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The printer uses labels that include the RFID circuitry and the necessary antenna integrated into the actual label material. Companies interested in the standardization of RFID attend a pre-conference event to learn what EPCglobal is all about. The company is using its own RFID technology to track data center assets, such as servers, and it has completed a "point of concept" test with one customer. OATSystems, BEA and Alien introduce new technologies to grab the attention of companies eager to deploy RFID. As retailers and manufacturers struggle with achieving complete item-level tagging, aerospace giant Boeing has put 2,000 high-memory passive RFID tags in planes of an upcoming line. The California governor quietly vetoes the long-awaited bill to regulate the use of radio-frequency identification in state and local documents. The funds are expected to help integrate the company's RFID network appliance with SAP apps and Cisco's wireless networks. Q&A: Anthony Bartolo, vice president of Symbol's RFID and Wireless Infrastructure group, discusses where Symbol and new owner Motorola plan to go with RFID technology. Industry analysts reflect on whether Motorola will pursue radio frequency technology now that it is acquiring Symbol Technologies. News Analysis: The debate on privacy and security standards of tagging identities to national id cards, passports and the human body is making waves in states, as the Feds mandate RFID use in the name of national security. The consortium seeks to develop technology to help coalition forces gather, interpret and share battlefield info. Opinion: It's not hard to imagine privacy problems developing—and for what? Even the claimed benefits don't seem compelling. Opinion: Two huge global retailers—Wal-Mart and Metro Group—pledge to only support Gen 2 systems from now on, in a move that one RFID analyst says is intended to do damage control because of an RFID "pullback" from another global retailer, Tesco. Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, says it will double the number of its stores using RFID to more than 1,000 by January 2007. (Baselinemag.com) The industry group hires Via Licensing to test and administer patents for UHF RFID. The company says there is enough security packed in its chip to ward off nefarious attacks, a major concern among U.S. citizens. Updated: The maker of human-implantable RFID chips makes its first sale of its infant protection, wander prevention and staff duress system to a Canadian hospital and is discussing testing its implantable chips in two military branches. In RFID these days, evidence is mounting that pricing consistency has yet to happen. In a report, European RFID analyst firm IDTechEx concludes that pricing logic has failed to visit many RFID facilities. Ford repeats the party line: Wal-Mart will continue to be aggressive with RFID. The FDA reiterates that pharmaceutical companies must be prepared to document their products along the supply chain by the end of this year, and IBM uses this opportunity to promote their vision of how their RFID system can be employed to do that – and maybe even trim some corporate fat in the process. Alien Technology has issued a statement saying that it has given up the attempt for an IPO due to market conditions. Opinion: Most consumers are already carrying phones that can be made to ring with coupons, beam payments and deliver true multimedia interactive experiences. How far will—and should—retailers go to exploit the technology? The company, which has postponed its IPO, calls a claim about its yield "absolutely and dramatically incorrect information." First, Alien's scheduled IPO launch was delayed a day, and now it's delayed "until market conditions improve." IBM and T3Ci have completed interoperability testing of a new software standard that lets users sort through and exchange raw RFID data. The Army will use RFID to track the medical records of thousands of personnel stationed at Texas' Fort Hood and their dependents. Updated: News Analysis: The upcoming U.S. e-passports are still giving rise to privacy concerns; ABI Research recommends that the government speak up about the technology. The RFID vendor faces some hurdles along the way to profitability in a maturing industry. A report from Industry analyst firm Aberdeen Group predicts trouble ahead in areas such as finding experienced RFID personnel, migrating to new data collection methods and scalability. Updated: The Memory Spot stores about 250 times more data than an RFID chip and transmits data 20 times faster. An ongoing series of meetings is planned in an effort to educate legislators. Opinion: Wal-Mart Canada's new RFID program will be entirely voluntary, which is the latest tealeaf suggesting that the chain's new CIO is adopting a gentler tone. A beverage company is now selling RFID attachments for bottles, which analyze the bottle's tilt angle and duration to calculate how much liquor is being