Frontline Solutions Expo: No Longer The Industry Litmus Test
Ok, let's get this over with right away: The 2002 Frontline Solutions Expo was disappointing. Attendance was down and the exhibit floor was definitely sparse as compared to even last year. Clearly, this was no SCANTECH.
But not everyone was disappointed. Those companies seeking to build a channel were thrilled to see the abundance of VARs and integrators wandering the exhibit floor. And there were some interesting products to see. For example, aside from its surprise entry into the bar code printer arena, Symbol Technologies turned a few heads with its new Mobius wireless LAN (WLAN) products. With the Mobius line, Symbol basically lobotomized its access ports (i.e. access points) and shifted the intelligence of these devices to a switch. In addition to a promised lower cost of ownership, this new WLAN configuration offers everything from increased security to remote network management. In fact, remotely monitoring of hardware (e.g. printers, handhelds, WLANs) was all the rage this year. Wavelink returned with its Mobile Manager WLAN monitoring software, mobile hardware veteran Psion Teklogix unveiled a network management application called MapRF, and bar code printer manufacturer Datamax added DMXNet, a remote print management utility.
Some smaller companies' products also caught my eye. Basic, no-frills, low-priced scanners from TD Scan, Cipher Lab, and newcomer Microvision may be just what VARs are looking for: hardware with the possibility of high margins and strong market (e.g. healthcare) demand. Other vendors that showed promise include Validated Technologies with its bar code printer that has an internal integrated CCD (charge-coupled device) bar code validator and American Microsystems, Ltd. which showcased its Linux-based handheld. I was also impressed with the progress one-year-old bar code label software vendor NiceWare has made building its channel and updating its product. In many cases, although these types of companies' exhibits were found in the shadows of the industry behemoths, their products were equally impressive.
During my three days of canvassing the exhibit hall I met with 50 different companies. I listened to product spiel after product spiel and heard the laments of exhibitors accustomed to crowds three people deep at a booth rather than three people total at a time. Will the show be moved, consolidated, or even cancelled? Who knows. I personally feel this show and its success are no longer direct indicators of the AIDC (automatic identification and data collection) industry's strength. Instead, many vendors have abandoned or scaled back on horizontal shows like Frontline and put their money into more vertically focused events.
Maybe the heydays of SCANTECH or Frontline or whatever you call it are over. So be it. This industry has transcended the realm of the bar code anyway. VARs that have accepted this fact and embrace new data collection technologies will thrive … eventually. Those that don't - won't.