VDC Research: RFID, Barcode, Retail Automation & Self-Service Market Blog

New Report: Mobile Barcode Scanners – Shaping the Future of the Data Capture Industry

(VDC recently published a report focused on Mobile Barcode Scanners. The following blog highlights some of our thoughts on this market and its potential.)

The data capture industry is constantly changing. Handheld barcode scanning is no longer restricted to traditional pistol grip form factors or rugged mobile devices as pairing or integrating scanners with consumer devices is increasingly becoming a popular option for organizations’ barcode scanning applications. Capitalizing on growing smartphone adoption in the enterprise space, new and emerging hardware vendors such as Infinite Peripherals & Koamtac and non-traditional ISV participants like Scandit and Manatee Works (now part of Cognex) are challenging AIDC incumbents by bringing data capture technology to a wider audience in new ways.

As retail, logistics, and health care organizations face growing pressures to support vital workforce operations, improve customer experiences and improve productivity, consumer smart device-based solutions such as companion scanners, sleds, and barcode scanning software platforms are being evaluated as viable solutions to replace or be deployed alongside traditional purpose-built devices. The following are short descriptions of mobile scanning form factors that are available in the market.

• Companion scanners: Small form-factor barcode scanners that pair with other devices via Bluetooth/Wi-Fi.
• Sleds: Peripherals that encase and enable consumer-grade smart devices for enterprise- grade scanning.
• Personal Shopping Solutions: Mobile computer solutions that are used by consumers for shopping in store.
• Software platforms: Software development kits that enable consumer-grade smart devices to use their built-in cameras for enterprise-grade barcode scanning

Exhibit: Respondents’ Plans to Replace Purpose-built Scanners with Mobile Scanning Devices

According to results from VDC’s recent survey of mobile scanner end users and evaluators, 63% of organizations are considering replacing their purpose-built scanner investments with mobile scanners for daily operations. Respondents surveyed across retail, logistics, and health care are currently evaluating the option to deploy mobile scanning solutions to support daily operations. Consumer smartphone-based scanning solutions are also gaining consideration in the enterprise space as companies evaluate BYOD policies and alternatives to traditional purpose-built scanners. However, while mobile scanners do make barcode scanning available to a wider audience and broader range of applications, concerns related to initial investments and deployment costs remain.

VDC believes that mobile scanners are just about starting to present growth potential; application development will play a major role in sustaining long-term business development for vendors in the mobile scanning ecosystem, creating apps for enterprise uses cases and extending vendors’ products to wider audiences. Distributors with vertical expertise and a strong application developer network will be key components to success, since vendors must differentiate themselves from competitors and establish strong brand images.

Mobile scanner vendors profiled as part of this report – Amazon.com, Code, Datalogic, Grabba International, Hiku, Honeywell, Infinite Peripherals, Koamtac, Opticon (OptoElectronics Co. Ltd.), Scandit, Socket Mobile, and Zebra Technologies

For more information and insights on this report, please feel free to download the Executive Brief and contact us to learn how to gain access to the full report.

Written by Shahroze Husain and Richa Gupta. For more information, be sure to review our full mobile scanning report- Mobile Barcode Scanners or contact us at [email protected].The author can be contacted directly at [email protected]

Barcode Scanner Vendors Entering Consumers’ Homes? Looks Like We’re Almost There!

What is the next step in the evolution of the barcode scanner market? Are vendors going to be restricted to B2B transactions or is there a potential consumer device opportunity for them here? In this blog post, VDC will focus its attention on two at-home scanning devices – Hiku Labs’ Hiku and Amazon’s Amazon Dash (both the wand and the button).

Hiku, an in-home barcode scanning solution designed by Silicon Valley startup Hiku Labs, is a 1D barcode scanner with a built-in microphone to help consumers build grocery and shopping lists. The product can be used at home to generate these lists by either scanning barcodes on everyday items or speaking into the device. It was first introduced to the market in October 2013 and is compatible with both Android and iOS.

What VDC finds particularly interesting is that Hiku’s executive team considers this to be a reference design or proof-of-concept while placing more value in the “smarts” built into the device (as opposed to the hardware itself). This start-up is open to having OEMs build devices that leverage its cloud-based platform, which includes barcode lookup, voice transcription, and data synchronization. Its platform enables users to scan and recognize items by retailers that do not make their UPC codes available to the public – by crowd-sourcing barcode label information and uploading it to the cloud.