poured and whether the bartender is sticking to the recipe. Despite the traditional mantra that item-level tagging will make sense when the price drops to a certain point, a major global consulting firm finds prices are much higher. Gentag is touting a way to add classic active-tag capabilities—including temperature sensors—to lower-cost passive RFID tags for not even a penny more than an ordinary passive tag. The European Union's new forum, "Your Voice in Europe," is part of an effort to investigate the potential uses and threats of RFID technology. Updated: Opinion: Warning consumers about anything presupposes that there is something bad about that item, something that should be avoided. This might be a self-fulfilling prophecy. RFID may be improving the parking situation in Hoboken, but the technology's ability to glean information from citizens is raising privacy concerns. The new IEEE protocol is supported by retailer Best Buy plus HP, IBM, NCR, Sony, Panasonic and Motorola, so it's expected to get serious consideration. Opinion: IEEE is touting RFID alternative RuBee as a way to avoid the technological problems with RFID. Mostly, though, it gives IT execs the political cover to look at RFID alternatives without admitting failure. The report recommends that the FDA remove its "hold" on its so-called pedigree act, reinstating the 2007 deadline for those in the pharmaceutical supply chain to implement some form of electronic tracking technology. The product will support AMD Virtualization and Intel Virtualization Technology, giving customers better interoperability and strengthened isolation to prevent the corruption of one virtual machine from affecting others on the same system. Updated: The FDA is expected to issue updated guidelines for the pharmaceutical industry's adoption of RFID. The DHS' Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee warns that RFID technology has too many security and privacy issues to be trusted with tracking people. Opinion: The CEO of Applied Digital has gone on TV to suggest implanting his RFID chips into the arms of registered aliens to address immigration issues. Some ideas are so awful that words don't do them justice. Updated: The airport will test chipless RFID tags and a tracking system that monitor passengers and their baggage through to their final destination. At the RFID Journal Live conference, IBM, OATSystems and Alien announce a smart reader, while Symbol unveils Gen 2 inlays and a metal mount tag. Levi Strauss confirms that it is testing RFID item level tagging on clothing in U.S. and Mexico, as CDT and IBM release RFID privacy guidelines. Case Study: Designer Lauren Scott is adding radio frequency tags to her children's clothes so parents can keep track of their kids—but not all customers think that's a good idea. Baseline Alien Technology is capitalizing on the growing use of RFID by filing for an IPO. Rollin Ford's predecessor, Linda Dillman, is largely credited with galvanizing the RFID industry and launching Wal-Mart to rock star status in the RFID community. NCR believes the acquisition of IDVelocity will help improve RFID by combining it with technologies such as bar codes and biotechnology. Linda Dillman's move could be a loss for the RFID movement. Executives from Wal-Mart, Impinj and Avery Dennison executives give UHF the nod, but a study by ODIN Technologies disagrees. Opinion: Kevin Ashton, vice president of marketing at RFID vendor ThingMagic, says "99 percent of security concerns in RFID can be addressed by existing technology." Opinion: Recovery workers are placing RFID chips into human corpses, and the government should help make sure this technology is ready when it is unfortunately needed. Opinion: Never assume that your RFID system is secure
because RFID malware, worms and viruses may be right around the corner. According to a new study, pranksters and criminals can infect RFID chips with computer viruses, worms and malware to cause major disruption where the tracking technology is used. News Analysis: There may have been a dearth of revolutionary enterprise products at this year's CeBIT, but vendors gave customers what they were looking for. The RFID-alternative is helping to locate patients down to a specific room, which is something RFID can't do. The new low-profile version of the company's active tag separates RFID components to protect the delicate electronics. News Analysis: RFID adoption is lacking, as companies are hurdled by the technology's high tag costs and low ROI. RFID for Wal-Mart is a long-term journey that has just begun. The retail giant plans to add more suppliers and double the number of stores and clubs that are RFID-enabled. Early RFID adopters are excited by the Gen 2 spec not for any leap in functionality but for its ability to become a global standard. Microsoft discloses its RFID infrastructure, which it described as an expansion of its middleware strategy, has been released to beta testers. However, the company did not say when