| New ThingMagic Application Programming Interface Supports Rapid Development of RFID Solutions, Quicker Path to ROI |
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| August 20, 2009 | |
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Mercury API Supports Entire Line of ThingMagic Embedded, Enterprise, Ruggedized and Desktop UHF Readers Cambridge, MA, August 24, 2009 – ThingMagic, Inc. (www.thingmagic.com), a leading developer of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, today announced a completely redesigned Application Programming Interface (API), for configuring, controlling, and accessing the company’s entire family of embedded, fixed and integrated UHF RFID readers. By providing a common interface to all ThingMagic readers, the new Mercury® API simplifies the development of customized RFID applications, resulting in faster solution deployments and ROI. The Mercury API requires little RFID expertise, and provides a consistent programmatic interface that enables developers to intuitively design and test:
Following the company’s announcement of a new set of modular hardware components that allow customers to quickly develop customized, embedded RFID solutions using the ThingMagic M5e UHF RFID family of reader modules, this newly designed API extends the utility of all ThingMagic UHF Readers including the M5e reader module family, high-performance Mercury5 reader, enterprise-grade Astra™ reader, ruggedized Vega™ reader, and USB desktop reader. "Providing a universal API allows our customers to develop RFID solutions across a wider range of form factors and applications, in a shorter period of time," said Yael Maguire, co-founder and CTO of ThingMagic. "Common high-level reader commands are supported on all ThingMagic RFID readers and embedded RFID modules, allowing developers to fully utilize the underlying RFID infrastructure through a single intuitive interface. Altogether, this dramatically reduces time to market, speeds ROI, and supports our goal of making RFID readers easy for our customers to use." The ThingMagic Mercury API is available for several programming languages. The API is written in Java and C# and supports the following application types:
The Mercury API communicates with readers through a TCP-based network connection or via local serial ports. On-reader applications are supported on the Mercury5 and Astra readers through a “C” API or Linux shell scripts. The Mercury API is available now to existing customers from the ThingMagic support website. |
Customer inquiries should be directed to ThingMagic Sales at, 1-866-833-4069; +1 617-499-4090 for callers from outside the US & Canada).
About Trimble
Trimble applies technology to make field and mobile workers in businesses and government significantly more productive. Solutions are focused on applications requiring position or location—including surveying, construction, agriculture, fleet and asset management, public safety and mapping. In addition to utilizing positioning technologies, such as GPS, lasers and optics, Trimble solutions may include software content specific to the needs of the user. Wireless technologies are utilized to deliver the solution to the user and to ensure a tight coupling of the field and the back office. Founded in 1978, Trimble is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif. For more information, visit Trimble's Web site at: http://www.trimble.com/.
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Media Contact:
Lucie Mann
Lois Paul & Partners for ThingMagic
617-986-5863
lucie_mann@lpp.com
About Us
RFID Demand Increasing
"Month to month, we're seeing demand for RFID label applications that extend far beyond traditional retail and supply chain use. In addition to CPG suppliers, manufacturers and retailers, our RFID customers include businesses in the food industry, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and other markets, using RFID for inventory control, asset tracking, document tracking, and even patient tracking. When they see a demonstration of a 10-second RFID scan of a rack of products versus a 10-minute manual bar code scan of the same rack, they're eager to adopt RFID and customize an application for their specific use."
-- Stephen Hull, Sato America