Micronetics Inc. announced it has acquired the pedestal and forklift mounted radio frequency identification (RFID) product line of M/A-COM RFID Inc., an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Cobham plc. RFID is a wireless identification technology that is being adopted by certain leading commercial retailers and the Department of Defense (DoD) to track inventory.
The product line consists of portal systems with directional intelligence, sensor-based forklift systems and high performance RFID antennas. This family of product solutions acts as the air interface between retail warehouse management systems, streamlining material movement for increased inventory accuracy, reduced material losses and increased throughput.
More than 12,000 portals have been deployed in the field over the last four years. The forklift sensor has passed initial Beta testing and is now entering a pre-production test phase. All production deployments have been to a leading worldwide retailer. Large scale retailers employing RFID technology can expect extensive inventory and labor cost savings. Historically, these products have been marketed through a technology partnership with ADT Security Services.
Dave Robbins, CEO of Micronetics Inc., stated, “We are quite pleased to be acquiring this RFID product line because it is another step forward in executing our goal of being a premier supplier of enabling RF/microwave subsystems. We believe these RFID products could have a significant near-term upside and provide growth opportunities for RF/microwave antenna technology in commercial and defense markets.”
Kevin Beals, President of Micronetics Inc., said, “We are excited about this agreement because it is in line with our core strategy of expanding business partnerships with proven technology leaders such as ADT. This product line is building upon pre-existing in-house manufacturing and management expertise, and is expected to be a smooth transition.”
The manufacturing of this product line will be moved to the existing manufacturing facility in Hudson, NH.