it would release a production version. Vendors announce generation two initiatives and quick start programs to keep hesitant users working with RFID. The plan to track occupants of cars driving at 55 mph as they entered the country is delayed because of both technology and bureaucratic concerns. News Analysis: Deployment has slowed and even the players that gave RFID its first boost—including Wal-Mart—are starting to cool. Don't expect rock-solid business cases to emerge, but products are evolving. Case Study: NATO isn't waiting for RFID to catch on; it has already built a global supply chain with the technology. While it's already a hit for retailers, RFID may still have to wait in the wings a while before being embraced by pharmaceutical companies. The Ohio facility taps partners and supports from industry to academia to help develop new technologies and drive adoption. Q&A: A month into officially taking the helm at wireless hardware maker Symbol, Sal Iannuzzi is on a quest to show the public that his company is both innovative and stable. Sal Iannuzzi says the wireless technology will eventually be a significant market, but it has years to go before it hits its stride. The RFID Anywhere Appliance Edition is software that can be embedded on readers to help deploy advanced functionality for security and communication protocol support. It is well understood that RFID runs into frequent read errors, and some users are using business as well as technology tactics for dealing with it. The technology remains the domain of businesses with the means to invest in its deployment and wait for its return, while small and midsize businesses remain daunted by the cost of implementation and unsure of its value, according to attendees at the National Retail Federation Expo. Texas Instruments sells its Sensors & Actuators unit, but keeps its RFID business, for which it has high hopes. Symbol Technologies foresees major RFID implementations in 2006, and has new initiatives and partnerships in the works. Yet a bump in RFID is not a sure thing. Kimberly-Clark has built a warehouse just to test how to build and use radio tags to greatest effect, even knowing the real impact won't come for a couple of years. (CIOInsight.com) Opinion: A grad student's invention may hint at what lies ahead for the wireless world: wallets that block RFID signals. The 15-year-old specialist in temperature monitoring adds RFID to its systems for food distributors and retailers, for greater accuracy. IBM researchers have developed a method to ensure consumer privacy while using RFID tags that imitate scratch-off lottery tickets and perforated clothing labels. (ExtremeRFID) New Sun RFID Industry Solution for Physical Asset Tracking is for use in office buildings and hospitals, among other places. Government employees will be the first to have chip-enabled documents, with general distribution scheduled for October 2006. Opinion: A new book—Spychips—uses patent applications, interviews and document searches. Privacy arguments tend to be emotional, often expressed in terms of "security versus privacy." Reva's Tag Acquisition Processor rack-mounted, standards-based device manages facilitywide radio-frequency identification readers. With RFID chips being used to track more products through the supply chain, it's a critical assumption that the chips are still adorning the products they were programmed to adorn. A company called Mikoh is selling devices to make RFID chips more tamper resistant. The University of Wisconsin's RFID Lab is testing the limits of radio frequency identification technology, and helping companies analyze the best practices for using it. Company officials say the acquisition of ConnecTerra will integrate RFID across business units, applications and processes. The IT consortium is developing an exam to gauge IT workers' skills with RFID hardware. The platform provides an RFID application development and management environment. Big organizations are requiring radio tags on their merchandise, but suppliers have trouble justifying the expenditure. (Baselinemag.com) For years, the retail and supply-chain worlds have spoken of item-level tagging as the holy grail of inventory control, but added it can’t be done until tag prices hit 5 cents. With recent pricecuts delivering 12.9-cent chips, is that Holy Grail imminent? (CIO Insight) To help tame the "RFID monster," wireless specialist Columbitech has added RFID support across its wireless VPN product lineup. News Analysis: Consortium would have mission to help holders of essential RFID patents receive fair compensation at a reasonable cost to the end-user. The group's goals are to offer an efficient patent system and to provide access to radio-frequency identification patents for manufacturers and users. RFID could make the warehouse—the one storing merchandise, not data—could be the next privacy battlefront. Are you ready to respond? (CIO Insight) Case Study: Graniterock integrates tracking, BI reporting to mine