RFID: An idea whose time has come

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Current RFID uses
RFID technology is currently being used in several industries and products, including:

  • Electronic article surveillance (EAS)
  • Shipping container and railcar tracking
  • Animal tracking
  • Vehicle access and control
  • Personnel access
  • Production control
  • Ski passes
  • Sports timing
  • Document authentication
  • Dairy tagging
  • Fuel and chemical dispensing
  • Monitoring of transport environment
  • Electronic product codes (EPC) supply chain deployment
  • Wireless commerce
  • Event ticketing
  • State of the industry
    For an indication of the potential size of the RFID industry, you need to look no further than IBM, Coca-Cola, and Wal-Mart. These companies have announced their intentions to implement the technology aggressively as an integral part of their businesses.

    IBM
    Concentrating on applications within the supply chain, IBM has put considerable resources toward establishing RFID system standards of use. As part of the company's overall plan for wireless technologies, IBM envisions RFID technologies helping with the logistical requirements of the supply chain by replacing the barcode system currently in place.

    To quote the IBM Web site: "IBM believes that the most significant supply-chain benefits resulting from the utilisation of RFID technologies will only be enabled [and] realised by shared implementations across organisational boundaries. We are rapidly moving from an enabling technology -- RFID -- to enabling a vision of an intelligent supply chain, focused on operational efficiency and responsive to the needs of customers and trading partners."

    Talkback

    Companies should understand what they're going into before they jump on the RFID bandwagon. Even smaller RFID projects can drastically affect an IT/Application infrstructure. Tread carefully.

    via Facebook 22 February, 2004 11:09
    Reply

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