ISO28560, LMS SIP1, 2 and 3

As one of the leading suppliers of RFID systems in the public sector and as developers and manufacturers of our own products, adherence to standards has always been very important to us. We have been using an open standard since 2007 and have developed our data model within ISO 28560. We have also put in place a migration strategy for adoption of the new profile.

D-Tech is fully compliant with SIP1 and SIP2, a standard communication protocol between the LMS and RFID provider.

We have always been quick to adapt to change and we are currently keeping abreast of the new standards offering web service for LMS connection and also developing SIP3 and BLCF compliance.

In our position as a leading RFID supplier in the UK and growing overseas, we will continue to design and develop our systems within the new standards and look forward to grasping new opportunities for innovation.

 Standards

With so much information and commentary about standards we think it is all starting to get rather confusing for anyone that either isn’t either a programmer or a supplier.  So here is an honest explanation in simple terms, without the jargon, of the basics that will affect you. We’ve been using the open Danish standard ISO 28560-3 since 2006 so it goes without saying that we are one hundred percent supportive of an open standard within the industry. 

In simple terms – what is a data model?

The words UK national profile and data model are used to describe the way in which suppliers load information onto the RFID labels.

If you think of the RFID label as a waffle, it has many small squares.  On the UK standard data model ISO 28560-2, each supplier would load the barcode into the same square and each part of information is allocated a square. This also makes sure we are writing information in the same language. 

With a non standard data model each supplier would load information to whichever square they choose or think best.  The problem with this is that the waffle is concealed in a box so you cannot see which square is being used, for which part of information.  To make things even more difficult, if ‘the waffle’ has been sealed with a plastic wrapping, no other supplier can read these labels.  This is called encryption.

So what does this mean?

The new standard will allow all new installations to be open so that the labels can be read by more than one supplier.  It will also mean that more information can be stored for better communication in the future. 

This means that you now have the opportunity to choose from a range of supplier products and services as they will be compatible and open.

What if our labels are already encrypted? 

So many UK libraries have already implemented RFID with millions of books already programmed with encrypted data models.  This raises quite a few questions:  what happens to them, how do they changeover?  How long will it take?  How much will it cost? 

General questions?

It’s not law so why should I change?  Will the standard change in the future?  Does this affect my security EAS/AFI?  Will it still work?  If I use another supplier will it all be supported?

To understand more and for honest information about data models, from a company that has been walking and talking open standards since 2006, give us a call on the number on the side bar here.  We will be fair and square with you!

Access and DDA

Our products are all DDA compliant and we are ever mindful of the importance of giving users friendly and easy to use systems. Some examples are font size, colour, sounds, help screen, height and width accessibility. We look to legislation for recommendations and trends in creating open access environments and continually ask for and listen to feedback from our customers.