Zebra donates printers, expertise to UC’s RFID students
07 June, 2006
category: RFID
It’s all about the young adults, carrying the torch, blazing the path.
As such, Zebra Technologies Corporation is helping to prepare the next generation of RFID experts at University of California’s Irvine campus for the challenges ahead. The RFID printer/encoder company just announced a donation of R110Xi RFID printer/encoder and smart label media for use at the campus’ new RFID Certificate Program.
And so, students get a little more hands-on experiece.
“There is a lot of RFID interest and activity in Orange County and the surrounding area,” said Stefano Stefan, Ph.D., assistant director of business, management, legal, and IT programs at UC Irvine Extension, in a press release. “This program will help people understand the business issues around the technology.”
Students Learn on Zebra Equipment in New RFID Certificate Program at University of California, Irvine
Zebra Technologies Corporation, a global leader in on-demand printing solutions for business improvement, is helping students enrolled in the University of California, Irvine’s new RFID Certificate Program get hands-on RFID experience while learning about the technology and its uses. Zebra donated an R110Xi RFID printer/encoder and smart label media for use in the program, which is expected to attract professionals from throughout southern California.
“There is a lot of RFID interest and activity in Orange County and the surrounding area. This program will help people understand the business issues around the technology,” said Stefano Stefan, Ph.D., assistant director of business, management, legal, and IT programs at UC Irvine Extension. “Anything we can do to provide hands-on learning makes the education better. Having RFID printer/encoder technology from Zebra makes the program that much more valuable because it’s something our students would use in their professional lives.”
The UC Irvine Extension Office created five 30-hour RFID course offerings. The program was developed to teach manufacturing, logistics, supply chain, technology, management and other professionals about RFID technology and its uses, business value and implementation issues. Participants can receive college credit for each course and earn a certificate after completing the 150-hour program.
Daniel Proulx, president of Zebra RFID partner Innovation Solutions, worked with UC Irvine to develop the program and is teaching one of the first courses, which started in the school’s 2006 winter quarter.
“The course is very worthwhile for people who don’t know a lot about RFID and may want to use it in their business,” said Proulx. “By taking the course and using the equipment, people can make strong, educated, ROI-based decisions about RFID for their companies.”
Proulx set up a compliance labeling station featuring the R110Xi in his classroom. Students print smart labels and test their readability in a variety of conditions that simulate real-world use.
“I wanted to use Zebra printer/encoders because Zebra is a leader in the market,” Proulx said. “I knew the R110Xi and its media would be very reliable and provide a good experience for the students.”
An industry pioneer, Zebra first made its name helping customers harness the power of bar codes in automatic identification applications. Today, Zebra has one of the broadest lines of high frequency (HF) and ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID printer/encoders that are currently offered in 40 countries globally. Equally important, Zebra offers one of the most complete lines of smart media, offering both standard and custom media options to suit a wide spectrum of RFID applications. For more information on Zebra RFID solutions, visit www.rfid.zebra.com.
Zebra Technologies Corporation delivers innovative and reliable on-demand printing solutions for business improvement and security applications in 100 countries around the world. More than 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies use Zebra brand printers. A broad range of applications benefit from Zebra-brand thermal bar code, “smart” label and receipt printers, and plastic card printers, resulting in enhanced security, increased productivity, improved quality, lower costs, and better customer service. The company has sold more than five million printers, including RFID printer/encoders and wireless mobile solutions, as well as software, connectivity solutions, and printing supplies. Information about Zebra specialty printing solutions is at www.zebra.com.