Navigator launches RFID system for events rental companies

David Rose, a director of Navigator, told IRN that the HireTAG system would help renters save money by minimising the amount of equipment that is lost; "Some lose thousands of pounds worth of equipment a week...some companies say its cheaper to lose and replace equipment than take all the time required to count them."

The company has designed its own passive RFID tag and aerial system that is suitable for use on rubber and metal items often found in event fleets. Mr Rose said the company found that battery life on standard, off-the-shelf tags was severely reduced by big changes in temperature.

Navigator has developed software to manage the system, and said it can be easily integrated with a rental company's existing rental software systems (the software includes an Application Programming Interface (API) that allows for integration).

To launch HireTAG, Navigator is offering a £15000 (€17400) package that includes a detection arch, 500 tags, software and implementation and training. Additional tags will cost around £2.75 (€3.19) each, if ordered in high volumes.

"For larger companies, 500 tags are ideal for testing, and to see how it sits with their systems", said Mr Rose.

According to Mr Rose many of the bigger events and AV renters use bar coding to track their larger, more expensive items. However, scanning individual items in this way is time consuming, and ignores the losses of smaller items; "People just aren't aware of how much they are spending in making up for lost cables, or re-hiring other cables", said Mr Rose.