RFID Luminary Sanjay Sarma to Join OAT as CTO; RFID 'Founding Father' and Former Research Chairman of MIT's Auto-ID Center To Oversee Technology Strategy of Leading RFID Software Vendor

Business Wire, May 24, 2004

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

WATERTOWN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 24, 2004

OATSystems, Inc., the leading provider of software for the High-Resolution Supply Chain(TM), today announced that Dr. Sanjay Sarma will join the company as its Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Sarma previously led MIT's Auto-ID Center, where he worked closely with early Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) adopters such as Wal-Mart, Target, Gillette and the U.S. Department of Defense to develop the core RFID technologies and standards for the Electronic Product Code (EPC) Network, which are now being broadly adopted throughout the world. Sarma is widely regarded as the "founding father" of the EPC Network.

"No one understands better than Sanjay how to leverage RFID technology to improve supply chain performance and ensure delivery of the right product, to the right location, at the right time," said Prasad Putta, CEO of OAT. "Sanjay is the ideal person to lead OAT's product strategy and deliver on our vision to develop software that unlocks the value of RFID across an enterprise's extended supply chain."

"I had the opportunity to work very closely with OAT while overseeing research at MIT's Auto-ID Center," said Sarma. "OAT deployed the software that powered the Auto-ID Center's field trial in 2001, and the company has been working with the pioneers of the industry ever since. It is clear to me that no other company is as well-positioned to capitalize on the rapid adoption of RFID technology."

Sarma co-founded MIT's Auto-ID Center in 1999 and served as its chairman of research, where he was responsible for creating the core components of the EPC Network to support broad adoption of RFID technology. EPCglobal, a joint venture between EAN International and the Uniform Code Council (UCC), has been formed to lead standards development and worldwide adoption of the EPC Network.

RFID technology allows manufacturers, retailers, logistics providers and other organizations to "tag" physical goods with tiny radio transponders that can then be used to identify the goods without having to visually inspect them. Applications for the technology include automatic inventory management for retailers and manufacturers, improved supply chain efficiency for logistics companies and their customers, and better tracking of goods to reduce theft and loss.

Industry analysts and major retailers have estimated that widespread adoption of RFID technology could save companies tens of billions of dollars annually. One analysis indicated that the world's largest retailer alone could save as much as $8.35 billion per year - more than the total annual revenue of half the companies on the Fortune 500.

About OAT

OATSystems, Inc. is the leading provider of software for the High-Resolution Supply Chain(TM). OAT powers the EPC networks of many of the world's largest retail, defense, CPG and pharmaceutical companies. First released in 2001, OAT is the world's most widely deployed EPC software solution. OAT has been involved in the creation of the EPC industry from day one and has assembled the industry's most respected team of EPC experts. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.oatsystems.com