News and Information from the Radio Frequency Identification World
"Unisys Corp. and SupplyScape Corp. have begun a test project to track pharmaceuticals through the supply chain using RFID (radio frequency identification) or barcodes with the aim of cutting down on counterfeit medicines, the companies said Tuesday." Source: TheStandard.com
"Thirteen federal agencies are using or plan to use radio frequency identification (RFID), a technology that federal auditors say poses information security and privacy risks that must be mitigated. Government Accountability Office auditors issued a 36-page research report last week in which they warn that, without effective security controls, data stored in microprocessor chips on RFID tags can be read by any compatible RFID reader." Source: fcw.com
"New York’s Department of Agriculture and Markets will being this month a pilot program testing UHF RFID tags on the state’s domestic deer and elk (cervids). The ultimate goal is to track the cervid population and better trace diseases such as chronic wasting disease (CWD). The program will use a 915 MHz radio frequency identification system provided by Advanced ID Corp. that allows deer and elk tags to be read from as far away as 2 meters (up to 8 feet)." Source: RFID Journal
"On the drawing board is a system that would embed an RFID tag into a DVD. Today those tags are used for everything from inventory control at Wal-Mart to paying for gasoline at Exxon/Mobil stations. The tagged DVD would have to be played in a DVD player with hardware for reading the information in the tag." Source: TechNewsWorld.com
"XINK Laboratories Ltd. of Ottawa, Canada ( http://www.xink.biz/ ) is pleased to announce the world’s first successful on-press manufacture of fully functional UHF RFID transponder labels. The solution, which has never been shown before at a public forum, was first showcased at the Mark Andy "RFID Focus" Seminar held April 27th & 28th at their Technology Center in Milford, OH. Mark Andy, the leading narrow web printing equipment manufacturer demonstrated to over 300 label and package converting companies the fully integrated process. After printing the antenna using XINK Silver UHF Antenna inks on a Mark Andy 2200 press, and attaching prototype Texas Instruments EPC Gen 2 straps with a Tamarack P500 RFID inline strap attachment machine, the resultant four-color adhesive RFID labels immediately read from over 14 feet." Source: mysan.de
"OATSystems Inc.'s Retail RFID Leadership Initiative in collaboration with Intel will drive adoption of radio-frequency identification (RFID) in the retail industry. The RFID Retail Leadership Initiative combines OAT's RFID framework software and Intel's technology and services to ease RFID adoption for retailers." Source: FrontLineToday.com
"Channel relationship management software vendor Click Commerce has acquired Xelus, a start-up that offers web-based software to enable efficient collaboration between companies in an extended supply chain. The deal follows Click's acquisition in February of supply chain execution company Optum, a Xelus partner. Click said the deal brings analytical capabilities that extract value from RFID programs and will also broaden its product range with the addition of Xelus's service parts planning and reverse supply chain software." Source: ComputerBusinessReviewOnline
"The Integration Consortium has formed a new RFID committee to establish best practices and support standards for supply chain integration using the technology. The goal is more uniform end-to-end or partner-to-partner RFID implementation." source: ComputerBusinessReviewOnline
"Executives interviewed believe that new technology solutions, such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)-enabled 'Smart Boxes,' could enhance container security as well as improve container visibility throughout the supply chain. "It now makes good business sense to improve security using advanced technologies such as RFID because of the associated benefits in operational and administrative efficiency. We found that most companies were already building a solid business case for deploying advanced technologies to solve the new-age issue of security and the age-old issues of reliability and efficiency" said Omar Hijazi, an A.T. Kearney principal who oversaw the report, titled, "Smart Boxes: RFID Can Improve Visibility, Efficiency and Security in the Global Supply Chain."" Source: IndustryWeek
"ACG Identification Technologies GmbH has received MIFARE certification for its new HF Dual ISO RFID read/write reader from the independent MIFARE certification institute Arsenal Research in Vienna, Austria. This certification will enable the company to offer a reader that has been independently verified as meeting MIFARE specifications (i.e. conformance with the ISO IEC 14443A standard). Apart from its new certified readers, ACG's product portfolio also includes Arsenal Research-certified MIFARE cards." Source: UsingRFID.com
"—RFID tag and label manufacturer Avery Dennison RFID has brought online a new system to manufacture RFID inlays. The firm claims the system is at least 10 times faster than “conventional production methods.” The new technology simplifies the creation of the RFID inlay, the microchip and antenna core of an RFID tag, by eliminating the need for high-precision robotic tools needed to join the two elements" Source: RFID Journal
"RFID has the potential to generate orders of magnitude more information than corporations are used to dealing with. The most cited example has been the estimate that Wal-Mart's in-store implementation will generate about 7.5 terabytes of RFID data a day. Certainly we haven't seen this scale of implementation yet, but the example speaks to the possibility that the volume of information could be overwhelming in larger operations. Therefore, it's important to have new data management approaches." Source: Intelligent Enterprise
"The consumer-goods company has used RFID to determine whether stores have stocked their shelves with a specific item in time for a marketing promotion. Gillette is doing that by analyzing data from retailers with RFID scanners, which read the electronic product codes on each tag at receiving docks and at various points between stockrooms and store entrances. In one instance, Gillette confirmed that all the stores it measured received the product before a promotion ran. Among stores that moved the product from stockroom to shelves before the promotion hit, average sales were 48% higher for it than those that did so after the promotion's start. Gillette also found that more collaboration was needed with stores, since 38% of them didn't execute correctly." Source: Information Week
