Small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe will now be able to get assistance in comprehending and leveraging the potential benefits of RFID technology from a new EU funded project that is starting in May and will be operational from the next two years. The biggest advantage of RFID technology is that it makes real time data collection easy with no need for physical contact or line of sight alignment. The project will be managed by UEAPME, the European craft and the SME employers’ organization. It will operate across six European countries coordinating eight pilots in multiple sectors, and the sole aim of the RFID-ROI-SME project is to enhance the adoption levels of RFID technology in SMEs.
The project is aimed at helping both the manufacturers and users of RFID technology. It will promote the use of RFID technology in the SMEs so that they can benefit from all the advantages it offers, and at the same time create a demand so that manufacturers have adequate business opportunities. It will be able to show how RFID is beneficial across various business sectors and in diverse cases with the aid of case studies, blue prints and best practices.
The project has Sebastiano Toffaletti as its coordinator who feels that RFID has enormous potential which has yet not been tapped by SMEs in the EU. The goal of the project is to assist in accomplishing this at individual company level and for the EU as a whole, so that it can take the lead in the process of technological change.
The popularity of RFID is linked to price considerations. Considered an expensive technology to adopt, a major chunk of the expenditure in this field comes from large corporations. This can be attributed to the resource crunch often faced by SMEs. However, prices of RFID equipment are consistently coming down, but till they fall below a certain level there will not be sufficient demand from SMEs. Once that happens, the mass market will bring the required shift.
The project will highlight not just the benefits of RFID but also deal with the threats posed by it. Advantages include easier traceability of products and services, better document tracking, reduction of delays and losses, and optimization of logistical processes. However its threats include the theft of information stored about patients and individuals, and the potential harmful effects of radio magnetic waves when attached to human wrists.
With the intention of ensuring that SMEs in the EU remain highly competitive in the global arena, the European Commission’s Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Program has selected eight companies from six countries to run the pilot projects for introducing RFID at SMEs. The coordinator of the program is UEAPME which will manage the consortium and ensure standardization of procedures and processes adopted by the pilots. The project has adopted a horizontal approach involving sectors as varied as logistics, plastics, construction, packaging, apparel, archiving, e-ticketing and security.
Each sector has to evaluate how profitable an investment in RFID can be, and which would be the ideal technological architecture to adopt. Monthly updates about the progress of the project will be posted on a website www.rfid-roi-sme.eu, and will also carry all detailed information about the project.
RFID or Radio Frequency Identification was first used for retail operations by Wal-Mart, and consequent to its success, other retailers are trying to use this technology beyond the warehouse. RFID technology uses radio tags as a means of identifying products and services, and Wal-Mart used them for keeping track of all that was stored in warehouses. This led to improved tracking systems and it turned out to be a more efficient way of handling warehouse supplies. Based on this successful exercise, Wal-Mart decided to use RFID technology in shop floors as well.
The Wal-Mart experiment was duplicated by other leading retail chains as well. This also meant additional budgetary allocations for implementing this technology and suppliers of RFID pushed for the benefits it offered for accuracy in tracking products. Thus RFID began to gain popularity as a method of improving supply chain management and inventory control, which would eventually yield results in term of lower costs.
Research conducted by the Sam M. Walton College of Business linked with the University of Arkansas showed an average accuracy level of 62% for apparel inventories, but implementing RFID technology increased the level to 95%. Accuracy in inventory operations will lead to a sales surge because exact details of stocks will be available. According to statistics collected by Dr Bill Hardgrave, Director of the RFID Research Center at the same university, the use of RFID technology helped to increase sales by at least 2-5%. It also enables retailers to track misplaced and stolen and get to know as soon as that happens. This reveals the ability of the technology to increase product and item visibility, and also of processes involved in inventory management.
Some of the leading radio tag manufacturers include Alien Technology, Texas Instruments and Motorola. Radio tags are generally the size of a pinhead and various types of these manufactured to be either attached to the hangtags of garments, sewn inside the garments, or even used with an adhesive and placed on the outfit in question. These can then be tracked with readers similar to barcode scanners. These are some of the numerous ways of implementing RFID technology in a retail organization.
