RFID Gazette

RFID Gazette - Mon May 07, 2007

A roundup of recent RFID-related news.

NFC Vending Machine Demo
RFID in Japan has a YouTube video showing someone buying a drink from a vending machine and paying for it with their NFC-enabled cell phone.

RFID Implants For Payment Systems
A nightclub in Barcelona, Spain is allowing patrons to use implanted RFID chips to enter a VIP area and pay for drinks. Said one of the owners of the club:

I know a lot of people have fears about it. Having a radio-transmitting chip under your skin makes you very unique.

Right. So do horns sticking out of your head, which I'll have implanted before an RFID chip.

Dual-Purpose RFID Labels
Checkpoint Systems is introducing an inventory tracking and anti-theft system for retailers. The system uses RFID labels that serves the dual purpose by having two different circuits. This is apparently worrying privacy advocates who feel the system might track customers who mistakenly carry away chips after a purchase.

16 Barriers to RFID Ubiquity

RFID is arguably a very efficient technology, made for multiple purposes, useful for private and public sectors. The benefits of RFID are far too numerous to mention in a single article, as the potential applications are seemingly endless. Many in the industry and elsewhere feel that the technology will become ubiquitous and replace older technologies because of its efficiencies and extra functionality. The problem is, it is also a very controversial technology for many reasons, which are thus a barrier to widespread adoption of RFID.

New RFID Starter Kit

So you're a company that is thinking about using RFID technology for asset management. Maybe you have to use RFID to meet some compliance requirements? What do you do? Where do you start? RFID training is highly recommended, but a supplement to this is an RFID starter kit.

Now, there are the toy kits and the more serious ones like the RFID starter kit offered by Fluensee, which can actually be used in a production environment. This one costs $10,000, includes asset tracking software, a handheld reader (ruggedized), and a few hundred passive tags. Not quite as cheap as the $99 toy kit, but likely more useful.

As RFID matures and becomes more commonplace, we should see more specialized kits at difference price points. This will be almost necessary to entice smaller businesses that could benefit but are concerned about the total cost outlay.

Nortel Adding RFID To Wireless Services

Nortel, the telecom equipment maker, is making it easier for wireless ISPs (Internet Service Providers), to offer RFID-based services. Nortel offers a municipal wireless platform, and now plans to enhance this with solutions for RFID applications. An example use might be for a municipal fleet management (cars, trucks, school buses, small aircraft?), monitored through RFID tags integrated with GPS receivers.

This could be where the ROI for municipal networks comes in. Municipal networks either have to be paid for by taxes, subscriptions, or advertising - or some combo. If RFID-based services could produce a return on investment, the savings could subsidize part of the infrastructure costs.

Nortel's Municipal Wireless Solutions combines a number of technologies including Wi-Fi, wireless mesh and WiMax.

RFID Roundup - Sat Nov 25/06

RFID Mirrors
A new mirror from Paxar for the retail clothing industry uses RFID technology to help customers learn more about a particular item of clothing, including garment descriptions and suggestions for matching items and accessories. Touching the mirror will also signal sales staff that a customer needs assistance. [via The Retail Bulletin]

RFID + Parking
"Meter maids" are getting help with the out of control parking situation in South Korea thanks to RFID tags on every car. Handheld readers would scan car tags to determine if a particular car is allowed in the city on a given day, and a fine issued if not. [via PSFK]

Managing RFID Adoption
Line56 has a three-page article outlining how to break RFID adoption into five stages, to more easily understand what your returns might be, as well as how process workflow might be impacted. The five stages they discuss are Creep, Crawl, Walk, Run, and Sprint - the latter of which includes actual implementation. I've only scanned the article but it does appear to have some generalized value for a manager researching how to go about RFID implentation for their company.

RFID For Fighting Brush Fires

Brush fires have been a serious, sometimes fatal, problem in the SouthWestern United States (and elsewhere) for the past few years because of environmental reasons, lightning strikes and arson. And once they get out of control, it's all that short-staffed firefighting crews can do to stop it. So any solution that that gives crews a leg up with an early warning is likely more than welcome. That's exactly what a new RFID-enabled fire mapping sensor will do.

The Telepathx Firesight sensor mesh network system notifies fire brigades in less than 2 minutes - compared to 1-24 hours for GPS-based systems. The system is set up by placing the wireless thermo sensors in a grid and monitoring them with an RTU (remote transmission unit). The RTUs send messages to cell phones, etc. The Telepathx FAQ says that each kilometer of roadway requires nine sensors and four RTUs to be effectively monitored. At about Aus$35 for each sensor and about Aus$200 for each RTU, that's about $315+800 = Aus$1115 per kilometer. But given the cost of fire damage, it's probably a small price to pay.

Other applications of RFID-based sensors including seaport security monitoring in container yards and aiding in some disaster recovery scenarios.

[additional sources: I Newswire]

More About Tracking People With RFID

In my post Can RFID track people?, I talked about "after the fact trail analysis", where companies can at least see where their employees have been - if not track them - using contactless employee pass cards. It isn't a real-time location system (RTLS). To do that with RFID, without using GPS technology. Or at least specialized hybrid RFID and Wi-Fi technology.

Now contactless cards generally have too short a read range, but I'm hypothesizing that you can track a society's inhabitants using RFID and Wi-Fi. Let's ignore the logistics of programming, the cost of technology, and the sheer computing power needed. Say we want to focus on a tracking a single person. Here's the hypothetical scenario. The fictional society in question has a tight-knit grid of RFID scanners, and everyone wears an RFID wristband/ watch with Wi-Fi communication as well. Each wristwatch is coded with a unique value that identifies the person wearing it. It could be government tax id, such as the SSN - Social Security Number - or what have you.

Think that there would be too many wristwatches to track simultaneously? Some of the new RFID tech being used to handle bins of drugs or other product can read thousands of tags per minute. But in this case, you are trying to track a single person, a single code. Anything else can be ignored. So, continuing with the scenario, you have a person passing a scanner every few feet. Somewhere in some control room, that information can be filtered for one person/ code.

What results is a near real-time "trail" of where that person has been. From this, relatively simply mathematics can be used to study the person's "trail vector(s)" and determine where they might be going. Then a force of "robo cops" outfitted with wireless technology, HUD (Heads-Up Display) goggles, wearable computers, Bluetooth earpieces, etc., could be notified and move to intercept the person.

Now of course, I took a lot of liberties assuming this and that above. And since the devil is in the details, it's those assumptions that have to be resolved for such a science fictional scenario. But I stand by my position that radio frequency technology CAN be used to track a single someone provided the technical and financial conditions are satisified. And it's the ability, not necesarily the actuality, that is frightening.

Unusual RFID Use: Escargot Express

Seems that Boredom Research is so bored that they've decided to do some tests using their own version of snail mail. What they've done is send short messages by email, then downloaded each onto an RFID chip attached to an actual real live snail. When the snail passes by a reader, the message is is captured. Because of the speed (or lack of), there's no problems with read rate accuracy.

