January 2010

Varlink, the York based specialist mobile computing and data capture hardware distributor is pleased to announce that is has become a UK Distributor for Wavetrend Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) solutions.

RFID is a wireless automatic identification technology where tags, ranging from ‘smart labels’ to small electronic devices, are used in enterprise systems to uniquely identify the assets they are attached to. RFID tags are programmed with a unique ID number and some types offer additional sensory information, i.e. temperature or motion, and some can store additional data. RFID tags are read remotely through the radio frequency (RF) signal they send to a reader, over a range of distances varying from 1m up to 500m.

The readers send the received tag information over the enterprise network to back-end systems where the real time location of assets, their condition, or any unauthorised events (such as movement between areas) can be detected and alarms raised where needed. Readers can be fixed in location on a site, deployed throughout buildings or across yards to provide tracking and management capabilities or added to a handheld computer, such as the Psion Teklogix WORKABOUT Pro handheld computers distributed by Varlink, allowing for the identification, tracking and management of tagged assets anywhere that is required. The end user typically can configure rules for the RFID system, locate an asset or view a real-time alert via front-end software, the mobile computer or web-based interfaces.

Bill Gordon, Varlink Technology Director commented “Wavetrend is a well recognised organisation in the field of RFID Solutions. Over the last few months, our customers have reported a rise in the number of enquiries for RFID products. We are confident that working in partnership with Wavetrend will help us prepare our resellers to take advantage of these opportunities. We already work with a number of manufacturers who make RFID products. The prominent applications areas for RFID asset tracking include supply chain management, tracking of mobile assets to reduce loss and theft, asset management and traceability which are areas our resellers are already heavily involved in.”

Maggie Meaton, Wavetrend European Partner Manager stated “We are delighted to have appointed Varlink as UK Distributor. We are excited to have an organisation of the calibre of Varlink distributing our products and bring our innovative platform of both fixed and mobile-reader based asset tracking and management solutions to a wider market. We are convinced that they will work hard to earn business from resellers. The marketing tools and distribution services that they offer resellers are outstanding and their total focus on working with the reseller channel reassures us that customers can request, and will be given, project and product support in total confidence.”