The potential of RFID
The potential of RFID is yet to be fully realized, and analysts believe this technology to be in its adolescent stage that has not found its rightful niche. This is because retailers are only just starting to use it and understand its phenomenal potential. RFID tags can offer customers some benefits like:
• getting in touch with sales personnel while trying out an outfit
• Contacting friends on Facebook or other networks while in a trial room of a store.
The store or retail outlet will be able to use RFID tags to get more customer inputs by getting access to the products they pick up, what they try and so on. Eventually they will be able to issue customer loyalty cards that will be loaded all types of information about the customer from the retailer’s point of view.
RFID systems from the company Xterprise are being tried and tested for the last one year by the Los Angeles based American Apparel. The results have been very positive but many initial loopholes are being plugged before the system can be completely implemented to yield even better results.
What is evident is that RFID systems have made into the retail segment but have yet to unleash their full potential. Thus they are positively an instrument for the future. As the technology and the systems get perfected, costs are consistently coming down. For instance, the price of radio tags has reduced from 30 cents to even as low as 9 cents, as found by IDC Retail Insights, a market research organization in Framingham, Massachusetts. Adopting the RFID system and implementing it is however, still confined to richer companies with larger funds at their disposal. This is because the cost involved could range between £2000 to £20,000. This is despite the fact that the expense incurred is recovered within a 6-12 month period with enhanced traceability, increased sales and all the other benefits of RFID technology. The technology will be universally applicable only when costs fall to as low as a penny for a radio tag, and is affordable by all the players in the retail sector. Till such a time comes it may remain a luxury meant for a privileged few top retailers.
E-pedigree or electronic pedigree is the name given to the standard serialized track and trace system used in the pharmaceutical supply chain in countries like the U.S. The country’s GS1 Healthcare Secure Supply Chain Task Force has created a pharmaceutical supply chain model that fits in as a section of its program called 2015 Readiness. This program includes 50 companies in the pharmaceutical supply chain and is attempting to trace the movement of all pharmaceutical products from the manufacturing facility to the final drug store, including electronic data captured along the way, stored and later shared. A simulated supply chain is being developed with the aid of 65 personnel from 50 pharmaceutical companies. It will be run on software used by companies that have adopted the Six Sigma processes for higher efficiency levels. The software enables users to map a complete supply chain and send products with unique identification codes on RFID tags or 2D barcodes. The program will help to develop a model that can be used by anyone and everyone in the pharmaceutical industry responsible for logistics, packaging, IT, manufacturing, retail pharmacies and wholesalers as well. It is simulating a forward moving supply chain, and is being modified to also incorporate problems like returns and recalls.
The e-pedigree law is likely to come into force in 2105 in California, and it will make it mandatory to have all kinds of information about every pharmaceutical product. Details required will include product description, place of origin, date of expiry, each sale or trade of the drug in question, the date of each along with the names and addresses of the involved parties.
The 50 participating companies include not just drug manufacturers, but also distributors, retailers and healthcare groups, all of them being members of the GS1 Group. The simulated supply chain being created is keeping in mind the requirements of the e-pedigree law as its gradually moves towards completion. The entire supply chain simulation has not yet been completed. This was stated by the director of the GS1 Healthcare US, Robert Celeste, who also said that the group may incorporate additional steps in the model as it moves ahead. This may include, for instance, staging areas where products wait temporarily while waiting to change hands at some point in the supply chain to check for compliance with the e-pedigree norms. This staging area is not currently part of the supply chain, but may have to be incorporated at a later date.
The group’s work can be seen by those aiming to use the model for implementing the e-pedigree regulation in 2015 at a two hour mini workshop being planned at GS1’s UConnect 2010 conference in San Antonio, Texas on June 8th. The workshop will explain its achievements for the simulation and all that it has found.
The model will be close to completion by the fall of 2010 and two day workshops will be offered by GS1 to give members of the pharmaceutical supply chain to get more details about the model. It will also reveal its tasks ahead, namely, resolving the issue of recalls and returns. The aim of the workshop is to familiarize the potential players in the industry with the working of the e-pedigree system, the possible challenges of using the simulation software, and the ability of the organization to use the system and understand it fully. Thus they will understand how to trace a missing item in the supply chain and what to do about it.
The e-pedigree law will help reduce incidence of counterfeiting, theft, expiration of drugs delayed at a point in the supply chain, invoice disputes and other issues, all of which will make the system more efficient.