Mighty bloody hilarious. Next thing you know, someone will use RF-tagged tortoises for courier delivery. It should be noted that Boredom Research is a "performance art" group. Hmm. Maybe Australia Post's RFID project could gain something from this. Of course, the giant cybernetic honeybees (first chapter) in Kathleen Ann Goonan's science fiction novel Queen City Jazz might be more reliable messengers. Speaking of bees, here's more unusual uses of RFID.]

[Technovelgy via The RFID Weblog]

Wi-Fi RFID Hybrid Location System

Hitachi is working on a version of their Air Location positioning system which will use Wi-Fi RFID tags. The system would be used to monitor the location of people in buildings and possibly be used for emergency use such as disaster relief. [via RFID in Japan]

This system is a form of RTLS, Real-Time Location Systems, which are a growing niche of RFID suitable for both inanimate objects and people using wearable RFID wristbands or badges. Several water parks are using them, including Great Wolf Lodge, or planning to. In fact, PDC, Precision Dynamics Corporation, is planning to demo their Smart Band RFID Wristband at a waterpark symposium in late October.

RFID Roundup - Fri Sep 29/06

Hitachi and KDDI Develop Miniature RFID Tag
A miniature RFID chip, designed for use with Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones, has been developed by Hitachi Ltd and KDDI Corporation. The chip, dubbed the Muchip, can hold 38 digits of information and is used in tandem with the Muchip RFID Reader. [JCN Network via The RFID Weblog]

Low-Cost Temperature Sensitive RFID Trackers
Pharmacies and distributors that need to keep track of the drug supplies in their cold chain have a new option. Intelligent Devices Inc. has an RFID temperature tracker designed specifically for pharmaceutical Cold Chain Distribution. More details at Temp Sensor. Other temperature-sensitive RFID tags have been brough to market recently by companies that include Savi Technology and LogicaCMG.

DoD-Compliant RFID Labelling Solution
Looking for a DoD (US Department of Defense)-compliant RFID solution? Avery Dennison is offering a solution that includes software, a scanner, and optional labelling systems. More details at Thomas Net.

Zebra To Share RFID Patents
Zebra Technologies recently spent US$10M to acquire over 200 RFID patents from BTG. Their plan is to add these to the RFID patent pool they helped co-found, known as the RFID Consortium.

RFID and Internet-Controlled Doors

There's been talk for a few years about something called the "Internet of things." Devices known collectively as SEDs (Service-Enabled Devices) would each have their own IP address, just like a website's domain, and would be able to communicate with each other wirelessly. ASSA ABLOY and Cisco have just added a networked door [Contactless News] to the mix. The door, developed for security applications, would be used in tandem with security smartcards, which are typically of the RFID contactless variety.

There's no mention of RFID in the Contactless News article, but SEDs are likely to use the RuBee flavor of RFID transponders, which communicate wirelessly with the network they are part of. RuBee's peer-to-peer capabilities make it ideal for networked devices. There are other door solutions that use RFID, such as Jamison Door's RFID Portal products, as well as contactless id cards and even chips implanted in hands.

VeriChip VeriTrace RFID System

VeriChip's VeriTrace tracking system is now being used in the Florida Emergency Mortuary Operations Response System (FEMORS) as well as Hawaii's Dept. of Health. The VeriTrace system was used to help identify and track the bodies of victims after Hurrican Katrina. VeriTrace consists of implantable RFID tags, a Bluetooth-based wireless handheld reader, an RFID- and GPS-enabled Ricoh digital camera, and a web-enabled database for data and image collection. [More RFID via RFID Blog] I'll have to admit that it's quite a sophisticated system.

VeriChip has been a controversial company, promoting their implantable RFID chips for use in US soldiers, immigrants/ guest workers, and the chronically ill - basically, it appears, people who may feel they have little choice about being implanted. While there has been resistance to VeriChip and implantable RFID chips in general, the company is said to hold high favor with the Bush administration.

Singapore Gets RFID Supply Chain Management Solution

A partnering between Republic Polytechnic, NEC Solutions, and Aussino Home Fashions resulted in a SCM (supply chain management) solution based on EPCGlobal's EPC (electronic product code) - which was accepted as an ISO standard recently. This solution is a first for SCM for the region, and a test facility will be established in the Polytechnic's School of Engineering to study improvements to inventory contorol processes. The RFID market in Singapore is tiny in comparison to other markets, but is expected to grow from US$8M in 2004 to $15.8M in 2009. [via Channel News Asia]

Singapore started investing in RFID since early 2004, with the intent to create supply chain clusters by 2006. Their Singapore Polytechnic introduced RFID tech to the school workshop earlier this year.

5 Uses of RFID In Automotive, Transportation + Related Sectors

RFID in automotive, transportation and related sectors is growing rapidly in use. Here is a very brief list of some such applications:

1. Car doors and locks. A solution such as this would also help you home in on a car in large parking lots, in case you've forgotten where you've parked.
2. Key + ignition systems for theft prevention. Millions of cars in North America have had RFID-enabled keys, but more of them are now having RF tech in the ignition block of the steering column. If the RFID tag in the key does not match up to what the reader in the ignition expects, the car won't start.
3. In car tires. Several countries have regulations that enforce the embedding of RFID tags in tires. There are also some racing events, including NASCAR, that use RF tags in tires to track inventory.
4. In contactless smartcards and key fobs for payment at gas stations. In Canada, Esso (Exxon) and other gas stations have been offering this method of payment for nearly a decade.
5. For toll road payment. Argentina will be getting the first South American RFID-based toll collection system. In North America, many toll roads that are RFID-enabled use the E-Z Pass and FastPass contactless cards. Dallas-based Sirit and EFKON USA are teaming up [RFID News] their technologies to produce new toll road solutions.

South America: First Passive RFID Toll Road System

Argentina will be getting the first South American RFID toll collection system. The system is based on passive RFID and launched by IPICO Inc. and Argentina's Dyna Group. So far, the trial reports that the 2500 daily users have had 100% success. Plans are to expand the system to handle 15,000 users by the end of 2008. The use of passive RFID tags results in lower-cost transponder tokens, which will help considerably since the area is considered a developing region. (Passive RFID tags do not have a power source and are usually used for short ranges.)

Oddly, the press release points out that the system can identify vehicles at speeds up 240 km/h. Even my 1997 Subaru GT, which had an incredibly smooth ride, could only handle 174 km/h. At 175, it started to shake, rattle and roll. Correct me if I'm wrong, but how many developing nations would need to identify drivers at such high speeds? Even the Autobahn in Germany started posting speed limits after the Berlin Wall fell, because older East German cars were getting in the way of high-powered West Germany cars.

This is not the first radio frequency toll system in the Western Hemisphere. Highway 407 ETR (Electronic Toll Road), which spans at least 80 kilometres east-west through sections North of Toronto, Canada, and outlying regions, has been in place since about 1997. (Neither the term RFID nor the words "radio frequency" are mentioned in the description of the transponders at the official website, but insiders indicate that radio frequency technology is used.)

