HICKORY, N.C. — Freedom Shopping Inc., a consumer RFID solution provider, has announced the availability of a retail offering that plugs into existing cash registers and point-of-sale terminals to enable RFID check-out, inventory tracking and security.
The core of the solution is a software wedge (Freedom-ID) that operates on the POS terminal. It communicates with a counter-top RFID reader pad and/or other readers in the check-out lane. Inventory is monitored with mobile RFID readers; security gates also are RFID-enabled. Data is passed to existing cash registers and POS infrastructure at all points in a SKU format so it can be instantly integrated. Consumer privacy is protected using a variety of technical safeguards.
“This is a real breakthrough and should enable RFID’s adoption at the point-of-sale to occur rapidly,” said Rob Simmons, CEO of Freedom Shopping. “This fundamentally changes the way stores will operate — sales increase, labor costs decrease and ‘intelligent security’ reduces shrinkage We have been operating in stores for 3 years and know firsthand there is significant ROI for retailers. However, the biggest surprise is how much shoppers love it — it is the ideal check-out experience.”
The Freedom-ID solution was featured at Microsoft’s RFID Solution Days, an invitation-only conference for key personnel deploying RFID and related technology suppliers, held February 17th and 18th in Bellevue, Wash. Freedom-ID has integrated with Microsoft’s BizTalk RFID platform for data visibility and device management.
Freedom Shopping’s item-level RFID stores and OEM products use UHF (Ultra High Frequency) EPC Gen 2 technology and tags.