The California Board of pharmacy requires that by 2015, manufacturers are able to apply a 2D barcode or RFID tag to at least 50% of the products meant for California, encoding the label or tag with a serial number linked to the product, expiry data and manufacturer’s name. The remaining fifty percent must be completed by 2016, and the system must be in use for inputting data. The deadline for 2017 is to make the e-pedigree system fully operational to identify the product when it reaches its destination.
Conversions for e-pedigree compliance are already picking up and manufacturers are already making plans and setting targets.
IT organizations are set to receive huge benefits from the latest two new managed services announced by the Enterprise Mobility Solutions business of Motorola. These include the Managed Infrastructure Service and the Managed Device Service, and both will enable IT companies to successfully resolve the complexities of managing multi-vendor wireless devices and networks. They will also be able to make mobility solutions available to a larger number of enterprise and government customers. Motorola managed services will bring benefits like lower cost of ownership, predictable uptime, faster response and restore times on detection of faults, and also provide asset investment protection. The new Managed Infrastructure Service is a combination of AirDefense Infrastructure Management and Network Assurance solutions. This enables IT companies and customers with limited IT resources to gain access to facilities like highly available remote monitoring, management and problem solving of their wireless LAN. Motorola’s Managed Device Service forms part of the company’s Device Management Framework that enables the company’s Mobility services platform to help customers get comprehensive management of their mobile devices like mobile computers, enterprise digital assistants and barcode scanners. It also provides the expertise to maximize asset availability to every part of the organization.
One of the biggest issues worrying organizations today is being able to maintain control and visibility of their mobile ecosystem. End users of enterprise mobility solutions are always looking for newer delivery, deployment and management models for their mobile solutions. Though the recession made many businesses delay many mobile and wireless investments, it also proved to be the catalyst for the next generation managed service business models.
Motorola’s Managed Infrastructure Service has been able to combine the expertise of the Motorola engineers with the network management skills of the AirDefense Infrastructure Management and Network Assurance solutions. This has given customers the confidence of having their problems resolved in the quickest possible time and with minimal costs incurred. Their selection of this service gets them access to multiple services customized to meet their specific customer requirements. These include
• comprehensive 24-hour monitoring and management of WLAN infrastructure,
• proactive problem identification,
• remote troubleshooting for higher network availability , low cost of ownership and maximized performance
• Fault management and monitoring of wireless infrastructure for anomalies
• Configuration management activities to change existing deployment and new ones
• Reporting and advice for network optimization
• Software release management services
• Professional hardware repair and replacement services
The Motorola Managed Device Service helps to keep devices in proper running condition, time based actions like profile management and problem identification and resolution during downtime to save working time. Remote reset and reboot of devices is also possible, remote device diagnostics help to ensure device availability and functionality, and fault identification also becomes easy. The service also helps to track and maintain detailed information about each mobile device. This enables organizations to keep track of all their assets, get detailed insights about their operational environment and thus optimize business and get better returns on investments. Incase of theft, devices can be tracked and also wiped clean of sensitive data to avoid misuse. Software updates can also be remotely installed without staff needing to spend time on this exercise.
Motorola’s vast experience in managing wireless systems like large two-way radio networks to wireless broadband solutions customized for users. The company is now set to manage wireless devices for their customers to simplify processes and give the customers the comfort of having their devices under the care of qualified technicians who are experts in their fields. These services are currently available in North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa through Motorola sales and members of the Partner Empower Channel Program.
Zebra has now offered a solution for in-house ID card printing with its QuikCard Printer. The solution lies in the P110i for one-sided Id cards and the P120i two-sided model for ID cards having magnetic strip encoding capabilities. The Zebra QuikCard is a color printer that comes loaded with free software with templates that complete printing process from the start to the finish. Updates for the software can be loaded as and when they are available. It also provides the option of printing cards directly from an excel sheet or database. The Zebra QuikCard ID Solution software enables quick upload of data and this makes the printing of cards even easier.
The printer also comes with a security camera. The Logitech Business Webcam is part of the hardware kit and this also helps to resolve compatibility issues. The camera also enables the organization to take pictures and instantly upload them and print them on the ID card making it more personalized for an employee or a visitor. The Printer also comes with a USB digital webcam along with supplies for producing 200 cards when the printer is purchased. This simplifies the initial operation of the Zebra QuikCard printer. The blank cards provided are durable and have a smooth printing surface since they are made out of PVC. The cards for the P110i are plain while those packed with the P120i have a magnetic strip at the back. The printers can also be used to print barcodes on the cards for security and data purposes.
