Ned Atalla, president of Scancode Logistics in Oakville, Ont., a WMS developer, says that despite all the critical needs outlined above, the warehouse is often the last place to get the automation tools that typically reside only in the front office. Advanced Barcode Systems, for example, recently launched XL-Link Middleware for connecting the shop floor or warehouse direct to the business system. A fourth-generation automatic data collection integration tool, it is a standard solution that can be tailored to the user's needs. "XL-Link Middleware truly empowers management by feeding error-free, real-time data into key business applications," John Fedak says. "For order picking, two megabits is ample (especially with a 2.4 GHz data-intensive frequency network), while 11 megabits will further enhance the capacity to perform real-time picking and provide the ability to transmit images," says Claudio Ricci. "As well, voice data can communicate over the same network as other data, and we will soon introduce a handheld computer device with a bar code reader and voice data over the local RF network."