Vendor Catalog

WhereNet - RFID-based supply chain solution company 

WhereNet^® designs, builds, and markets wireless supply chain visibility solutions for locating, tracking, and managing supply chain resources. WhereNet systems are being used by several major Fortune 500 companies including Ford Motor Company and Coca-Cola, to manage inventory, track containers, monitor job orders, connect wireless call (Kanban) systems, locate property, ensure quality processes, and provide personal safety. WhereNet's Web-enabled solutions connect an enterprise’s resources and assets to its information system in real time. Driven by wireless radio tags and fixed position antennas, WhereNet’s real-time solutions offer lower operating costs, improved return-on-assets, and higher levels of customer service. Founded in 1997, WhereNet is funded by Crosspoint Venture Partners, Foundation Capital, Bay Partners, and Crescendo. Ford Motor Company and Sun Microsystems have also invested in WhereNet. WhereNet is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., with sales offices throughout the United States and Europe. 

Market Overview

The Supply Chain Process Management (SCPM) market, also called Supply Chain Event Management and Supply Chain Visibility, which exceeded $125 million in 2000, will more than quadruple to $518 million by the end of 2005, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of just under 33 percent, according to a May 2001 study by the ARC Advisory Group. As the worldwide leader of wireless supply chain visibility solutions, WhereNet is rapidly expanding into new markets with ever-evolving applications. WhereNet’s core focus is to optimize supply chain flow in the industrial manufacturing, automotive, and retail industries, and the transportation and logistics markets. Additionally, through its WhereNet Aware Partner program, WhereNet has partnered with leading application software firms and also licensed its technology to companies integrating applications for the health care industry, security industry and theme park market.

WhereNet's real-time location and tracking applications combine patented advances in spread-spectrum wireless technology that provide the ability to locate any tagged object within an accuracy of 10 feet (3 meters).  The result is constant, on-demand information about valuable assets in the supply chain, their physical location, and status. The WhereNet solution consists of four major components:

• WhereTags - These inexpensive locating devices consist of extremely low-powered RF transmitters that when placed on an object or person, communicate at regular intervals, ranging from every few seconds to once every several minutes, the location of the tagged item or the location of a specific activity or requirement.
• WhereNet Location Infrastructure – This cellular network of location antennas, spaced 200-300 feet apart indoors and 700 feet or more outdoors, is connected to a location processor that determines the real-time location of the WhereTag. The location processors then transmit this signal to an NT server that contains a SQL 7.0 database. The SQL database stores all of the information making it available for analysis.
• WhereNet and Third-Party Software – Customers can use the real-time location information to provide immediate decision support for a wide variety of applications. The WhereNet Visibility Software Suite (VSS) provides the analysis for determining the location of the tags and a rich set of software development tools for integrating customer and third-party applications. WhereNet applications include yard management, container tracking, vehicle management, and wireless call (Kanban). A broad range of applications and integration services are available from WhereNet Aware Partners.
• WhereNet Services – WhereNet’s comprehensive services include on-location site surveys to determine systems requirements, installation assistance, and a wide array of ongoing maintenance and support offerings.

WhereNet solutions are available through the WhereNet Aware Partner program providing real-time locating technology for several types of applications. Partners include companies such as FMC, which is providing WhereNet-enabled solutions to airlines and airport authorities. WhereNet has also had a partner relationship with the theme park industry to help locate and track children or large groups within the park. Other WhereNet Aware partners include: Barkod A.S (Turkey), Catalyst International, Comergent Technologies, Communications Services International, GE Fanuc Automation North America, Inc., GE Medical Systems, InfoServices, Inc., Insight Automation, Impuls (Spain), iVita Corporation, Lucas Systems, Marconi Data Systems, Microlise Ltd. (UK), Midgard Information Systems, Inc., Nistevo, nPassage, OMI International, Inc., Optum, Symbol Technologies, Syncata, and Unisys.

Company Facts

Number of Employees: 105+

Amount of Funding: $54 million