"The xArray is a paradigm shift in the [RFID] industry," says Diorio, who cofounded Impinj in 2000 and served as the company's CTO before accepting the position of CEO last month, replacing outgoing William Colleran. The new reader offers what Impinj calls "Always On" functionality, so that for the first time, stores or other end users, such as health-care facilities or distribution centers, can view a tagged item's location or movements via passive UHF RFID technology.