You have received this issue of the Newsletter because you subscribed or you purchased products from us. The purpose of this newsletter is to keep you informed of news and updates for the products you ordered.

New Products:
1. IDAutomation RSS & Composite Image Generator
2. Microsoft® Reporting Services Barcode DLL Custom Assembly
3. RSS/Composite .NET Forms Control

New Hardware:
4. IDAutomation Plug 'n Play USB Barcode Wand

Industry Updates:
5. Sunrise 2005 and GTIN Compliance

Company Information:
6. How to renew your Priority Support and Upgrade Subscription
 

RSS (Reduced Space Symbology) and Composite Symbology are the latest barcode types for space-constrained identification from EAN International and the Uniform Code Council, Inc. Due to the newness and complexity of these symbologies, we recommend using them only if it is necessary. RSS barcodes have been identified to solve problems in the grocery industry and in healthcare, where items are too small to allow for older barcode symbologies.

For more information about our new IDAutomation RSS & Composite Image Generator, please visit:
http://www.idautomation.com/generator/

And to download a demo of the package, please visit:
http://www.idautomation.com/generator/download.html

For our RSS & Composite Symbology Barcode FAQ and Tutorial, please visit:
http://www.idautomation.com/rssfaq.html

Reporting Services is a Microsoft reporting solution for SQL Server 2000 and Visual Studio 2003. The custom assembly formats the data to be used with the IDAutomation.com fonts and to meet the specifications set forth by the barcode standard setting organizations. This font tool will automate the process of adding start codes, stop codes and calculating the check digits for barcode fonts that require them. If you own a license to one of our barcode fonts, you may use this Microsoft® Reporting Services Barcode DLL Custom Assembly tool royalty free.

The .NET custom assembly, IDAutomation.com.FontReportFunctions.dll, can be downloaded from here:
http://www.advancemeants.com/downloads/IDAutomation_ReportingServicesFontFunctions.zip

For more information about this new font tool and tutorial, please visit:
http://www.idautomation.com/fonts/tools/reporting_services/
 

The RSS & Composite .NET Forms Controls is an easy to use automation component that works with Visual Basic .NET, Visual C# .NET, Borland Octane Delphi.NET and any development environment in the .NET framework that supports Custom Windows® Forms Controls. It allows the creation of barcodes that can be easily sent to the printer or to graphic images. The RSS control supports RSS14, RSS-14 Truncated, RSS-14 Stacked, RSS-14 Stacked Omnidirectional, RSS Limited, RSS Expanded, Composite, PDF417, MicroPDF417, UPC/EAN and Code 128.
 

For more information about our new RSS & Composite .NET Forms Control, please visit:
http://www.idautomation.com/formscontrols/

And to download a demo of the package, please visit:
http://www.idautomation.com/formscontrols/download.html

For our RSS & Composite Symbology Barcode FAQ and Tutorial, please visit:
http://www.idautomation.com/rssfaq.html

Our W3USB barcode wand is a cost effective solution for low reading volume applications at $109 USD. The internal decoder and interface eliminates the cost and clutter of a separate decoder box. The advanced optics scan barcodes as small as 4 mil with a scan velocity of 2-20 inches per second. Its shape gives the W3USB better comfort and handling compared to other pen based readers. Pull the trigger button and sweep the tip of the wand across the bar code in either direction and listen for the beep that lets you know the data has been successfully captured.

The W3USB wand connects via a USB port, perfect for laptops and PDA devices. It contains its own built-in decoder so information scanned appears as if it had been typed from the keyboard.
 

For more information about the IDAutomation Plug 'n Play USB Barcode Wand, please visit:

http://www.idautomation.com/wands/w3usb.html

This scanner can be shipped internationally for an additional cost.

Basically, to be Sunrise 2005 complaint by January 1, 2005, all retailing systems must adapt to variable length company prefixes and be able to read 4 different types of UPC labels (UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-13 and EAN-8) at the register. With the exception of the US and Canada, retail products from around the world are marked with EAN8 and EAN13 barcodes. At this time, to sell these products in the U.S. and Canada, manufacturers must re-label the products with a 12-digit UPC barcode. Because this creates additional expenses, not to mention additional time and manpower issues. Expanding system capability at the register to scan EAN8 and EAN13 barcodes, as well as UPC barcodes, will allow companies to handle a greater range of products. 

The main points for being Sunrise 2005 compliant:

• Scanning, processing, and storing of all EAN symbols (8, 13, and 12-digit).

• UCC Company Prefixes are no longer issued as just 6-digit numbers; they now vary between 6 and 10 digits in length.

• Modification of internal UPC – bar code standards must be maintained. (The UCC has opened new UCC Company Prefixes with lead digits of 1, 8 and 9 for assignment to new companies.)

• Ensuring that all UPC bar code symbols are unchanged, preventing storage of erroneous information. (Companies that are erroneously using these lead numbers, listed above in their internal systems, will have them clash with valid UPCs assigned by other companies.)

Most major manufacturers are moving to GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) compliance. To be GTIN Compliant, a company must be 2005 Sunrise Compliant plus be able to process and store 14-digit GTINs. Therefore, a GTIN Compliant company will be able to process, store, and communicate with trading partners using all GTINs, whether 8, 12, 13, or 14 digits. To accomplish this, systems should right justify the numbers from UPC and EAN barcodes in their databases and fill in zeros for the spaces to the left. For example, a UPC-A barcode of 123456789012 would be represented as 00123456789012 in the database of a GTIN compliant system.

The 14-digit GTIN has two additional benefits. The ability for vendors to use Reduced Space Symbology, which tracks more information (expiration dates, batch numbers, product info) and is physically smaller. RSS is currently being applied to produce, fresh meat, pharmacy, and medical/surgical products. Another benefit for larger organizations is the ability to use Data synchronization using the GLOBALregistry™ of UCCnet, which requires the identification of products at all levels of packaging.

For the complete Executive Summary from the Uniform Code Council, Inc., please visit:

http://www.uc-council.org/ean_ucc_system/stnds_and_tech/2005_sunrise.html

Our barcode scanner and wand are Sunrise 2005 Compliant. 
 

IDAutomation.com, Inc. offers extended technical support and product upgrade protection if the "Priority Support and Upgrade Subscription" is purchased with your order. Priority Support and Upgrade Subscription allows you to receive:

• The latest version of the product
• Priority phone support
• Email support on the weekends, holidays and when the office is closed
• Additional contact information

For customers that do not purchase Priority Support and Upgrade Subscription, support is limited to our online knowledge base.

If you need to add or update your Priority Support and Upgrade Subscription, you may order it here. After your order is processed, you will receive a download link to the latest version of the product.