OAT Launches Industry’s First RFID Framework Designed for Retailers

Result of Unique Collaboration with Top Retailers and RFID Hardware Companies

WALTHAM, MASS. – MAY 25, 2005– OATSystems, Inc., the recognized RFID Framework leader, today announced OAT Foundation Suite 4.5 for Retail, the industry’s first RFID framework solution designed specifically to maximize systemwide performance for retailers’ unique requirements.

“From a retailer’s perspective, we need superb system-wide performance of our RFID infrastructure to maximize the benefits for our customers,” said John Clarke, CTO Tesco Plc. “It became clear to us that standards-based interfaces are necessary but not sufficient to maximize performance across multiple components. Our collaborative development effort with OAT and Tyco has resulted in OAT Foundation Suite 4.5 for Retail – the only RFID Framework optimized to the unique requirements and hardware in retail environments.”

“We worked very closely with Tesco and OAT in the development of OAT
Foundation Suite 4.5 for Retail,” said George Reynolds, Tyco. “With all three sides openly sharing requirements and product roadmaps we were able to attain levels of system-wide performance, scalability and configurability that are not achievable by other means. This is a major step forward for the industry and we are committed to continual collaboration with Tesco and OAT to further enhance OAT Foundation Suite for Retail in future releases.”

Meeting Retailers’ Unique Requirements

Retailers face numerous unique requirements with respect to RFID deployments. From managing high concentrations of readers in distribution centers and large store formats to providing visibility to inventory and goods movement across narrow-band infrastructure, retailers require an industrial-strength RFID framework platform purpose-built for their environment.

OAT Foundation Suite 4.5 for Retail is the world’s first RFID data management platform that enables retailers to track goods movement and inventory across the supply chain, from distribution centers to stores. Based on feedback from existing OAT customers, including several retailers like Tesco that have announced enterprise-wide initiatives, OAT Foundation Suite 4.5 for Retail can power deployments within a large-scale distribution center and remotely across thousands of stores. Product features include:

• Run-time configuration management enables end-users to add, remove, or change locations and device configuration settings while keeping the system on-line
• Enterprise-level platform delivers a clean view of RFID-tagged goods across distribution centers and stores
  • Automated polling from distribution centers and stores
  • Consistency logic with exception handling and filtering to re-create actual goods movement and inventory from noisy and incomplete data
• Flexible architecture for remote management of small-scale facilities across narrowband connections
• Pre-built, retail-specific execution scenarios for DC-based shipping and receiving and store-based receiving
• Device monitoring dashboard by type, status, and location
• Optimized performance for leading hardware platforms

“OAT Foundation Suite 4.5 for Retail delivers the flexibility and scalability required by retailers deploying RFID across a broad range of facilities, from high-volume distribution centers to stores,” stated Marc Osofsky, Vice President of Marketing and Product Management, OAT.

About OAT

OATSystems, Inc. is the recognized RFID framework leader with software that empowers businesses to achieve competitive advantage from radio-frequency identification (RFID). As pioneers in the development of RFID technology, OAT has been setting the standard in RFID for over half a decade and is responsible for industry firsts that include the largest scale and largest scope of deployments, as well as the most innovative approaches to providing enterprise-wide RFID solutions. OAT’s multinational client base, which includes companies such as Hewlett-Packard and Gillette, consists of over 50 customers in retail, CPG, consumer electronics, manufacturing, life sciences, aerospace and defense. Headquartered in Waltham, MA, OAT has offices in Chicago, London and Bangalore and is on the Web at www.oatsystems.com.