The Zebra QuikCard ID solution is an all-in-one kit for meeting all ID card printing requirements of offices and organizations. Some of the principal features of the printer include:
• Superior quality 300 dpi printing resolution
• LCD command display
• Fast printing, 30 seconds by the P110i and 40 seconds by the P120i
• Free software in 8 languages
• Compatible with Windows Vista, 200, 7 XP and Server 2003
• Feeder capacity of 100 cards
• Hopper capacity of 45 cards
Intermec has launched a software reader system called ARX that is able to point out tag according to their movement through motion detection techniques. This reader software enables readers to be able to distinguish between motionless tags in the same area as the active tags of interest. The ARX is one of the three Intermec launches for the year unveiled at RFID Journal Live! 2010, that was held a few days ago at Orlando, Fla. ARX stands for Advanced RFID Extensions, which is able to sift readings of tags located near a reader but not moving through any portal, like a dock door. Other launches include the IF2 Network Reader, which is a new fixed position, ultra-high frequency (UHF) interrogator, and an IT36 Durable Asset Tag. While the IF2 will be available in the third quarter of the year, the IT36 will be released in the fourth quarter.
A common complaint of users of RFID was the problem in identifying tags of interest because stray tags were always noticed in the same vicinity like a distribution center with tagged boxes or pallets placed close to a reader. The ARX was thus created to differentiate between these stray tags present in any over crowded environment, and those that are relevant, are waiting to be read while they move. At present ARX is being offered by Intermec with its IF61 fixed interrogators launched in 2007, and the Intermec forklift system. The forklift system comes with a vehicle mounted IV7 RFID reader, which is tethered to the CV60 vehicle mounted computer. Depending on future demand, the company may even offer ARX as an additional feature on the IV7 in conjunction with the CV30 vehicle mounted computer. Since mobile determination data is not applicable to a mobile reader, the ARX extensions cannot be supported on the Intermec IP30 handheld device.
The ARX software is able to check whether or not a tag is in motion with the aid of the EPCglobal LLRP or low level reader protocol extensions that analyze data from Intermec ‘ s RFID readers. ARX uses the information it mines from the series of reads to determine whether a tag is moving, and after that decide if its data should be sent to the company ‘ s back end system.
Intermec uses the return signal strength indicator data or RSSI data, plus the phase angle of the RF wave received, which can be used to compute a tag ‘ s speed since it changes over time. The system can easily inform a user about whether or not a tag is in motion, and also if it is near a portal, a reader or in a specific zone.
The Intermec ARX is different from similar systems released by Impinj and Alien Technology. Impinj had released its firmware in 2007 that supported the LLRP protocol. It enables its Speedway RFID EPC Gen 2 reader to send signals about the direction to middleware. This helps the users to know which tags have been read by the interrogator and in which direction the tagged products move. Alien technology had released a direction-sensing for its interrogators. The new Intermec offering called ARX is able to
take into account the environmental conditions, the signal ‘ s phase angle etc before it sends the information to the server, while the other two simply derive data on the basis of speed or the information collected about the direction of the tags.
The ARX is also equipped to take into account the noise and environmental interference with a combination of factors. In case of a conflict about whether a tag is a stray one or not, ARX will use a neutral network to determine the truth. The network will decide on the basis of a vast amount of information collected from portals or forklifts in a typical exercise.
ARX is being used by a large number of companies having warehouses or similar tag rich environments.
The IT36 Durable Asset Tag will be launched in the third quarter of 2010 with more memory than what any of its predecessors have had. With the EPC Gen 2 passive UHF tag supporting both ETSI and FCC regulations, it is fit for use in both Europe and North America. It is ideally suited for wooden pallets and reusable plastic containers, and other non metal surfaces. Its small and durable form factor has 512 bits of memory and likely to cost the same amount as the other similar Gen 2 tags.
The launch of the IF2 Network Reader is slated for later in the year at lower prices than others in its category. It is being designed with a smaller form factor but will include the ARX software and the SmartSystems client which will allow users to change device settings, update software applications remotely and send firmware upgrades. This is likely to save both time and cost of deployment, besides lower hardware maintenance costs. The reader will come with four inputs and four outputs, and will have DC power or be powered over Ethernet.
