Sleek, High Performance, Integrated RFID Reader/Antenna Easy and Economical to Deploy and Manage In Office and Commercial Environments

Cambridge, MA, July 29, 2008 – ThingMagic, Inc. (www.thingmagic.com), a leading developer of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, today debuted the Astra integrated RFID reader/antenna for asset management applications. Astra's low profile, unobtrusive design, and Power over Ethernet (PoE) and WiFi options make it ideal for asset management in offices, healthcare facilities and other environments where ease of installation and deployment flexibility are essential for solution success.

"Traditional fixed RFID readers, antennas, cable and electrical power requirements, while appropriate for warehouses and loading docks, are not well suited for office and commercial environments," said Yael Maguire, ThingMagic CTO and co-founder. "Astra is specifically designed for office and commercial environments and is ideal for enterprise asset tracking applications including document management, inventory control, baggage tracking and medical equipment location."

"In office and commercial environments, RFID adopters prefer systems that blend in with both existing IT infrastructures and office layouts, and minimize installation requirements," said Louis Bianchin, Senior Analyst & Program Manager RFID, Venture Development Corporation. "Products like ThingMagic's Astra, which address this, will further drive adoption of RFID into new applications."

Astra reader features include:

• High performance, EPCglobal Generation 2.0 (ISO 18000-6C) support with anti-collision, Dense Reader Mode (DRM) and advanced anti-jamming functionality
• Power over Ethernet (PoE) option, reducing cabling and electrical outlet proximity requirements
• WiFi option, providing low cost integration with existing enterprise WiFi networks, and supporting enterprise WiFi security standards including TKIP, AES and EAP-TLS
• An integrated 865-956 MHz, circularly-polarized antenna with 6 dBiL gain and 65o beamwidth
• ThingMagic’s MercuryOS software, for application development, network management and security
• 16MB of flash and 32MB of RAM available for reader-hosted applications
• An external antenna port for an additional antenna
• An easy to use Development Kit, for customized applications, settings, deployments and management
• A small form factor (10.2”H x 10.2”W x 3”D)

Driven by ThingMagic's Mercury5e embedded reader module, Astra has a read range of up to 30 feet for Generation 2 RFID tags, and can read over 190 tags per second. Fully supporting ThingMagic’s enterprise-class MercuryOS software, Astra’s network management and security features include DHCP for configuration and firmware management, and SSL/SSH–based security.

Astra is immediately available for North America, with other country versions available in the near future. The MSRP is $995 in the U.S., with volume and other discounts available.