| SCDigest Says: |
 AIM is most likely trying to rethink its role in the world. In general, it is not very visible to companies that use auto ID technologies.
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AIM Global, an industry organization that represents the interests of automatic identification (auto ID) and wireless manufacturers and systems providers, announced in December that long time president Dan Mullen was out as head of the organization, and that it was searching for a new executive.
It's a new world today - SCDigest was first alerted to the change from a "Linked In" invitation from Mullen that clearly indicated a change in roles.
AIM was once short for "Automatic Identification Manufacturers." Now, the acronym is said to represent the "Association for Identification and Mobility." It is headquartered in Pittsburg.
Like many organizations, AIM Global has faced challenges in recent years, not the least of which is that continuing consolidation among system providers has meant fewer member candidates for the organization. Our quick look at the members list on AIM's web site shows some 80 companies, ranging from industry giants such as Motorola and - interestingly - WalMart (one of the few members that is not a technology vendor), as well of dozens of much smaller companies.
Some also felt that AIM missed the boat over RFID. While AIM played a decisive role in the development of the bar code market and growth in awareness and recognition of bar code-based technologies in the 1990s, it has been much less prominent in the development of RFID in the 2000s, ceding ground the first the Auto ID Center at MIT and then its successor EPCglobal, as well as other organizations.
SCDigest Editor Dan Gilmore, who worked with AIM in the 1990s, says that was a big mistake.
"I think AIM really missed an opportunity to be a major player in RFID education, standards and market development," Gilmore says. "But in my experience AIM has been a slow moving organization that has to get consensus among its members and board, and it represents all auto ID technologies, not just RFID. I am sure that was a factor."
Mullen became president in November, 2003, after serving as interim president before that.
"The AIM Board and staff wish to express our appreciation to Dan Mullen for his long and loyal service to AIM, and wish him success as he pursues other interests," said Dr. Clive Hohberger, a long time researcher at Zebra Technologies and Chairman of the AIM Board of Directors.
"Looking ahead, the AIM Board will seek a vision-oriented individual with strong leadership experience and knowledge of the AIDC industry to enable the Association to grow and to ensure the success of the launch of the AIM Expo 2010."
In the interim, Mary Lou Bosco, AIM COO, will serve as acting Executive Director of AIM until a new president takes office.
(RFID and Automatic Identification Article - Continued Below)
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RFID and Automatic Identification Focus: Our Weekly Feature Article on Topics of Interest to those Using or Considering RFID or other Auto ID Technologies
But the organization had trouble effectively managing the huge event, and eventually sold it off. As bar coding and wireless technologies became more mainstream, the need for specialized trade shows for them declined, and the eventual successor to Scan-Tech, the Frontline show, folded in the early 2000s.
