Lockheed Martin has become the newest subscriber to EPCglobal US, a not-for-profit standards organization dedicated to improving the technology that moves millions of shipments around the world every day.

As a subscriber to EPCglobal US, Lockheed Martin will help in the creation of standards that will build the foundation for new systems that will enhance the way the military delivers supplies, ammunition and equipment to soldiers across the globe.

The nearly 400 worldwide subscriber companies of EPCglobal Inc are working together and partnering with leading academics and other technology experts to create and implement industry standards for Electronic Product Code (EPC) technology. EPC technology harnesses the power of radio frequency identification (RFID) and the EPCglobal Network to make supply chains more efficient. EPC tags contain a unique serial number or "license plate" that enables the individual identification of different containers or, in the case of manufacturing operations, individual parts.

EPC technology is a simple, efficient way to quickly catalog and track shipments as they move to their destination. Using a reader, a shipping agent or IT system can wirelessly scan a package's "license plate" number and correspond this number to database information which may include information about the shipment's contents, origin, destination and schedule.

"For troops in the field, getting the parts, supplies and support they need on time is critical," said Pete Cuviello, Lockheed Martin's vice president and managing director, Focused Logistics Enterprise. "Participants in EPCglobal are working to standardize technology that will deliver those supplies faster, cheaper and more reliably. We're proud to support this important initiative, and we look forward to applying the group's collective expertise to help our military customers improve their logistics operations."

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 130,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2004 sales of $35.5 billion.

About EPCglobal

EPCglobal Inc, a joint venture between GS1 (Formerly EAN International) and the Uniform Code Council (UCC), is a not-for-profit organization entrusted to drive the global, multi-industry adoption and implementation of the EPCglobal Network (TM). EPCglobal leverages the nearly thirty-year heritage of GS1 and the UCC in successfully partnering with industry. The neutral, consensus-based, standards organization aims to make organizations more effective by enabling true visibility of information about items in the supply chain by developing and managing standards for the EPCglobal Network. For more information on EPCglobal visit http://www.epcglobalinc.org/ or http://www.epcglobalus.org/. EPCglobal US is an affiliate of EPCglobal Inc serving subscribers in the United States to help foster the adoption of the EPCglobal Network and related technology.

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin