Omni-ID

The company is based on a research unit that was formed within QinetiQ, an international defence technology company that was spun off from the former UK government agency Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) when it was split up in June 2001.

One of the problems the research unit studied was the difficulty reading radio frequency identification (RFID) tags placed close to metals and liquids.{{cite conference|doi=10.1109/MWSYM.2005.1516541 |title=Environmental effects on RFID tag antennas, 2005 IEEE MTT-S International, Jun 2005}}{{cite web |url=http://pserie.psu.edu/outreach/rfid/Documents/RFIDresearchPSU.pdf |title=Microsoft Word - Dewolf_Maloni_ResearchPaperFINAL.doc |access-date=2010-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090806082948/http://pserie.psu.edu/outreach/rfid/Documents/RFIDresearchPSU.pdf |archive-date=2009-08-06 |url-status=dead }} On August 22, 2007, Omni-ID was granted UK patent number GB2429878 for an "electromagnetic radiation decoupler".{{cite web |url=http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/patent/p-os/p-find/p-find-number |title=United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office |publisher=Ipo.gov.uk |date=2009-09-08 |access-date=2010-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100430195505/http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/patent/p-os/p-find/p-find-number |archive-date=2010-04-30 |url-status=dead }} With a working RFID tag that overcame those difficulties, the design was commercialized by launching a new company, Omni-ID, in March 2007. Initial funding was provided by Cody Gate Ventures LLP {{cite web |url=http://www.qinetiq.com/home/newsroom/news_releases_homepage/2007/2nd_quarter/qinetiq_launches_new.html |title=QinetiQ launches new technology venture fund in partnership with Coller Capital, Jun 27, 2007 |publisher=Qinetiq.com |access-date=2010-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107012206/http://www.qinetiq.com/home/newsroom/news_releases_homepage/2007/2nd_quarter/qinetiq_launches_new.html |archive-date=January 7, 2010 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }} a technology venture fund created in 2007 by QinetiQ and [http://www.collercapital.com/ Coller Capital]. An additional US$15 million in Series C funding was provided to Omni-ID by Cody Gate Ventures in February 2009.{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS171059+09-Feb-2009+MW20090209 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411190335/http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS171059+09-Feb-2009+MW20090209 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-04-11 |title=Omni-ID Secures $15 Million in Series C Funding From Cody Gate Ventures, Reuters, Feb 2009 |publisher=Reuters.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}

In 2021, HID Global acquired Omni-ID.{{cite web |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210817005972/en/HID-Global-Acquires-Omni-ID-to-Extend-Its-RFID-Leadership |title=HID Global Acquires Omni-ID to Extend Its RFID Leadership |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date= |website=businesswire |publisher=18 August 2021 |access-date=15 October 2024 |quote=}}

The core principle of the passive {{cite web|url=http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Technology-Article.asp?ArtNum=47 |title=Technovlegy |publisher=Technovelgy.com |date=2006-11-21 |access-date=2010-11-23}} RFID tag design marketed by Omni-ID was that it contained a complex proprietary arrangement of metal layers within the tag which reflected and boosted the signal broadcast from an RFID reader.{{cite web|url=http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Technology-Article.asp?ArtNum=54 |title=Technovlegy |publisher=Technovelgy.com |date=2006-11-21 |access-date=2010-11-23}} This allowed the tag to be read accurately even when placed on metal, on a liquid container, or when immersed. This was confirmed in independent testing in November, 2008.{{cite web|url=http://rfidwizards.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_wiz.tpl&product_id=10&category_id=3&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=561 |title=Product Review: Omni-ID Max |publisher=Rfidwizards.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}{{cite web|url=http://rfidwizards.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_wiz.tpl&product_id=2&category_id=3&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=561 |title=Product Review: Omni-ID Flex |publisher=Rfidwizards.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}{{cite web|url=http://rfidwizards.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_wiz.tpl&product_id=1&category_id=3&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=561 |title=Product Review: Omni-ID Prox |publisher=Rfidwizards.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}