"The Dutch equivalent of Metcash — Schuitema — has investigated the use of RFID to improve its logistics. Schuitema has approximately 100 supermarkets and provides goods and services to close to 400 independent and associated food retailers mainly operating under the trade name C1000 in the Netherlands." Source: SupplyChainReview
"The Queensland Branch of the Australian Institute of Packaging recently ran a half-day seminar on RFID with keynote speakers educating the attendees on real-life application stories that are happening as we speak in Australia." Source: SupplyChainReview
"You can buy drinks in Baja Beach Club in Barcelona if you let them chip you up by injecting you with a Verichip. The Verichip, made by Applied Digital Solutions is injected by a quack under local anaesthetic and is made of glass. The chip contains RFID, your name and the amount of dosh you have in your Baja account, said Discovery. When you go to buy a drink, a very attractive young lady apparently passes a scanner over your body and the picture with the feature shows this is relatively painless." Source: TheInquirer
"The use of RFID technology in the health-care arena holds enormous promise. It could lead to greater accuracy and efficiency in treating patients by making medical information immediately accessible to health-care providers. But privacy concerns present a significant obstacle to its widespread acceptance. Given the sensitivity of personal medical data, patient confidence in the integrity of RFID technology is essential. Until patients’ privacy concerns are allayed, the use of RFID in health care could be a difficult sell." Source: RFID Journal
"The Integration Consortium (IC) has formed a new committee chartered with establishing and promoting best practices and industry consensus to further enable the integration of radio frequency identification device (RFID) technology and data within enterprise systems, the IC announced this week. The committee aims to support standards and best practices for end-to-end supply chain integration." Source: Supply&DemandChainExecutive
"Radio frequency identification is becoming increasingly popular inside the U.S. government, but agencies have not seriously considered the privacy risks, federal auditors said. In a report published Friday, the Government Accountability Office said that 13 of the largest federal agencies are already using RFID or plan to use it. But only one of 23 agencies polled by the GAO had identified any legal or privacy issues--even though three admitted RFID would let them track employee movements. " Source: News.com
""We're only just leaving an early-adopter phase in RFID technology's lifecycle. It is Datamonitor's view that most manufacturing RFID projects in 2005 will be pilots where an implementation is limited to one location, production line or single product type. Once manufacturers are able to recognise a return on investment (ROI) generated by the data flowing from the plant floor, we'll start to see RFID adoption grow at a faster rate," says Jura." Source: TEKRATI
"In an interview with CIO Today Magazine, Wal-Mart CIO Linda Dillman, confirmed just how important RFID technology was for her company. She was quoted as saying that "the impact of electronic product code is significant." Even more interesting was her comment that "we'll be using RFID in the future for asset tracking on laptops and other mobile devices."" Source: Directions Magazine
"Click Commerce, Inc., a leading provider of collaborative commerce solutions and a pioneer in the Software as a Service (SaaS) industry, today announced it has acquired Xelus, Inc. The acquisition brings analytical capabilities that are critical for extracting value from RFID programs and broadens the Company's solutions portfolio to include Xelus' Service Parts Planning (SPP) and Reverse Supply Chain solutions." Source: Click Commerce, Inc.
"To lure customers to its patented RFID technology, Intermec Technologies is planning a discount sale of its IP licenses. From June 1 through August 31, customers will receive deep discounts on licensing Intermec's IP. During this time, customers would pay roughly half the regular price, said Mike Wills VP, Intermec RFID vice president." Source: ComputerBusinessReview
"Large businesses agree that 4 to 6 percent of sales are lost as products move from the assembly line through the supply chain to the end-customer. Half of the loss results from failure to restock popular items, and the rest is because of shrinkage (lost or stolen items). This is where RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) can dramatically improve production efficiencies, asset utilisation, forecasting and inventory accuracy, and ultimately customer satisfaction by pinpointing the location and status of products as they move through the supply chain. " Source: ExpressComputer
"The US military is developing miniature electronic sensors disguised as rocks that can be dropped from an aircraft and used to help detect the sound of approaching enemy combatants. The devices, which would be no larger than a golf ball, could be ready for use in about 18 months. They use tiny silicon chips and radio frequency identification (RFID) technology that is so sensitive that it can detect the sound of a human footfall at 20ft to 30ft." Source: FT.com
"Buy into RFID tags, or not? Is it best to wait and hope things settle down? But, if a company hesitates, will it fall behind as competitors race ahead? Or, if it jumps too early into the RFID waters, will it ultimately lose? What are the real issues in regard to RFID? Cost is not the real issue. The tag's technology is not the real issue. Wal-Mart is not the real issue. The DoD is not the real issue. Standards are not the real issue. The real issue is how to cope with all the data that will be generated by large-scale adoption of RFID technology." Source: Managing Automation
"In many cases, the first leg of the race is simply the acceptance of RFID. "The quicker the corporate culture can change from 'this is a pain' to 'how can we use this new tool,' the quicker the benefit," says Rich Bruce, RFID business development, The Danby Grou" Source: Managing Automation
