RFID Gazette

Firms employing RFID will spend billions of dollars over the next several years in hopes to cut costs in the long run. This could mean lost U.S. jobs, however, according to a study performed by Yankee Group.

According to EETimes:

"Manufacturers are expected to spend as much as $5 billion over the next three years in hardware, software and services related to data-collection technology, radio- frequency identification, Yankee Group said. In deploying RFID, however, 4 million jobs in the U.S. alone are expected to vanish." Read more

As RFID technology becomes more prevalent, there has been an increasing push to regulate its use, especially in regards to privacy controls. The Ontario Privacy Commissioner has published guidelines for the Canadian province's libraries which are to employ the technology.

From out-law.com:

"In Ontario some public libraries are looking to implement RFID systems in order to improve stock checking and efficiency levels, and this month Ann Cavoukian, the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, published Guidelines setting out the standards that should be followed.

Following on from the Ontario Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the Act) the Guidelines approach RFID from the viewpoint of its privacy implications – in particular how and when information held by a library on its users can be linked in with RFID tags on individual books." Read more

Active tag maker AeroScout (formerly Bluesoft) has teamed with real-time asset tracking solution provider Apriso Corporation. Apriso will employ the AeroScout T2 tags.

According to Wi-Fi Planet:

"Apriso will be reselling AeroScout tags and the software architecture for tracking them. While generally installed on the same server, the AeroScout software is separate from Apriso's FlexNet tool, but integrated enough through an API to read the data. The integration will come in a future service release for FlexNet. The AeroScout platform can also keep track of the location of Wi-Fi devices."

The Future Is Here: A Beginner's Guide to RFID
The RFID Gazette

Radio frequency identification technology (RFID) is beginning to revolutionize the way business is done. Already, the U.S. Department of Defense and Wal-Mart are requiring their top suppliers to have RFID technology implemented in their supply chains by January 1, 2005. As more manufacturers of RFID tags, readers and software solutions enter the market, the price of implementing the technology will continue to decline.

The technology, first invented by Harry Stockman with the publishing of his 1948 report "Communication by Means of Reflected Power," has only in the last few years become viable. As time passes, however, nearly every Fortune 500 company will join the DoD and Wal-Mart in employing the technology, making it an essential factor in almost any business.

Matrics, and RFID tag and reader supply company, is supplying the one-inch square tags to place on the pharmaceutical bottles and packages shipped by HD Smith.

According to inpharma.com:

"Robert Kashmer, vice president of Information Technology at HD Smith, said: 'We see benefits in two key areas, namely, product handling/logistics and product/supply chain integrity.' He noted that the system will allow goods to be tracked at the bottle serial number level." Read more

A recent study by Frost & Sullivan indicates that a lack of RFID standards will cause manufacturers to spend more on complying with multiple systems.

According to eChannelLine:

"The consultancy’s latest report on the subject, World RFID Based Applications Market, reveals that the industry generated revenue totaling US$1.7 billion in 2003. Revenues are expected to grow to $11.7 billion by 2010.

"According to Deepak Shetty, program manager, RFID and security for F&S in San Antonio, Texas, a lack of standards is one of the major barriers in wide scale adoption of RFID systems, but he said this is changing very quickly. 'Standards organizations such as ISO and independent agencies such as ePCglobal and GTAG are all working towards setting common standards and protocols respectively,' he told eChannelLine." Read more

RFID will surely provide savings for corporations, from retailers to suppliers, but how does the consumer benefit?

According to :

"Technology companies intent on selling RFID into the enterprise need to better communicate consumer benefits and ease off on the shareholder-pitched balance sheet savings, according to the CTO of supply chain software vendor Viewlocity, Michael Sherman.

"Sherman said while RFID was being rolled out by globally strategic players such as Wal-Mart and the US Department of Defense, there were still privacy concerns amongst consumers because most of the benefits of the technology had been marketed to suppliers rather than end users."

RFID usage in libraries will surely grow in the coming years. Checkpoint Systems Inc. announced today that they are upgrading their system.

According to TechWeb:

"The Intelligent Library System 2.0 is a collection management and security system that has been enhanced with software that enables a staff member to monitor several self-checkout stations from one workstation, without extra hardware, officials with the Thorofare, N.J., company said."

Microsoft's RFID program manager Javed Sikander has indicated that Microsoft will incorporate RFID support into many of its core software solutions products for both large and small businesses.

According to ZDNet UK:

"Major retailers like Wal-Mart and Tesco rely on small suppliers, who often can't afford to buy expensive RFID services from several different suppliers," said Sikander. "They need an out-of-the-box RFID solution that they can just plug in." Read more

Any firm transporting goods at high volume through a complex supply chain will eventually need RFID technology. That is why BT has combined its RFID products with Deloitte's management consultancy to form a supply chain solution to businesses.

According to vnunet.com:

"As part of the deal, the telecom operator's RFID division, BT Auto-ID Services, will combine its systems integration, RFID tags and readers and supply chain middleware with Deloitte's consultancy, which includes business return on investment (ROI) scenarios and change management.

"Consumer goods firms and companies looking to implement food traceability programmes are being targeted." Read more