IBM Providing Integration for METRO Groups Project to Introduce RFID across Its Entire Company

IBM will provide the systems integration for a groundbreaking RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) project with the worlds fifth largest retailer, METRO Group.As part of its Future Store Initiative, METRO Group plans to become the first retailer to begin using RFID technology throughout its entire process chain. The project is scheduled to begin in November 2004, and initially, 100 suppliers will tag all their pallets and transport crates for delivery to 10 of Metros central warehouses and 250 stores. As the RFID system integrator, IBM will lead the strategy, consulting, implementation and rollout for the project. This follows the success of the METRO Groups Extra Future Store, which opened in Rheinberg in Germany last year as a "living laboratory" for the latest technology innovations in retail. The Future Store was the first project in the METRO Groups Future Store initiative, with IBMs leading edge middleware and integration services for RFID technology as a key component. At the Rheinberg store, all RFID components communicate through one flexible central system hub developed specifically by IBM for METRO Group. During the past few months, the benefits of RFID technology have been proven in the supply chain at the Future Store.