"Defense Technology Systems, Inc. (OTCBB:DFTS) today announced a 100 Country RFID Summit in Vienna, Austria to be held in the first week of July. The summit will be hosted by DCI. Defense Technology acquired a majority interest in DCI early this year as part of an overall strategy to redirect and revitalize the Company. DCI will host the Summit in collaboration with a major marketing partner. The summit is intended to provide an RFID overview for senior decision makers working in Government, Military, and Commercial Industries. The recently announced "RFID Foundry" product to be released by Defense Technology through DCI in the third quarter will be previewed at the Summit." Source: BusinessWire
"The Swedish postal service Posten is using embedded radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in parcels to cut down on internal theft. Posten, which has its headquarters in Stockholm, is testing the technology on high-value and confidential items such as mobile phones, computer equipment and government documents, as a way of detecting whether they have been tampered with. Specially-designed cardboard packaging from Swedish technology firm Cypak contains a microscopic chip and embedded RFID circuits that can store information about the package's origin, contents and journey. Posten uses RFID readers to enter data into the SecurePak parcel before dispatch, and then reads the data when the package has arrived at its destination to check for any suspicious activity." Source: VNUnet
"SICK has released the T 4000 multi electronic safety interlock, offering switching distances of up to 15mm. Up to four RFID sensors can be connected to a single evaluation unit and it offers high immunity to impacts and vibrations. Applications include the protection of access doors to robot cells or in protective barriers along production and assembly lines. Separate door signalling outputs are provided, with which each connected sensor can be individually assigned to the particular door and evaluated." Source: Ferret.com.au
"Early pioneers reveal that big RFID payoffs can come in small, unexpected ways. One Wal-Mart supplier found that some shipments spent 24 hours longer than it expected at one point along delivery, Simon Langford, manager of global RFID strategy for Wal-Mart, told attendees Tuesday at this week's Retail Systems show in Chicago. That prompted the company, which isn't tagging every product line coming to Wal-Mart's RFID-enabled distribution center, to tag at least one case on each shipment, so it can track its progress." Source: InformationWeek
"Item-level RFID tagging could reduce retailer out-of-stocks by 60% and significantly cut shrink, says a report issued by two systems integrators. According to a report, item-level RFID used for inventory management delivered an eight-fold increase in employee productivity, streamlined inventory management, cut out-of-stocks by nearly 60%, and reduced shrink by 20% to 50%." Source: Frontlinetoday
"The Ministry of Information and Communication of Korea is working on Privacy Protection Guidelines for RFID to prepare for full-fledged use of RFID. The guidelines ban storing personal information on RFID tag against related laws or without clear statement of consent from the person in question. Furthermore, RFID-tagged products should be indicated with proper mark accompanied by methods of removing the tag. To install a RFID reader, you have to inform shoppers or customers of the fact." Source: Telecoms Korea
"KWV International has begun using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to track over a 100 000 vats of wine and brandy as part of a new system to manage vats during the maturation process. Handheld terminals can be used to record information about the vat and its contents from lower cost passive RFID tags fitted to each vat." Source: ITWeb
"Global supply chain leader Dell Inc has looked at RFID ... and adopted a holding pattern until costs come down and the business case stacks up." Source: SupplyChainReview
"Defense Technology Systems Inc. (OTCBB:DFTS) announced plans to release its Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system called "RFID Foundry" by the end of third quarter 2005. The RFID Foundry is a complete Sensor and RFID-based automatic sensing, identification and tracking system designed for commercial and military customers that require the rapid deployment of mission-critical positive identification and tracking capabilities. The RFID system utilizes off-the-shelf RFID readers and sensors with a middleware solution built on the Sun Microsystems Java RFID Software. The RFID system has been developed by the company's DCI subsidiary. Defense Technology recently acquired a majority interest in the twenty year old defense industry systems engineering firm as part of a sweeping redirection and revitalization plan." Source: TMCnet
"Global RFID services revenues are expected to touch $350 million in 2005, according to a new report titled, “RFID Products, Applications and Services Worldwide – A Market Strategy Report.” RFID technology has been growing steadily in the past 3-4 years and is expected to grow rapidly in the 2006-2009 period, before stabilizing and settling on a steady growth path. The year 2004 was marked by excitement related to mandates, entry of new players, re-positioning of some companies as “RFID focused,” new product and service launches, technology advances, standards evolution, partnerships & alliances, mergers & acquisitions, and general market awareness." Source: PRWeb
"The Kennedy Group has introduced ten new radio frequency identification (RFID) Starter Kits to help customers comply with industry mandates. The kits include bundled hardware, software and Smart Therm labels. The Starter Kits combine products from Alien Technology Corp., Symbol Technologies, Sato America Inc., Printronix Inc. and Zebra Technologies Corp., with The Kennedy Group's Smart Therm labels, customer service and support." Source: Frontline
"Arnlea Systems (Aberdeen, Scotland), a provider of radio frequency identification (RFID) and mobile information solutions, has won a five figure contract from AMEC Internal Asset Management, the mobile rental equipment company that forms part of the AMEC Group, to deliver an RFID-enabled mobile rental plant and equipment tracking system." Source: EETimesUK
"The business environment changed dramatically in late 2003 and early 2004 as various entities, led by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and the U.S. Department of Defense, established RFID mandates that their major suppliers must meet to do business. These mandates are playing a major role in accelerating the cost declines and improving the performance of the technology. This is enabling the application of RFID well beyond the traditional supply chain of manufacturing, warehousing and distribution." Source: ComputerWorld