new efficiencies. With the TIBCO RFID Interchange infrastructure, the company says it can transform and route RFID data into back-end applications and then provide context around that data. Testing shows contactless payment is a win-win: customers spend more money and enjoy it more, according to Keith Morrow, CIO for the major convenience-store chain. (CIOInsight.com) Mobile/wireless player Symbol Technologies unveils a range of RFID plans, including a partnership with the software company. Contactless "flash" payment systems are beginning to be deployed in retail environments, but convenience may not outweigh added costs for consumers. The startup's Tag Acquisition Network is designed to fit RFID into existing enterprise models, but not all needed standards are in place. Some visually impaired shoppers in Utah can already walk into one of the retail giant's stores and shop with an RFID-reading, voice-synthesized R2D2 wannabe. Security experts and civil libertarians react with skepticism to the government's recent decision to reconsider data protection measures including encryption and metal shielding for new RFID passports. The question, they say, is why the RFID technology is needed at all. A study out of Europe questions many of the key assumptions about radio-frequency identification, including the expectation that current technology is headed toward a one-cent chip and that item-level tagging is still far away. Opinion: A plan to issue RFID passports may thrill the State Department, but it chills others. The 1,200-store chain wants to let customers drop off film without having to slow down. With competitors including Wal-Mart moving in, this specialty retailer is stressing expertise and getting people in and out quickly. An ABI Research analyst says retailers are underestimating the level of customization RFID will need. Their strategy of following Wal-Mart's approach, ABI says, is not a good idea. The Forrester report says that the huge amount of information being generated by new RFID systems is going unanalyzed, thanks to an unusually conservative approach by analytics firms. After discovering a flaw in one of Texas Instruments' RFID tags, researchers from RSA Labs and Johns Hopkins University say they plan to continue their testing with exploits against other RFID equipment. The DHS is steaming over articles published elsewhere claiming it will use RFID technology in employee ID cards. Like other U.S. federal agencies, the DHS will deploy a different wireless technology, officials told CIO Insight. Microsoft unveils its Peak Performance Initiative, along with more than 20 .Net partners in the manufacturing space. This spring, the company will name new alliances specifically around RFID and supply chain solutions, says a top official. A joint offering aims to help small businesses meet retailers' RFID mandates. At RFID World, RFID specialist Alien unveils a package of products, a training course and consulting services for helping Tier 2 distributors get ready to comply. Also in the works are Java-based RFID reference architectures for pharmaceutical, retail, defense and other verticals. Sun is teaming up with ISV partners such as Provia Software and SeeBeyond. UPS has now integrated RFID into its WMS for use in custom fulfillment services. But after a series of betas, a top executive still looks to the future for the technology and cost improvements that will lead to wide industry deployment. Sensing a multibillion-dollar opportunity ahead, Avery Dennison is making a multimillion-dollar investment this year in RFID label technology. The company plans to announce a Windows-based RFID middleware platform, the RFID-enablement of three out of four of its ERP suites, and new partners that are developing related software on Microsoft's nascent RFID platform. Will the channel stand to gain from Microsoft's slipped shipment date on Axapta 4.0? Possibly, but not in any very big way, say some analysts and partners. VeriSign, already the operator of epcGlobal's root directory services, is now working with the RFID standards group on security enhancements at the tag and device levels. Meanwhile, as a "solutions consultant," the vendor is figuring out ways for RFID customers to reach ROI. Unlike Wal-Mart, European retailers Tesco and the Metro Group are working with only a few handfuls of suppliers around RFID. At the NRF show Monday, HP will launch a new "Noisy Lab" for customers that will draw from its own experiences with Wal-Mart around RFID tagging at the pallet, case and individual packaging levels. Plans will be unveiled, too, for using an embedded OS for retailers from Microsoft on HP POS devices. Kraft and Metro are now sampling "100 percent readable" RFID labels. Other big customers are waiting in line, too, but a continuing shortage of RFID tags stands in the way. Opinion: Would item-level RFID tags help to stop mattresses from being mismarked as bananas at Wal-Mart? Maybe—but not before 2007. Although more costly than