How to keep track of supplies worldwide.

• Author: Wright, Austin
• Position: TECH WIRE

Radio-frequency identification tags allow operators to scan and track assets. The tags send product numbers to electronic readers. The technology is similar to the barcode scanners used by retail stores.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Omni-ID has released a passive tag that can be detected by a reader more than 100 feet away. This is considered exceptional for a tag that operates without a battery, says RFIDWizards.com, a website that tests and reviews RFID tags.

California-based Omni-ID spun off from the British defense company QinetiQ three years ago when researchers there found a way to transmit radio signals at greater distances and in harsher environments.

Omni's new tags also work anywhere in the world. This is a valuable feature because many countries use different radio spectrums to track supplies.

"Getting equipment around the globe, into warehouses, and then into a combat-ready situation is quite a challenge," says Thomas C. Pavela, Omni's CEO and president. "I hate to say it, but the military doesn't know where everything is, and we believe we can help."

Omni's tags use complex layers of...