"How much privacy would you risk to make your shopping easier? Imagine swiping an ID card at a kiosk as you enter a department store like Macy's or a discounter like Wal-Mart, informing the store you've come in." Source: NYDailyNews
"Some cafes and retail stores in Seattle next week will begin individually marketing products and services to bypassers in Seattle using RFID (radio frequency identification) technology. The first target group is visually and hearing-impaired individuals who can benefit from positioning and navigation applications added to the system. Six wireless public areas, called activation fields, will go live next week throughout downtown Seattle and at the city's ferry terminal. Over a few months 15 more city areas will be added. Users carrying an active tag and entering the activation field are recognized as the tag is read, and then are presented with announcements. " Source: ComputerWorld
"Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are finding their way into a broad range of new applications that have raised concerns about privacy. There is little to inform the calls for a national debate and the legislative proposals that have resulted. The concerns expressed demonstrate how emerging information technologies can upset the balance of privacy, personal benefits, and public safety and security. Although proposed retail uses are new, RFID tags have been used to control access in the workplace for over a decade." Source: Linux Electrons
"Founded in Kuwait, with its regional headquarters and RFID testing and demonstration facility in Dubai, TagStone aims to be a key player in the region, by introducing and implementing RFID solutions for companies across industries and borders." Source: PRLeap
"There is no global public body that governs the frequencies used for RFID. In principle, every country can set its own rules, but some standards have been made regarding RFID technology. EPCGlobal is the standard that is most likely going to form the basis of a Worldwide standard. The standard proposed by EPCGlobal includes privacy-related guidelines for the use of RFID-based EPC (Electronic Product Code). They include the requirement to give consumers clear notice of the presence of EPC and to inform them of the choice that they have to discard, disable or remove EPC tags. " Source: IndiaTimes
"Wave good-bye to swiping. Your credit card just become the front lines of the consumer side of radio frequency identification (RFID). RFIDInsights news is reporting that JP Morgan Chase & Co. will begin issuing RFID-embedded credit cards with technology they call "blink" to customers in two unidentifed cities this summer." Source: Directions Magazine
Indian companies may bleed to make their foreign associates richer. Suppliers to retail majors such as Wal-Mart, Metro, Target and Tesco fear a hit on their bottomline as their foreign partners have issued directives to their suppliers to replace bar codes with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. The retail bigwigs' diktat is giving sleepless nights to domestic companies. Indian suppliers' worst fear is that the cost of RFID labels will squeeze their margins. The cost of one RFID tag results in a loss of about 30 US cents. Source: agencyfaqs
IBM Latest News about IBM is ramping up its efforts to compete in the emerging market for products that communicate environmental data to I.T. systems for analysis -- which Big Blue says could represent a $20 billion opportunity by 2007. Source: Newsfactor
Symbol Technologies, Inc., The Enterprise Mobility Company(TM), announced today that the Army Contracting Agency (ACA) Information Technology, E-Commerce and Commercial Contracting Center (ITEC4) awarded five Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) for Symbol's Electronic Product Code (EPC)-compliant class 0 and 1 multi-protocol fixed RFID readers. This will allow the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to install and use Symbol's RFID technology in military installations around the world to track materials and supplies throughout the agency supply chain. Source: Symbol Technologies, Inc
The business case for implementing radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in the retail industry is so compelling that it will eventually outweigh any perceived negatives, says Sean Summers, Pick 'n Pay CEO. Speaking to ITWeb following the Global Standards 1 (GS1) press conference in Cape Town yesterday, Summers said South African retailers have a strategy in place for introducing RFID, particularly in the supply chain, within the next three to five years. Source: ITWEB
If you've ever marveled at the number of products and companies that use bar codes, you get an idea of how popular RFID tags may be. RFID, short for radio frequency identification, is the next evolution of the bar code. These tags, which can be used in countless applications, allow businesses to monitor and track the presence of physical objects. It's best explained with an example. RFID tags, for instance, would allow a shipping company to easily see how many containers are in the port waiting to be unloaded and how many are empty. These tags would allow retailers to count the number of boxes on a shelf and know where they are located in a store. Source: USATODAY / Captain Obvious
VeriSign will buy RFID supply chain consultants R4 Global Solutions for $15 million in cash, the companies said Wednesday. The deal brings 26 experienced consultants to VeriSign's Intelligent Supply Chain Services Group, along with new revenue opportunities while VeriSign waits for demand for its EPC Network, which gives products in a supply chain unique IP addresses. VeriSign was awarded the contract to manage the Object Naming Service for the EPCglobal Network in January 2004. The EPC NEtwork will combine RFID technology with electronic product codes (EPC) to create a standard way for partners to trade information about goods moving through a supply chain. Source: internetnews.com
AXCESS International Inc., a leading provider of Active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems, today announced that its wireless tagging solution is being used in the Awarea Corporation's Omni program to create personalized marketing and advertising in downtown Seattle, as well as providing neighborhood and emergency information. The system has also been adapted to facilitate use by the visually impaired by enabling way-point, safety and navigation information to be announced at the push of a button. Source prnewswre
