What does the 2005 Sunrise mean?
Since the introduction of the 12-digit Universal Product Code (U.P.C.) more than 30 years ago, the use of the EAN.UCC System has expanded rapidly to facilitate global commerce. To meet the need for improving commerce efficiency, the GS1 USA has announced that by 1 January 2005 all U.S. and Canadian companies must be capable of scanning and processing EAN-8 and EAN-13 symbols, in addition to 12-digit U.P.C. symbols, at point-of-sale. The GS1 USA announced this initiative, named ‘2005 Sunrise’, in 1997 to allow U.S. and Canadian companies ample time to address all conversion issues. There are also topics related to ‘2005 Sunrise’ that deserve every company’s attention.