This project was considered by some to be a provincial government fiasco. The Government of Ontario, I believe, sold the highway off, at a steal, to a consortium that included a Spanish firm - although Bell Canada was part owner the last I heard. According to my sources, the Spanish firm started sending collection agencies after 407 users for amounts as small as Cdn$3.00, which were overdue no more than a month. A late payment of even that small an amount resulted in a $30 fine. A class-action suit was launched against the c onsortium, although I'm not sure what prevailed.

The 407 ETR apparently started off as a project that included Bell Canada and was to have license-plate recognitiion technology as well as RFID transponders. In the end, with the recognition technology not functioning on dirty license plates and during snowstorms, Bell Canada hired college students to view videos of car plates and manually record license numbers. Many people complained of the ridiculously high toll fees (I know someone who paid Cdn$600/m for weekday use, both ways, of a 60 kilometre section.) Other people received toll bills when their car had never been anywhere near the highway.

While the Canadian project was well-intentioned, many citizens are said to be unhappy with how the whole system works. Some other automotive-related RFID trials are the smart license plates in Japan and the e-Plate Project in the UK. In North America, RFID has been used in millions of vehicles, total, for nearly twenty years.

New York Giants Fans: Free MasterCard PayPass Wristband + $25 Credit

New York Giants fans will be given a treat this Sunday Sept 10 when Giants Stadium hosts the Indianapolis Colts. MasterCard will give away a contactless payment wristband based on the latter's Paypass RFID technology. Each wristband will be loaded with a $25 credit, good for purchases at concession stands. This is different than the PayPass-enabled wrist watch offered by Taiwan's CCB bank.

Sports stadiums around the world seem to be embracing various forms of RFID technology. Although unlike the World Cup soccer event earlier this year in Germany, there appears to be no use of the wristbands for security measures. (Some teams are actually considering implanting an RFID chip into their more valuable players.) Giants Stadium has had PayPass-enabled concession stands for a year, but previously used a card form.

RFID In Healthcare: Diabetes Management Device

With diabetes becoming an epidemic in many countries, due to a sedentary lifestyle full of rich food, the demand for insulin is likely to grow. Several of the diabetics I know find that having a busy life means running the risk of not administering their dosage at the right time or in the right amounts - with potentially fatal consequences. To help combat some of the difficulties of managing diabetes, a prototype insulin pump system using RFID-based NFC (Near Field Communication) technology has been developed.

The system, built jointly by Cambridge Consultants and Philips Semiconductors (now known as NXP) consists of an insulin pump and glucometer as separate devices that communicate with each other using NFC wireless transmission. As per a typical glucometer, a drop of blood has to be place on a test strip. The glucometer will determine the appropriate dosage of insulin, which the user can decide to accept or reject. If s/he accepts, the glucometer is waved near the insulin pump. Both devices have an NFC chip. The pump applies insulin via a catheter.

This is, in my opinion, a brilliant application of RFID, reducing some of the difficulties that diabetics have in managing the disease. I'm hoping to see more such applications in the area of healthcare. It'd be interesting if someone could combine some of the ideas in this system with VitaCraft's RFID-enabled cookware, to come up controlled recipes for diabetics.

Sources: [RFID Journal via RFID Blog, RFID Weblog]

High Frequency RFID Chip Shipments Increase Over 100%

Nearly 600 million HF (High Frequency) RFID chips were shipped in 2005, according to ABI Research. Additionally, there was around a 104% increase in shipments of ISO14443 ICs (Integrated Circuit) chips from Q1 2005 to Q1 2006. Most of this growth is due to an increase in contactless payment/ credit cards, drug tagging, and e-passports, the latter of which currently involves 27 countries including the United States. [via Contactless News]

Security experts in Europe have show that the RFID chips in ICAO-compliant e-passports have security/ privacy flaws, including being clonable, but that has not stopped the passing out of e-passports, which started earlier this month in the United States, the European Union, and other countries. As for contactless payment cards, they seem to be growing in use, with organizations like Chase Bank intending to pass out at least 2 million RFID-enabled credit cards.

RFID More Widespread Than You Think?

Seventeen million plus contactless payment cards have been issued in the US since last year by MasterCard, Visa and American Express. Word is, things are going well, and new payment devices might include watches and cell phones. Mastercard has issued around 10 million of their PayPass cards, Visa has issued about five million of their card, and American Express the rest. Visa's strategy has been to focus on the top-20 metro areas in the US. Contactless News (Aug 23/06) has a detailed breakdown. (paid subscription necessary after 60 days).

(In related news, MasterCard awarded Gemalto their best vendor partner award for Gemalto's contactless card, which is used for MasterCard's PayPass system. The card is EMV (Europay MasterCard Visa) compliant, and Gemalto also distributes their card to a couple of banks in Taiwan.)

When you factor in devices such as RFID-enabled key fobs - used for contactless payment at some gas station chains and even some sports stadiums - and the RFID used in several million cars (key and ignition), then RFID use is more geographically widespread in North America than we might think.

RFID Industry Teamups: DSI + Lawson

DSI (Data Systems International) and Lawson Software announced a co-marketing agreement last week which would promote DSI's RFID and other data capture devices and applications. The agreement lists DSI as a Lawson Complementary partner and targets Lawson customers. [via Automation]

These partnerships are an ongoing trend in the RFID industry. Amongst other teamups, Intermec and Sybase recently announced a partnership of their hardware and software, respectively. OmniNuri and Soft Solutions announced a partnership back in January. OmniNuri was originally involved in mobile communications devices (i.e., cell phones) but is now edging their way into RFID solutions, particularly electronic shelf labelling systems.

I Am Not A Number - Tracking Australian Prisoners With Wearable RFID Tech

The future Alexander Maconochie Centre prison in Australia is planning to track their inmates using RFID. Once the bidders are selected and the program implemented (and the prison built), prisoners will wear a braclet or anklet. Guards will have a pager. This will supposedly allow prisoners to move around the prison within a certain perimeter without escorts. The prison's open date is early 2008. [via Australian IT]

The RFID equipment will be supplied by Telstra, who are conducting their own RFID pilot project and are looking for both SMBs and enterpises to participate. A number of state prisons, including Ohio and California, in the US are already tracking prisoners with RFID. There are also rumors that a European (Nordic) country implanted RFID chips into prisoners against their will.

Without diving deep into conspiracy theory, I'll say that history has shown that prisoners are often the subject of secret experiments sanctioned by government. I live in a town where one US intelligence agency conducted secret shock therapy treatments on prisoners. This wasn't revealed until many decades later. I'm hoping that prisons will stick with the wearable RFID devices that a growing list of manufacturers are making.

RFID Industry Teamups: Sybase and Intermec

More team-ups in the RFID industry. software giant Sybase is marrying their RFID Anywhere software platform to Intermec's RFID hardware. They will jointly provide their services to create RFID solutions for their customers in Australia and New Zealand. [via RFID Blog]

Sybase had previously teamed up with AeroScout to provide RTLS middleware solutions. Intermec was formerly known as UNOVA has had a number of partnerships within the industry.

