Real-Time Visibility Through Technology : BizTalk RFID

Microsoft BizTalk RFID 2009 Operations Guide is now available!!!

sudhirh — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 01:34:04 GMT

We launched BizTalk RFID 2009 operations guide. It is a great document if you are thinking of deploying BizTalk RFID in your environment.

Welcome to the first edition of the Microsoft® BizTalk® Server RFID Operations Guide. We created this guide to be a valuable resource for anyone involved in the implementation and administration of a BizTalk Server RFID solution.

To download a copy of this guide in .chm or .docx form, go to http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=158724.

Which Versions of BizTalk Server RFID Does the Guide Cover?

This guide is primarily for the BizTalk Server RFID product that is released as part of Microsoft BizTalk Server 2009. Even though most of the guidance applies to BizTalk Server RFID that was released as part of BizTalk Server 2006 R2, the guide uses the new platform changes wherever applicable.

What’s in It?

This document applies to the operational readiness phase in the solution life cycle management of the project. The operational readiness phase precedes deployment to production. It consists of a set of tasks for ensuring a stable operating environment. It is targeted toward system administrators responsible for BizTalk Server RFID (server computers and RFID devices), DBAs responsible for the SQL servers used by BizTalk Server RFID, and developers involved with maintaining the infrastructure and solution. This document assumes that the BizTalk Server RFID solution has already been validated in a Pilot stage and is prepared for deployment to production.

Key portions of this guide are new; however, a considerable portion consists of documentation taken from BizTalk Server RFID Help, white papers, Knowledge Base articles, and other sources. It has been reviewed and evaluated by experts from the community of BizTalk Server IT professionals and members of the product development team, whom we gratefully acknowledge at the end of this topic. We believe that the information presented here will help BizTalk Server RFID users solve—and above all, avoid—many of the common problems that can occur while deploying and maintaining a BizTalk Server RFID installation.

Interesting! Where Do I Start?

We organized the guide according to the functional aspects of planning, deploying, and managing a BizTalk Server RFID installation. You can therefore read it according to these functional aspects. If you are performing the following tasks, you can start with the related sections:

Evaluating operational readiness. If you are focused on assessing and evaluating the operational readiness of a BizTalk Server RFID deployment, then start by reading the Operations Checklists section.

Becoming operationally ready. To ensure that your BizTalk Server RFID infrastructure and applications become operationally ready, refer to the Planning the Environment for BizTalk Server RFID section.

Managing the operational environment. Most of the topics in this operations guide assist you in managing and maintaining an operational BizTalk Server RFID environment. You will find best practices, key concepts, and procedures for maintaining an operational environment in Managing BizTalk Server RFID and Monitoring BizTalk Server RFID.

Author: Rama Ramani (Microsoft)

Editor: Mary Browning (Microsoft)

Contributors

Mark Simms (Microsoft)

Rohan Makhija (Microsoft)

Ravi Vankamamidi (S3Edge)

Clint Tennill (Xterprise)

Damir Dobric, Andreas Erben (daenet)

Mick Badran (Breeze, BizTalk Server MVP)

Reviewers

Petr Kratochvil (Microsoft)

Ewan Fairweather (Microsoft)

Quoc Bui (Microsoft)

Douglas Trimble (The Boeing Company)

Robert Auston (Vail Resorts Management Company)

Luke Rennells (Bank of America N.A.)

Microsoft BizTalk Server 2009 RFID Operations Guide

Microsoft announces new BizTalk Server 2009 SKUs for partners

sudhirh — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Today at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference, we announced availability for BizTalk Server 2009 Enterprise Runtime, BizTalk Server 2009 Standard Runtime Edition, and BizTalk Server 2009 RFID.

We recently launched BizTalk Server 2009, which is currently helping more than 8500 customers worldwide to integrate business applications and partners and to automate and simplify processes, and the customer base continues to grow

We offer multiple editions of BizTalk Server to enable any size company to leverage the product capabilities.

BizTalk Server 2009 Enterprise Runtime Edition: Every application needs to integrate with other applications in customer environments and solution companies do not want to reengineer and build an integration server from scratch. BizTalk Server 2009 Enterprise Runtime edition provides all integration capabilities with high availability features and all the adapters to systems like SAP, Oracle E-Business Suite and Mainframe systems. Enterprise Runtime is a special edition for partners designed to be used in support of their ISV application, as part of a unified solution. BizTalk Server 2009 Enterprise Runtime includes all capabilities, adapters and accelerations and supports scale out/failover, multi-server configuration with multiple message boxes.