As it stands today, the company’s decision to launch an in-home scanner with a 1D linear imager is purely based on the fact that most barcodes in circulation today (as part of product identification labels) are 1D. The mic allows users to add items that, for instance, they may not have around to scan. The Hiku hardware also has a magnet by which a consumer can place it on their fridge or any such surface in the kitchen. Forgoing the traditional Bluetooth connection, Hiku supports a wireless b/g/n connection to connect to the internet and user’s phone. Items which are scanned or picked up through the microphone are sent up to the cloud platform, where the item is recognized and then added to the user’s shopping list. Hiku Labs wants the product to be device-agnostic, with the ability to upload across a variety of different types of hardware and OS platforms. Hiku’s creators want OEMs to leverage their APIs and platform for at-home scanners – essentially creating hardware that plugs right in with Hiku’s solution and its capabilities – all while keeping overall costs in mind. The goal is to have consumers always pay a flat price for these products – no recurring fees or subscription-based models.

The device, as it stands today, is being piloted by notable supermarket chains – Waitrose in England and Cole’s Supermarkets in Australia; the company also announced a full rollout by French supermarket chain Chronodrive in March 2015 – marking it the first commercial availability of Hiku in the world. The device and API support multiple languages as Chronodrive customers are mainly French speaking. While Hiku is successfully piloting its products internationally, the company is yet to announce any major tie ups in the US. With the vision of providing what Hiku calls “frictionless shopping,” the company wants to reduce the steps involved in replacing items that consumers run out of. Via its partnership with Chronodrive, Hiku has enabled seamless scanning and listing of items through the device to the retailer’s app, and a mobile/e-payment option, and then having consumers simply picking up the desired items from the store-of-choice.

What VDC views as one of the primary adoption deterrents is the fact that this solution, at least for now, is designed to support only one retailer at a time, making it quite an expensive proposition for consumers looking to ease the shopping list creation process. Hiku has dropped its price per device from $79 to $29 (special promotion), making it slightly more palatable, but costly nevertheless. Most, if not all, shoppers shop at more than one store at a time. Hiku’s “exclusivity” clause with retailers could be detrimental to its future growth, making it something the company needs to work on.

Along similar lines, Amazon introduced the Amazon Dash (wand) in 2014, aimed at Amazon Fresh customers in California and Seattle. Like the Hiku device, this wand scans barcodes and is also capable of transcribing voice commands – connecting to smart devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops) via Wi-Fi, and automatically adding items to the customer’s basket on Amazon Fresh. Customers have access to everything from groceries to electronics, household tools, and games via their Amazon Fresh subscription. From VDC’s perspective, Amazon is likely to be more successful with this product than any of its competitors in the marketplace because Amazon.com is a one-stop shop, capable of fulfilling all of a consumer’s shopping requirements – plus, available for free. For now, however, its limited availability (by invitation only) is potentially holding back consumer use.

Amazon also revealed its Dash button 5 months ago, again as an “invitation only” product, but made it available to all its Prime members on September 2nd. This product is designed to help consumers instantly order more of a single product at the press of a button, pushing a confirmation notification on the phone before it ships. The company now has more than 29 CPG brands (including Bounty, Clorox, Hefty, Tide, and Ziploc) and 500 products that can be ordered with the click of a Dash Button.

The at-home scanning market still has a long ways to go, of course, but it is interesting to talk about and follow all these developments. Leading AIDC market participants are eager to learn more about how they can potentially target the end consumer with their products, and this certainly sounds like the right kind of opportunity. Potentially. While there certainly is an OEM scan engine opportunity here, can traditional barcode scanner vendors do more from a (final) product design, development, marketing, and innovation standpoint? Or is the smartphone going to be the primary at-home scanning device for consumers? Would it be more judicious for retailers to integrate voice recognition and enterprise-grade barcode scanning types of capabilities into their consumer device application itself?

VDC will explore this topic while discussing products like the Amazon Dash and Hiku in its Mobile Scanner report scheduled to publish in Q4 2015.

(With Shahroze Husain, Research Associate)

Can Scandit’s new Proof-of-Delivery (POD) system break through the rugged handheld-dominated logistics and delivery industry?

