New Fujitsu UHF RFID Technology Implemented at Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel for Advanced Inventory Monitoring

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif., Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc., a leading supplier of innovative computer products including peripherals, biometric security solutions and digital media solutions, today announced that the luxurious new Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is using the new Fujitsu WT-A511 UHF-Band RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags to more accurately manage its inventory of 10,000 employee uniforms and 25,000 bathrobes, towels, tablecloths, sheets and other linens. The advanced tracking system enables the Fairmont Pacific Rim staff to quickly and accurately monitor its outgoing and incoming laundry while significantly reducing the costs of replacing missing items and the operational costs associated with a manual tracking process.  

"When dealing with an external commercial laundry facility, previous experience in the hotel industry has taught us that inevitably, items go missing. Often these items are never recovered, forcing the hotel to purchase replacements. What's more, manual tracking processes is time-consuming and inaccurate," said Randy Zupanski, general manager of the 377-room Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel. "One of our hotel's points of difference is the leading-edge technology we offer and the Fujitsu UHF RFID tags extend this to include housekeeping – our largest department and one that is often overlooked. We anticipate that the RFID will provide unmatched accuracy and efficiency, plus a significant return on investment by reducing costs."

The soft and flexible Fujitsu UHF RFID tags are extremely durable, able to withstand hundreds of washings, the harsh chemicals associated with dry cleaning, temperatures of 250 degrees Fahrenheit for drying and 400 degrees Fahrenheit for ironing, along with the pressure of uniform pressing machines. UHF RFID systems are capable of scanning hundreds of articles simultaneously in seconds with a reading range of up to six feet. The Fujitsu UHF RFID tags represent a significant cost-saving solution compared to bar codes and other RFID systems, which require single garment processing. In addition, the Fujitsu UHF RFID tag is less than two inches long - about the size of a shirt stay. When sewn or heat-sealed into garments, the small, flexible, unobtrusive tags are virtually unnoticeable.

"The new UHF RFID tags exemplify the Fujitsu methodology of applying its cutting edge technologies to develop breakthrough solutions that address real world needs. In this case, there is increasing demand for cost effective garment inventory management systems that are technically superior to existing ones," said Vic Herring, vice president of sales and business development, Advanced Technology Group, Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc. "Working with Foundation Logic Systems, we integrated the UHF RFID solution that meets industry demands by lowering costs associated with managing more than 35,000 uniforms and linens in a single hotel."

Foundation Logic Systems integrates the Fujitsu flexible RFID tags into Fairmont Pacific Rim uniforms and linens, which also interface with various hotel data systems to provide a comprehensive view of inventory for more efficient tracking and streamlined operations.

About Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc.

Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc. offers a wide variety of products including retail point of sales terminals, self checkout systems, kiosks, digital media solutions, palm vein biometric authentication technology, Ethernet switches, RFID tags and bill dispensers - with sales, service and engineering support throughout the United States. Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc. is headquartered with operations and product development at 25902 Towne Centre Drive, Foothill Ranch, CA. 92610. For more information about Fujitsu products and services, call us at 800-626-4686 or visit us at: www.fujitsufrontechna.com

About Fujitsu Frontech Limited

As part of the Fujitsu Group, Fujitsu Frontech Limited ties people and IT together through the development, manufacture and sale of front-end technology such as ATMs, operation branch, POS and totalizator terminals, and public display devices. Fujitsu Frontech also delivers related software, system integration and outsourcing as part of its total solutions offerings. The company supports the security sector by offering products incorporating Fujitsu's latest palm vein authentication technology, and is actively involved in the development of key technologies in various fields, with a current focus on color electronic paper and RFID systems. For more information, please visit: www.frontech.fujitsu.com/en/

About Foundation LogicSystems

Foundation LogicSystems has developed programs that track day-to-day usage, location, and transactions and provides historical data on all uniforms, linens and terry.  Now internal employees and department heads and outside vendors can be held accountable for company property.

• The Uniform Manager – Tracks garments and other items assigned to employees from receiving, to assignment, and through cleaning and repair.  By using The Uniform Manager, users will realize a substantial decrease in lost garments, as well as a substantial decrease in yearly purchases.
• The Linen Manager – Tracks all sheets, towels, bedspreads and tablecloths from their assigned location, through the laundry, and then back to storage and re-assignment. The system removes the possibility that linens are incorrectly counted and then lost in the cleaning process.  It also provides a real-time picture of how much inventory is on every floor, and actual requirements are based on occupancy levels.

Foundation LogicSystems has its headquarters at 6400 Canoga Avenue, Woodland Hills, CA 91367.  For more information about Foundation LogicSystems, call us at 877-815-6442 or visit us at www.foundlogic.com.

Copyright 2010 Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc. All rights reserved. Fujitsu and the Fujitsu logo are registered trademarks. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Statements herein are based on normal operating conditions and are not intended to create any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc. reserves the right to modify at any time without notice these statements, our services, products, and their warranty and performance specifications.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

    
    
    Erin Sun                                      Dan Borgasano
    Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc.           Schwartz Communications
    949/855-5543                                  781/684-6660
    [email protected]                        [email protected]
    

SOURCE Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc.