ORLANDO, Fla.--Checkpoint Systems announced on June 23 a definitive agreement to acquire OATSystems, which provides RFID-based application software and middleware, in an all-cash deal.

OAT's RFID applications limit out-of-stocks and track assets through the supply chain. Per Levin, worldwide president of shrink management and merchandising solutions for Checkpoint, said OAT has developed 200 use cases for RFID in a variety of retail environments.

At the National Retail Federation's Loss Prevention conference here, Levin said the purchase fills "an important gap in our portfolio" and also gives Checkpoint the ability to be a "one-stop-shop" provider of shrink management solutions. In addition to its robust electronic article surveillance business--"EAS has been our story for 40 years," Levin said--the company boosted its theft protection offerings with its $142-million purchase of the S3 business from Alpha Security Products last November. Shortly after, Checkpoint released its software suite aimed at curbing internal theft.

Although RFID has been a buzzed-about technology within the security space, it has had a slower adoption rate than expected. Levin said it is a "complex" technology and end users are still weighing the benefits and return-on-investment the solution can offer within specific businesses.

"But RFID is happening in every vertical right now," he said. "Retail is the last adopter."