ThingMagic

Trimble’s ThingMagic Division is a leading provider of UHF RFID modules, finished RFID readers, development tools and design services. ThingMagic RFID readers support demanding high-volume applications deployed by some of the world's largest industrial automation firms, manufacturers, healthcare organizations, retailers, and consumer companies. The company’s consulting, design, and development services assist customers with the integration of auto-identification and sensing technologies into everyday products and solutions. 

2013

Building on its commitment to simplify the integration and use of RFID technology, Trimble introduces the ThingMagic Mercury xPRESS Platform, the first extensible platform for developing application specific readers and embedded solutions using UHF RFID modules.

Trimble Introduces the ThingMagic Micro-LTE UHF RFID Module. An addition to the Mercury6e Series of embedded UHF RFID modules, the Micro-LTE joins the ThingMagic Micro to create a family of the smallest, 2-port, high-performance RFID modules on the market. The Micro is designed for applications with medium to large tag populations, while the Micro-LTE is optimized for small tag populations.

Trimble Introduces an enhanced ThingMagic USB RFID Reader. The USB Plus+ RFID Reader offers an extended read range (over 3ft), writes data more effectively to high-memory tags and reads small form factor tags more efficiently, expanding the range of supported applications.

2012

Trimble Introduces the 4-port ThingMagic Micro RFID Reader Module. Form factor and performance advantages allow customers to add optimized and standards-compliant RFID technology to a great number of devices and solutions, delivering cost savings and time-to-market advantages over alternative methods of embedding RFID.

Trimble Introduces the ThingMagic Astra-EX UHF RFID Reader. Driven by ThingMagic’s high-performance Mercury6e (M6e) module and designed for enterprise and commercial applications, Astra-EX is easy to install and integrate with corporate IT infrastructures and blends well with enterprise lay-outs.

With the addition of new high performance features, Mercury API updates and a re-designed Universal Reader Assistant. ThingMagic makes significant strides in optimizing its portfolio of high-performance embedded RFID modules and finished RFID readers.

Trimble Announces RFID Accessory for Nomad Handheld.

2011

Trimble introduces the ThingMagic Mercury6 RFID reader. The M6 offers a low-profile form factor, rugged service operating capabilities and the industry’s highest transmit power for a Power over Ethernet (PoE) capable reader.
Trimble announces the availability of the ThingMagic Mercury6e RFID reader module. Achieving several market firsts , the M6e is the world’s smallest 1 Watt, four port UHF reader module on the market.

2010

Viewing RFID as transformationl to many markets and a natural complement to their existing technology portfolio Trimble acquires ThingMagic RFID technology.

After being founded in September 2000 in a garage in Somerville, Massachusetts ThingMagic celebrates 10 years of RFID market leadership.

ThingMagic achieves top Innovation and Implementation rankings in ABI Research Embedded Passive UHF RFID Reader Module Vendor Matrix.

2009

ThingMagic announces Vega Reader for in-vehicle and indoor/outdoor application development.
ThingMagic announces embedded reader module components and new API to support rapid development of RFID solutions and a quicker path to ROI.
ThingMagic co-founder and CTO Yael Maguire is recognized as Young Global Leader by The World Economic Forum.

2008

ThingMagic announces the Astra integrated UHF RFID reader, designed for asset tracking in office and commercial environments and having both WiFi and POE capabilities.

ThingMagic announces the USB RFID reader, a low cost platform for developing and deploying interactive read/write applications.

ThingMagic raises additional capital from Series A investors and secures In-Q-Tel as an strategic investor.

ThingMagic partners with Ford Motor Company and Dewalt to provide first RFID enabled trucks in Ford Works Solutions Tool Link.

2007

ThingMagic announces the Mercury5e-Compact, an RFID reader module designed specifically for mobile, portable and handheld applications.

ThingMagic announces the Mercury5e, the industry's first full-power embedded RFID module based on Intel's R1000 chip.
ThingMagic selected World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer.

2006

ThingMagic announces Mercury5, the most capable UHF RFID reader platform on the market. The Mercury5 demonstrates unprecedented read rates in very dense deployments.
The Mercury4 is certified for operation in South Korea.
ThingMagic named to Red Herring's 100 for the second consecutive year.

2005

UK Retailer Tesco announces that it has selected the Mercury4 platform for one of the largest RFID reader orders ever.
RFID standards body EPC Global launches the 'Generation 2' tag specification. ThingMagic begins a major user information campaign, producing white papers and a DVD. While all other RFID readers became obsolete or need hardware changes, Mercury4 adjusted to the new standard with a simple remote software upgrade, proving the power of ThingMagic's advanced software defined radio technology.

Technology Review magazine names co-founder Yael Maguire as one of its top 35 innovators under the age of 35.
ThingMagic takes its first ever round of investment, raising a total of around $21m from investors including The Exxel Group, The Tudor Group, Cisco Systems, Morningside Technology Ventures, Inventec Appliances Corporation and Topline Growth Capital.

ThingMagic named to Red Herring's 100 North America, a list of privately-held companies playing a leading role in innovating the technology business.

2004

ThingMagic becomes one of the first profitable RFID companies in the world. Other RFID companies begin making 'agile' readers of their own. A second manufacturing partnership, with Omron of Japan, was announced, and ThingMagic's first Intel-based reader, Mercury4, was launched. The Boston Globe surveyed New England's RFID cluster and declared: 'the best positioned local company is ThingMagic'.

ThingMagic introduces the Mercury4e, a protocol agile, high-performance, embedded RFID reader module. This product rapidly assumes the leading market position in the printer and encoder market.

2002-2003

ThingMagic presented a landmark paper on the Agile RFID readers to the Auto-ID Center's sponsors, and built an improved Mercury2 for the Auto-ID Center's field tests and evaluation kits.
When Mercury3 was introduced ThingMagic licensed the manufacturing rights to ADT Sensormatic, and announced a collaboration with Intel to develop RFID readers using Intel's XScale family of network processors.
ThingMagic's co-founder Ravi Pappu named to Technology Review's list of top 100 innovators under the age of 35.

2001

MIT's Auto-ID Center gave ThingMagic its hardest problem to date: create the RFID reader of the future - a device that could talk to any RFID tag, on any radio frequency; that could integrate seamlessly with the Internet; that was capable of intelligence at the edge of the network; and that would be very cheap to make in large volumes. Many experts thought such a device was impossible.

ThingMagic delivered a working prototype, called Mercury 1, in November 2001. This RFID reader read the first EPC Class 1 Gen 1 tag, demonstrating interoperability in the EPC standard for the very first time.
ThingMagic pioneers the use of software-defined radio in RFID.

2000

ThingMagic starts in a garage on Kingston Street in Somerville, Massachusetts. Founders Ravi Pappu, Bernd Schoner, Rehmi Post, Yael Maguire, and Matt Reynolds strongly believe in the Internet of Things, and envision their company as adding magic to everyday objects.

The company takes on several consulting projects in augmenting existing products with RFID, algorithm design and implementation, and the design of low-cost Linux computers. Customers include blue-chip Fortune 500 companies. The goal is to bootstrap the company without the use of venture capital.