LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J., Aug. 31, 2005 -- According to an industry survey, a majority of U.S. supply chain executives consider radio frequency identification (RFID) and Electronic Product Code (EPC) technologies important to their companies' supply chain management operations, with more than 85 percent of respondents deeming the technology 'extremely important,' 'very important,' or 'somewhat important.'

The survey also revealed that 99 percent of those who consider themselves familiar with EPC/RFID technology cited the technology as 'extremely,' 'very' or 'somewhat important' to the future of supply chain management. The survey noted that overall, manufacturers are slightly more likely than retailers to recognize the importance of the technology, with 87 percent of manufacturers considering RFID/EPC 'extremely,' 'very' or 'somewhat important' compared to 80 percent of retailers who chose those descriptors.

The survey, commissioned by EPCglobal US, tapped into the opinions of more than 400 U.S. supply chain executives across multiple industries, including advanced manufacturing, consumer products, healthcare and life sciences, retailing and other major industries. More than 90 percent of the respondents worked for companies with annual sales of over $1 billion.

"Perceptions about the importance of EPC technology are very much driven by familiarity with the technology," said Mike Meranda, president of EPCglobal US. "The research shows us what we have known for some time: organizations across multiple industries that understand the technology can more clearly see its significance and potential benefit to their business."

The research also identified two areas of critical importance to the respondents: having a single global standard and securing as much access as possible to royalty-free standards. In both cases, between 60 and 65 percent of those surveyed said that these are 'extremely' or 'very' important considerations. Including those who considered the issues 'somewhat' important raises the percentages to between 87 and 90.

"The success of EPC on a global scale depends on having a single standard to which the entire supply chain industry can adhere," said Meranda, "and on securing specifications that are as royalty-free as possible. Both of these issues are among the very highest priorities of EPCglobal."

EPCglobal has ratified several EPC standards, including the Generation 1 and UHF Generation 2 protocol standards. Other standards are also under development to address specific needs in software and specific industries such as transportation and logistics, and healthcare and life sciences.

Decision Analyst, Inc., a leader in online research, conducted the interviews for this survey between May 10 and June 3, 2005. Collectively, the companies included in the survey represent $6 trillion in annual revenue.

These and other companies from a wide variety of industry sectors that are interested in learning how to implement EPC into their business will gather at the EPCglobal US Conference 2005 in Atlanta September 13-15 at the Georgia World Conference Center. The EPCglobal US Conference 2005 will provide first-hand information on getting started, building a business case and implementation support. To register, or for more information on the EPCglobal US Conference 2005, visit http://www.epcglobalus.org/conference or call 1.888.989.9586

About EPCglobal US

EPCglobal US(TM), a subsidiary of GS1 US(TM) (formerly the Uniform Code Council, Inc.), is an affiliate of EPCglobal Inc serving subscribers in the United States to help foster the adoption of the EPCglobal Network(TM) and related technology. The EPCglobal Network combines radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, existing communications network infrastructure, and the Electronic Product Code(TM) (a number for uniquely identifying an item) to enable accurate, cost-efficient visibility of information in the supply chain. 1SYNC(TM), another GS1 US subsidiary, provides data synchronization, data registry and related services that make the transition to EPC implementation more efficient and cost effective. The end result helps organizations be more efficient, flexible, and responsive to customer needs. For more information about EPCglobal US, please visit www.EPCglobalUS.org.

EPCglobal US
Pete Settles, 609-620-4637
psettles@gs1us.org