Companies that manufacture standard barcode labels provide utility design and customized images. There are options included which allow modification of elements like image color, text along with color, font, shape and size as per client requirement. Barcode tag designers will be able to produce different labels in just a few mouse clicks of random or sequential series.
Various industries use customized barcode software to create colored barcodes. These include Transportation, Price/Item marking, Shipping, Healthcare, Warehousing and many others. All major barcode scanners and printers work in conjunction and are able to scan easier due to the presence of the image developer utility. About 30 barcode font standards like Planet, Code 128, Coda bar, Code 11, Postnet, Code 39 etc are supported by the label image creator tool which also stores them in commonly used formats like jpg, jpeg, bmp etc. For efficient and quick production of advanced barcode labels, two major series are used by the barcode label generator. The software is extremely user-friendly which means even non-technical operators can wok it through its Graphical User Interface (GUI) wizard. There is a wide range of compatible systems that barcode sticker utility can work on including key Windows operating systems like Windows 7, XP, Vista, NT, ME as well as Server 2000, 2003, 2008 etc.
The laser beam is a highly intense and narrow parallel beam of light. The term ‘Laser’ stands for Light Amplification by Simulated Emission of Radiation. The use of this term also led to a 28-year patent lawsuit fought between Bell Laboratories and physicist Gordon Gould. The first laser was fired at the Hughes Research laboratories, Malibu, California on 16th May 1960. It was built by Theodore Maiman based on the theoretical foundation laid by Albert Einstein in his paper, “The Quantum Theory of Radiation”, in 1917. In simple terms, light energy is bounced between two mirrors at the two ends of a tube, one of which is translucent and can allow a beam to pass through it. However powerful the technology, the initial reaction of scientists to it was negative, and they called it a solution looking for a problem. The first mention of a laser-like device came up in a literary sci-fi novel by Alexei Tolstoy, “The Hyperboloid of Engineer Garin”. Measuring the power of the early lasers was done in Gillettes, that is, in terms of how many safety razor blades the laser beam could pass through. The laser beam is far hotter than the sun’s surface but when combined with a magnetic field, it can be used to cool atoms. Lasers are graded in levels 1-4, with level 4 being the most powerful and can cause burning and blindness. The laser beam has been used in tens of films and is used by dentists to remove rot without causing any pain. Lasers are used extensively for surgical procedures including tattoo removal. They make the surgery bloodless since the heat from the laser beam cuts and cauterizes simultaneously. Lasers facilitate the derivation of DNA sequencing with only one molecule. Laser eye treatment helps rectify vision problems. The first laser eye treatment on human beings was done by Dr Marguerite McDonald in 1987. The first Q-switch Laser hair remover came to markets in 1968 but safety concerns led to its withdrawal after 3 years.
The next application of the laser beam was for barcode scanners, and laser scanners facilitated scanning of barcodes from greater distances as well. Lasers have been added to printers and the laser printer invented in 1969 by Xerox. It has revolutionized the printing process. The laser disc came out a few years later and was used for recording music with the aid of lasers. In 1982 the first compact disc player entered people’s homes and the music world has never been the same. In the world of entertainment laser light shows have made performances by stars like Pink Floyd a great success, and now are used by every stage performer. The film Star Wars had glowing light sabres, which were based on laser technology, became the most popular film weapon of all times as revealed by a survey conducted by 20th Century Fox. In 1979, the first toy using a weak laser beam was marketed as the Star Trek ‘phaser’ gun. The laser tag, a ray gun used by people for shooting each other for fun was developed by the US army as a non-lethal training tool in the 1970s.
Lasers are used to detect cars crossing the specified speed limit, and laser pointers are used during presentations. Pointers came into the market in the 80s costing over a hundred dollars but are now available for less than a dollar. This however, has led to their misuse. Lasers are harmful for the naked eye and pointing the pointer to the eye can damage it, as was seen in the case of South Korean goalkeeper Lee Woon-Jae, who was hit in the eye in 2008 during a qualifying match for the World Cup against Saudi Arabia.