RFID Roundup - Thur Aug 10/06

PricewaterhouseCoopers is using AXCESS' RFID-enabled RTLS (Real Time Location System) ActiveTag(tm) asset management system in their Mexico City office to track valuable equipment such as laptops and other portable items. The ActiveTag system will help them reduce losses and thefts by notifying the tracking system when an asset has been moved outside of a particular zone.

Smart Medical Technologies is now offering a line of RFID-embedded medical laboratory equipment including cryo-vials, test tubes, patient wristbands, blood and IV bags, and more. Each item has an accompanying read/write device to passively power the RFID chip. The equipment is in compliance with the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). [via Smart Medical Technologies press release]

A Wal-Mart beverage provider has selected Xterprise's XARM RFID tagging solution for their products. The system will be used in production line packaging. [via RFID Solutions Online]

The Spanish Armed Forces (SAF) are now using the RFID-enabled Savi Consignment Management Solution (CMS) from Savi Technology (part of Lockheed Martin Corp). The system now makes them compatible with NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation), allowing joint management and tracking of supply chain assets.

Great Wolf Lodge Using RTLS RFID Wristbands

Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls, Canada, is using MICROS Systems' property-wide RFID-enabled hospitality management system. This allows guests to traverse the 100,000+ square foot water complex wearing waterproof RFID wristbands.

POS (Point-of-Sales) stations all over the complex allow guests to make contactless payment with the wristbands. [via PR Newswire] This is similar to SafeTzone's RTLS wristband for kids at theme parks, but does not track wristband wearers per se.

I guess this is an ideal environment for such wristbands, not just because it's an outdoor theme park, but because it's a water park. If you're spending most of your time in shorts or swimming gear, it's hard keeping your money dry.

RFID Roundup - Wed Aug 09/06

Wittmann UK is now offering an RFID-enabled EOAT (end-of-arm-tooling) recognition system for use with their R7 automation and plastics materials handling robot. [via PRW] Each bit of tooling has a uniquely-numbered RFID transponder. Each robot has an RFID reader. This combination allows the system to tell the robot what tooling sequence to run, in each instance, without a human operator.

RFID Update is offering a three-part series on RFID middleware and various integration options. In a nutshell, middleware filters and formats tag data captured by a reader, then passes it on to the backend RFID software application for processing. This middleware could be present on a reader, or be standalone software. [via RFID Update]

Even the cosmetics industry is exploring RFID, due to the pressure from giant retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target and Metro. [via Cosmetics Design]

IDTechEx says that item-level tagging is the prosperous market for RFID from 2007-2016. It's expected that sales will increase from US$160M in 2006 to US$13 Billion in 2016. [via IDTechEx]

Ohio University's Center for Automatic Identification is getting an RTLS (Real-Time Location and Sensor) display showcasing RFID technology. [via RFID Solutions Online]

Free RFID System Modelling Tools From IBM

IBM is offering free tools to help businesses model RFID-enabled solutions. The tools are aimed at businesses who are reluctant to move to RFID systems, and feel they're being pressured into RFID use by large companies such as Wal-Mart or even the DoD (US Dept of Defense). [via iSeries Network]

The tools give businesses a chance to model their RFID requirements and determine how they can benefit. Amongst the tools, available from IBM's alphaWorks site, are: a graphical tool (RISE) for drawing solution models; a device development kit for students and developers, for understanding how RFID works; and a preview of IBM's ALE (Application Level Events) for RFID.

In the past, IBM's "free" tools require not so free tools running as well. Unfortunately, that's also the case here. Just to run RISE, you need several WebSphere modules and other IBM tools, as well as Windows 2000 Professional or XP Professional, a minimum of 1.3 Gb of hard disk space, minimum 512 Mb of RAM, etc.

You can find more details at the alphaWorks site, which also has RFID papers and tutorials, as well as links to other IBM RFID development environments.

IBM has been appearing in the news for RFID a fair bit lately, including the RFID Clipped Tag technology they introduced with Marnlen, as well as a number of other RFID innovations.

Additional sources: IBM alphaWorks.

RFID Roundup - Thur Aug 03/06

ThingMagic and SATO Americato have partnered to offer RFID solutions that combine readers and printers. [via SDC Exec]

PanGo Networks is offering its latest mobile assets tracking system, which uses both RFID and Wi-Fi technology for real-time tracking. This solution is aimed at a variety of industries including healthcare, manufacturin, transportation and logistics. [via RFID Solutions Online]

Industry analysts are predicting that around 300 mililon Gen2 RFID tags will ship this year. These chips are made by a short list of suppliers, then sold to RFID inlay manufacturers, including Alien Technologies, RSI, and others. [via RFID Update] Gen2 chip suppliers include Impinj and Philips.

MyKey 2300 is an RFID device, designed for household use, to open doors.  It has a cover which slides out to reveal a keypad, and looks mildly like some sort of phaser device from the Star Trek TV series (pick one). Which might explain its current price of $300. [via SciFi Tech, Ubergizmo] Earlier this year, Hyundai introduced an RFID-enabled device for their car doors.

RFID Can Track Mundane Information Too

Is it just me, or have you seen TV commercials depicting something like the shopping scene that Sophia Chua writes about at Ferret: A guy walks into a store and starts shoving items into his pockets. As he's leaving, a security guard stops him to give him his forgotten receipt. Seems everything in the store is RFID-tagged and there's no need to checkout, as RFID readers have done that for him, billing the smartcard in his pocket.

The closest I've experienced to this is at a large supermarket, where I could checkout my own items in the fancy new self-checkout lane. By waving the items in front of a barcode reader, I'd get a tally, then paying for everything with my ATM or credit card. It beat having to wait in line, and the store/ credit card company didn't collect any extra information from me than if I'd gone through a clerk-assisted checkout.

But had it been RFID, the items purchased would be tagged. And this is what troubles some people. No one is lurking around corners waiting with barcode readers to waiting to figure out what you purchased. But with RFID-tagging, what if someone has a wireless mesh grid set up with RFID readers, and they can figure out that I eat Count Chocula for breakfast instead of Mueslix? Or that I just finished shaving with those cheap plastic razors instead of a million-blade expensive razor? Or that I take my vibrating tootbrush for overnight romantic trysts with my secretary?

Okay, not so dire. At least, not yet, for shopping anyway.

RFID Roundup - Tues Aug 1/06

Here are some summaries of recent RFID-related news from elsewhere that you may have missed.

