Business News
Zebra Technologies Acquires Multispectral Solutions, Inc.
Thursday 17. April 2008 - Leader in Ultra Wideband technology adds to Zebra's portfolio of identification and tracking solutions
Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ:ZBRA) today announced the acquisition of Multispectral Solutions, Inc. (MSSI). Based in Germantown, MD, MSSI is a global provider of ultra wideband (UWB) real-time locating systems and other UWB-based wireless technology. Terms of the all-cash transaction were not disclosed. MSSI will become part of the Zebra Enterprise Solutions Group business unit.
“MSSI’s products and technology are an excellent complement to Zebra’s Gen 2 passive RFID and other active RFID products,” said John Dillon, senior vice president of Zebra Technologies and general manager of Zebra Enterprise Solutions Group. “With a strong reputation for quality and innovation, UWB technology from MSSI is particularly attractive for its locating precision and cost advantages in challenging industrial environments. It will enable us to provide more solutions for our customers to identify, track and manage assets, people and transactions.”
MSSI products, including its Sapphire DART real-time locating system, are currently used in manufacturing, distribution, retail and government in a broad range of asset and personnel tracking applications. MSSI systems are deployed to locate personnel in high-risk environments, such as refineries, for greater industrial safety. Other important MSSI applications include the location and tracking of high-value corporate IT assets in large-scale data centers and the tracking of inventories, material handling equipment and parts in complex manufacturing environments.
Founded in 1988 by Dr. Robert J. Fontana, a Fellow of the IEEE, award-winning MSSI is a pioneer in the development and commercialization of UWB, a radio technology. Using very low energy for short-range, high-bandwidth communications, UWB can be used to locate items with accuracy from one foot to within inches. It is ideally suited for use in electronically “noisy” environments such as factories, warehouses and computer room installations because of UWB’s ability to withstand interference caused by radio signal reflection off metal and other surfaces. The small size, low cost and long battery life of UWB transmitters make solutions incorporating UWB technology an excellent choice for real-time location of multiple assets or people for safety and security purposes.
“As part of Zebra Technologies, we will be able to accelerate the development and deployment of our UWB-based solutions,” stated Dr. Fontana. “Zebra’s financial strength, global reach and deep domain expertise in several industries make it the ideal organization with which to move forward.”
Zebra Enterprise Solutions Group was formed from the acquisitions of Navis, proveo and WhereNet in 2007. This business unit of Zebra Technologies demonstrates Zebra’s leadership in providing complete solutions for asset tracking, location, and optimization needs in the global supply chain.