passive RFID, active RFID work has already been integrated with anti-terrorist technologies such as radiological sensors. Big retailers like Wal-Mart and Target might someday follow suit, according to some. With Wal-Mart's deadline, technology updates, accuracy problems, incompatibility issues, a new version and licensing fee debates, the imminent RFID road ahead looks treacherous. The Gen 2 spec is royalty-free, but will customers need to pay royalties for RFID products based on the standard? The retailer eases its Jan. 1 compliance deadline for its RFID rollout, according to analysts. Out of its recently formed $250 million Sensor & Actuator arm, the company comes to market with three RFID products aimed at retail, warehousing and manufacturing. APC, a Wal-Mart and Department of Defense trading partner, has been working with RFID wireless technology for 15 months already. Although full-scale company deployment will be a multiyear process, ROI does look obtainable by 2009, according to the company's director of e-business stategy. The vender-neutral program, being designed by CompTIA and AIM Global, will aim to meet the needs of product manufacturers anticipating a skills shortage in RFID wireless technology. The "smart" label will replace the traditional method of marking a patient's body before surgery. It's intended to prevent surgical errors by providing accurate patient and surgical information near the site of surgery. Like IBM, Oracle has launched a special arm to handle both RFID and other sensors. But Oracle's lower-profile approach to the technology is quite distinct from IBM's new $250 million division. And other huge vendors such as HP, Sun and SAP are also making moves. A new report from VDC questions whether users are prepared for the tidal wave of data that item-level RFID could bring. Working with IBM, the European retailer has met a self-imposed deadline for commercial rollout of RFID wireless technology. Its first target: the back-end supply chain. Sun Microsystems learned about the challenges of metallic and wireless environments during an earlier internal RFID pilot. Now, the company is eyeing a second compliance test in its role as a Defense Department supplier. Sun Microsystems officials say a retail reference architecture being co-developed with SeeBeyond puts the company far ahead of IBM, HP and Microsoft in the retail RFID race. Delfour's two RFID labs will also examine how warehouses can cope with a hodgepodge of customer RFID preferences. Opinion: Whether providing a primary diagnosis or identifying a medical appliance that's been installed in a patient, RFID chips in the medical field could save lives when used properly. As a company releases an implantable RFID chip that links patients to their medical records, analysts say there's little demand for such a device—and privacy concerns could grow more serious as the technology improves. In its four-phase RFID project with Microsoft and others, Wal-Mart supplier Jack Link's Beef Jerky looks at recouping a $48,000 investment in less than a year. The University of Florida is testing Intelletto's RFID Multiport Companion, a device that gives retail stores the ability to use both bar codes labels and RFID tags. With dramatically greater range and faster deployment—item-level tagging possible by next year—one former Boeing engineer thinks wireless may solve retail RFID headaches. Panelists say that while RFID holds promise, it should not be the only technology used to protect the supply chain. They call for more accountability, increased visibility into the supply chain and better communication between partners. OATSystems says its OAT Foundation Suite 4.0 meets industry analysts' definitions of both an RFID framework and RFID middleware, while three new products in the suite help manage data and improve accuracy. Continuing its push to target RFID offerings at small and midsized businesses, Microsoft announces a pilot with snack-food maker Jack Link's Beef Jerky. Its next test center will be in Scotland, the company said at EPGglobal, where it also announced its first RFID toolkit and an RFID warehouse management solution. SAP, Sun, Microsoft and HP are among the companies expected to announce new RFID initiatives, products and partnerships. The company looks to fend off competition from the likes of Microsoft and Sun with a new RFID division. HP is working with specialists BearingPoint and OATSystems on RFID for Wal-Mart compliance and other retail implementation. Meanwhile, the major IBM competitor is building "domain knowledge" about RFID in manufacturing. Opinion: Bogus reports on RFID privacy problems are coming back louder than ever. But Evan Schuman argues that the only thing worse than believing those reports would be to ignore them. The technology also must become available at an affordable cost, and RFID doesn't tell officials screening for terrorist activities what's "inside the box." RFID deals are really flying at the Frontline show. In one agreement, Linux handheld terminals will come together with wireless emulation for the enterprise. Through another, three IT firms will support Beaver Street Fisheries' bid to move RFID a step beyond mere compliance. An Ontario engineering firm has introduced a device designed to allow retailers to work with RFID and bar code simultaneously, at the POS interface level. 