Barcode, RFID or Hybrid Systems – SATO Tailors Technologies According to Applications

Brussels, 1 August 2005 – SATO, the world’s leading manufacturer of label and barcode printers and a specialist in data collection systems (DCS) and radio frequency identification (RFID), offers their customers comprehensive identification solutions, whether with barcodes, RFID or a combination of both.

As every company has their own specific requirements, today's demands lead more and more towards an individualized combination of both technologies. Off-the-shelf universal solutions cannot comply with each company's individual needs. SATO offers not only pure barcode or RFID solutions, but also offers hybrid systems that integrate traditional barcode technology with an innovative RFID solution. The clear advantage of SATO's Hybrid Solutions: The information on the label is accessible in different ways. Through the combination of barcodes and RFID, a label can incorporate 3 different levels of content: Besides the comprehensive amount of data written into the embedded RFID-tag, SATO's RFID printers simultaneously print the data as a conventional barcode and as text information on the label surface. In this way, SATO's RFID solutions, which comply with the very latest RFID Gen2 technology, guarantee universal readability throughout the entire supply chain.

With their broad product portfolio and highly flexible solutions offering, SATO can meet individual customer's demands. Besides complete RFID implementations, SATO also offers a wide range of classical labelling solutions, from heavy-duty industrial printers, to OEM print engines for Print & Apply, compact printers for low volume print requirements, and standalone printers for mobile applications. A broad selection of labelling software and the SATO range of consumables complement this offering.

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About SATO

SATO is a pioneer in the Automatic Identification and Data Collection (AIDC) industry, and the inventor of the world's first electronic thermal transfer barcode printer. It revolutionised the barcoding industry by introducing the Data Collection System (DCS) & Labelling concept – a total barcode and labelling solution providing high quality barcode printers, scanners/hand held terminals, label design software and consumables. SATO is one of the first in the industry to introduce a complete, multi-protocol EPC compliant, UHF RFID solution.

SATO is publicly listed on the first section of Tokyo Stock Exchange in Japan . It has worldwide offices in United States , Belgium , France , Germany , United Kingdom , Poland , Singapore , Malaysia , Thailand and China . For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2005 , it reported revenues of US$575 million. More information can be found at www.satoworldwide.com