Zurich based mobile image processing and cloud computing software vendor Scandit recently announced the launch of its new mobile Proof-of-Delivery (POD) System for the logistics and transportation industry such as logistics providers, couriers and postal services. POD apps are designed to track the delivery of products through the delivery chain by scanning barcodes on packages and collecting signatures upon delivery. POD solutions are designed to improve efficiency, reduce paperwork, and eliminate errors.

Designed to enable mobile workers to use consumer grade smartphones and wearables in logistics applications, the POD solution is an all-in-one logistics suite. The system includes Scandit’s proof-of-delivery app, along with its Enterprise Mobility and Data Capture Cloud software. The app which is both Android and iOS compatible, carries features including navigation, geotagging, signature capture, and barcode scanning, supporting both 1D and 2D symbologies.

Scandit is leveraging its barcode scanner SDK and has created an app suite for transportation and logistics (T&L) around it. In addition to its Proof-of-Delivery solution, Scandit also has customizable apps for Shipping & Receiving and Asset Management in its suite of logistics solutions. The customizable apps can be leveraged by the development community to create end-to-end solutions for T&L enterprises that can customize these apps to fit their needs.

 

Image Source: Scandit.com

The image above highlights Scandit’s POD solution architecture. It works through an interconnected system where the customizable POD app, integrated with Scandit’s barcode scanner SDK installed on a smartphone, is connected to Scandit’s Enterprise Mobility and Data Capture Cloud service, which in turn is connected to clients’ current IT infrastructure with existing data sources. Scandit’s POD solution integrates with existing IT infrastructure in place for logistic providers, couriers and postal services and can connect client’s Enterprise Resource Planning, Transportation Management Systems and Warehouse Management Systems to the mobile workforce. It can also be downloaded to corporate devices or by third party contractors, allowing transparency to the full delivery chain to track progress and location in real time. Scandit’s Enterprise Mobility and Data Capture Cloud software offers device management of devices on the field, a built-in analytics dashboard, and additional configuration and management options while deliveries are being made.

Currently, the T&L industry’s primary solution for field operations is rugged devices with major companies such as FedEx, UPS, USPS, and Royal Mail all employing rugged handheld devices for their product tracking and delivery needs. The decision to go with rugged devices such as Zebra’s MC9500 (FedEx) or TC75 (Royal Mail), and the custom Mobile Delivery Device by Honeywell (USPS) is based on these devices’ usage scenarios – for making more than 100 stops per day, and the need to withstand drops, dust, water, and other outdoor conditions. Due to concerns surrounding ruggedness, companies like FedEx have traditionally stayed away from deploying consumer-grade devices for field operations but have considered using consumer grade devices with rugged cases for applications in hubs and stations. Companies in the T&L space carry out refreshes for these solutions every 4-5 years.

Scandit’s new solution may break this traditional mold as its platform uses a device’s built–in camera to capture barcode information from any angle, with high read rates and offering the same level of scanning efficiency as dedicated barcode scanners (or mobile computers with integrated scan engines) while decreasing the overall TCO as compared to dedicated solutions. Adoption rates will depend on acceptance of and investments by major logistic providers and courier services as they evaluate ROI implications.

Innovations in smartphone design and improved ruggedized casing for protecting consumer grade devices in harsh environments will play a role in the adoption of Scandit’s POD solution in the market. Scandit will likely have to wait but the company has already taken a step towards maybe bringing a big change to the T&L industry. As a result, we may soon see such solutions leveraging consumer grade devices being used beyond the hubs and stations of delivery companies in this vertical.

VDC will explore this and other mobile scanning solutions further in an upcoming VDC Report on Mobile Scanning Solutions. Stay tuned!

Zebra Technologies – Is the “Better Together” campaign really working?

Zebra Technologies reported its Q2 2015 earnings on August 11th missing analysts’ EPS estimates by $0.13 while beating on revenue. Net sales of $889.8 million for the quarter included $573 million contributed by the Enterprise business unit acquired from Motorola Solutions, a 2% increase from Q2 2014. Zebra’s legacy business (including barcode printers, card printers, consumables, location services) accounted for $320.8 million, down 3.2% from Q1 2015 but up from $288.4 million (11.2%) in Q2 2014. The company’s gross margin now stands at 44.2%, down from 49.3% for 2014; this is reflective of rebranding of legacy Motorola product, the change in product mix and the contribution of Enterprise solutions to the overall revenues, which tend to have a lower margin than legacy Zebra products.