FileTrail, Inc.'s RFID Tracking Solution will be used by the US 7th Judicial Circuit Court to automate the tracking and management of case files in 130 locations, including courtrooms, judges' chambers, etc. The system will eliminate manual searches as well. [via PRWeb]

GAO Tek Inc., formerly GAO Engineering, of Toronto, Canada, has spun out GAO RFID Inc. The website includes an online store for RFID tags, labels, and readers, and supplies information about markets and solutions as well. [via PR.com]

The hospital/ healthcare market for RFID is hot, and a number of companies are offering a variety of RFID-based asset managment solutions. One is Wren Medical Systems from Chicago, Illinois, who have just introduced a RFID-based software for managing medical devices. The sofware is intended for health care providers and is being distributed, through a partnership, in North and Central America. [via RFID Solutions Online]

Paxar Corporation has a new RFID compliance kit, RFID Headstart, aimed, it appears, at SMBs (Small to Medium Businesses) who are suppliers to larger companies that have an RFID requirement - for example, Wal-Mart. The turnkey kit saves SMBs the time and cost of having to put together their own system. It comes with a variety of components including an RFID printer, reader, labels, compliant software, support, service, and consulting. [via More RFID] a similar RFID compliance package is available from Omron.

Symbol Technologies has introduced a new industrial-class Gen 2 RFID reader based on their XR architecture. The device runs on the Microsoft Windows CE operating system, which allows integration with other MS Windows systems.[via Strategiy.com]

Firetide Inc. of California is offering a hybrid wireless mesh/ RFID  system for automobile dealerships. This system ties into the KeyWhere lockbox RFID system, which tracks data on all vehicles in a dealershp. Each lockbox communicates through either Wi-Fi or ZigBee. [via The Auto Channel]

RFID Alternatives Or Variations?

Mark Roberti, founder and editor of RFID Journal, takes exception to certain technologies such as RuBee and HP Memory Spot being labelled as alternatives to RFID. He sets the record straight that these are both RFID technologies. Fair enough.

I guess despite my own loose use of "alternative", I'd pretty much have to agree with him. But I think it's also a question of who you're writing for. For industry insiders, these technologies are viewed as being within the domain of RFID, as they probably should be. For a more general audience who might be used to slotting things into niche categories, these technologies might be perceived as being alternatives to existing RFID technology. I know I'll be more careful how I present "RFID alternatives" in the future, but I guess I've tended to use the term in a looser sense than maybe I should have.

RFID technology has a rich set of uses, so whether a related technology should be labelled as an alternative or a variation, or something else, depends on its full functionality. If it can fully (or nearly so) replace RFID systems without using the same principles, then it's an alternative. (E.g., in my opinion, VLID - Visible Light IDentification, is an alternative, but compatible to RFID.) Under that definition, many of the "alternatives" presented here are really "variations" to RFID.

If the technology in question only replaces a portion of RFID functionality, then what do you call it? My memory fails me, but I can't think of a word in English that works here. Then there are technologies that enhance RFID but are not explicitly functional alternatives.

For example, earlier posts here have covered biometric methods such as palm vein scans, I think that it's incorrect to say that they are full alternatives to RFID. RFID has far more uses than just identification, and biometrics are purely for identification. That's not to say that RFID and biometrics are not being combined.

That said, I will try to cover some more alternatives and variations to RFID in the future.

OTI Global Wins Contracts For Contactless Transit Payments

OTI Global's Polish subsidiary won a tender with the city of Warsaw, Poland to provide contactless payment cards for transit and parking. The company had also won a similar contract with Israel, in June 2006, for their mass transit system.

Interestingly, their website does seem to mention the term RFID. (Many of their site links are not currently functioning, so I could not do a thorough check.) Their technology is based on the ISO 14443 standard for "proximity cards" and the ISO 7810 series of standards for ATM and similar convenience cards.

There has been previous controversy in regards to the DHS (US Dept of Homeland Security) claiming that ISO 14443 cards are not RFID. This letter from EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center) points out that this is an incorrect notion also put forth by a C|Net writer. ISO 14443 is simply a different application of RFID, and supposedly designed to have a limited read range.

OTI Global (NASDAQ: OTIV) has previously installed contactless payment systems for gas stations in Peru, and was one of four vendors selected by the US government to test RFID passports.

What is ZigBee's Relationship to RFID?

[Updated July 27th] If you've watched Star Trek, you're familiar with some of the technological features, particularly crew member location. Someone asks the computer for the location of a certain crew member, and the computer queries their badge, then responds. Well thanks to ZigBee, that ability is now close to reality. At least the location-tracking ability, if not the the voice-operated ability.

ZigBee is a wireless protocol built upon IEEE 802.15.4 and is related to several other wireless protocols. It's particularly useful for setting up WPANs (Wireless Personal Area Networks) of SEDs (Service Enabled Devices). Essentially, Zigbee allows enabled "appliances" to talk to each other, regardless of manufacturer. This has many uses in RFID applications.

The ZigBee protocol provides a low-speed, low-power communication for devices that need to communicate wirelessly within a 10-meter (33-foot) range (i.e., a WPAN). WPAN clusters can be connected together to extend that range.

There are three frequencies that provide different bit transfer rates. The most commonly used frequency is 2.4 Ghz, which provides 250 kbps (kilobits per second). Other shorter-wave frequencies offer lower transfer rates. This protocol allows communication with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other wireless networks as well.

ZigBee is not an alternative for RFID, but is rather a network platform, enabling RFID devices to communicate with each other as well as other networked devices.

This ability of ZigBee is being demonstrated at Saint Luke's East-Lee's Summit Hospital in Lee's Summit, Missouri, part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The trials there allow hospital staff to locate patients wearing RFID-enabled badges. RFID readers query for badges, and if any are present, transmit signals over the ZigBee WPAN network. The system has allowed doctors, nurses, and other staff to find patients, on different floors, with a high degree of accuracy.

These results bode well. Besides closed systems such as unwired hospitals, a similar  RFID + ZigBee setup could be used by miners or any environment where the safety of individuals is enhanced by non-intrusive tracking methods.

Additional sources:  [Expert Answer Center, IEEE WPAN projects, Network World]

Note: As per RFBase's comment below, this is a correction. The ZigBee capabilities demonstrated at St Luke's Hospital consists of the RFID tags inside patient badges querying for RF transceivers and communicating via ZigBee. There are no RFID readers, per se, and thus these do not communicate over a WPAN network, as indicated above.

Apologies for the error. Thanks to RFBase for the heads up.

Hewlett-Packard Joins the NFC Forum

The NFC Forum has accepted HP (Hewlett-Packard) as a sponsor member. HP joins some industry giants as part of a group exploring  NFC technology, a supplement to RFID.

Near Field Communication, or NFC, is a short-range wireless technology operating in the 13.56 MHz frequency range, and is considered part of RFID technology rather than an alternative. It allows simple two-way communication and is typically used with touchless payment systems including smartcards and keyfobs.

A July 2004 report by ABI Research predicted that 50% of all cell phones would have NFC technology by 2009. A few applications include bus fare payment and other ticketing systems, "express lane" payments at gas stations and supermarkets, and is currently in use with millions payment cards and devices around the world.