An instantly-applicable and cost-effective alternative to RFID technology will be unveiled at the RetailSystems 2005 Expo next week. ImageID, the company behind the Visidot system, argues that manufacturers and suppliers need a cost-effective data capture solution that works now. Current difficulties in deploying RFID (radio frequency identification) technology mean that some suppliers are experiencing a visibility gap within their supply chain. Source: foodproductiondaily
TEK Industries, represented by Alfatek, announced the release of its newest RFID hardware package: TEK Mousemat. This revolutionary, “Plug and Play” RFID scanner is packaged inside a mousepad. Measuring 9.25” by 7.75” with an integrated antenna, the TEK Mousemat interfaces with a desktop, laptop, or Pocket PC, via a USB connection, making it portable and adaptable. Source: Ferret
The next fashion accessory for some inmates at the Los Angeles County jail will be a radio frequency identification bracelet. The country's largest jail system has launched a pilot project with Alanco Technologies to track inmates using the technology, also known as RFID. The first phase will involve setting up an RFID system in the 1,800-inmate east facility of the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic, Calif., by fall 2005. If it succeeds, and funding can be obtained, the county will spread the system throughout its prison facilities. Source: CNET
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is generating increasing interest in Europe as projects using the technology begin to proliferate in a variety of markets including retail, transportation, pharmaceuticals and livestock. According to consulting company Frost & Sullivan, spending on RFID-related hardware, software and services in Europe will exceed €5bn in 2007 as firms adopt the technology in a bid to boost supply chain efficiency. Source: VNUnet
Firms need an RFID strategy. "You need to know what you are going to do, even if you are not going to adopt RFID for two years. Otherwise it might cost you more later, because suppliers are looking for reference sites, and will cut deals now." Source: ComputerWeekly
Wireless Facilities Inc. announced Monday (May 16) that the Logistics and RFID sector of its Government Division has been awarded blanket purchase agreements to provide RFID readers to enable and accelerate implementation of passive RFID technology to support the U.S. Dept of Defense. Source: EETimes.com
The deal with International Paper brings the RFID industry "one step closer to developing a tag that will one day be incorporated into packages much more easily and efficiently than silicon tags," said Klaus Dimmler, co-founder and president and CEO of OrganicID. "This will open the door for cost-efficient, item-level tracking." Source: CRMNews
Reliable identification technology would help make significant operational improvements and a material difference to the automotive industry, which operates in a complex supply chain environment, concludes the latest RFID Market Strategy Report by research firm Research and Markets. Source: ITWeb
Unless they hold places as direct links in the Wal-Mart or Department of Defense (DOD) supply chains, most iSeries shops have been sitting back and observing emerging RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Systems) technology with little more than passing curiosity. After all, if there's no behemoth retailer mandating that you put RFID tags on your products by some fast-approaching date, what's the worry? Source: ITJungle
"RFID Journal is running a story about a group of researchers at UCLA working on a new RFID application that would provide consumers a means of watching DVDs of movies as soon as they hit the theaters. It could also be used to address one of Hollywood's biggest concerns: piracy of digital content. The group is researching a method of using RFID as a tool for digital rights management (DRM), wherein technologies are employed to protect media files from unauthorized use." Source: Slashdot
Radio frequency identification technology has proven to be reliable, especially in supply chains, and is already showing tremendous benefits. But an automated supply chain mandates the necessity for data privacy, identity and non-refutability, and organizations should ensure the RFID technology they adopt supports their security requirements. Companies need to be aware of the security risks, such as profiling, eavesdropping, denial of service attacks and inventory jamming. Source: RFIDJournal
As if swiping a card at the checkout counter weren't fast enough, credit companies soon will let you buy goods by simply tapping a card, waving a key fob or holding a cell phone next to the cash register. Visa, MasterCard and American Express all are planning nationwide rollouts this year of "contactless payment" programs. Credit-card companies want to embed RFID technology in their plastic cards, key fobs or other devices that many consumers always carry with them, such as a cell phone or a handheld computer. Source: IndyStar
Despite concerns about how effectively scanners read radio frequency identification tags, officials at the Navy's Ocean Terminal in Norfolk, Va., have embraced RFID technology to process most shipments that pass through the terminal. They still back up the technology, however, using human operators and bar code scanners. Since May 2004, all shipments except household goods, classified cargo and over-sized freight have been processed using RFID technology. Michael Randazzo, a spokesman for the Naval Supply Systems Command, which oversees the Ocean Terminal, said RFID scanners successfully read 85 percent of the tags at the terminal. Source: CRMBuyer
We love any advances in toilet technology because, well it’s the only room we can enter at Engadget HQ without escort. Today, AquaOne Technologies announces the H2Orb, an RFID-enabled water monitoring device that will recognize when your toilet is leaking, overflowing, or has an “open flapper”. The device consists of three components: a tank sensor, a bowl sensor, and a control unit which includes an RFID reader and is powered by a standard coin cell battery which needs replacement every 5 years. Source: Engadget
The blackjack tables at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino were packed with gamblers and casino voyeurs on a recent weekend. But in the Peacock Lounge -- the casino's high-limit blackjack room, with minimum bets of $100 a hand -- the casino enjoyed an added advantage to its already stacked odds. The reason involves a high-tech chip within a chip that is helping the Hard Rock learn more than ever about every move made by high rollers. Computer chips embedded in the plastic gambling chips communicate via radio frequency with sensors placed under the table. The technology gives the casino's operators a trove of knowledge, including a player's average bet and where each high-denomination chip is at all times. The new chips are based on radio frequency identification technology. Source: IndyStar