The company offers five different tag designs named Ultra, Max, Flex, Prox, and Curv, each with a different read range based on the trade-off between tag size and performance. The Ultra tag has the longest read range of up to 135 ft. with a stationary reader.{{cite web|url=http://m2m.tmcnet.com/topics/m2mevolution/articles/64353-omni-id-launches-rfid-tags-manufacturing-transportation-defense.htm |title=Omni-ID Launches RFID Tags for Manufacturing, Transportation, and Defense Industries |publisher=M2m.tmcnet.com |access-date=2010-11-23}} The Max tag has a long read range and is designed for tracking conveyances and outdoor assets. The Max HD is a long-range global tag for use in all regions.

The thin, low-profile Flex tag has a medium range. The small Prox tag has the shortest read range, 4m, and is often used for tracking high value IT assets. The small, flexible Curv tag is for use on cylindrical objects.

In October 2008, the company announced a new product, OmniTether, to attach RFID tags to items with insufficient surface area for normal attachment methods.{{cite web|url=http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/print/4436 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411070624/http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/print/4436 |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 11, 2009 |title=RFID Journal, News Roundup, Nov 6, 2008 |publisher=Rfidjournal.com |date=2008-11-06 |access-date=2010-11-23}} A Service Bureau was also launched to simplify RFID tag commissioning.{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS196433+14-Oct-2008+MW20081014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090508115653/http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS196433+14-Oct-2008+MW20081014 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-05-08 |title=RFID Innovator Omni-ID Unveils Service Bureau to Offer Flexible Tag Commissioning and Enhanced Customer Efficiency, Reuters, Oct 2008 |publisher=Reuters.com |access-date=2010-11-23}} Omni-ID prints a barcode and human-readable information on the outer label, and pre-commissions tags with a customer's inventory and associated EPC coding.

In November 2008, the company announced Omni-ID On Demand for their Prox RFID tag, to print, encode and deploy Omni-ID tags, and applied for a patent.{{cite web|url=http://www.emqus.com/index.php?/emq/press_releases/omni_id_removes_barriers_to_rfid_adoption_through_a_patent_pending_on_site_deployment_solution_752 |title=Omni-ID removes barriers to RFID adoption through a patent-pending on site deployment solution, Enterprise Management Quarterly, Nov 17, 2008 |publisher=Emqus.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}

In September 2009, the long range passive Ultra tag was introducedm{{cite web|url=http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/view/5213 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090926061748/http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/view/5213 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 26, 2009 |title=Omni-ID Launches New High-Performance UHF Gen 2 Tags, RFID Journal, Sep 14, 2009 |publisher=Rfidjournal.com |access-date=2010-11-23}} with a read range of 135 ft. with a stationary RFID reader.{{Cite web|url=http://awareinnovations.com/2009/09/14/omni-id-launches-new-rfid-manufacturing-transportation-product-suite/|title=Omni-ID Launches New RFID Manufacturing & Transportation Product Suite|date=2009-09-14|website=Aware Innovations|access-date=2017-05-02}}

In April, 2008, Omni-ID was a finalist and the second runner-up at the RFID Journal Awards.{{cite web|url=http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/4045/1/1/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501143142/http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/4045/1/1/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 1, 2008 |title=RFID Journal Awards, RFID Journal, Apr 2008 |publisher=Rfidjournal.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}

Omni-ID was awarded the 2009 Asia Pacific Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Award for UHF RFID Tags.[https://finance.yahoo.com/news/OmniID-Awarded-2009-Asia-iw-14726388.html Omni-ID Awarded 2009 Asia Pacific Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Award for UHF RFID Tags, Yahoo Finance, Mar 24, 2009]{{dead link|date=November 2010}}

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• [http://www.omni-id.com Omni-ID corporate website]

{{Qinetiq}}

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Category:American companies established in 2007

Category:Companies based in San Mateo County, California

Category:Automatic identification and data capture

Category:Radio-frequency identification companies

Category:Information technology companies of the United States