Motorola, Alien Technology and Impinj Top New Passive UHF RFID Reader Vendor Matrix

Backed by strong shipments, solid product innovation, and persistent market presence, Motorola has been ranked at the top of the latest Vendor Matrix released by ABI Research.

Alien Technology and Impinj claimed the second and third spots in the company’s new evaluation of worldwide passive UHF RFID reader vendors. Also garnering a solid score for fourth place was Intermec.

The Vendor Matrix is an analytical tool developed by ABI Research to provide a clear understanding of vendors’ positions in specific markets, rating performance on “Innovation” and “Implementation.”

“While Motorola emerged as the leading vendor overall, it was not a runaway victory,” says research director Michael Liard. “In a very tight race, Motorola performed well across all criteria, while Impinj actually topped the Innovation ratings, and Alien scored highest for Implementation.”

This Vendor Matrix includes only vendors that directly design and deliver products with passive UHF reader capabilities, excluding vendors that provide RFID capabilities only through the optional inclusion of a third-party embeddable reader module. In addition to the four leading vendors, ABI Research also evaluated CAEN, EB, Feig, Kenetics Group, Intelleflex, Omron, Siemens, Sirit, Skyetek, Tagsys, and ThingMagic.

For this particular matrix, under "innovation," ABI Research examined the vendors’ history of delivering innovative products on an ongoing basis, their RF protocol support, the diversity of reader form factors, and the vendors’ track record of using their experience, depth of knowledge, and leadership to drive the industry.

Under "implementation," ABI Research scrutinized the following criteria: estimated market share, market persistence (a vendor’s longevity, and therefore positive name recognition and customer trust level, in the passive UHF market), global sales and support reach/distribution channels, and market coverage — the breadth and depth of the application and vertical markets served.

Fifteen firms were evaluated. To view a list of the “top ten” firms in this Vendor Matrix, please visit ”Passive UHF Reader Vendor Matrix”. Registration on the ABI Research website (free) is required. Access to the rankings and profiles of all companies surveyed is available to clients of ABI Research.

This Vendor Matrix forms part of ABI Research’s RFID & Contactless Research Service. For a list of all ABI Research Vendor Matrices, please visit The ABI Research Vendor Matrix.

ABI Research is a leading market research firm focused on the impact of emerging technologies on global consumer and business markets.  Utilizing a unique blend of market intelligence, primary research, and expert assessment from its worldwide team of industry analysts, ABI Research assists hundreds of clients each year with their strategic growth initiatives.  For information, visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.