In the Public Spotlight

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Bill Hardgrave, director of the University of Arkansas RFID (radio frequency identification) Research Center, has been featured in the public-television-produced “Spotlight On: RFID Technology.” The research center, a subunit of the Information Technology Research Institute, is housed in the Sam M. Walton College of Business.

The video began airing April 29 on PBS affiliate stations throughout the United States a minimum of 500 times with a viewing audience of more than 3 million. “Spotlight-On” is an ongoing series of programs that have been broadcasting nationally on public television for more than 17 years.

AIM Global, the trade association recognized as the worldwide authority on automatic identification and mobility, created and sponsored the spotlight. The video is the culmination of a year-long project sponsored by AIM Global members FEIG Electronic, Intermec Technologies, Markem Corporation, PSC Inc. and Symbol Technologies. The video was produced by public television film entertainment company Trivue Entertainment.

“We were very pleased to be given this opportunity to educate the public about the real efficiencies that RFID offers in the retail industry and the supply chain,” said Hardgrave, who is also the executive director of the Information Technology Research Institute. “Our research demonstrates on a daily basis how RFID can improve the future, which can result in cost savings for consumers.”

The program contains footage from member sponsors, the National Retail Federation, American Express and The Boeing Company, as well as interviews with Hardgrave and Ken Porad, Boeing technology fellow. The video gives a concise and interesting snapshot of what RFID technology is and how it is currently being used.

“AIM Global takes its advocacy role very seriously,” said Dan Mullen, president for the industry trade association. “We see this video as another chance to educate the general public about a misunderstood and often maligned technology. We have a responsibility to our members to ensure that all technologies are presented in a realistic way, and we believe the video is a step in the right direction.”

The video is available in several formats on the AIM Global website at www.aimglobal.org and on its RFID website, www.rfid.org.

The RFID Research Center officially opened its laboratory in the Fayetteville Industrial Park in June 2005 with approximately 30 business and industry sponsors and several academic collaborators. The facility, strategically positioned in the epicenter of retail RFID activity, primarily conducts research on the most efficient use of RFID and other wireless and sensor technologies throughout the supply chain, with special interest on the retail supply chain. In September 2005, the laboratory became the first academic EPC/RFID research laboratory worldwide to receive the EPCglobal Performance Test Center accreditation. EPCglobal Inc. is a global not-for-profit standards organization commercializing the Electronic Product CodeT and RFID worldwide.