Westminster, Colo., August 2, 2006 – SkyeTek, Inc., the leading provider of embedded RFID reader technology, today announced availability of the M9 UHF SkyeModule, the world’s smallest, least expensive EPC Gen 1 Class 1/2 and ISO 18000-6B/C OEM reader module that meets regulatory compliance requirements for the world’s major markets including North America, Europe (ETSI 302 208), Korea, and Japan. Approximately half the size of a business card, the M9 was designed for embedded UHF applications such as item-level inventory, handheld reading / encoding, and printing.

Based on SkyeTek’s Advanced Universal Reader Architecture (AURA), the M9 leads the industry in UHF reader price-performance due to its ReaderWare software layer. ReaderWare provides advanced reader intelligence that not only delivers adaptive behavior, broad tag support, and industry standard security, but also performs functions traditionally performed in hardware allowing the M9 to achieve uncommon efficiencies in cost, performance, power consumption, and form factor. Priced at $199 per module and $59 per ReaderWare license, the M9 offers unparalleled value in the embedded UHF reader market.

“UHF in RFID is typically associated with dock door readers used in supply chain,” said
Drew Nathanson, RFID Practice Director at Venture Development Corporation. “We believe embedded applications, where the reader becomes designed into shelves, containers, and machinery, will drive the next wave of significant RFID adoption in both UHF and HF.”

The M9 offers support for anti-collision, dense reader mode, security, inductive UHF, and a broad array of EPC Class 1 Gen1/2 and ISO 18000-6B/C tags, including soon-to-be-released tags based on new Gen 2 silicon. As tag memory increases, customers will be able to leverage ReaderWare Security to provide privacy protection, anti-tampering, and anti-counterfeiting on generic tags without incurring additional cost. These features come standard in the M9 which is offered as a single, global SKU allowing the factory or end user to set which country mode it should operate in.

“The M9 is based on SkyeTek’s Advanced Universal Reader Architecture, which has been developed from the ground up for embedded RFID applications,” stated Rob Balgley, CEO of SkyeTek. “Market feedback on AURA and the M9 has been very positive. We not only sold out of all pre-production units but also have generated a significant backlog heading into our official launch period.”

Customers can purchase SkyeTek’s M9 as a module or ReaderWare license. Licensing also provides customers with access to the M9 ReaderDNA reference design, allowing them to integrate the technology directly into their product design and realize 40 – 70% cost savings as a result.

The M9 is available immediately with regulatory pre-scan testing completed for North America, Europe (ETSI 302 208), Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. Pre-scan testing for Japan will complete in August.


About SkyeTek, Inc.
SkyeTek, Inc. develops reader technology that enables the pervasive adoption of RFID as an embedded feature in existing products. Customers use SkyeTek’s technology to create new applications for their product lines in areas such as anti-counterfeiting, configuration management, consumables authentication, item-level inventory, patient safety, patron management, contactless payment, and mobile data collection. SkyeTek specifically designed AURA to serve as the multi-frequency, universal reader architecture for embedded RFID applications. AURA’s common architecture disaggregates the RFID reader into a ReaderWare software layer, optimized for broad tag support, reader intelligence and easy application integration, and ReaderDNA hardware reference designs, crafted to optimize read range / performance while exploiting Moore’s Law for gains in cost, space, and power efficiency. SkyeTek offers its AURA-based products as either a SkyeModule or ReaderWare license, which comes with access to ReaderDNA. Customers using SkyeTek represent numerous vertical markets and range from mid- market companies to Fortune 500 corporations. Based in Westminster, Colo., SkyeTek sells exclusively through OEMs, systems integrators, and distributors. For more information about SkyeTek, visit www.skyetek.com or call 720-565-0441.