Allstream installing and testing radio-frequency identification hardware

In addition to professional services and customized installations, the carrier is offering RFID Go and RFID Comply products, both of which include hardware testing.Allstream had already installed RFID in a warehouse in Oakville, Ont. owned by Hospital Logistics Inc., which stores medical equipment and supplies on behalf of six Toronto hospitals.
Allstream’s target markets include health care, government and third-party logistics firms, said Dave Barkwell, Allstream’s senior product manager for sensor network services.
“It took us a long time to get to where we are,” Barkwell said. “We spent 18 months working on these solutions, going to these different shows, speaking to vendors. We’ve taken our time. We haven’t jumped into this.”
RFID Comply is designed for firms that are required to use RFID. It includes tag validation and on-site installation. RFID Go includes hardware, software, services and support.
Allstream also owns the servers that store and process information provided by the RFID tags and readers, Barkwell said. Managers can log in from a remote location and download reports, he added.
Processing this information is just as important as tracking the items to which the RFID tags are attached, said Michelle Warren, an industry analyst with Toronto-based Evans Research Corp.
“Being able to have the information presented from a computer screen, to have it legible and meaningful for warehouse managers and for the people who are actually touching the products, is critical,” Warren said. “It benefits a company like Allstream, because they can go in and help teach organization how to increase their efficiency on the supply chain side.”