Today at the EPCglobal US Conference 2004, Microsoft Business Solutions announced that it is expanding the scope of its Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) initiative to help small and midmarket segment businesses meet RFID technology compliance mandates from large trading partners and drive efficiencies in internal operations.

Jack Link's Beef Jerky, a U.S.-based, midmarket segment international snack manufacturer whose customer roster includes Wal-Mart and other large retailers, has been working with Microsoft Corp. and partners ABC Computers Inc., Avery Dennison Corp., SAMSys Technologies Inc. and SATO America Inc. to implement RFID. The RFID data will be integrated into Microsoft� Business Solutions--Navision�, Jack Link's Beef Jerky's enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, to increase visibility and control across its receiving, manufacturing and distribution processes, as well as to largely automate associated transactions.

Jack Link's Beef Jerky is working with an early version of Microsoft Business Solutions' forthcoming RFID solution. Microsoft Business Solutions plans to incorporate this RFID functionality as part of upcoming ERP product releases.