Released

4Q 2010

Product Code

VM-RICU-101

Price

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ABI Research’s ongoing RFID market analysis reveals that demand is increasing sharply for passive UHF inlays and tags (and therefore ICs) to support a broad range of applications across vertical markets. Key applications for passive UHF in today’s RFID market include: item-level tracking, asset management (e.g. IT assets, tools, part and much more), baggage handling, race timing (e.g. marathons), supply chain management (e.g. case/pallet tagging), and many others. However, the volume opportunity associated with each application, the size of each customer deployment and the technology requirements for each application are as varied as the applications themselves.

With adoption increasing and the number of passive UHF-based RFID applications expanding, continued innovation in the passive UHF RFID transponder/tag IC space remains essential. Introducing new transponder/tag IC features, higher memory offerings, and lowering IC costs are key objectives for industry players. Application enablement and advancement is also top-of-mind for passive UHF transponder/tag IC manufacturers as they look to support ICs for the broadest range of applications and application requirements.

ABI Research has prepared this Vendor Matrix to give an unbiased rating of leading passive UHF (ISO 18000-6C/Gen2) RFID transponder/tag IC vendors on the basis of each company’s perceived "Innovation" and "Implementation." ABI evaluates passive UHF transponder/tag IC manufacturers by selecting multiple criteria related to product and company characteristics as metrics for the vendors' performance in these two areas.

The six (6) Innovation scoring criteria are as follows:
1. Passive UHF Transponder/Tag IC Product Offering Mix and Product Uniqueness
2. Passive UHF Transponder/Tag IC Product Features
3. Industry Leadership, Influence Factor, and Knowledge Transfer
4. Passive UHF Transponder/Tag IC Design Innovation/Strength of Engineering
5. Application Innovation/Enablement Quotient
offerings or optional/add-on features or capabilities
6. Passive UHF Transponder/Tag IC Cost Reduction Approach

The five (5) Implementation scoring criteria are as follows:
1. Manufacturing Capabilities and Strategy
2. Overall Market Position, Leadership, and Strength (excluding share)
3. Volume/Market Share Position (Passive UHF RFID Transponder/Tag ICs only)
4. Persistent Market Presence & Experience
5. Go-to-Market Strategy and Approach

Please note the following exclusions from the scope of this Vendor Matrix:

• Only ISO 18000-6C/Gen2-compliant passive UHF transponder/tag ICs and the manufacturers that produce them have been considered for evaluation within this Vendor Matrix.
• Battery Assisted Passive (BAP) UHF RFID transponder/tag ICs are excluded from the analysis as they are not 100% passive. An example is EM Microelectronic’s EM4324 product (long range BAP IC) which is compliant with the ISO 18000-6C/Gen2 protocol.
• Passive UHF RFID reader chipsets such as the market-leading Indy product line from Impinj are also not considered here as the focus is on transponders/tags.