7-Eleven's CIO says to go along with the industry, the convenience store chain will wind up with a Wal-Mart-dictated solution that will work better for them than for 7-Eleven. With Wal-Mart and DOD mandates looming for customers, Wavelink will be one of many IT vendors making RFID product rollouts at the Frontline Solutions supply chain conference. Wal-Mart has reaped much attention over a timetable set to force product suppliers to use RFID wireless tracking technology. But analysts say the rest of industry isn't really ready to play 'follow the leader.' IBM and its customers are collaborating on RFID and retail supply chain additions to the WebSphere product lineup, as Microsoft and Oracle also roll out RFID pilots tackling specific challenges. Dubbing it "go slow to go fast," Best Buy EVP says everyone wants to have RFID, but few agree on what they want to do with it. The move toward vertical specialization makes sense, analysts say, since industries such as pharmaceuticals and automobiles each present their own technical implementation issues. Innovative players look to stand out in the RFID pharmaceutical market, where analysts are projecting RFID growth that is much more rapid than in retail. Intermec's plans to seek patent licensing fees for RFID tags and readers has competitors crying foul. Kroger and other retailers might soon be joining Wal-Mart and Target with RFID mandates all their own; meanwhile, retailers are starting to move toward item-level wireless ID. The companies are developing middleware in a contest for leadership in RFID management. The new offering, a bundle that includes a reader station, smart label printer and other components, is the latest aimed at helping product manufacturers beat looming RFID deadlines. The new TCP Open system lets a supplier's PLC automation systems communicate directly with various third-party TCP devices, including radio frequency tag readers, printers, bar-code readers and other PLCs. All the promises made for RFID technology may eventually come true, but it could take longer than you think. (CIO Insight) Opinion: As the feds and Wal-Mart call for the quick adoption of digital television and radio frequency identification, respectively, suppliers are pouring out resources to test and implement admittedly immature technologies. Opinion: As retail giants push for compliance next year, RFID faces problems ranging from price and performance to newly publicized security flaws. New tool allows modifications of the code stored within RFID tags, potentially allowing consumers to buy caviar for the price of a dozen eggs. In a $238 million deal, it buys Matrics, which designs and manufactures RFID systems compliant with the electronic product code. Companies offer new tools to simplify supply chain automation. The specialty food maker is starting a far-reaching rollout of RedPrairie's supply chain software, starting with WMS and TMS before taking the plunge into RFID. The retailing giant's radio-wave tracking pilot may be less than perfect, but the company and its suppliers are forging ahead anyway. Pony up here to see how the testing is going in Texas. (Baseline) Wal-Mart expects to have more than 100 suppliers shipping products to the retailing giant with radio wave tracking devices by January, according to a top executive. The new service identifies security risks of companies implementing RFID. Speaking at a conference of biotechnology executives, Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson put forth a wish list of needed technologies. The development of industry-specific standards could ease safety and security issues. Integration apps from SAP, IBM and others may help users better comply with customer mandates and standards initiatives from EPCglobal. Customers and integrators can use the model warehouse in Texas to test RFID configurations, and Sun will certify their compliance with the specifications laid out by Wal-Mart and other retailers as well as by the U.S. Department of Defense. Two software giants, Oracle and Microsoft, both announced initiatives recently to help pharmaceutical companies integrate radio frequency identification (RFID) technology into existing systems. An Intel researcher is looking into ways to use RFID to help the aging, especially those with debilitating Alzheimer's disease. The California state Senate last week passed a bill to set privacy standards for the use of RFID in stores and libraries. Wal-Mart has started a previously planned trial rollout of RFID tags at eight sites in Texas as its top suppliers rush to meet January deadline. A new edition of SAP's MySAP Supply Chain