Lidar is a system of using lasers to measure objects at a distance, and has proved to have greater accuracy than the radar. Laser technology was also used by the astronauts of Apollo 11 to measure the distance between the earth and the moon with a maximum error possibility of a finger’s width. In fact, laser measuring is considered to be more accurate and precise than a nanometer. Bolt-117 was the name given to the world’s first laser guided bomb, made in 1967.
Lasers are part of almost all do-it-yourself tools. The sales of lasers have been spiraling for every application. In the year 2004 alone, 733 million diode lasers valued at $3.2 billion were sold for use in DVD and CD players. The London Royal Docks held a massive concert of Jean Michel Jarre in 1988 in which he used the laser harp.
Lasers are used to milk cows since they help to scan the underside of a cow for locating the udders for robot machines used for the milking process. In the world of fashion programmed lasers help to cut thousands of garments. Lasers can scan fingerprints in seconds so that computers can then compare them to huge databases. Lasers are also used for generating light pulses for use in cable TV and internet, and fiber optics for phones.
Laser curtains have been used to understand how sharks manage to swim so fast. Laser thermometers are able to check temperatures of a surface without actually touching it. Scientists are exploring possibilities of using laser beams to draw all lightening strikes away from airports and power stations. The first fusion power source is being tested in California with 192 laser beams, and conclusive results will be available in summer. The US army and navy are testing a laser gun that is at once powerful but light enough to be used in a battlefield. Numerous toys are equipped with laser beams to display flickering lights. Laser beams heal broken bones, reduce acne scars and subcutaneous fat. Focused laser beams can manipulate objects even as small as atoms. Finally, lasers can etch a serial number on the world’s hardest natural substance, a diamond. In short there is no area of activity where laser beams are not useful and beneficial.
There are a number of advantages provided by the USB/SDIO Option such as connection to barcode scanners, keyboards, and various other USB devices and an expanded removable memory.
USB/SDIO Memory Expansion
The USB/SDIO Option provides an additional (upto) 8 GB of removable memory, and you can
• store images/large font sets
• store thousands of label formats
• duplicate your printer configurations easily, including fonts, parameters, labels, images, and firmware
• copy files quickly from and to the removable USB/SDIO memory devices
• update firmware versions conveniently and easily without any PC attached
USB/SDIO Add-on Feature Enhancements/Keyboard (USB) Connectivity
• Using the “Advance Line Mode Printing” USB keyboards can be easily connected to the printer
• Scanners/USB keyboards can be connected for custom MCL projects
• Supports additional DPL file extensions “.prn” and “.txt”
• While copying files, it provides D-O-supported extension types
• It facilitates copying configuration files from and/or to a USB/SDIO device (removable memory)
Requirements
For taking benefits of the enhanced features of the USB/SDIO Options on the Datamax O’Neil printers, the following specifications regarding the supported USB/SDIO option and the firmware level must be present:
• H Class and M Class MK II – Version 12.071 or higher
• A Class MK II – Version 12.07 or higher
Intermec Inc is a market leading organization involved in developing and integrating technologies, products and services that help to streamline supply chain management by effectively tracking and managing assets and information all along the chain. Its core technologies include the most rugged data collection systems, mobile computing solutions, label media, barcode printers and RFID. Known worldwide for the quality of its products and services Intermec has now added features to enhance the functioning of its PF8 thermal desktop printers. It has additionally provided internal Ethernet and support from the Intermec PrintSet configuration. This will improve the printer’s deployment and minimize its maintenance costs especially in lighter applications like transport, in-store retail, manufacturing and office environments.
The PF8 has been selected by organizations like GeoPost since it is the best equipped for its requirements of daily parcel identification with barcodes, for the customers handling hundreds of parcels on a daily basis. The PF8 is convenient, compact and easy to use, and its compatibility with the Intermec PF4 printers proves to be an added advantage. Thus it is easy to migrate from not just the PC4 but also other similar desktop printers using EPL printer language. Its common media specifications and ESIM printer language are added facilitating features in the migration process.
The PF8 also has the Intermec PrintSet that offers a simpler mechanism to configure network and printer settings, upgrading firmware, downloading fonts and graphics, all of which are time saving in the setup process and support later on. The two models of the PF8 include PF8d, which is the direct thermal desktop printer, and the PF8t, the thermal transfer desktop printer. Both come with flexible connectivity meeting industrial standards including optional internal Ethernet, besides parallel, serial and USB. This makes their functioning easy in all networked environments.
