RFID Gazette

The European Union is concerned that the growing use of radio frequency identification technology by both business and government may threaten personal privacy. In response to this concern, the EU's advisory body on data protection and privacy has published RFID privacy guidelines. According to IT Manager's Journal:

The resulting guidelines include securing unambiguous consent from individuals where RFID is used and providing clear information to the "data subjects" (that is, you and I) on the presence and location of RFID tags and trackers, what sort of data is being collected, and how it is being processed. The EU also wants individuals to be made aware that they have the right to gain complete access to any personal data being collected and stored on them and the right to check on the accuracy of the data.

Read more: EU pioneers RFID privacy guidelines

Visa debuted their RFID-enabled card payment system, sans-cash and sans-swipe, yesterday. The new system enables consumers to pay for small items such as movie tickets, fast food, and convenient store items by waving an RFID-enabled card in front of a terminal. The card works at a distance of four inches. According to InformationWeek:

Visa has enhanced its VisaNet system to track contactless payment transactions through the authorization, clearing, and settlement processes, says Patrick Gauthier, Visa's senior VP of new product development. Card-issuing banks need to be able to recognize transactions as contactless when responding to customer queries. He declines to say whether any retailers have yet agreed to use the card.

Read more: Visa Debuts RFID-Enabled Card-Payment System

UK retailer Marks & Spencer is expanding their RFID trial from nine to 53 stores in the next year and will also attempt to test RFID on products with a wide variety of sizes, such as bras. According to PC World:

BT Group will be the main contractor on the second phase of the trial, providing M&S with IT services like deployment assistance and maintenance of the RFID readers. BT is also assisting with the implementation of RFID in M&S' food supply chain. M&S has contracted with Intellident for the scanner technology, while the microchips are from EM Microelectronic-Marin.

Read more: Marks & Spencer expands RFID trial, includes lingerie

At the Healthcare Information and Management System Society's conference, Purdue Pharma LP announced that they will use Symbol's RFID mobile computers to implement anti-counterfeiting RFID tracking. According to Computerworld:

"We have to identify counterfeit drugs before they penetrate our supply chain, and identify vulnerabilities in our supply chain," said Aaron Graham, vice president and chief security officer at Purdue. "While there may not be an ROI in dollars, how do you put a price on patient safety?"

The Symbol MC9000-G computers, which combine RFID and bar-code reading with imaging and wireless connectivity, will be provided without charge to state and federal law enforcement agencies for use in efforts to stop illegal drug trafficking, Graham said.

Read more:

The Nokia Mobile RFID Kit is now shipping and is designed to allow easier management of field personnel in industries such as health care, utilities, and security. According to HardwareGeeks.com:

A unique benefit of the Nokia Field Force Solution is that it allows easy interaction with field activities by sending real-time information like location, work time or task status from the field to the office. In addition, it can be used for receiving service instructions or work assignments in the field. The information exchange starts by simply touching the RFID tag placed on objects - such as assets, billboards, meters or other equipment - with the Nokia RFID enabled phone.

Read more: Nokia Mobile RFID Kit as part of the Nokia Field Force Solution is now commercially available

Gerry Gebel of Burton Group, an IT research firm, says that RFID should impact many areas, including keyless entry, cashless payments, pet identification, highway toll collection, and asset tracking. But before RFID becomes universally accepted, privacy concerns must be dealt with properly. According to internetnews.com:

RFID tags emit a unique identifying code when they come within distance of a reader; the reader passes the code back to a database that connects to enterprise applications and systems. Burton Group includes contactless smart cards, which add RFID to typical smart card features, in the category.

In one possible scenario, smart badges for employees could enhance the security of corporate data and physical asset.

Read more: RFID is Inevitable But Dicey

Savi Technology's new Savi RFID-ACT (Assured Compliance Today) slap-and-ship solution integrates components from Symbol Technologies and Zebra Technologies to help suppliers meet new EPC-compliant passive RFID requirements more quickly and cost-effectively. According to Food Production Daily:

This is a vital consideration to suppliers and manufacturers under pressure to realise better cost margins. A recent report carried out by Deloitte Research for Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (DTT), suggest that rather than taking a holistic, global view of their businesses, most global manufacturers focus on addressing the individual pieces of their far-flung global network — the complex web of suppliers, production facilities, distribution centres and customers — that comprise their supply chain.

Read more: Savi launches complete ‘tag-and-ship’ RFID concept

South Carolina and Georgia supermarket chain Piggly Wiggly is integrating RFID into its supply chain tracking. They will soon being using GXS Trading Grid to automate its warehouse receiving process. According to CRM Buyer:

The supermarket chain will leverage the GXS Trading Grid to expedite receiving, lower inventory positions and reduce shipping errors with its more than 600 suppliers.

With the GXS Trading Grid, Piggly Wiggly is taking an important step towards implementing RFID to optimize its supply chain.

The GXS Trading Grid will transmit electronic documents listing details of forthcoming shipments of goods, as well as other critical information such as carton identifications, content descriptions and transportation details.

Read more: Piggly Wiggly Trots Toward RFID Implementation

METUCHEN, New Jersey. -- February 14, 2005 -- Berkeley Varitronics Systems, Inc. begins shipping BumbleBee™, a portable spectrum analyzer that measures 4 distinct frequency bands.

Microsoft Business Solutions has delayed the release of its ERP software Axapta 4.0 until October. The original release was going to come sometime in the first half of this year. The reason for the delay is that Microsoft is having problems integrating certain features into all of their ERP products. Axapta is going to be the first ERP product from Microsoft to integrate RFID. The delays could aversely affect Microsoft's long-term plans to offer a platform that will integrate ERP and RFID. According to InformationWeek:

Giant Bicycle USA, which runs Axapta, is looking into using RFID in its global supply chain between the manufacturing sites and sales and distribution facilities. Microsoft's ERP delays don't concern Mike Forte, director of strategic information systems at Giant Bicycle, which sold approximately 350,000 bikes in the United States last year through about 1,200 dealers. Deep in the midst of rolling out Axapta 3.0, Giant Bicycle's IT division is focusing on making sure the sales and distribution facilities in Australia and Canada are up and running this year on the ERP platform.

Read more: Microsoft's ERP Delays Could Affect Its RFID Efforts