Federal authorities are moving closer to the deployment of radio-frequency identification technology to monitor the comings and goings of foreign visitors. Efforts under way at airports, maritime ports, and land borders promise to test RFID as a part of government customs processes this summer, says a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security. Source: InformationWeek
Multispectral Solutions (MSSI) has been awarded a patent for ultra wideband RFID, a technology that promises more accurate tracking of products and the possibility of cheaper tags in the future. The patent permits the rapid acquisition of RFID (radio frequency identification) tag transmissions enabling the monitoring and precise localisation of large numbers of tags, even in severe multipath environments. Source: NUTRA
A new industry study, titled "RFID & Emerging Technologies Guide to Healthcare," predicts that RFID and its related technologies in the hospital marketplace will skyrocket to $8.8 billion by 2010. The market will be segmented into three general categories:
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has awarded a grant to I.D. Systems Inc. to integrate RFID-based baggage tracking capability its Wireless Asset Net vehicle security and tracking system. I.D. Systems will develop and prototype a mobile, automated baggage tracking system in which "intelligent" containers and vehicles identify and locate items tagged with Electronic Product Code-compliant RFID tags, and communicate that data through I.D. Systems' wireless vehicle management network. Source: Frontline Solutions
With over 600 participants attending last month's RFID conference, organized by GS1 Hong Kong (formerly known as the HKANA) and EPCglobal Hong Kong, these tiny ID chips seem to have hit the radar of many local IT managers. Source: BioIT World
Multispectral Solutions, Inc. (MSSI) announced today that it has been awarded a patent which permits the rapid acquisition of RFID tag transmissions enabling the monitoring and precise (centimeter) localization of large numbers of tags, even in severe multipath environments. This newly patented technology has been incorporated into MSSI's ultra wideband (UWB) Precision Asset Location System(TM) products, including its latest "Sapphire" line of RFID/tracking solutions. Source: Business Wire
UPM Rafsec, a manufacturer of radio-frequency identification tags, is extending its presence in the United States with a new production facility it's building in Fletcher, N.C. The company, with roughly $1 billion in annual revenue, established a sales and technical support center in the United States last year. The facility will help the Finnish manufacturer meet its goal of producing 1 billion tags per year. Source: Information Week
AIM Global's RFID Experts Group (REG) has initiated a project to develop an outline for the types of knowledge and core competencies for RFID professionals. Source: Frontline Today
You see a lot of production managers squeezed by senior management to become compliant with RFID, and do so quickly and inexpensively. The problem is that these goals are not always compatible, but they do engender some creative thinking. One example I've heard concerns a product that is a case of oil in typical funnel-shaped bottles. It has a shipping label applied to the lower corner of the box. The initial, obvious solution was to upgrade the capabilities of the label printer to encode an embedded RFID tag. Unfortunately, the lower corner of the box is where all the RFID-absorbing oil is concentrated. The RFID-friendly airspace is at the upper side of the box where the bottles taper to the pointed funnel. This problem was caught in product compatibility testing, but the moral of the story is one you've heard before (and will keep hearing for a while) -- "RFID is not exactly like barcodes." Allow sufficient room in your implementation schedule to adjust such basic production considerations as label placement and handling. Source: Industry Week
Metro Group, the world's third largest retailer, has held the first public demonstration of the next generation of radio frequency identification technology. The technical standard, called EPC Generation 2 RFID, is said to be more accurate than the one currently being used by retailers. Experts believe it will be widely adopted by suppliers as the basis for RFID systems that are expected to transform the way goods are tracked along the supply chain. Source: Computer Weekly
A study done by Hewlett-Packard last year described a vision for the RFID-enabled supply chain, starting with a unique RFID tag applied to each production unit during manufacturing. This tagging will give everyone in the supply chain instant visibility, without the current process of bar code scanning and manual verification. This will enable retailers to track products in real time through the distribution channel, receive them into inventory, and automatically send electronic payments to the manufacturer -- all without being touched by a human. Eliminating costly human intervention will save these companies billions in inventory and reduce errors, savings that can then be passed on to consumers through lower prices or shareholders in the form of higher margins. Source: Fool.com
Executives at Axcess International don't mind their work being a waste. In fact, that's what it's all about in a new deal between the active radio frequency identification (RFID) systems developer and Bechtel Hanford. The Dallas-based company's wireless system is used by the Bechtel-led Environmental Restoration (ER) project team to track low-level and hazardous waste from multiple cleanup sites along the Columbia River in Washington. Source: internetnews
EPCglobal is offering its members a free spreadsheet application they can use to calculate business costs and gains from deploying an EPC RFID system. The new spreadsheet tool—dubbed the EPC Value Model—provides manufacturers with an application that can calculate potential business costs and gains from deploying an EPC system. Source: RFID Journal
AXCESS International Inc., a leading provider of Active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems today announced its wireless tagging system, FleetTag(TM), is being used by Bechtel Hanford to more efficiently track waste disposal at the U.S. Department of Energy's 586-square-mile Hanford Site in southeastern Washington state. Source: PRNewswire