Management package supports RFID and rapid response replenishment to speed the flow of goods from warehouses to store shelves. RFID can be used in a broad range of applications, but IT's focus now should be on the supply chain. The consumer adhesives maker—one of Wal-Mart's 100 top suppliers—is on track to meet the retail giant's RFID mandate. ConnecTerra's RFTagAware middleware offering provides data on RFID reader performance in the field. If the amount of data generated from RFID equals the hype, DBAs should take cover, writes Database Topic Center editor Lisa Vaas. In the meantime, here are some ways to get ready for the data onslaught. Middleware vendors look to manage deluge of new data. UPDATED: While companies such as Oracle are rolling out RFID packages with great fanfare, experts warn that it's still a pricey solution in search of a problem. Sun execs on Tuesday showcased some of the company's software technologies, including a forthcoming RFID solution, 3-D applications, migration tools, and virtualization capabilities for Solaris. Sensor-Based Services aim to help companies make the most of RFID data, drawing on the 10g database and application server to provide business-intelligence and integration tools. From mobile phones to business application and security software, developers demonstrate how its capabilities can benefit customers and balk at privacy advocates' call to restrict its use. Our industry's love of productivity-improving and cost-lowering advances—and RFID tags are unquestionably both—is outstripping the ability of individuals to remain private while conducting normal public business, Cameron Sturdevant writes. Nokia Corp. announced the addition of RFID capabilities to one of its GSM mobile phones at the CeBIT show, in Hannover, Germany. Radio-frequency identification tags can save suppliers money—add it up and see. RSA's "Blocker Tag" will prevent access to radio-frequency identification tags by eavesdroppers. Radio waves may be the next big thing in tracking goods. But before you rush in, make sure you understand their realities. Here's a Baseline guide for measuring the frequencies of near-future retailing. Get the facts. Oracle on Tuesday said it plans to release a new version of Oracle Warehouse Management in the summer season that will support RFID and electronic product code features. Royal Philips Electronics and IBM said the two companies will work together to develop RFID tags for use within Philips and later in the mass market. Suppliers and retailers prepare for an influx of RFID information. European wireless editor Guy Kewney has a strange feeling that he's being watched. He's probably right. Advocates of that technology must prove in 2004 that it's more than a flash in the pan. VeriSign is awarded a contract to operate an RFID directory service. The wireless technology may not pay real economic dividends for at least two years. Read why. After extensive hype, solutions providers crack both of these emerging markets. Campbell Soup Co. is two-thirds of the way through a
technology overhaul. Next up: Meeting Wal-Mart's product-tracking deadline with the unproven technology RFID. Meta Group's Bruce Hudson provides six key strategies to ensure that RFID projects don't destroy a company's brand. SAP's framework allows integration of RFID. Middleware framework to enable companies to integrate RFID data from readers into their SAP and non-SAP environments. The U.S. military is stepping up its plans for RFID pilot projects following a recent decision to deploy the wireless tags by 2005. News Analysis: Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are gaining momentum with retail giants and the military. But analysts pointed to growing pains with the technology. Technologists must become aware of the privacy issues raised by RFID. New business unit dedicated to helping Sun customers, partners develop software and hardware solutions for the use of RFID. The price of RFID sensors is coming down, but it's still too high for many. Big Blue packages consulting, implementation and specialized software for product tracking and inventory control via the wireless technology. Mauro Benetton faced a boycott when consumers learned of his company's plans for RFID tagging. Now, Benetton is working to educate the public. The price of RFID sensors is coming down, but it's still too high for many. Wal-Mart's new push to require its top 100 suppliers to use RFID tags by January 2005 will give the sensor technology its first broad, real-world test. Can the retail giant overcome technology and privacy concerns?
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but who knew that would mean not only less hardware or staff, but less electricity? Power bills at large data centers have already topped $1M per year, so how can you get ahead of the power curve? Join us on Nov 2 at 12:30 p.m. ET as ZDM senior editor Cameron Crotty and experts examine the simple steps can you take to increase data center efficiency.