All in all, the investor community is not pleased with the results, sending the stock down almost 24% in a day. From VDC’s perspective, this reflects the market’s reaction to the significantly lower gross margins, lower-than-expected Q3 guidance, and the $3 billion debt that Zebra Technologies has on its hands. Investors are still getting used to the new normal at the company especially given how robust its legacy business performance has been in the past few quarters, especially for what is generally viewed as a stable and relatively saturated market.

The VDC team was invited by Zebra Technologies for a day-long analyst event a few weeks ago to take a sneak peek at some (relatively) new and emerging solution offerings from the company since its acquisition of Motorola Solutions’ Enterprise business unit. VDC was privy to innovative proof-of-concepts and solution capabilities that we are not at liberty to discuss, but there certainly are products and services that we can share here on this blog.

1. MPact Marketing Platform – This is Zebra’s customer engagement offering that leverages the company’s locationing technology to generate highly personalized and (potentially) customer-specific marketing analytics and insight. This platform is designed to enable decision makers in customer-facing application environments to enhance engagement levels using information available on the MPact dashboard, giving them high levels of visibility into customer movement and providing actionable (and customizable) insights. From VDC’s perspective, the biggest potential drawback to this solution is that all of this information is only available IF customers opt-in to receive in-store or indoor notifications AND also turn on Bluetooth on their mobile devices. While this is an effort to close the gap between online and brick-and-mortar retail in terms of promotions and product recommendations, VDC does not see any material enhancements to the platform since its launch more than a year ago.
2. SimulScan Document Capture – This was, perhaps, one of the most interesting product demonstrations at the event. The API is designed to extract critical data from documents, automating data entry even with character recognition, helping organizations make the switch from paper-based tracking to one that is fully available electronically. With the ability to also capture information from multiple barcodes at the same time, VDC believes SimulScan has the potential to significantly enhance productivity, providing chain of custody of all material to improve supply chain efficiencies. Zebra now has SimulScan as part of its Mobility DNA suite which also includes Workforce Connect Push-to-Talk, RhoMobile, and Swipe Assist among others. VDC believes extending this SimulScan capability to purpose-built handheld barcode imagers will give the company a big leg-up over its competition in the highly fragmented scanning market.
3. Zebra One Care and Operational Visibility Service (OVS) – Zebra also officially released a new integrated service portfolio, Zebra OneCare – primarily offering break-fix, repair, and maintenance services for Zebra- and Symbol-branded devices. The portfolio is a combination of Zebra’s previous Zebracare and Motorola Solutions’ Service from the Start. OVS is designed to provide insight into device health, location, and utilization, and to deliver the data and analytics required to optimize device efficiency and is included for no additional charge in the Premier package of Zebra Onecare. This is a big step in Zebra’s efforts to integrate the new acquired division with its legacy business. The company is making a concerted effort to communicate the value proposition and benefits afforded by these new service portfolio extensions and enhancements enabling partners to resell and rebrand the OVS for deeper customer relationships. From VDC’s viewpoint, it will be interesting to see how the company differentiates this offering from Honeywell’s device management software for scanning and mobile devices, Remote MasterMind®.

It was interesting to see all these solutions and innovative product ideas coming from the erstwhile Motorola Solutions Enterprise unit. However, despite the branding efforts and the combined partner program launched at the Global Partner Summit in May, VDC finds the messaging to be a little disjointed. Product innovation and development continue to be largely restricted to the way things were conducted prior to the acquisition. That said, it has been less than a year since the two businesses came together. While Zebra executives may certainly be professing the “better together” mantra, we believe the market will only be convinced once it sees integrated product development and marketing initiatives from the company.

There is, obviously, a lot more to come from Zebra Technologies. The company’s messaging to its partners and customers needs to match up to expectations from a distribution and execution standpoint – a tough ask, especially given the sizable acquisition (and debt) that it has undertaken. Zebra’s (re)branding efforts in the past few months have certainly been very commendable; it is now up to the company’s leadership to take it to the next level with extensive collaboration across its two “divisions” so they really are viewed as better together by key stakeholders.