This year will be a key year for radio frequency identification (RFID) solutions. At least, that's what a Datamonitor research report has concluded. For its report, "Global Manufacturing Outlook and IT Investment Insight -- A Datamonitor Technology Decision-maker Panel project," Datamonitor surveyed C-level executives, CIOs, IT managers and line of business managers from 150 of the top 300 global manufacturers. Of those surveyed, 60 per cent of respondents said they currently have an RFID project underway. Source: eChannelLine Canada
No new RFID mandates have been issued and at least one company has pulled out of the market. It's been nearly seven months since Best Buy announced plans to require the use of RFID tags on shipments from its suppliers, starting in January 2006 (see Best Buy to Deploy RFID). In that time, not a single retailer, manufacturer or government entity has announced an RFID mandate. And at least one RFID software provider, GenuOne, is withdrawing from the RFID market. So the question has to be asked: Is RFID losing momentum? Source: RFID Journal
Tokyo-based TechFirm is launching an RFID-based service that lets stores and customers exchange information. By pairing a shopper’s RFID-enabled phone with RFID readers in the stores, customers can download and save information about the store — a bookmark of sorts for favorite shops. The incentive for the stores is that the exchange is two-way, and shops can collect lists of potential repeat customers in order to send them special offers and bargains. Source: Engadget
Wow, US ID Cards now appear to be a reality! Looks like the recent military spending vote had the ID cards attached and the law was approved by the house. It also doesn't look like the senate is going to do much to stop it due to the required military funding. Source: Googlezon
On top of its recent release of the V Series Self-Check system, 3M is marketing new RFID tags designed specifically for CD and DVD collections. Dubbed 3M CD8 RFID, when coupled with special software, the tags link the discs with the jewel cases as a set, assuring that discs and cases are the correct match when returned. According to 3M, the “sets feature improves checkin accuracy and reduces the handling of materials to save staff time.” The sets feature also prevents patrons from checking out empty cases or cases containing the wrong discs. Source: Library Journal
GenuOne, a supply chain security solution provider, is withdrawing from the radio frequency identification (RFID) application software market. "RFID is an exciting, enabling and disruptive technology that will result in substantial improvements and enhancements to global supply chains," said Jeffrey Unger, CEO of GenuOne. "However, the RFID application software market is still very much in its infancy and will take some time to develop into a formal marketplace." Source: Frontline Solutions
An auto manufacturing giant wants to export his cars. Each vehicle has different specifications with a different pricing model. Normally the exporter would have to find ways to store the information in a computer and send it across to the importer. Now he just has to load the information on an RFID tag and attach it to the car. Source: The Times of Oman
Boeing has become the first defense contractor to support a US Department of Defense (DoD) initiative to use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to better manage its receipt of goods from the defense industry. A Boeing shipment of F-15 parts sent in late April was the first to transmit data electronically from a boxed shipment through the DoD's e-commerce system, Wide Area Workflow, using RFID technology. Source: SupplyChain Review
RFID Journal, the world's first and most authoritative media company focused on radio frequency identification and its many business applications, has announced dates for two major executive conferences. RFID Journal LIVE! Europe will be held at the Hotel Okura Amsterdam, Oct. 10-12, and RFID Journal LIVE! 2006 will be held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, May 1-3, 2006. Source: RFID Journal
A Canadian company embeds RFID tags in the hose couplings it makes so that couplings and hoses can be easily tracked and maintained. Source: RFID Journal
Using the limited-time-offer approach, between June 1 and Aug. 31 Intermec will sell groups of its patents through four "portfolio families" to makers of RFID tags, readers, and printers. There is a membership fee, and royalty fees between 2.5% to 7.5%. Intermec previously sold each patent individually. Specific prices weren't disclosed. Source: Information Week
Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited (MMAL) has announced details of its multimillion dollar investment in a range of cutting edge technology solutions, including Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), to track vehicles through the plant. Source: SupplyChain Review
This new bit of “production management” technology in use by Japanese company Omron aims to squeeze every last morsel of productivity from you peons. It makes use of video cameras, security systems and mandatory RFID tags carried by employees to monitor everyone’s whereabouts, analyze employee work performance, and eventually optimize employee allocation to improve product quality (why don’t they just replace everyone with robots so we can all go home, already?). Yes, worker bees, all your brain cycles are belong to Omron. Every. Last. One. Source: Engadget
A report claims that future safety and telematics systems will need to use a dedicated wireless technology based on 802.11. Such systems will require a combination of what the report calls Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC), which is based on 802.11, and RFID. Such systems would enable vehicles to broadcast data such as their location, identification and even enable in-car Internet access, the report said. Source: InformationWeek
A gang of RFID faithful venture capitalists has set up a business-plan competition to find "creative and effective uses" for shared electronic product code (EPC) data to help solve business problems. In other words, how can businesses best use all the data that these tags and readers collect? Source: Business 2.0
