Intermec Named to Provide RFID Tags to U.S. Government

    Business Editors/Technology Writers

    EVERETT, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 10, 2005--As part of the U.S. Government's initiative to improve efficiency and inventory asset management, Intermec Technologies Corp., which designs and manufactures RFID (radio frequency identification) and mobile computing systems, has been awarded a blanket purchasing agreement contract to provide passive UHF RFID (radio frequency identification) tags to support the Department of Defense and the U.S. Coast Guard. The award is part of the government's Automatic Information Technology RFID initiative, a basic building block in the department's efforts to provide timely asset visibility in its global logistics pipeline, whether in process, in storage or in transit.
    The award is the latest in a 20-year partnership between Intermec and the U.S. Government. In 2004, Intermec was named prime contractor on a five-year contract to provide an entire range of automatic identification technologies. That contract, referred to as AIT-III, administered by the U.S. Army, supplies a complete line of advanced mobile computing, wireless communications, data collection systems and services -- all engineered to meet the most demanding military applications and to deliver unparalleled levels of efficiency and productivity -- to all federal agencies and branches of the U.S. Dept. of Defense worldwide.
    Under terms of the latest contract award, Intermec will provide commercial UHF passive EPC Class 1 RFID tags. This award is the first of five AIT RFID award groups resulting from a government request for proposal issued in December 2004. Subsequent award groups, to be announced throughout the year, will select vendors to provide fixed mounted, transportable and handheld RFID readers, RFID-enabled bar code printers, software and a wide variety of implementation and integration services.
    "Intermec's decades of experience of working successfully with the federal government means it can rely on Intermec to provide technology and services that meet its exacting performance standards," said Intermec President Tom Miller. "Nowhere is that expertise and proven performance more mission-critical."
    RFID, a complement to current bar code-based inventory and asset tracking systems, allows companies and organizations to automatically track inventory throughout an entire supply chain. RFID automatic data collection systems typically do not require line of sight or manual scanning as do most bar code-based systems. The government has made implementation of RFID a top AIT priority, to improve inventory tracking and logistics management.

    About Intermec

    Intermec Technologies Corp., a UNOVA Inc. (NYSE:UNA) company, is a leader in global supply chain solutions and in the development, manufacture and integration of wired and wireless automated data collection, Intellitag(R) RFID (radio frequency identification), mobile computing systems, bar code printers and label media. The company's products and services are used by customers in many industries to improve productivity, quality and responsiveness of business operations, from supply chain management and enterprise resource planning to field sales and service. For further information, visit www.intermec.com.
    To learn more about how companies can benefit from Intermec's wireless technologies, contact Intermec Technologies Corp., 6001 36th Ave. West, Everett, WA 98203 USA; telephone 800-347-2636; or visit Intermec's web site at www.intermec.com. To learn more about UNOVA, visit www.unova.com.

--30--APG/se*

CONTACT: Intermec Technologies Corp. Kathie Jackson Anderson, 425-348-2799 kathie.anderson@intermec.com

KEYWORD: WASHINGTON INDUSTRY KEYWORD: GOVERNMENT HARDWARE MANUFACTURING TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE PRODUCT SOURCE: Intermec Technologies Corp.

Copyright Business Wire 2005