Avnet Teams With Stratum On RFID Solutions

Though Avnet offers RFID products from several vendors, this is the first time the Phoenix-based distributor is taking the initiative to develop solutions and build a VAR community around RFID, said Michael Douglass, vice president of enterprise mobility for Avnet Technology Solutions Americas.

Littleton, Colo.-based Stratum Global's technology will fit nicely with Avnet's go-to-market strategy because its TagNet RFID solution suite has a broad range of applications, according to Douglass.

"The nice part about Stratum is that they're not vertical in the traditional sense. They're object-based, so any object that you want to track, measure or monitor, their software is a great fit. It doesn't restrict you to a traditional supply chain vs. manufacturing paradigm. Various objects can be tracked."

For VARs looking to get involved in selling and deploying RFID systems, Avnet will provide training on how to evaluate a customer's needs and design an RFID solution -- steps that need to be taken to avoid selling the hyped technology to customers whose needs it won't meet, Douglass noted.

"A lot of folks come in immediately assuming that RFID is going to solve all of their problems. But being able to go in and assess and determine the proper course of action is very important," he said. "We will be delivering that level of education and training to the partner."

The training and education will focus on topics such as how to determine which systems in a customer's infrastructure must be re-engineered to leverage RFID, how to determine what should be automated, how to deploy the solutions, how to set up the wireless infrastructure and where to place RFID readers, Douglass said.