SYMBOL TECHNOLOGIES' PDF417 2D SYMBOLOGY SELECTED AS STANDARD BY ANSI-ACCREDITED PANEL; PDF417 designated for two material-handling, transportation applications

Business Wire, Feb 16, 1995

BOHEMIA, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 16, 1995--Symbol Technologies Inc. (NYSE:SBL), the world leader in bar code-based data transaction systems, today announced that PDF417, the two-dimensional symbology developed by Symbol, has been designated by an ANSI-accredited committee as the material-handling standard for package labeling and transportation documentation, including electronic data interchange (EDI).

Selection of PDF417 by the MH10 SBC-8 committee, accredited by the American National Standards Institute, followed extensive review and demonstration of 2D symbologies. Through blind balloting, the committee by an overwhelmingly majority selected PDF417 as the standard for use in shipping and receiving applications and for EDI (electronic data interchange) messaging applications. United Parcel Service's MaxiCode was selected for sortation applications.

The committee is creating a draft standard of methods for industry to use densecode symbologies to aid in transportation and material handling with formal ANSI approval expected later this year. Companies across many industries have recognized the value that PDF417 -- with 100 times the capacity of a similar-size traditional, linear bar code -- brings to applications in their information systems. With this development, transportation companies and retailers alike are assured of standardization as they advance their shipping and receiving systems, Jan Lindelow, Symbol president and chief operating officer, said.

"This vote represents a major milestone for the definition and application of 2D codes in the material-handling industry," Rob Durst, vice president of Symbol Technologies PDF Business Development, said. "The committee's selection of PDF417 for two of the three application areas is a first step in the process, but it follows more than a year of scrutiny and evaluation of the various symbologies."

PDF417 is the two-dimensional symbology that encodes kilobytes of data in a single machine-readable symbol printed on paper. PDF417 functions as a high-density, high-capacity "portable data file" to provide low-cost access to large amounts of information without referencing an external database. While traditional bar codes, in use as early as 1973, function as "keys" that access external databases, PDF417 stores the entire data file in the code itself.

PDF417 serves as a paper-based communications protocol for transferring data between computer systems without keying. The symbology encodes full ASCII, numeric or binary data and uses sophisticated error-correction algorithms to keep intact 100 percent of the data even on damaged or poorly printed symbols. PDF417 is unique in that it can be decoded by all existing bar code reading technologies.

In preparation by the MH10 SBC-8 committee is a document entitled "Standards for Two-Dimensional Symbols With Unit Loads and Transport Packages," the intent of which is to provide standard methods for using densecode symbologies to aid in transportation and materials handling. The document will provide a standardized methodology for using 2D codes for applications categorized under the general designation of unit loads or transport packages.

Among applications and endorsements contributing to the growth of the PDF417 market in 1994 are the following:

United States Department of Defense: The DoD s Office of Personnel and Readiness selected PDF417 as the 2D symbology standard for a new ID card now in global field testing with a million cards already issued. The ID is the standard form of military identification, used worldwide by approximately 15 million active, reserve and retired military personnel, national guard troops, staff and dependents. It is used at base checkpoints, hospitals, commissaries, clubs and PX facilities.

American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators: AAMVA, the professional organization of motor vehicle administrators from throughout the United States and Canada, selected PDF417 as its 2D symbology standard for a range of department of motor vehicle tasks including encoding vehicle registration information for renewals, vehicle title documentation and motorist drivers licenses. PDF417 has been selected for various DMV applications in New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida and Arizona.

AIM USA: PDF417 has been approved as a 2D symbology standard by AIM USA, an accredited ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Standard Developing Organization. AIM published the technical specification for PDF417 and is making it available to organizations incorporating PDF417 into their data-collection systems.

Customer information is available from Symbol Technologies at 1-800- SCAN-234.

Symbol Technologies is the world leader in bar code-driven data transaction systems with more than 2.5 million scanners and terminals installed. The company designs, manufactures and markets bar code reading equipment, portable data terminals and radio frequency data communications networks that are used as strategic building blocks in information systems for retail, manufacturing, package and parcel delivery, warehousing and distribution and other industries.