Trimble and Truecount Corporation Partner to Deliver ThingMagic Powered RFID Solutions

SUNNYVALE, Calif., DORSET, Vt. and TORONTO, March 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Trimble (Nasdaq: TRMB) announced today that it partnered with Truecount Corporation, an innovator in RFID software solutions for the retail industry. Truecount will leverage ThingMagic® enterprise-grade RFID readers to deliver best-in-class item-level RFID platforms for retailers and their end-to-end supply chains.

According to Truecount CEO Zander Livingston, one of the leading experts in RFID implementation and integration for the retail industry, without RFID, most retail companies lack reliable information about inventory and the activities relating to the shipping and receiving of items for their stores. They cannot track with precision when or where an item has been received, where it currently resides in the store or if and when it reached its final destination. In fact, statistics from the RFID Research Center at the University of Arkansas place the current inventory accuracy rate for apparel stores in the U.S. at roughly 65 percent. By implementing item-level RFID, Livingston believes retailers can achieve up-to-the-minute inventory visibility that is approximately 99 plus percent precise.

"Increasing the degree of accuracy to the 99 plus percent level can be a huge competitive advantage for retailers," said Livingston. "Truecount's item-level RFID platform combined with ThingMagic advanced reader technology can streamline and accelerate inventory and management processes."  

"ThingMagic solutions stand out as a leader in RFID. The innovative technology excels in tag reading speed, ease of integration and performance across many diverse operating conditions," continued Livingston. "Leveraging ThingMagic solutions can enable rapid deployment of RFID and a quicker path to ROI for our retail customers."

Truecount and ThingMagic solutions focus on delivering the highest return-on-investment for retail customers by utilizing the most advanced RFID technology. Implementing Truecount's leading-edge software platform, one of the first designed specifically for retailers, in combination with ThingMagic advanced readers can give retailers unprecedented control over inventory and related work-flows. The powerful capabilities provided through the relationship are designed to reduce the costs and complexities of tracking assets throughout the supply chain.

"Truecount's retail software platform addresses customers' most critical inventory-related challenges and delivers RFID-driven data that can be acted on with confidence," said Tom Grant, general manager of Trimble's ThingMagic Division. "ThingMagic embedded and finished RFID readers provide unique and powerful options for retail solution providers like Truecount to develop offerings that can streamline operations and enhance the shopping experience. RFID is poised to drive significant business process improvements throughout the retail market where item-level visibility is critical, and we're excited about the new levels of efficiency and opportunity this relationship can deliver."

With a rapid increase in rollouts of item-level RFID expected within the retail industry this year - ABI Research estimates retailers will use 1 billion RFID tags in 2011 - the companies recognize the need for scalable, flexible RFID solutions for retailers of all sizes, from tier-two firms to the largest global chains.

"The expected overall compound annual growth rate for RFID worldwide is 28 percent for the period 2011 to 2013 with apparel and footwear retailers a significant driver of that growth," said Livingston. "For retailers, the question is not if they will integrate RFID technology into their processes, but when. The time is now, and Truecount and ThingMagic solutions will bring added value to retailers who are ready to implement."

About Truecount Corporation

Truecount Corporation develops and deploys leading-edge item-level RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) software built from the ground up to solve the critical problems that affect the bottom line for retailers. Truecount combines the most advanced RFID technologies with expert consulting, installation, integration and support services to achieve unprecedented efficiencies and visibility into inventory with easier management and execution of workflows relating to inventory and replenishment.

For more information, visit:  www.truecount.com.

About Trimble's ThingMagic Division

Trimble's ThingMagic Division is a leading provider of UHF RFID reader engines, development platforms and design services for a wide range of applications. ThingMagic develops products for demanding high-volume applications and provides consulting and design services to create solutions for challenging applications. ThingMagic's customers include some of the world's largest industrial automation firms, manufacturers, automotive companies, retailers, and consumer companies. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the ThingMagic business was founded in 2000 by a group of visionary PhD graduates from Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab. ThingMagic is "The Engine in RFID™".

For more information, visit:  www.thingmagic.com.

About Trimble

Trimble applies technology to make field and mobile workers in businesses and government significantly more productive. Solutions are focused on applications requiring position or location—including surveying, construction, agriculture, fleet and asset management, public safety and mapping. In addition to utilizing positioning technologies, such as GPS, lasers and optics, Trimble solutions may include software content specific to the needs of the user. Wireless technologies are utilized to deliver the solution to the user and to ensure a tight coupling of the field and the back office. Founded in 1978, Trimble is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif.

For more information, visit Trimble's Web site at:  www.trimble.com.

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SOURCE Trimble