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Printronix Extends SmartLine RFID Printer Features With Free Firmware Upgrade BALTIMORE, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- (EPCglobal US Conference, Booth 304) -- Printronix Inc. , the leading integrated supply-chain printing solutions manufacturer, today announced a free firmware upgrade for its SL5000e(TM) and SLPA7000e(TM) radio frequency identification (RFID) SmartLine products that gives customers extended capabilities for their Printronix RFID Smart(TM) investments. The firmware upgrade adds support for Electronic Product Code (EPC(TM)) Class 0 and 0+ and gives users the ability to encode 96-bit length data for Class 1. With the new release, Printronix also delivers speed enhancements for their SLPA7000e. Customers who follow a simple download process will enable a significant increase in productivity on earlier installed units.Announced in June, the SL5000e RFID smart label printer and SLPA7000e RFID smart label printer applicator gives users the choice of encoding technologies. Printronix has been a pioneer in assisting early RFID adopters establish pilot programs and deploy systems for January 2005 product shipments. Its firmware upgrade reflects this knowledge. Firmware Upgrade Enhances Already Popular RFID Printing Solutions With today's announced firmware upgrade, Printronix also has extended its support of the latest and most popular chip and antennae designs. New designs supported include: * Alien Squiggle 96-bit tag * Alien M-tag 96-bit tag * Rafsec #342 Butterfly 96-bit tag * Matrics X1020 Class 0 Dual-Dipole * Matrics X2020 Class 0+ Dual-Dipole Cross-T Printronix will continue to release firmware upgrades as new protocols and antennae designs become available. The next upgrade release will support Impinj's Zuma Class 0 write functions. This upgrade also includes support for Cisco's Lightweight Extensible Authentication Protocol (LEAP) for wireless security. LEAP provides username/password-based authentication between a wireless client and a RADIUS server, such as Cisco ACS or Interlink AAA. Printronix included LEAP for customers who are looking to deploy mobile/wireless compliance stations yet are concerned about security or consumer privacy issues. Interoperability Recognized by EPCglobal Today's announcement is further evidence of a growing body of support for Printronix's position as the leading manufacturer of RFID printing solutions. Last month, EPCglobal Inc. released its Hardware Interoperability Testing results to improve EPC and RFID hardware interoperability within the EPCglobal community. The testing evaluated the interoperability of Printronix's Class 0 and Class 1 RFID printer/encoder configurations with those provided by other manufacturers. Printronix's SL5000e MP and SLPA7000e both were proven to work seamlessly with other participating manufacturers that supported either Alien Class 1 or Matrics Class 0 protocols. "Printronix was the only printer manufacturer that successfully demonstrated interoperability for both Class 0 and Class 1 with a single product," Chapman said. "We are proud that our SLPA7000e, the industry's first integrated UHF EPC-based print-and-apply system, also was the only printer applicator to pass Class 0 or Class 1 interoperability in the EPCglobal test." For complete Hardware Interoperability test results, visit http://www.epcglobalinc.org/interoperability. About Printronix Inc. Since 1974, Printronix Inc. has created innovative printing solutions for the industrial marketplace and supply chain. The company is the worldwide market leader in enterprise solutions for line matrix printing and has earned an outstanding reputation for its high-performance thermal and fanfold laser printing solutions. Printronix also has become an established leader in pioneering technologies, including radio frequency identification (RFID) printing, bar code compliance and networked printer management. Printronix is headquartered in Irvine, Calif. For company information, see http://www.printronix.com/. Printronix Inc. CONTACT: Cara Good of WunderMarx Inc., +1-949-860-2434, ext. 312,[email protected], for Printronix Inc. Web site: http://www.epcglobalinc.org/interoperability Web site: http://www.printronix.com/ |