the next two years.

However, the respondents also identified the challenges of adding RFID solutions to the portfolio. Some 60% cited technical expertise as the primary challenge, with 22% mentioning concern over the lack of standards. New relationships were seen as the most challenging aspect by 14%. It is worth noting that although RFID tags are still relatively expensive, none of the respondents mentioned high investment costs as the main challenge.

Roel Vreeburg, Hand Held Products' Managing Director for EMEA, says: "This survey looked at the resellers' perspective of the future of RFID. Their response affirmed our own company's strategy. Imaging is our core competence and the backbone of our solutions. However, we also offer RFID features in purpose-built, high-end solutions that can benefit from the additional advantages this technology can bring."

He adds: "We believe that RFID can significantly add to existing technologies (such as imaging) at many different levels. However, both resellers and their customers still see technical expertise as a major challenge when selling and implementing this new technology. We are looking forward to working with our resellers to educate the market on the different options and to help them to make maximum use of the latest technological developments."

About Hand Held Products: Hand Held Products is the world's leading provider of image-based data collection solutions for mobile, wireless and transaction processing applications - such as barcode scanners, mobile computers and transaction terminals.

The company has a worldwide network of partners, and an extensive client base across many different markets. Based in the US, its European headquarters are in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, and it also has offices in the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Spain, China, Japan, Mexico and Brazil.