Zebra Technologies’ Stock Pops; Company Soars to New Highs

Zebra Technologies (ZBRA) reported its Q1 2015 earnings on May 13th, beating the market consensus on EPS by 27 cents and that on revenues by $11.37 million. Net sales of $892.3 million for the quarter included the $561 million contributed by the Enterprise business unit acquired from Motorola Solutions, a 6% increase on a constant currency basis. Zebra’s legacy business accounted for $331.6 million, up 15% from Q1 2014, a remarkable increase for what is generally viewed as a stable and relatively saturated market. The company’s gross margin now stands at 45.8%, down from 51.3% for 2014; this is reflective of the change in product mix and the contribution of Enterprise solutions to the overall revenues, which tend to have a lower margin than legacy Zebra products.

Zebra also spent a substantial amount on integration-related activities. The speed with which the company has integrated the two businesses is rather impressive, especially given the size and scale of each of the individual business units. In the past few weeks, Zebra has also launched a new website and hosted its annual partner conference, all with a goal to communicate its new market messaging and value propositions.

Now, here are some key highlights of the company’s first quarter performance:

• The data capture business unit experienced its second strongest quarter ever (following Q4 2013) – with a healthy run rate business and a number of large deals. Its camera-based bioptic scanner product line is doing particularly well, with the value propositions resonating immensely with large retailers in the US.
• North America and EMEA continue to be the strongest regions for Zebra. With sales of $443 million and $291 million in the two regions respectively, the company is re-affirming its market leadership position, especially with its legacy printer products.
• Retail sales were particularly strong in the US as the company saw large deals for printers, mobile computers, and data capture solutions. Healthcare has consistently been a strong performer for Zebra in the past few quarters. The trend continues with growing traction for the company’s solutions to help care providers with medication management, patient identification, and specimen tracking.
• Perhaps the most noteworthy development in Q1 was the company’s price increase announcement in Europe in late March, effective late April (after four weeks). This is a move to counter the impact of the strengthening dollar and weakening Euro on the company’s profitability and bottom line given that the region represents about 25% of overall revenues. Zebra expects high stickiness for its run rate products like printers and data capture solutions.
• Enterprise business unit sales in Asia are in the process of getting back on track after having faltered for much of 2013 due to issues with the sales force and other operational challenges. The company’s efforts to reengage with channel partners in the region and rebuild relationships seem to be paying off with sales in China up sharply for Q1. Overall revenues in the region were at $106 million with sales to customers in logistics and healthcare verticals offset weakness in demand in manufacturing.

The company expects the growth trajectory to continue into the second quarter especially with a strong pipeline for large deals. For Q2, Zebra expects total revenues in the range of $865 to $895 million. The price increase on Euro-dominated sales will start to have a positive effect this quarter and is expected to have a more pronounced impact in the second half of the year.

Following its earnings release, ZBRA’s stock went up more than 12%. This speaks of investor confidence in the company and the efficiency with which Zebra seems to be communicating its “One Zebra” message to its customers and partners. Zebra Technologies’ executive leadership is confident in its market standing and optimistic about market opportunities for the remainder of 2015. At VDC, we will continue to follow its progress and keep our readers updated.

New Research: Disruption Ahead in the Handheld Barcode Scanner Market

VDC is pleased to announce the publication of its annual study of the handheld barcode scanner market.  This research is an invaluable strategic and tactical planning tool for barcode scanner vendors and their channel partners.  Highlights of the research include:

• Forecasted revenue CAGR of 5.2% for the global market through 2017 disguises significant turmoil below the surface, for vendors, the channel and end-users.

• As 2013 nears its end, vendors are reporting slowing refresh cycles and a challenging climate outside of new, non-traditional growth markets – such as healthcare – where large investments in sales and marketing are required to win new accounts.
• The decline of laser-based scanning will accelerate over time, with a corresponding acceleration of the imager-based scanning market.
• Low cost Asian vendors will continue to steal share from the large established American and European vendors such as Motorola Solutions, Honeywell and Datalogic.
• End-user interest in the use of consumer devices for scanning is widespread, intense, and growing, posing a real opportunity for mobile device vendors and a real threat to scanner vendors focused on retail and hospitality.

To learn more, download the Executive Brief now.
(Above links to landing page with similar content. Registration required to get to e-brief.)

Revisiting Our Annual Barcode Predictions with One Quarter Remaining in 2013

With three quarters of 2013 already behind us, the VDC AutoID team thought it would be interesting to revisit the 2013 predictions we made at the start of the year. In this blog post we examine our barcode predictions and offer an update as we head into the final stretch of 2013.    