BizTalk Server 2009 Standard Runtime Edition: BizTalk Server 2009 Standard Runtime Edition is a great option for partners who need low cost option and do not need high availability. Standard Runtime includes all the capabilities of BizTalk Server along with all adapters to embed inside ISV application. Standard Runtime allows partners to deliver 1 BizTalk application and connect to 1 external application. Goal of Standard Runtime is to provide integration capability at a very low price for ISV partners.

BizTalk Server 2009 RFID Edition: RFID is being used to transform business processes by companies across industry verticals. Microsoft first delivered RFID platform as part of BizTalk Server 2006 R2. Now in its 6^th version, BizTalk Server 2009 has made major enhancements to this platform including application platform for mobile RFID devices and support for industry standards like EPCIS, LLRP, and TDT/TDS. Microsoft also received EPCIS certification from GS1 EPCGlobal for BizTalk Server 2009. BizTalk RFID 2009 is a dedicated SKU for partners and customers interested in RFID deployments. It provides capabilities like high availability, plug and play devices; enterprise manageability with System center and SDK for partners and customers to build RFID enabled solutions etc.

More information on all BizTalk Server editions is available at http://www.microsoft.com/biztalk/en/us/editions.aspx.

Biztalk/Sharepoint/... - Unoffical Launch of the BizTalk 2009 Light and Easy WebCast Series

sudhirh — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:31:00 GMT

Mick is doing an amazing stuff with pulling together webcasts for BizTalk Server 2009. :) Check out his blog for more details.

Hi folks, been a little quiet on the blogging front lately as myself and other BizTalk Industry exerts have been busy creating a Series of Webcasts focused on BizTalk 2009 features.

I came up with this idea 3 months ago and we’re finally almost through the other side – all the guys gave up their own spare time to share their field expertise and knowledge.

The line is great! comprising of MVPs and field experts whom have got runs on the board.

I hope you enjoy the series, there’s a couple that are still to come, but we can’t hold it back any further.

You can see them all here - http://cloudtv.cloudapp.net/Default.aspx?category=BizTalk (Alan Smith has been very kind to offer hosting) – NOTE: not all the webcasts here are part of the Series, most are :) (I’m working on getting a sub-category)

Mick's Breeze Blogs - Biztalk/Sharepoint/... - Unoffical Launch of the BizTalk 2009 Light and Easy WebCast Series

Vail Resorts Case study launched!!!

sudhirh — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:57:40 GMT

This is a great BizTalk RFID case study in hospitality. :)

Resort Streamlines Skier Check-In, Improves Data Collection with RF Technology

Enhancing the guest experience is central to the corporate mission at Vail Resorts, but ski lift pass authentication for season pass holders was often a time-consuming process due to passes being worn under layers of winter clothing. In addition, the company had little visibility into the skiing patterns of its guests. Vail Resorts switched to season passes embedded with radio frequency (RF) tags that can be scanned through a skier’s jacket, streamlining the pass-holder authentication process. The company also placed RF scanners on upper-mountain lifts to capture lift access data that helps sharpen targeted marketing. The solution uses Microsoft® BizTalk® Server RFID and SQL Server® 2005 to handle authentication transactions, SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services for data analysis, and Windows® Communication Foundation for point-to-point data exchange.

Microsoft Case Studies: Vail Resorts

Microsoft Dynamics NAV and RFID

sudhirh — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:55:57 GMT

Many of you have asked me about Dynamics Nav and RFID story. Following blog post by Naveen is a great one to get started.

Now it was left for us to how to provide a solution in a timely manner that our partners and customers could benefit from. To begin with we chose Microsoft BizTalk RFID technology that provides a device independent platform for integrating various RFID scanners, printers and solutions. This technology platform coupled with power of Dynamics NAV gave us ample opportunity to build a showcase implementation.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV and RFID - Microsoft Dynamics NAV Team

RFID Industry Business Conditions - May 2009 | RFID Monthly

sudhirh — Wed, 20 May 2009 03:25:53 GMT

Nice Article.

Our conversations with industry players confirms our most recent survey work, which suggests improving pipelines, but difficulty converting into revenue. Even tried-and-true hardware, such as traditional bar code equipment, is experiencing meaningful delays as companies look to defer capital spending. We see most emphasis on software and services in the near-term to improve existing automated data capture equipment. We are aware of more innovative selling practices that seek to incorporate new solutions into operating budgets instead of capital budgets, which require a high approval threshold. This seems to illustrate why we are seeing leasing options becoming increasingly prevalent.

