The Department of Defense has been busy this past week awarding contracts to radio-frequency identification technology vendors. Several have been granted "approved" status, meaning buyers can now purchase specific products mentioned in the contract from these equipment makers to support the government's RFID supply-chain and asset-tracking efforts. The Army Contracting Agency Information Technology E-Commerce and Commercial Contracting Center grants the approved-vendor status.

Alien Technology Corp. and ADT Security Systems Inc. are the latest to receive approvals. Defense Department buyers can now purchase Sensormatic Agile 2 readers, Sensormatic Omnipoint antennas, and GlobeRanger's iMotion RFID software, which are being resold through ADT Security Systems.

Alien made the list for its electronic-product-code RFID readers, too. Department of Defense buyers now have the authority to purchase the Alien ALR-9770 series of multiprotocol readers. This is Alien's second time to receive approved status this year, as each vendor product must receive separate approval. In March, the Defense Department also granted permission for buyers to purchase Alien RFID EPC-1 tags.

The awards are part of a government project to build an integrated supply chain that consistently identifies, tracks, locates, and monitors Department of Defense assets and commodities, using passive RFID EPC Class 1 technology.

The RFID EPC-1 technology will be used at inventory warehouses and maintenance, repair, and tracking facilities; at entry and exit points of military facilities; and at roadside installations. It also will be used to handle and track hazardous explosives.

In March, Intermec Technology Corp., as well as Security Printing Division Inc., a subsidiary of Avery Dennison Corp., became approved vendors for EPCglobal-compliant Class 1 tags, too.