Sun to Open a Wal-Mart Compliant RFID Test Center

The Wal-Mart imposed January 1, 2005 deadline is the first step in the worlds largest retailer gearing up to implement RFID in its inventory management system store-wide. Wal-Mart will use the Electronic Product Code (EPC) compliant RFID technology for identifying, tracking and tracing deliveries and inventory. Wal-Marts hundreds of suppliers must take action now to ensure they will remain on the shelves of the retail giant. Because the Wal-Mart Test Center and the RFID Test Centers are built using the same technology, its suppliers can test their RFID solution first with Sun and be guaranteed 100 percent compliance with Wal-Marts RFID specifications. The Sun RFID test center will be located in Dallas, Texas and will be open to Wal-Marts suppliers by December 2003. The Sun RFID Test Center will be powered by the Solaris Operating System using Sun Java Enterprise Software and the Sun standards-based implementation of Savant with additional value around self healing and provisioning of EPC readers. Customer will also be able to test RFID technology in conjunction with Suns Java Enterprise Software to smoothly integrate this technology into their existing technology strategy. Sun Services will team with the suppliers to provide the IT consulting expertise, using best practices to ensure that their solution is architected and implemented to maximize return on investment and minimize total cost of ownership in the most timely and efficient way.