Visible Assets Inc., a leader in the development of product and asset visibility solutions that use wireless RuBee technology, today announced that it has received a strategic investment from Epson Electronics America (EEA).

RuBee technology, which Visible Assets has pioneered, is a low-frequency visibility network protocol that delivers a number of advantages over conventional RFID tags. RuBee tags can be made as thin as 1.5 mm, operate for as long as 10 years using a coin-sized lithium ion battery, and work in underwater and underground environments that obstruct higher-frequency RFID signals. Visible Assets is using its patented RuBee technology to offer supply chain and asset visibility platforms to customers in a variety of industry sectors where real-time asset determination is needed.

"This investment will provide both companies with new commercial opportunities in many markets," said Mr. Toshio Akahane, CEO of Epson Electronics America. "EEA and our parent company, Seiko Epson Corporation in Japan, plan to offer RuBee-enabled silicon devices, as well as using the technology in a wide variety of products."

The RuBee protocol works with both active radio tags and passive tags that have no battery. A controlled reading range of 1 to 100 feet and an integrated clock ensure high security and privacy. The ability of RuBee tags to maintain performance around steel removes a key obstacle for low-cost deployment of RFID in retail environments, where steel shelving is commonly used.

"With its high-volume manufacturing experience and worldwide presence, EEA is an ideal partner for Visible Assets and our RuBee technology," said John K. Stevens, chairman of Visible Assets, Inc. "Epson's experience in high-volume markets will expand our horizons as a company. The integration of Epson's manufacturing capability and microelectronics expertise with our RuBee technology will create an effective solution in the marketplace for many new applications."

RuBee technology is supported by the pending IEEE P1902.1 standard, which is being elaborated by an IEEE Standards Association working group chaired by Mr. Stevens. EEA's David Lamar, general manager of the Epson IC group for the Americas, serves as the working group's vice chairman.

"Visible Assets and EEA are currently working with many other established organizations to develop new RuBee markets in a variety of industries," Mr. Stevens added. "It is our hope that RuBee and IEEE P1902.1 will become the wireless standard for many valuable visibility applications, and this new partnership is an important step towards achieving that goal."

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