Prediction #1:

More barcode market aggregation ahead – Expect continued consolidation of the barcode hardware landscape, particularly to achieve growth across product categories, verticals and regions.

Update:  It may not even be over but 2013 will be remembered as another year in which we witnessed a large amount of vendor consolidation. The major acquisition of Intermec by Honeywell will likely be the big story of 2013. That transaction's impact and significance dwarfs all other M&A activities announced to date and more than likely any others that may be completed before year’s end.  Somewhat surprising, however, is that our prediction proved true before the Honeywell/Intermec deal closed as at least five acquisitions were announced by the end of May.

M&A announcements of note during the first three quarters in the barcode market include:

• Honeywell completed the acquisition of Intermec after receiving final FTC approval, adding new or augmenting existing solutions in voice, barcode printing, RFID and mobile computing (September).
• OCR Canada acquired Aurora Bar Code Technologies Ltd. in order to increase its presence in Western Canada and expand its enterprise mobile computers, barcode scanner, RFID and wireless network capabilities (May).
• Barcoding Inc bought Miles Technologies Inc. for an undisclosed amount in a move to increase its presence in the central US (May).
• General Data Company, a leading manufacturer and provider of barcode identification, tracking and data management products and solutions sought to expand its healthcare solutions offerings and acquired Triangle Biomedical Sciences Inc. (TBS), a leading manufacturer and supplier of instrumentation, reagents and consumables for the clinical and research pathology market (May).
• Datamax-O’Neil acquired the thermal printer assets of Source Technologies, a leading provider in specialized printing solutions (May).
• Telenor acquired Liquid Barcodes, the largest provider of mobile coupons in Norway, to strengthen its focus on coupons, value codes and loyalty solutions. Along with the company Valuecodes, in which Telenor has a controlling 51% stake, Telenor will become the leading mobile coupon player in Norway and have a strong foundation for further expansion (March).

Prediction #2:

Barcode vendors will learn to “accessorize” – More barcode hardware players will actively look to enter [or further entrench themselves in] the “accessories” market – developing sleds and/or sleeves with barcode scanner,  payment acceptance or other features that support consumer-grade device usage in retail, healthcare and enterprise environments.

Update: Starting with a large number of vendor products announced and on display at NRF, it was clear in January that “accessorizing with AutoID” was central to many product development strategies. Buoyed by the expanding BYOD trend and focus on lowering total cost of ownership (TCO), several vendors such as Griffin Technology and Honeywell have released new sleeves and sleds suited for enterprise, retail and/or healthcare environments.  

Prediction #3

Future with mobility, not without in [barcode label generation software] market – An increasing number of barcode printing software providers will extend label printing support to portable devices (both purpose-built and consumer-grade) – facilitating mobile applications such as field sales, field service and direct store delivery (DSD).

Update: We give ourselves partial credit on this prediction as the products and capabilities to support mobile printing are available, however, end-user usage of mobile print commands managed and sent from consumer devices remains in the nascent stage. At this point in the year, most barcode label generation software and barcode printer vendors have announced support (i.e., drivers, firmware) for leading mobile operating systems such as iOS and Android.  In our 2013 conversations so far, remote print management and mobile device support remain key software development areas. In fact, expect a leading barcode label generation software vendor to announce enhanced mobile device support as part of a major new product launch in early October.

Prediction #4:

Embracing the tech-savvy consumer – Scanning with and displaying barcodes on mobile device screens will continue to grow significantly among consumers. We predict more QSRs (quick service restaurants), convenience stores, restaurants, theme parks/ entertainment venues and other consumer-facing enterprises will invest in and deploy barcode imagers and consumer-grade mobile devices to interact with consumers (e.g., coupon redemption, payment, loyalty/rewards programs).

Update: This prediction was likely going to come true; however, the quick pace of adoption and strategy migration has taken vendors (and us) by surprise. For example, 2D imager adoption remains strong through three quarters with growth outpacing all other barcode product categories, especially in retail sectors. Providing examples of business strategies focused on targeting and serving  consumers armed with smartphones are supermarket chain Giant and Stop and Shop, drugstore chain CVS, and Australia’s eRX to name a few. In addition, according to their Q2 2013 Trend Report, ScanLife processed over 7 million scans in consecutive months for the first time ever, users tend to scan over 3x per month on average (a 22% increase from a year ago) and scanning from tablets has increased by a whopping 1300% from Q2 2012.

