Datascan Chooses GainSpan Modules for its New Wi-Fi Barcode Scanners

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- GainSpan® Corporation announced today that its ultra-low power embedded Wi-Fi modules are being used by Datascan, the nation's largest self-scanning company, for its recently released Wi-Fi Barcode Scanner. 

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120717/SF40987)

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120305/SF63380LOGO-b)

Datascan's new Wi-Fi Barcode Scanner allows retailers to conduct inventory self-scanning and to communicate the details over Wi-Fi within seconds to a central database. Since inventory data is transmitted in real time, the new Wi-Fi scanner eliminates the need for employees to upload in bulk the stored data from the scanner and thus dramatically decreases inventory count times.

"Datascan has over 80,000 handheld scanners being used worldwide by retail companies doing self-inventory of their store stock.   For our newest wireless scanners, we needed a connectivity solution that would work with wireless networks already installed at retailers, many of which were Wi-Fi, handle commercial grade encryption and, because they are battery-operated devices, consume as little power as possible" said Carter Graves, vice president of operations, Datascan.  "After testing wireless solutions from a number of companies we decided that GainSpan Wi-Fi technology outperformed all the others."

"GainSpan's GS1011M Wi-Fi module met all our needs and then some," said Graves. "It was very low power, provided a wide variety of different encryption methods and offered one of the best price/performance ratios on the market."   

The GS1011M Wi-Fi module offers easy system integration and minimal use of host resources.  The module provides both UART and SPI interfaces, making it possible to connect to any 8-32 bit microcontroller using simple AT commands. The firmware provided to run on the module includes complete Wi-Fi functionality including security, the networking stack and advanced networking features and services not readily available with other Wi-Fi modules including enterprise security, embedded servers (HTTP, DHCP and DNS servers), service and device discovery (mDNS and DNS/SD), XML parsing, and over the air firmware upgrades, as well as WPS and other provisioning features.

"Datascan has a more than 40-year history of innovation in the inventory processing industry and we're proud to collaborate to continue this record of innovation," said Bernard Aboussouan, vice president of marketing at GainSpan.  "As Wi-Fi is already installed in many retail locations and as employees are familiar with it and find it easy to use, the demand for low power Wi-Fi enabled handheld scanners, POS terminals, portable printers and others is booming.  We're pleased to be able to provide Datascan with a quick and easy way to add Wi-Fi connectivity to new products such as the Wi-Fi Barcode Scanner."

About GainSpan
GainSpan is the leading semiconductor solutions company in low power Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi connectivity for the Internet of Things. Its easy-to-use system-on-chip (SoC), modules and software let customers leverage the large installed base of Wi-Fi access points and smartphones to create connected products for healthcare, smart energy and control and monitoring in industrial, commercial and residential markets.  The solutions have an ultra-low power SoC that consumes a few uA of standby current and goes from standby to active mode in a few ms. GainSpan is based in San Jose, CA, with R&D in India.  www.gainspan.com.

Stay up-to-date on GainSpan:
Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gainspan 
Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/gainspan
LinkedIn at: http://www.linkedin.com/company/308585

About Datascan
Datascan has been a leader in the inventory processing industry for the past 40 years, in 35 countries worldwide. Founded in 1970 as an inventory calculating service, Datascan quickly grew to become the largest manual calculating service in the country. With 80,000 scanners in stock, Datascan is the nation's largest self-scanning company. We owe that growth to the incredibly strong partnerships we make with our clients. With highly customizable systems and a history of innovation driven by client requests, Datascan is committed to helping clients take the most accurate and cost-effective inventory. The company was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Carrollton, TX.  www.datascan.com.

Media Contact:
Carol Felton, Communications & PR
GainSpan Corporation
T | 408-807-3780
[email protected]

SOURCE GainSpan Corporation