The NFC Forum, set up as a non-profit organization in 2004, has members who cover the areas of convenience cards, consumer electronics, semiconductors, and software, and include MasterCard international, Visa, Microsoft, Nokia, Sony, and Texas Instruments, amongst several others.

I Am Not A Number - Using RFID in Identification Systems

One of the greatest fears of opponents to any use of RFID technology is that of invasion of privacy and possibly loss of identity. Some people have even gone as far as to say that RFID is the fabled Mark of the Beast that the Christian Bible mentions. Those feelings are especially aimed at applications of RFID where chips are implanted into the body.

But as has been said endless times, (most) technology is not inherently evil, just how it's sometimes used. That said, RFID is being used in a number of identification applications that do not violate privacy and actually perform a benefit, like all good technology should.

One growing use is in identification badges for conference-goers. Such use of RFID improves upon the older uses of barcodes or magnetic strips, and can provide valuable information for both attendees and presenters. An article about RFID badges at Meetings Focus (links below) does a nice job of explaining what RFID can and cannot do.

The information collected via RFID is not inherently different than a human could collect by glancing at an attendee's badge and correlating that with a purchase or other activity. RFID just makes it a lot easier information that is already collected at conferences and meetings.

Another use of RFID identification allows for parents to track their small children at crowded public and amusement parks, typically through means of a long-range RFID-enabled bracelet, watch, or other wearable device.

Every family that's been to a busy theme park probably has experienced the fright of a member being temporarily missing. When I was about 11, my over-protective mother relented to my pleas and let me take my five-year old brother on the city bus to some summer festival near downtown. There were collectable comic books on sale. This town was less than half the population it is now.

Towards the end of the festival, when I was getting ready to leave, I realized with horror that my quiet little brother was not holding my hand. My stomach churned until a bit of scouting led me to him.

My mother still doesn't know that, and refuses to use a computer, so don't tell her I told you. But this was a tiny area, in reality, and I found him after only a few minutes. What happens when you are at a place like Disneyland or King's Island or Wonderland, all of which cover many acres? A joint effort by Texas Instruments RFID division and SafeTzone Technologies has resulted in SafeTzone, a system that is being used in some theme parks to monitor children, through the use of an RFID-enabled wristband.

The SafeTzone wristband provides an unique code number with which a parent can track their child, from various RFID reader kiosks throughout participating theme parks. No personal information need be stored. A new version of the system also allows wristbands to be used as electronic wallets. No need for those stupid strips of tickets that often get lost from a child's hands. Kids can just wave their wristbands and get into a ride or feature.

Both the meeting identification badges and the SafeTzone wristbands are good examples of how RFID can be used by neither violating personal privacy nor requiring a chip implant.

Sources: Meetings Focus, ABC News [both via RFID Update daily newsletter]

China Post selects Symbol and Concord Unity for their RFID solutions

Symbol Technologies and its strategic partner Concord Unity International Ltd will be offering RFID solutions to China Post. China Post will utilize the RFID based solutions to track the mailbags within the postal district of Shanghai.

As part of the national pilot project initiated by Chinese Science and Technology ministry, the RFID tags have been deployed in the Shanghai Post Express Mail Service. China Post will evaluate the benefits of RFID technology in postal operations.

Unarguably, the move taken by the China Post will help the postal department of Shanghai enormously. Implementing RFID technology, the post offices would be able to track the status of mailbags and sorting works.

Via: [efy times]

SATO America launches Lt408 OEM Print Engine

SATO America, an undisputed market leader in barcode printing, labeling and RFID solutions has launched an advanced OEM Print Engine what it calls the Lt408 for the small and medium size business enterprises.

The Lt408 OEM Print Engine combined with a high performance, 32-bit, RISC CPU and 16MB of RAM enables the both small and medium size producers to automate the labeling process on low-throughput and labor-intensive production lines.

Bob Lanzendorf, sales and marketing manager at SATO commented,

Essentially, we are combining SATO's tradition of high-quality, durable OEM print engine solutions with an entry-level feature set. This winning combination will appeal to thousands of manufacturers that, until now, have not been able to justify the expense of automating their labeling applications.

Via: [More RFid]

Acsis, SAP to launch End-to-End RFID approach

Acsis, Inc has teamed up with SAP to adopt  an End-to-End RFID approach to help customers at a lower cost. Acsis is a recognized market leader in delivering shop floor process automation and enterprise data collection solutions for the supply chain. SAP provides RFID-enables solutions to the business enterprises.

With the alliance, the two leaders in RFID and supply chain solutions have decided to offer a complete package for both SAP and non-SAP customers. For this purpose, They will utilize the SAP Auto-ID Infrastructure, developed on SAP NetWeaver and Acsis DataLink Enterprise platforms.

Steve Selfridge, CEO at Acsis, Inc observed,

Both Acsis and SAP have provided RFID solutions to large multi-national companies as well as small to midsize businesses. By integrating the solutions and capabilities from both companies, we deliver a complete, scalable, and proven offering that is affordable. With Acsis and SAP, a customer can understand the technology of RFID and how to incorporate it into their business with minimal impact to existing business processes as well as derive value from the data coming back from retailers.

Via: [Unstrung]

Hoteliers to use Assa Abloy's RFID enabled lock system

Stockholm-based Assa Abloy is for the first time developing a RFID-supported lock system for the hotels. It is in its testing stage. The company has decided to make it available in the market by October.

The RFID- enabled lock system will ensure the hotels to avoid the magnetic-stripe cards problem. Assa Abloy claims that Magnetic-stripe cards on many occasions fail to function due to wrong insertion of the cards or clogged reading head. The customers will find no such problem with RFID enabled locks developed by Assa Abloy.

Assa Abloy's locks integrate HF 13.56 MHz readers compatible with the ISO 14443A, ISO 14443 B and ISO 15693 standards. The hoteliers can issue RFID-tagged room cards supported by NFC standard to their customers. They can use NFC enabled phones to enter into hotel rooms.

Via: [RFid Blog]

VeriChip Corporation to demonstrate Its RFID Infant Protection Solutions

VeriChip Corporation will demonstrate its RFID Infant Protection Solutions at the AWHONN Convention trade show in Baltimore. AWHONN stands for Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

With a great number of nurses, nurse practitioners and nurse executives gathering on this occasion, the AWHONN Convention provides a platform for the RFID developers to promote their ventures.

Florida-based VeriChip, which has been developing RFID solutions for medical use since 2004, will demonstrate both the HALO and Hugs system in the AWHONN Convention. The medical practitioners will get first hand information about the HALO's patented skin-sensing technology to prevent tag removal.

Via: [RFid News]

IPICO unveils Electronic Sports Timekeeping Solutions

IPICO Inc has launched its Sports Timekeeping (STK) solutions, the solutions based on Dual Frequency and UHF RFID technology for the global sports industry. IPICO along with its strategic partners in South Africa, Australia and the USA have successfully completed extensive tests to qualify IPICO's STK product portfolio. The Timekeeping solutions are very useful in timekeeping of mass participation sports events such as marathon, cross county running, cycling and other such events.