New AutoID Coverage from VDC: Announcing our Machine Vision Solutions Research Program

After several months of investigation and early market analysis conducted by our AutoID team, VDC Research Group is pleased to announce the launch of our 2014 Machine Vision Solutions Market Research Program. This new research is a natural fit with our legacy coverage of core AutoID technologies such as barcode scanners and imagers, RFID and RTLS as well as our on-going analysis within industrial automation and sensors sectors. VDC’s machine vision program will help AutoID vendors, industrial automation equipment suppliers and machine vision specialists understand the key trends, issues and drivers shaping the machine vision market in industrial and non-industrial sectors. 

Machine vision components and systems sales have emerged as a multi-billion dollar global market opportunity. At its core machine vision is the process of applying a range of technologies and methods to provide imaging-based automatic inspection, process control, robot guidance and much more. As these solutions become a more critical part of automating business processes and operations across industries, we expect broader end-user adoption and market growth in both manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors.

The research program influencer period is now open for vendors and solutions providers.  Research program influencers help shape our upcoming machine vision market coverage, segmentations, analysis and more. Please contact VDC for more information about becoming a research influencer and gain early access to machine vision insights from our AutoID team. We can be reached at: i[email protected]

Key research program components include the following:

• Track 1: VDC Views: on machine vision solution selection & deployment

• Track 2: Machine Vision Market Analysis reports for:

-    Industrial/Manufacturing Sectors

-    Emerging Markets/Verticals

• Track 3: Vendor Spotlights & Evaluation Guide
• Track 4: Machine Vision End-user Analysis report

 What are some of the key questions answered by this research program?

• Where are the growth centers for machine vision components and solutions in terms of industry sectors, applications and regions?
• Which vendors and solutions providers are leading the machine vision market today? Which companies are considered innovators shaping the future direction of the machine vision landscape?
• Which types of enterprises most frequently deploy machine vision solutions and why?
• How will vendors differentiate themselves from their peers in the highly-fragmented, highly-competitive machine vision market?
• In which environments are the relatively less complex smart camera-based machine vision systems a significant threat to PC-based solutions?

Recap of VDC's AutoID Team's Q2 Blogs: Did You Miss Any?

If you missed any blog posts from Q2, here is a recap, including hyperlinks and core AutoID technology focus for each posting. 

A Preview of our Handheld Barcode Scanner Report

AutoID Focus: Barcode

The recent trends in the barcode industry continued in 2012. What is the state of the handheld barcode market? This article looks at the state of the barcode industry and provides insight into key trends and competitive dynamics for the handheld scanner market.

Cognex watching Microscan’s products like a “Hawk”; files IP infringement claim

AutoID Focus: Barcode

In April, Cognex filed a lawsuit against competitor Microscan’s Mobile Hawk product for patent infringement: Microscan is refuting the claim of infringement alleging it is original technology.   

How does Legislation Impact Barcode Technology Adoption?

AutoID Focus: Barcode 

Many governments have looked towards barcode technology to enhance traceability of highly counterfeited products (pharmaceuticals, food, etc.). Legislation usually takes time for implementation, however. How does legislation impact barcode adoption?  

Embedded Sensing & M2M Enable Advanced Efficient Agriculture with RFID

AutoID Focus: RFID

A new product from RFMicron, the Magnus chip, allows for upgrades in typical passive RFID technology. These upgrades enhance performance and adjust performance for given levels of moisture. One particular industry this could help is agriculture. Learn more by reading this post.

What is Shaking Up the Barcode Technology Market?

AutoID Focus: Barcode

2012 was interesting year for many markets, including the barcode market. Beyond economic stagnation and volatility, there are three other factors that contributed to the performance in the barcode technology market.

TEKLYNX International Partners with VDC Research on Recent Channel Leadership Workshops

AutoID Focus: Barcode

In mid May, TEKLYNX partnered with VDC, CEO Focus, and Felton Consulting, to present two separate channel leadership workshops. These workshops offered a valuable opportunity for executive-to-executive interactions. Well over 100 attendees participated in the two live events.

Is this the end of barcode labels as we know it?

AutoID Focus: Barcode

Many technologies are changing the traditional look of black and white barcodes. Two such relevant technologies are colored barcodes and watermarks (invisible barcodes). Do these technologies prove to be the demise for barcodes or are they merely complements?

