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December 2005 |
Volume 2 Issue 12 |
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This issue home | Past issues | MTBC home MTBC Group Brands Dallas As "The RFID Hub"
The MTBC's RFID Special Interest Group (SIG) has announced that it has created a new brand name: “Dallas: The RFID Hub.” Using this theme and a specially-designed logo, the MTBC will promote the region as a hotbed of RFID (radio frequency identification) technology, innovation and implementation. The announcement was made at a Nov. 10 dinner event, the Dallas RFID Hub Kickoff Celebration, at The Richardson Hotel. More than 200 business executives and technology professionals interested in RFID, including many of the region's top RFID companies, attended, demonstrating their support and participation. Exhibits from dozens of North Texas RFID companies displayed the range of RFID-related products and services available locally. Sun Microsystems was title sponsor of the kickoff; Texas Instruments and Intermec Technologies were reception sponsors; and 20 other companies were also event sponsors. In addition, guest speaker at the event was Frank Baitman, a director with the Institute For The Future, who talked on "From Fits & Starts To An Internet Of Things: A Forecast For RFID," his longer-term vision of the impact of RFID technology. According to a study commissioned by the MTBC and conducted by the University of North Texas, an MTBC RFID SIG member, there are more than 120 companies in the Dallas-Fort Worth area involved in various aspects of RFID.
“Here in the Metroplex, we've got everything from semiconductor manufacturers producing passive and active RFID tags, high-tech hardware companies producing reader devices to read the tags; enterprises with sophisticated software platforms to collect, compile and communicate the data; systems integrators helping organizations install RFID capabilities in their supply chain, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, logistics, sales and management systems; and universities and training firms providing training and consulting services. “In addition, major retailers Wal-Mart and Target chose the Dallas area to begin deploying RFID in their supply chains. The result of this concentration of RFID companies and expertise here is the creation and evolution of a self-propelling business ecosystem that will drive commerce in the Metroplex for years to come,” said Griebenow. “That's why we have created a brand, 'Dallas: The RFID Hub,' to focus attention on this economic engine.” At the dinner, Dean Frew, president and CEO of Xterprise, an RFID SIG member and event sponsor, gave a brief overview of the branding project. “The MTBC is working with Dallas area RFID companies, universities, industry associations (such as the Dallas Chapter of the AeA and DFW Chapter of the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers), as well as the investment community, to build RFID business momentum in Dallas and the North Texas area. “An aggressive communications plan will showcase the influence and identity of the Dallas RFID industry, not only locally but also nationally and internationally,” he said. The branding program identifies "Dallas: The Hub of RFID" as:
During his presentation, Frew showed a prototype of a Dallas RFID map that will highlight the location of as many RFID companies in the region as possible. Being created by the Center for Digital Knowledge at UNT, when complete, this graphical representation will be used as a quick reference tool on the MTBC's Web site, with an Internet-based format and active links to the sponsoring companies. A final version of "Dallas: The RFID Hub" map will be introduced, as the centerpiece of the national and global branding program, to more than 4,000 delegates and an anticipated 500 exhibiting companies at the 4th Annual RFID WORLD Conference to be held at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine from Feb. 27- March 2, 2006. Tim Downs, president of Shorecliff Communications, which runs RFID WORLD, the RFID industry's largest conference and show, told the branding kickoff audience about current plans for the 2006 RFID WORLD. Following the talk and a Q&A with guest speaker Frank Baitman, MTBC President & CEO Bill Sproull concluded the evening with a call to commitment. “I invite all the RFID companies attending this celebration, as well as other companies in the area to make a decision to collaborate, to work with others in the North Texas RFID community by joining the Dallas The RFID Hub branding project, and helping to promote this unique strength of the region.” Tech Link is a monthly publication of the Metroplex Technology Business Council Communications Department. Contact the editor. |
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“However, unlike other areas of the country which may have several RFID companies, Dallas has a rich, diverse infrastructure of companies involved in all aspects of this emerging industry sector,” said Allan Griebenow, president and chief executive officer of Axcess Inc. Griebenow is a tri-chair of the MTBC's RFID special interest group. 