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The following articles are recent online news about barcode printers.  We focus on barcode printing, thermal ribbons, RFID technology, or companies that are in the barcode printing industry.

August 2008

Everett-based Intermec will cut 260 jobs in outsourcing, restructuring moves
Intermec will eliminate 180 jobs in Everett and another 80 elsewhere as it out-sources its assembly operations over the next year.  By Isaac Arnsdorf, Seattle Times staff reporter

Everett-based Intermec said Thursday it will eliminate 260 jobs, 180 of them local, as it outsources assembly work and restructures service operations over the next year. The company also reduced its projected second-quarter revenue.

The 42-year-old manufacturer of data-tracking technologies, such as RFID (radio frequency identification) systems and bar-code printers, said it will shut(sic) its final-assembly facility in Everett.

Those operations will move to Southeast Asia and be run by a contract manufacturer, Singapore-based Venture Corporation Limited.

Venture, whose revenue last year approached $3.9 billion, has performed subassembly and manufacturing tasks for Intermec for at least 10 years, said Dennis Farber, Intermec's senior vice president of global supply-chain operations.

Intermec stock plunged 20 percent Thursday, bottoming out at a 52-week low and closing at $16.08.

A technology supplier like Intermec can get squeezed during economic slowdowns when business clients suspend or delay planned projects, said Eli Lustgarten, an analyst at Longbow Research.

Reik Read, an analyst at Robert W. Baird, said that as Intermec watched some of its slated deals recede, it looked to trim costs by relocating its plant closer to the source of the parts in Asia.

Additionally, Intermec said it will close the service depot adjoining its Everett plant, as well as another depot in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Those operations will shift to an existing service depot in Charlotte, N.C.  The service depots were a "natural byproduct" of the domestic manufacturing presence, said Mike Wills, senior vice president of global sales and service, adding their consolidation accompanies the final-assembly operation's move from Everett.

The company also said it will transfer its on-site field-service repair to a third-party supplier.

Read More: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008045857_intermec100.html

July 2008

New M-Class Mark II Printers to Replace Older M-Class Models

Datamax announces the discontinuation of the M-4206, M-4208 and M-4306 printers effective July 1, 2008. These printer models will be replaced with the new M-4206 Mark II, M-4210 Mark II and M-4308 Mark II. The new and enhanced M-Class Mark II is a compact industrial strength printer with a larger graphics display, higher performance and expanded communications capabilities. It offers the lowest cost of ownership and best warranties of any printer in its class.

The last day to order the M-4206, M-4208 and M-4306 printers will be June 30, 2008 or while supplies last, whichever is later. Spare parts will be available for 3 years from the effective date

DNP IMS America Corporation Assumes Thermal Transfer Ink Ribbon (TTR) Business of Sony Chemicals Corporation of America

      CONCORD, NC - July 1, 2008 - DNP IMS America Corporation  - DNP IMS America Corporation (DNP IMSA) celebrated the grand opening of its Pittsburgh-region facility today with approximately 150 people in attendance. DNP IMSA is entering into a new phase of growth with the assumption of the thermal transfer ink ribbon business of Sony Chemicals Corporation of America (SCCA).
      Several executives from Dai Nippon Printing Co., LTD (DNP) were in attendance including Shigeru Kashiwabara, Managing Director of IMS Operations, Masato Koike, General Manager of IMS Operations, Satoshi Kondo, Deputy General Manager of IMS, Keiichi Mizoguchi, President of DNP America, Masaru Suzuki, President of DNP Electronics America, and Keigo Hayakawa, President of DNP IMS America Corporation. Representing Sony Electronics and Sony Chemical & Information Device Corporation were Chuck Gregory, President of the Sony Technology Center-Pittsburgh (STC-P) and Vice President of Sony Electronics Inc's Television Operations of America (TVOA) unit, Michael Koff, Senior Manager of Corporate Communications and External Affairs for Sony Electronics (SEL), and Eiji Imagawa, President of Sony Chemicals Corporation of America. ...

...He (Keigo Hayakawa)  summarized the day's activities by saying, "Bar code ribbon is the core business of DNP. I would like to state that the Pittsburgh site of DNP is now the global headquarters for our bar code ribbon business. We can expect many synergies from the merger of the two companies." Hayakawa further said, "We will have many opportunities for key employees from Pittsburgh and Concord, NC to interact with each other. I believe such dialogue will maximize the synergy of this transaction. There are many opportunities in the market place to grow our business in the future. I am excited to have all of you on board at our DNP Pittsburgh plant and am pleased for us to be working together to accomplish the goal."  Read More...

May 2008

Label Expo takes place in September.  May 30, 2008 - Labelexpo Americas is the largest event for the label, product decoration, web printing and converting industry in the Americas and will take place 9-11 September at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Who exhibits?

Be sure to attend this year's event

McDonalds, DoCoMo deal allows mobile payment for Happy Meals • 28 May 2008 - JAPAN — McDonalds now lets Japanese customers pay for their Big Macs and Happy Meals with their mobile phones. After nearly a year in development, McDonalds Japan has announced the deployment of its e-wallet coupon and payment system, using Felica and NTT DoComo RFID readers.

Under the so-called Kazasu Kuupon (no contact coupon) program, DoCoMo subscribers are supposed to download an application and register on McDonalds Japan’s mobile Web site first. They will then receive digital vouchers on their mobile phones, which when tapped against an RFID reader placed at McDonalds counters will redeem the coupons. The McDonald's tally will show up on the clients’ next DoCoMo phone bill.

Moreover, customers can also pay food orders via their mobile phones, provided they are enrolled in DoCoMo’s mobile e-wallet system “iD.”

The Japan-only technology is currently being tested in 175 McDonalds Tokyo stores as of May 20. The company plans to rapidly expand the program to a total of 3,800 retail shops by 2009.
http://www.kioskmarketplace.com/article.php?id=19933&na=1
 

Meat-tagging: not as alarming as it sounds - Wednesday, May 28 2008 - European retailer Metro Group has created a pilot program with Avery Dennison RFID to explore the possibilities of "meat-tagging" to track perishable meat in its Future Store showcase facility in Toenisvorst, Germany.

The retailer will use the AD-222 inlay from Avery Dennison RFID to tag foam meat packing trays used in the Future Store. The goal is to improve management of the flow of perishable products, improve restocking times and cut costs.

"RFID has a key role to play in quality management for fresh food. This automatic product identification technology will contribute to product quality and efficiency in our stores," said Dr. Gerd Wolfram, managing director of MGI METRO Group Information Technology.


To meet the food safety challenges inherent in this sort of application, Avery Dennison RFID worked with Fasson Roll Materials Europe, another division of Avery Dennison, to find a food contact compliant adhesive. The RFID tags meet METRO Group's food labeling safety requirements, and are readable when the trays are stacked in freezers, another obvious concern for this type of use.
http://www.rfidnews.org/news/2008/05/28/meattagging-not-as-alarming-as-it-sounds/

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