Hi-G-Tek

Hi-G-Tek Wins Subcontract from Unisys for RFID III Department of Defense Contract

Companies partner to deliver a comprehensive radio frequency identification solution 

Rockville, Md. -- March 16, 2009 -- Hi-G-Tek (www.higtek.com), a developer of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)-based tracking and status monitoring solutions for high-value cargo and sensitive materials, today announced a strategic subcontract to supply the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 18000-7 compliant active-RFID to Unisys Corporation (www.unisys.com) (NYSE: UIS) following the Unisys RFID III award. The U.S. Army Program Executive Office-Enterprise Information Systems selected Unisys and three other prime contractors for an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract with a three-year base period and seven one-year options, exercisable at the discretion of the government. The Unisys team includes technology partner Hi-G-Tek.

Unisys serves as the prime contractor and systems integrator for this contract, bringing together the technologies of Hi-G-Tek and other solution providers. Under the contract, which has a total ceiling value of $428 million, Unisys will compete for orders to provide this standard based RFID technology and services to all U. S. federal government agencies as well as to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and other coalition partner countries. Hi-G-Tek’s technology provides real-time monitoring of an asset’s location, environmental condition and security status while en route.  

Under the RFID III contract, the successor to the Army’s RFID II contract, awarded in January 2003, the Department of Defense (DoD) sought RFID 18000-7 protocol licensees of solutions based on the ISO Standard 18000-7:2008. This protocol, which is used around the world by the DoD, NATO and various military defense systems, operates at 433 megahertz. This frequency features a low power consumption that allows the incorporation of various sensor attributes including temperature, location and humidity. In addition, the 18000-7 standard establishes an automatic identification of assets at distances exceeding 100 meters. 

The DoD uses RFID III as the primary contract vehicle to purchase active-RFID, a technology to secure and monitor the status of all military cargo in transit around the globe and especially those shipments sent to support the war fighter in Iraq and Afghanistan. Currently, RFID tags are attached to approximately 125,000 shipments of military supplies each week. The RFID III contract will supply a universal, integrated platform to all government and military users of active-RFID components for logistics and location tracking and conditional monitoring of cargo and assets.  

“With RFID III, Unisys and our partner firms will assist the Department of Defense in moving from proprietary technology towards the ISO 18000-7 standard for a more open RFID infrastructure,” said Jim Geiger, managing partner, Department of Defense, Unisys Federal Systems. “The result will be a cost effective, flexible solution platform for delivering information to the modern military.”  

“Hi-G-Tek, through Unisys’s world-class system integration services, provides the best available active-RFID solutions and is vital to the day-to-day visibility of in-transit military cargo and assets,” stated Erik Wood, Vice President of Business Development, Hi-G-Tek. “In addition, the Product Manager Joint-Automatic Identification Technology (PM J-AIT) office has created a one stop shop for virtually all types of ISO active-RFID products to satisfy base level and other closed loop requirements throughout the government.” 

About Hi-G-Tek

Hi-G-Tek is the developer of Highly Intelligent RFID asset sense and control solutions for fuel distribution and global trade lanes. The company’s patented “sensing” technology has applications in several key markets, including homeland security, transportation, fuel distribution, military, biomedical and global trade lanes.  

Hi-G-Tek’s unique active-RFID solutions provide unparalleled levels of real-time security and “sensing” of key assets, whether stationary or in transit, indoors or outdoors. Its sophisticated technology not only detects where an “asset” is, but also its status or condition—anytime, from anywhere in the world. For additional information, please visit www.higtek.com.

About Unisys

Unisys is a worldwide information technology services and solutions company. We provide consulting, systems integration, outsourcing and infrastructure services, combined with powerful enterprise server technology. We specialize in helping clients use information to create efficient, secure business operations that allow them to achieve their business goals. Our consultants and industry experts work with clients to understand their business challenges and create greater visibility into critical linkages throughout their operations. For more information, visit www.unisys.com.  # # #