Digi-Key to distribute Trimble modules for supply chain management
Iain Morris
September 3, 2014
Remote monitoring specialist Trimble has signed a global distribution agreement with Digi-Key covering the sale of radiofrequency identification (RFID) modules used to support logistics and supply chain operations throughout a variety of organizations.
Trimble (Sunnyvale, CA, USA) said it had signed the deal to support burgeoning demand for RFID modules, which allow companies to track the movement of goods and monitor inventory levels.
Under the arrangement, Digi-Key (Thief River Falls, MN, USA) will globally distribute Trimble’s ThingMagic Mercury 6e Series and Mercury 5e Series of embedded RFID modules.
Trimble says the modules have already been used worldwide to reduce the development costs and speed up the deployment of RFID solutions.
Customers using the modules include printer and handheld manufacturers as well as asset tracking, supply chain, healthcare and transportation organizations.
“Partnering with Digi-Key represents an ideal fit for Trimble ThingMagic at this time given the growth we are seeing for our embedded RFID reader modules,” said David Emma, the vice president of sales, marketing and engineering for Trimble’s ThingMagic Division. “Digi-Key’s reputation for best-in-class service aligns with our commitment to superior customer support.”
“We are impressed with the quality support and broad reach Digi-Key brings to the developer and OEM markets and are very excited to begin this relationship with Digi-Key," he added.
Digi-Key says it is always looking for ways of strategically expanding its line card through the use of innovative wireless technologies and that engineers can easily work with Trimble’s RFID modules.
According to Trimble, the modules will allow for reading tags at more than twice the distance of competing solutions and allow original equipment makers to incorporate smaller antennas into their products without sacrificing read performance.
The ThingMagic firmware is also intended to provide a range of additional capabilities to users, including multi-protocol support, multi-regional support and advanced data collection for each tag inventory.