RFID Industry Business Conditions - May 2009 | RFID Monthly

Videos: TechTalk Recordings from TechED 2009 US

sudhirh — Tue, 19 May 2009 01:40:08 GMT

Following are Tech Talk videos we recorded in this year at Tech-ED US

BizTalk Server

BizTalk RFID

BizTalk HIS

Unlock the Information Assets on the Mainframe through BizTalk Host Integration Server

TechEd 2009 is here!!!

sudhirh — Thu, 07 May 2009 08:22:03 GMT

I will be speaking at TechED 2009 in LA next week. Let meet if you are going to be attending. :) Following are details of my session…

Title: Microsoft BizTalk Goes Mobile: Collecting Physical World Events from Mobile Devices

Abstract: Every day more high-performing companies connect their internal departments, their support networks, and their demand and supply chains. Reducing the cost and complexity of supply chain management, Microsoft and its large ecosystem of hardware and software partners are working to enable mass adoption of RFID, SOA, and B2B solutions by developing feature-rich, low cost end-to-end RFID solutions. These solutions empower people to gain productivity and business efficiencies. This session showcases real-world deployments and shows how BizTalk RFID can be used at edge of enterprise to capture physical world transactions and integrate these to existing enterprise applications using core EAI, B2B, and EDI capabilities of BizTalk Server.

Microsoft Releases BizTalk Server 2009

sudhirh — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 07:34:18 GMT

Today we announced general availability(GA) of BizTalk server 2009. Actually I got an opportunity to announce the availability as part of my keynote at RFID Journal Live event in Orlando. :) We had roughly 2200 attendees with 3 customers(Continental, American Apparel and Vail Resorts) co-presenting with me and Colin. Following are few more details on what’s new in BizTalk Server 2009…

How to Cut Operational Costs and Improve Inventory Management With RFID

sudhirh — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 03:50:27 GMT

Date: Apr. 14, 2009
Time: 2:00 to 3:00 PM EDT
Your company can create near-term customer value and strategic long-term differentiation by connecting your warehouse and factory-floor activities using easy-to-deploy RFID solutions.
Presenters:
• Ingo Heel, Director of Operational Excellence Solutions,
Microsoft Industry Solutions
• Anush Kumar, CTO and VP Business Development, S3Edge, Inc.
Moderator:
• Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal
Companies can obtain significant and immediate cost reductions by linking activities from your warehouse and factory-floor operations to a controlling enterprise application in real time. Recent technology developments allow this linkage to be accomplished with minimal modification to existing enterprise applications, and with little disruption to current process workflows. These technologies include the availability of high-performance fixed RFID interrogators, Windows-based mobile RFID readers (handheld and forklift), and solution providers such as S3Edge, with packaged software applications that connect all of the parts.
With a three-tiered approach incorporating on-demand, on-premise and on-device components, packaged real-time visibility systems from S3Edge connect enterprise applications to physical-world events, thereby providing a quantum leap in inventory and process visibility for your business and customers. The result is a substantial reduction in the number of errors, and in the associated operations and labor costs required to recover from such mistakes. Moreover, putting in place the proper enterprise architecture for real-time applications enables the transformation of internal processes and operations in the long run.
Key Takeaways:
• An understanding of the sources of most common errors—information contained in an enterprise application does not correspond to the physical-world reality.
• The measurable cost of those errors, both quantitative and qualitative.
• A deeper understanding of how S3Edge's real-time visibility systems reduce or eliminate mistakes by walking through detailed customer examples.
Special Webcast Offer for Participants:
S3Edge is a leading provider of real-time visibility systems for warehouse and factory-floor automation applications. The company, together with Microsoft and its mobile RFID device partners, will provide a no-cost evaluation of your warehouse and factory-floor operation to estimate the cost and expected return of deploying a real-time visibility system.

BizTalk Mobile case study: Score Group plc

sudhirh — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 04:00:08 GMT

Another BizTalk Mobile Case study is live.

Score Group plc wanted to streamline a paper-based process that employees use to track valve-inspection information. The solution needed to be portable and easy to use by both employees in warehouses and personnel in rugged, offshore environments. The company addressed its challenges by using a radio frequency identification (RFID) solution built with Microsoft® BizTalk® RFID Mobile and Windows Mobile® devices. Microsoft Gold Certified Partner IDBLUE helped to design and deploy the solution in just three months. The new automated system has reduced valve-inspection times and helped to improve employee productivity in the office—both by 5 to 15 percent. In addition, the solution promotes greater levels of data accuracy and is flexible and scalable so that Score Group can adapt it to support additional corporate locations and to provide for automated billing.