Cisco Systems Inc. showed off the first fruits of its recent Airespace Inc. acquisition at the Interop show here, and the company opted for a more clever integration of tools than a simple rebranding. The Wireless Location Appliance 2700 is a $14,995 1U box that integrates RFID tagging with 802.11 access points, providing ways for central managers to locate and control assets. Source: EETimes.com
With analysts predicting an RFID market that will reach $2.8bn by 2009, wireless tagging technology may be set to experience an explosion: RFID will take off dramatically - 100 billion to 200 billion RFID tags will be generated every year for the next 10 years. Source: silicon.com
CBS Technology (CBS) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Public Packages Holdings (PPH) to jointly develop and market cartons and boxes embedded with CBS’ RFID technology solution, Solmate. The first of its kind in Malaysia, the smart boxes and cartons will be targeted initially at companies in the manufacturing, FMCGs and IT industries. Source: Computerworld Malaysia
Cisco has come under fire from privacy groups as it prepares to launch a wireless RFID server that can track people and equipment using existing Wi-Fi networks. The Wireless Location Appliance 2700 is designed to track RFID tags down to a few metres and display the location on a central map. Alarms can be raised if the tag moves out of a predefined area, allowing companies to track equipment and, more controversially, personnel. Source: VNUnet
The UK is conducting more trials involving radio frequency identity (RFID) tags than any other country in Europe, according to research. Some 10.4 per cent of all European RFID trials are being conducted in the UK, says research from analyst IDTechEX. Globally, the US is the only country with more trials under way, conducting 32.6 per cent of the projects known to the analyst. Source: VNUnet
At live demonstrations by printing-equipment maker Mark Andy, a narrow-web press produced RFID labels at a rate of 100 to 200 feet per minute. Source: RFID Journal
RFID has been The Next Big Thing for so long, it's a wonder that industry-watchers can still muster any excitement. TAGSYS is in many ways the archetypal RFID company: toiling for many years, making gradual progress, but still waiting for its core markets to reach critical mass. Source: Technology Review
One of the largest companies producing and marketing tree fruit and grapes in the United States, Ballantine Produce, is arguably the first company in the fruit wholesale business to have a significant plan and process in place to implement and benefit from RFID. Source: SupplyChain Review
Boston-based software firm GenuOne has announced it is no longer selling its TraceGuard RFID data-integration and product-authentication software and is "withdrawing from the RFID marketplace." Jeffrey Unger, GenuOne CEO, says that the RFID application software market is too weak to allow GenuOne to continue to sell and contribute resources toward its RFID products. Source: RFID Journal
RedPrairie and Wavetrend, a UK-based supplier of active ultra-long-range (ULR) RFID technology systems, have entered into a reseller agreement. RedPrairie will become a value-added reseller (VAR) for Wavetrend's active RFID and data collection middleware technology. RedPrairie will integrate Wavetrend tag and reader systems to enhance its transportation and yard management, labor management, supply chain security and mobile asset management solutions. The combined applications will enable customers to use active RFID technology to accurately identify, manage and track physical assets, information and personnel. Source: Frontline
An automotive trade group is researching how much money automakers might save by deploying RFID on reusable containers and racks used to transport parts. Source: RFID Journal
Many suppliers to US giant WalMart are installing RFID just for compliance. But in using a “ slap and ship ” methodology, rather than leveraging the technology ’ s benefits, it ’ s just an added cost. However, it ’ s far from all bad news, says Australian expert Mark Dingley. Source: ferret.com.au
German retailer METRO Group has carried out the industry's first public demonstration of an EPC Generation 2 RFID (radio frequency identification) system at the retailer's stand at the 2005 ECR Europe Conference and Marketplace. During the demonstration, Intermec Intellitag Gen 2 smart labels were read by an RFID-enabled IF5 reader as an RFID-tagged pallet of RFID-tagged cases was pushed through a portal. Source: SupplyChain Review
Should companies begin an RFID initiative without a clearly demonstrated business case? Absolutely not. Of course, when subject to a mandate from a significant customer, the business case notion can get thrown out the window. Source: Contactless News
U.S. State Department deputy assistant secretary for passport services Frank Moss last night asserted that proposed radio frequency identification technology for passports will not be rolled out until privacy and security issues are addressed and identity theft vulnerabilities are overcome. Source: BTNonline.com
IDTechEx has recently celebrated reaching 1400 case studies of RFID in action. This is more than ten times the number of case studies amassed by any other company and it lists technical detail as well as giving extensive commentary and analysis where possible. It spans 68 countries and the activities of 1529 organisations at the time of writing. However, our team are adding case studies at a rapid rate while continuously updating the existing studies. By the time of Smart Labels USA in Baltimore in June there will be 1500 case studies. So what are the lessons?
New radio-frequency identification technology approved by the Food and Drug Administration in November is starting to be used to address the problem of doctors performing the wrong procedure on patients. The new RFID verification system, called Surgichip, is being sold by AMTSystems as part of its suite of PatientSafe patient-safety systems, which also include medication-verification products. Source: Information Week
Clearly that point wasn't lost on the global CIO. "After two years of investment, the first wave of results from the RFID applications in our consumer products and retail lines of business look promising," he began. "Particularly with respect to core supply chain functions such as our inventory tracking, distribution center operations and retail store management." Source: DMReview
Hype initially surrounded Defense Department plans to use passive radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to manage and track shipments from 60,000 suppliers in DOD's global distribution chain. But reality has tempered the excitement during the past six months. Source: FCW.com