U.S. Army Includes Zebra Technologies Partners in Seven RFID Purchase Agreements

U.S. Army Includes Zebra Technologies Partners in Seven RFID Purchase Agreements

Zebra partners awarded blanket purchase agreements (BPAs) to provide EPC-compliant printer/encoders

VERNON HILLS, Ill., Aug. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Zebra Technologies (NASDAQ:ZBRA), a global leader in delivering on-demand printing solutions for business improvement, announced that its radio frequency identification (RFID) printer/encoders have been included in seven new Group 3 blanket purchase agreements (BPAs) issued by the U.S. Army Contracting Agency (ACA) Information Technology, E-Commerce and Commercial Contracting Center (ITEC4). Each BPA allows each partner to sell an indefinite quantity of electronic product code (EPC)-compliant printer/encoders to the Army. The BPAs last for two years. Several models of Zebra RFID printer/encoders are included.

All seven Zebra partners who bid were awarded BPAs. The winning Zebra partners are: CDO Technologies; Cheval Rouge; Lowry Computer Products; RSI; Supply Chain Logic; WFI Government Systems; and SYS-TEC. Each company is a Zebra authorized government reseller.

"Our partners' extraordinary success in earning these BPA awards reflects their strong understanding of the Army's RFID requirements and the ability of Zebra printer/encoders to meet them," said Bob Cornick, vice president and general manager of RFID for Zebra. "We have worked closely with the DoD and our partners to develop RFID solutions that succeed in many challenging environments."

The U.S. Department of Defense is investing heavily in RFID technology to improve its supply chain visibility and efficiency. Group 3 is part of a series of BPAs issued for RFID equipment and supplies. Products provided under the Group 3 BPAs must be compliant with EPCglobal Class 1 standards. Zebra also provides other equipment and supplies to the DoD and U.S. government under separate government services administration (GSA) awards and other agreements.

Zebra has been researching and developing RFID technologies for nearly 10 years. It was the first company to produce an integrated, on-demand RFID printer/encoder more than five years ago. Today, Zebra has the broadest printer/encoder product line for use in supply chain applications. Zebra is playing an active role in the development of RFID "smart label" technology, standards and applications for supply chain and business improvement programs designed to help suppliers to the U.S. Department of Defense, Wal-Mart and other retailers meet the RFID EPC compliance labeling requirements. Zebra's RFID printer/encoders support multiple RFID protocols and are easily upgradeable to support Gen 2. Zebra is the only manufacturer to have publicly demonstrated Gen 2 capability in a printer/encoder.

According to a Venture Development Corp. (VDC) study and AMR Research, Zebra is the RFID market leader with more printer/encoders sold than any other company worldwide. An industry pioneer, Zebra first made its name helping customers harness the power of bar codes, and has now captured the largest installed base of both high frequency and EPC ultra-high frequency (UHF) models in every geographic region.

For more information on Zebra's RFID products call +1-800-423-0442 or visit http://www.rfid.zebra.com/ .

About Zebra Technologies

Zebra Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:ZBRA) 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, receipt, and card printers, resulting in enhanced security, increased productivity, improved quality, lower costs, and better customer service. The company has sold more than four million printers, including RFID printer/encoders and wireless mobile solutions, and also offers software, connectivity solutions and printing supplies. Information about Zebra bar code and RFID products can be found at http://www.zebra.com/ .

CONTACT: Michelle Meek
+1-312-873-3424
michelle@outlookmarketingsrv.com

Source: Zebra Technologies Corporation

CONTACT: Michelle Meek for Zebra Technologies Corporation,
+1-312-873-3424, michelle@outlookmarketingsrv.com

Web site: http://www.rfid.zebra.com/
http://www.zebra.com/

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