Microsoft Case Studies: Score Group plc

UK RFID Conference 2009

sudhirh — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 09:33:28 GMT

We are hosting a RFID conference in UK. Please read below for abstract and register.

Welcome to the Microsoft RFID Conference! We are excited to host you at this first annual congregation comprised of partners, customers, and Microsoft industry leaders to be held on February 25th, 2009 at the Microsoft Campus in Reading on the most comprehensive, integrated real-time enterprise solutions platform in the industry today – BizTalk RFID. The conference is expected to draw approximately 100+ senior industry executives, and will provide attendees with a detailed, in-depth look into:

Real-time software solutions for enterprise deployments, across verticals

Business value driven by RFID solutions with focus on performance, ROI and costs reduction

Cross Industry-Priority solution efforts at Microsoft that will utilize RFID and sensor data to deliver efficiencies for a People-Ready business across the value chain

Microsoft’s platform vision, deliverables, and roadmap for RFID and Sensor based solutions

UK RFID Conference 2009

Microsoft unveils Retail Experience Center

sudhirh — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 04:47:17 GMT

Retail experience center is an amazing retail store environment created by Microsoft. I was involved in this initiative from early phases. We are showcasing multiple RFID enabled process inside the store. Starting from back store receiving location where items get tagged, store inventory is tracked and finally RFID enabled POS system helps expedite check out process. There are multiple other RFId processes and we will be adding lot more scenarios. Following is more info from Microsoft official press pass.

Located at Microsoft Corp.’s headquarters in Redmond, Wash., the Microsoft Retail Experience Center is a private, 20,000-square-foot facility housing a fully functioning, interactive store environment, from point of service to receiving dock.

Located at Microsoft Corp.’s headquarters in Redmond, Wash., the Microsoft Retail Experience Center is a private, 20,000-square-foot facility housing a fully functioning, interactive store environment, from point of service to receiving dock.
The Retail Experience Center features in-store displays of Microsoft consumer products and showcases powerful ways to help cut costs, create efficiencies, streamline operations, and promote and sell goods − within the aisles, in the employee break room, at receiving and shipping, at checkout, across the Web, and even at home or on the go.

PhotoSynth created by Tim Gruver

Retail Experience Center Videos

Sure Reach: Records-Management Company Deploys RFID at the Item Level

sudhirh — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:41:33 GMT

Dave Friedlos from RFID Journal has written a great article on Sure Reach.Sure Reach has deployed RFID enabled records management systems based on BizTalk RFID. HP is the global partners who has made this happen. :)

Sure-Reach has attached EPC Gen 2 tags to 1.1 million documents, making the Malaysian firm more efficient and better able to locate and inventory its clients' records.

A Malaysian records-management company is employing radio frequency identification to track more than 1 million paper documents and 500,000 cartons.
Sure-Reach, which stores its clients' records, is using ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) EPC Gen 2 tags at its warehouse in Shah Alam, near Kuala Lumpur, to track the documents throughout the facility, and to improve the process of taking inventory.

Tagged documents and boxes are identified as they enter or leave Sure-Reach's warehouse in Shah Alam.

RFID Journal - - RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) Technology News & Features

Supply Chain : Sensor Enabling Supply Chains with RFID 2.0

sudhirh — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 23:19:00 GMT

Worldwide Director of CRM, ERP and Supply Chain Solutions at Microsoft Colin Masson wrote a great article on Sensor Enabling Supply Chains with RFID 2.0. It is a great read and also highlights great work and thought leadership by S3 Edge. Colin writes...

In launching our blog, I introduced 10 Megatrends I saw shaping future supply chain investments. One of those was “Sensor Enabling Supply Chains”, and while I wasn’t just referring to RFID, I want to draw everyone’s attention to our recent introduction of Mobile support for BizTalk RFID, and some innovative work demonstrating this capability at the Gartner AADI Conference earlier this week. What was particularly exciting about this demonstration by the Microsoft BizTalk RFID team and S3Edge, was how on-premise RFID captured on premise, was made available in the ‘Cloud’ for multi-enterprise visibility, analysis and collaboration. I posed a few questions to Anush Kumar of S3Edge about what they are describing as RFID 2.0, and the role they see the Microsoft Cloud (Windows Azure) playing in “Real Time Visibility Solutions”:

Supply Chain : Sensor Enabling Supply Chains with RFID 2.0