The Power of Datalogic's Magellan 9800i - Now Available

AutoID Focus: Barcode

Growth in the barcode industry has continued, anchored by the need for camera based imagers. Datalogic, this June, released a game changer for the retail industry in the multi-plane camera based scanner-scale, the Magellan 9800i, specifically for checkout.

What You See is Just Not What You Eat Anymore

AutoID Focus: Barcode

In China, many wealthy people have looked towards international sources for their cuisine. Why? Because there have been several counterfeiting scandals over the past few years. Barcode and other AutoID technology can bring asset tracking capabilities to China.

VDC's AutoID & Data Capture Practice's Summer Intern Gets Enamored by RFID

AutoID Focus: RFID

Several factors of everyday life are often misunderstood or generally ignored. VDC’s AutoID & Data Capture Practice's summer intern’s baptism into the world of AutoID, especially RFID, was eye opening and empowering. 

The Magic of Macy’s Omni-Channel Retailing Strategy Becoming More Potent with RFID

AutoID Focus: RFID

Omni-channel retail is an ideal in which all channels of a retailer are seamlessly integrated such that information is shared in real time. Macy’s has implemented RFID at the item-level for apparel and moving toward tagging other items with the goal of enabling omni-channel retailing.

The RFID Application Invasion Marches on

AutoID Focus: RFID

Friedrich Dick (a German cutlery company), Fleye (an action sports filming company), and the government of Taipei are all using RFID in creative ways. As RFID becomes more affordable and accessible, a higher number of companies and organizations are looking to implement RFID as solutions.

DC Velocity Talks Item-Level RFID and Distribution Centers with VDC’s Mike Liard

AutoID Focus: RFID

DC Velocity magazine sought thought leadership from several RFID experts on the impact that item-level RFID tagging will have on distribution centers. Mike Liard, of VDC, helped DC Velocity on both an article and a webcast concerning this issue.

TEKLYNX International Partners with VDC Research on Recent Channel Leadership Workshops

TEKLYNX International recently conducted two live exclusive workshops for resellers, partnering
with VDC Research Group, CEO Focus and Felton Consulting for the events. The virtual workshops were designed for executive-to-executive dialogue on topics to help better position TEKLYNX’s reseller partners and their AIDC business for continued growth and success. These workshops also served as a fitting platform for TEKLYNX to unveil its new Strategic Partner Program.

Thefirst live “Channel Leadership: Fast Lane to Success” workshop was held Thursday, May 16^th and drewover 85 attendees. It was an outstanding turnout and a highly successful event.  And, due to a high level of demand, TEKLYNX invested in a second workshop that took place Wednesday, May 22^nd that netted roughly 40 attendees.    

Through the workshop attendees engaged in discussions around:

- The past, present and future of the AIDC industry – to ensure attendees’ businesses align with future AIDC customer/user trends to avoid falling behind.

- Best-in-class business strategies and processes.

- Tools to leverage to grow, track and manage resellers’ businesses.

- Tips to stay competitive and relevant through the right product mix, competencies and partners.

VDC Research was very excited to be a part of this workshop to discuss how the AIDC market has evolved in terms of product development as well as end user adoption and reseller evolution. First, VDC took a look at end user AIDC product adoption trends. We then walked attendees through reseller trends and market dynamics – past, present and future.

During the workshops, the best way for us to depict the evolution of the AIDC market was through a bell curve, starting with the early innovators and moving through to new innovation. In the book Crossing the Chasm, the author proposes a “Technology Adoption Lifecycle,” represented by a bell-shaped curve which describes the chronology of when companies adopt technologies. Our curve was an adaptation and was shaped to reflect key points in time against user demand and end user classification types spanning the innovators in the 1970s through various end user adoption groups to the new innovation or innovators being seen today and in the future. We repeated the bell curve exercise for the reseller community, highlighting key moments in the storied history of AIDC.

The importance was to communicate how end user needs have changed with their demand over time and how those needs have impacted AIDC market and solution development, especially among the reseller community.   

Attendee feedback was extremely positive and stellar questions were posed throughout the workshops.

A special thank you to Laura Henderson, General Manager at TEKLYNX, and her highly dedicated team for inviting VDC Research to participate in and contribute to both workshops.

If you were unable to attend either workshop, please contact the TEKLYNX Partner Manager at 414-837-4768 for more information.