Luther Erasmus, COO at IPICO quoted,

Our Dual Frequency technology platform has been developed at the Integrated Circuit level and excels in applications where large volumes of dynamic tag populations must be read in difficult RF environments at distances from 0.5 meter up to 2 meters, and with an accuracy of 20 milliseconds or better. The sports market is therefore ideal for stress testing and qualifying the technology platforms for other mainstream applications.   

Via: [sys-con]

NLB, Singapore depending on grid computing

The National Library Board of Singapore is depending on grid computing supported by RFID technology to maintain 30 million snapshots of patrons taken each year.

The NLB deployed cameras in its borrowing counter to take the images of patrons as they check out their library materials.

In order to avoid dispute over library loans by the users, the NLB has taken a systematic approach. The premier library of Singapore has introduced grid-computing infrastructure last year comprising of its existing 62 servers. These systems operate on Linux. It manages the library's RFID infrastructure.

Via: [ZDnet Asia]

EPCglobal introduces RFID Value Models

EPCglobal US has released three new models what it calls RFID Value Models to enable the companies to comprehend the financial impact of installing EPC-based RFID solutions in their organizations. The RFID Value Models deal with a particular vertical market, chemical, aerospace and retail pharmacy.

These models are the databases with preprogrammed formulas to enable calculations based on real-world and user-instructed inputs. It takes into account the variables like costs and net present value over a period of five years. The students of Stanford University and Eindhoven played a great role in developing these models. Subscribers can access the new models from the organization's website.   

Via: [RFid Update]

AT&T providing Managed RFID Service

AT&T is providing managed RFID services from end to end by with the help of a handful of vendors. The company asserts that the leading market players like Intel, BEA Systems and Symbol Technologies are working with it to deliver parts of its new RFID service. AT&T has introduced its new RFID service last year.

Ebrahim Keshavarz, VP of new installment services claims that there five elements to service, professional services analysis of business process, ROI and design, Client premises management , Standard AT&T data transport service options that include VPN and Internet access, Hosted EPC global database and a warehouse management system.

Via: [Sci-Tech-Today]

BIS-S identifies parts quickly

Balluff has designed BIS-S identification system which enables fast and efficient parts identification by using high-speed data transmission. Developed by the most advanced technology, BIS-S has the capacity to store 8000 or 16000 bytes data. The heads can read or write large blocks of information at 2000 bytes. Balluff's BIS-S identification system is applicable in the automotive industry. BIS-S data carriers utilize an advanced technology Ferro Electric Random Access Memory (F-RAM). It removes the battery applied for memory retention in RAM-based data carriers. In addition to it, F-RAM lets unlimited read and write cycles.

Via: [Manufacturing Talk]

ETSI meeting focus on UHF RFID deployment

The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) is organizing a two days meeting to develop strategies for the large scale implementation of RFID technologies across the European Union EU. The Vendors and users are taking part in the meeting to be held in Mainz, Germany to share their opinions on UHF RFID deployment.

The meeting is considered very important due to many reasons. It will prepare a blue print for the enrichment UHF RFID technology. Currently RFID UHF bandwidth throughout EU is set at 3 MHz while it is 26 MHz in North America. European channels (200 kHz) are less than in North America (500 kHz). The meeting will focus on a number of issues relating to RFID technology. The most important one is the effective use UHF RFID.  At the same time the meeting will come up with measures to boost the number of RFID readers.

Via: [RFID Journal]

Deister introduces new RFID key management system

Deister Electronic is perhaps the world's largest independent manufacturer of RFID solutions. The company has introduced a new RFID key management system. This new system is primarily targeted at storage, handling and logistic businesses.

The new system, called proxSafe, consists of a stylish aluminium key cabinet that houses the smart keytags.  These 'smart keytags' contain RFID chips just like those found in proximity access control cards. The keys are connected to the 'smart keytags' using a secure arrangement of a steel ring and a one-time seal.

The proxSafe system can also be useful to secure valuable items like mobile telephones, PDAs and digital cameras.

Via MHWMagazine

Use Directable antennas to boost UHF RFID performance

One main problem with UHF based RFID tags are that they are subject to multipath interference which is common with electromagnetic signals. As a result, RFID tags become unreadable even if they are within the range of the reader.

Now Omron has developed a new type of antenna technology that is able to control electronically the electromagnetic field that the reader emits.

Omron's technology reduces multipath interference by allowing a wave with directivity to propagate in any specific direction. Moreover, the reader can control the direction of the propagation. Now one can direct the wave's direction of propagation to avoid objects near the beam that may be the cause of signal reflections.

Via Electronicstalk

Robot as a RFid driven shopping assistant to be tested at a shopping mall in Japan

NTT Communications and Tmusk would be testing an RFid driven shopping assistant at a shopping mall in Fukuoka. The robot would be able to read RFid tags embedded in the floor and provide information about its location. The pilot test would start from 9th February and last till 15th February. This robot can assist both in store shoppers and remote shoppers at home. The in-store shoppers would have to select a destination in the mall using a touch screen mounted on the robot and it would walk the shopper to the store based on the location information obtained from the RFid tags. The robot can help the remote shoppers as it would enable the shoppers to view the in store environments through the robot’s camera and communicate with sales agents through videoconferencing.

via  [Ubiks]

Gartner predicts increase in RFid spending in 2006

According to Gartner, the RFid spending in 2005 was $ 504 million which represents a 39 % increase over 2004.It is estimated that by 2006 the figure would reach $ 751 million. The study also indicates that RFid would not replace the cheaper bar coding but would be used in applications that are not supported by bar coding. Although bar codes can be utilized efficiently in collecting data in highly structured and engineered processes but RFid would come handy in data collection of mobile assets and unstructured business processes.

via [MedicalConnectivity]

RFid v/s Bar Code Asset Tags

RFid tags have gained steam since Wal-Mart and Department of Defense instructed their vendors and suppliers to implement RFid in warehouse asset tracking at the case and pallet level but bar code asset tags still dominate fixed asset tracking applications and will remain the standard in property management. For the purpose of fixed asset tracking, the costs incurred to implement bar code asset tags are minimal as compared to RFid. RFid tags average cost is about 35 to 50 cents each. Staff training for proper application and handling, RFid readers and software would require upgrades as the technology matures over the next ten years.

via [Sys-Con]

RFID to be adopted by Shandong Province for Quality Control

Shandong Institute of Standardization and NEC China Research Institute are coming together to implement RFID for quality control in the province. This would be the largest implementation of RFID in China. RFID would be replacing the manual control systems which are currently being applied. The implementation is expected to be completed within a year.

CC1110 System-on-Chip solution from Chipcon

Chipcon AS, which produces low power, low date rate RF ICs, has released the CC1110 System-on-Chip (SoC) solution. The solution consists of a RF multi channel RF transceiver, which works below 1 GHz, and a single-cycle 8051 MCU. prnewswire.com reports:

Chipcon will demo some of the end user applications at Booth#70622-C at CES.

