20 May 2004 — In a bid to enable the many benefits available to the retail supply chain from Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), GXS unveiled today its strategy to support electronic product code (EPC)-based information throughout its worldwide electronic trading networks and application services. GXS also announced today that it has joined EPCglobal as a solution partner to drive the deployment of an industry standard EPC Network, and speed customer adoption of RFID.

Major retailers are now deploying RFID technology to track goods as they move through the supply chain, enabling business managers to pinpoint the location and movement of goods within minutes. Currently, data is transmitted in batched formats, often out of synch with the actual real-time movements of inventory. The current methodology builds in unnecessary costs of redundant inventory, stock-outs and other inefficiencies, hindering the real-time visibility of inventory.

“Global eXchange Services is committed to the success of RFID by leading the deployment of EPC-based capabilities throughout the supply chains of both small and large businesses,” said David Kraemer, vice president of global market development for GXS. “To accomplish this goal, our networks and application services will carry EPC identifiers in process exchanges relating to products tracked and traced across the value chain. Our customers, technology partners and industry organisations have validated the need for this leadership.”

Regarding the Company’s commitment to standards, Kraemer continued, “GXS is committed to standards-based trading when the benefits for broad adoption of a viable standard reduces complexity. Our commitment to EPCglobal will ensure that our customers are prepared to take advantage of the benefits of RFID.”

GXS will build enhancements across its solution suites to incorporate EPC-based data as an element of its overall EPC strategy, including the following key areas:

• Embracing EPC within Data Synchronisation. GXS’ Data Synchronisation Solutions will assist organisations in providing automated processes for reconciling synchronised product information with physical movement data, to ensure that the right products have arrived at the expected destinations, in the expected configurations.
• Enhancing Application Services to Leverage Real-Time EPC Data. Global eXchange Services’ Supply Chain Execution Solutions will add support for RFID tag events and will enhance key processes, such as exception management and logistics visibility track-and-trace services.
• Simplifying Supplier Participation. GXS’ Small-and-Medium Business (SMB) Solutions will integrate RFID tag encoding and printing capability into its enablement platforms to support case-and-pallet labeling.

“Companies seeking to participate in the full benefits of RFID should begin planning and implementing now,” commented Kraemer. “Today, GXS has enabled the capability of exchanging this data in collaboritive process exchanges.”

Dicki Lulay, president of EPCglobal US, said that GXS’ participation is a strong indication of the technology's importance to businesses and consumers alike. "We applaud Global eXchange Services’ commitment to partnering with us in the development of an open and standards-based commercialisation of the EPC Network and RFID technology. Its participation in EPCglobal US is a strong indication of its support of EAN and the UCC in commercialising this technology to ultimately help companies in multiple industries view their supply chains in real time, saving time, money and speed to market."

“Data Synchronisation is the key collaboritive e-business foundation for RFID, EPC and other initiatives in the horizon,” said Kosin Huang, Yankee Group Business Applications and Commerce senior analyst. “GXS has established a leadership position in data synchronisation and product information management. By integrating EPC with their data synchronisation solutions, they are demonstrating their commitment to trading networks that incorporate RFID signals with other data streams to provide true real time inventory management capabilities.”

About EPCglobal
EPCglobal, Inc., a joint venture between EAN International and the Uniform Code Council (UCC), is a not-for-profit organisation entrusted to drive the global, multi-industry adoption and implementation of the EPC NetworkTM. EPCglobal leverages the nearly thirty year heritage of EAN International and the UCC in successfully partnering with industry. The neutral, consensus-based, standards organisation aims to make organisations more effective by enabling true visibility of information about items in the supply chain by developing and managing standards for the EPC Network. For more information on EPCglobal visit www.EPCglobalinc.org or www.EPCglobalUS.org. EPCglobal US is an affiliate of EPCglobal serving subscribers in the United States to help foster the adoption of the EPC Network and related technology.

About GXS
GXS is a leading global provider of B2B e-commerce solutions that simplify and enhance business process integration and collaboration. Organisations worldwide, including more than 75 percent of the Fortune 500, leverage GXS Trading Grid® to achieve balance between supply and demand. Active in the global standards arena, GXS solutions enable customers both large and small, to connect with global partners, synchronise product information, optimise inventory levels and demand forecasts, and accelerate the execution of supply chains.

Headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., GXS provides sales and support to businesses and their partners worldwide. For more information about GXS visit www.gxs.co.uk.