Read More: Chipcon Launches Sub 1GHz Radio and MCU System-on-Chip: Breakthrough Solution for Wireless Payment Systems

Mobile RFID kit by Nokia

Nokia will be introducing a Mobile RFID kit, which will enhance productivity of vertical segments. The kit uses the Nokia 5140, which is a GSM phone, and it offers enhanced RFID reading capability. The kit also includes twenty RFID tags, two Xpress-on(TM) RFID Reader Shells that are compatible with the cell phone, and software for the application. gizmag.co.uk reports:

The Nokia Mobile RFID Kit extends the mobility of field force personnel by integrating RFID reader technology to a familiar portable device.

Read More: Nokia Mobile RFID Kit unveiled

FourSite and ViaView by Provia Software

Standard Transportation has selected the FourSite and ViaView supply chain execution solutions from Provia Software for the management of its multi-client warehouse. The Supply Chain Execution solutions are based on ViaWare WMS, which is an RFID-enabled warehouse management system. prnewswire.com reports:

As a leading supply chain execution provider, Provia has helped several 3PLs optimize their supply chain operations and improve customer service.

Read More: Standard Transportation Selects Provia to Optimize Supply Chain Execution:

AVERY DENNISON 6400 Series RFID systems

The RFID research center at the University of Arkansas is maintained with Gen 2-capable AVERY DENNISON 6400 Series RFID systems. The research center explores the various aspects of RFID and other wireless technologies in the retail supply chain. Avery Dennison Printer Systems, which is a division of the Avery Dennison Retail Information Services Division (ADRIS), is a sponsor of the laboratory.

Synergex and Nokia sign licensing agreement

Synergex Corporation and Nokia have signed a licensing agreement for the Nokia Field Force Solution. The agreement gives Nokia an opportunity to introduce its Field Force Solution in North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

As a result of the licensing agreement Synergex will be able to offer the Nokia Field Force Solution along with its RFID tags, database architectures, software development tools, etc. By availing this offering businesses can establish communication with their on-field staff in real-time. morerfid.com reports:

The Synergex Field Force Solution supports mobile workers such as field service engineers, maintenance staff, repair personnel and security guards, allowing on-the-job reporting using their mobile phone and a simple touch of a RFID tag or an RFID personal identity badge.

Read More: Synergex Corporation licenses Nokia Field Force Solution

NFC phone by Nokia

Nokia has introduced the 3220 NFC prototype mobile phone. The phone has RFID read/write capabilities. Nokia has chosen to implement its “near field technology” on this low-end phone, which augurs well as far as mass acceptability is concerned.

Compliance solution from SmartCode

Several small and mid-sized suppliers of the DOD may come within the scope of the new mandates slated to take effect from January 1, 2006. SmartCode will be providing low-cost DOD EPC Compliance Solution at $ 1595 aimed at these suppliers. The bundle consists of a UHF EPC Gen 1 Class 0 and 1 reader, 100 EPC tags, software to support both shipment tagging and tag testing. SmartCode also provides a DOD Compliance Booklet which details the RFID regulations of DOD. The package will help small suppliers to implement a slap and ship system in less than a fortnight without having to invest heavily.

The system enables companies to use non-preprogrammed tags that can be programmed as per the DOD EPC codes when required, this helps to reduce costs. The reader is firmware-upgradeable to EPC Gen 2 and a USB/serial port connects it to the host PC. The system comes with software that allows working with databases and applications that use J2ME and XML.

RFID initiative from TNT Express

TNT Express has made an announcement regarding the second round of its RFID program. TNT is the sole integrator to deploy RFID for tracking shipments worldwide. TNT is able to exercise greater control on the shipments and track their movements by using the RFID readers placed at different locations. strategiy.com reports:

With the rate at which RFID is advancing, TNT has also been able to fully equip a supply chain for one of its global customers – one of the largest computer manufacturers in the market - from China, end-to end, to German customers.

Read More: TNT first integrator to use RFID globally

Spectrum Expert from Cognio

Cognio, which provides cognitive spectrum analysis for wireless networks, has introduced an RFID version of its Spectrum Expert spectrum management platforms. morerfid.com reports:

Wireless networks are also proliferating at a staggering rate, with the leading networks leveraging the unlicensed band for RFID and WiFi.

Read More: Cognio Expands Spectrum Expert Product Family

P3: e-Xecute RFID

TAGSYS has introduced a system for evaluating and deploying a scalable item-level tagging setup that is six-sigma compliant. The methodology for achieving this has been named P3: e-Xecute RFID and it follows a consultative approach that establishes the roadmap for achieving a client’s objectives. morerfid.com reports:

Using intellectual property and best practices developed by TAGSYS, P3: e-Xecute RFID takes customers from design through the delivery of a fully integrated infrastructure in as little as three months.

Read More: TAGSYS Introduces 'P3: e-Xecute RFID'

Edge Dynamics' CCM solution

Purdue Pharma L.P. will be deploying the enterprise software solution provided by Edge Dynamics. The solution will help Purdue Pharma to better manage its Fee-for-Service agreements and product returns. The channel commerce management (CCM) solution provided by Edge Dynamics will also help Purdue to improve the product tracking capabilities developed by its RFID initiative. morerfid.com reports:

With the addition of Edge Dynamics' solution, Purdue will augment its product tracking capability and maximize the impact of its existing RFID investment.

Read More: Purdue Pharma L.P. Chooses Edge Dynamics

The problem of static

RFID tags are vulnerable to static charges that exist in a converting environment. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can damage RFID devices. Packaging/converting operations that include slitting, printing, and coating have always had to face problems from stray static charges. Even if RFID tags are protected with anti-static materials, static can still be transferred inductively to conductive equipment. convertingmagazine.com reports:

Equally as dangerous to RFID devices is exposure to electro-magnetic interference. This is often referred to as electrical overstress (EOS) in the electronics industry.

Read More: Shocking solutions for RFID-tag static control

SAMSys RFID Portal Express

SAMSys has introduced a turnkey UHF radio frequency identification (RFID), the SAMSys RFID Portal Express System, for dock door environments. The system consists of a multi-protocol reader, the SAMSys MP9320 v2.8, which is also EPC Gen 2 compliant. ccmsectorinvest.com reports:

The framework, which can also be purchased separately, takes the form of two 10-foot-high steel tubes connected by an optional overhead bridge.

Read More: SAMSys Introduces RFID Portal Express

Offerings from Sun

Sun considers RFID to be a disruptive technology; the company is involved with various initiatives that are pushing for EPC standards. The company has been consistently developing standards based enterprise RFID solutions that are scalable and easy to integrate with the existing systems.

The Sun Java System RFID is a software that links the edge network in an RFID environment with the back-end. The system can support different types of RFID deployments, whether they are EPC-based or closed loop deployments for meeting the various mandates and based on another standard such as ISO. The solution aids assessment, planning, hardware and software delivery, etc. It can convert codes such as SKU, SSCC, GTIN, etc