RFID Moving Into the Data Center
IT managers are increasingly finding value in using RFID within their own IT operations. This is spurring adoption of RFID in data centers and across corporate campuses.
IT assets are key infrastructure for any modern business and IT managers need to be certain that equipment is documented, traceable and secure. Detailed, accurate and regular auditing of IT assets is a necessity. At most companies this still an expensive, largely manual process, but RFID can deliver quicker, more detailed and more accurate day-to-day management of these important operational assets.
“RFID IT asset tracking is starting to gain momentum in data centers. Managing and auditing this equipment is a serious pain point for IT departments, and automating those applications with RFID can drive clear ROI,” says ABI Research principal analyst Jonathan Collins. “The environment also suits RFID: the density of valuable equipment within a restricted area limits the cost and increases the efficiency of an RFID deployment. Once RFID is deployed in the data center there is a base for RFID tagging to extend further within IT asset management across an organization’s IT infrastructure."
IT asset tracking, currently just a fraction of a percent of the worldwide RFID asset tracking market, will grow to take more than a 10% stake by the end of 2013. Both passive and active RFID offerings will be used. Some deployments may even employ a mix of both technologies, but improvements in passive UHF system capabilities and the technology’s lower equipment costs mean it will lead shipment volumes and revenues.
RFID vendors and systems integrators are offering a range of products from specialized tags and software to systems design and integration. What’s more, IT equipment manufacturers – so far including HP and IBM – are offering RFID tagging as part of their product specification, and tagging will increasingly be an option many IT managers will look for when specifying their new equipment. [ABI Research]
Real-time Intelligence Visualization Is Becoming the New RTLS
Recent decades have seen the widespread adoption of short-range wireless communications, including wireless LANs (Wi-Fi), ultra-wideband (UWB), and RFID. All of these can be used as part of real-time location systems (RTLS).
But according to a new Research Brief from ABI Research, a preoccupation with the technologies alone is misplaced: a more useful concept is “real-time intelligence visualization” (RTIV), in which the technology becomes the means to an end, not the end itself.
What is RTIV? According to research director Michael Liard, “RTIV is not about the individual technologies. It is about the process and logic that end-users must embrace. That concept focuses on end-users seeing data (or the ‘intelligence’) and their tagged assets in new ways, with ‘real-time eyes.’”
RTIV involves the capture of real-time data (regardless of the technology), and the processing and synchronization of that data with back-end systems through defined rules. This leads to the creation of actionable business intelligence that is accessible to the relevant systems and people. It involves the establishment of alerts, alarms, actions, decisions, and where required, audit trails and documentation. The result? Data that can provide a “smart enterprise-wide view” of tagged objects, assets, and personnel through wireless identification and location.
These competitive, yet complementary wireless technologies, approaches, and solutions have historically been treated as independent silos, but they are now converging. In a growing number of end-user environments a combination of technologies is being used. For example, passive and active RFID may be used jointly for fixed and mobile asset tagging; Wi-Fi- and UWB-based RTLS solutions may be leveraged for hospital asset tracking; or a combination of GPS and active RFID may be employed for cargo tracking and security.
Whatever the technologies involved, Liard concludes, “The end (as well as the beginning) of real-time intelligence visualization must be the value propositions and business problems challenging end-users. [ABI Research]
End-User Survey Reveals RFID Adoption Spreading Across a Broad Range of Verticals
An online end-user survey recently completed by ABI Research has found that RFID is being used or evaluated for a growing number of applications across a wide range of vertical industry sectors. 186 organizations worldwide responded to the survey, providing a detailed picture of the current state of RFID adoption and identifying key markets trends, system requirements, expenditures, and more.
According to ABI Research director Michael Liard, “The survey results validate ABI Research’s view that RFID opportunities are broad in today’s market. Virtually every economic sector and industry where data needs to be collected or objects need to be tracked holds the potential for RFID applications.”
End-user respondents cite the use and evaluation of RFID technology across multiple application segments, ranging from security-based applications to supply chain management to multiple flavors of asset tracking and more. Organizations of all kinds are increasingly using and evaluating RFID systems to improve the tracking of objects, assets, goods, and materials within the “four walls”, in yards and campuses, open loop environments, and beyond.
Liard continues, “The research also reveals that end-users are looking for a total solution. This requirement is leading large percentages of users to secure their systems direct from RFID manufacturers as well as from systems integrators that can provide all solution components via a partner network.”
The results reveal that respondents feel these vendors and integrators have a deeper understanding of RFID technology, as well as vertical and/or application market specialization. [ABI Research]
Active RFID in China
By Dr. Peter Harrop, Chairman, IDTechEx
The US and China vie for the title of the world’s largest RFID market, this year seeing them level pegging with $1.3 billion of business, which is looking to quintuple in the next ten years. In 2007, the IDTechEx Knowledgebase of over 3,500 RFID projects in 109 countries added 156 new RFID projects in the US. China was number two by this measure, with 105 projects, which though fewer in number, were larger in size.
In the US, much of the RFID use consists of active RFID where there is a battery in the tag. Examples are tracking military assets and Real Time Location Systems (RTLS) for staff and assets in hospitals. By contrast, China has been pre-eminent in using passive tags, notably contactless ID and payment cards, tickets and tagging of library books. However, RFID is a government priority in China, both to create a new industry supplying RFID and to see greater use of it in order to increase the competitiveness of the nation.
To these ends, active RFID is now a priority as well. One example of its current use is in coal mining for staff safety, asset tracking and logistics, each are funded by the Chinese Government through its “RFID China Alliance”.
At the unique conference Active RFID, RTLS & Sensor Networks in Dallas, November 5-6, www.idtechex.com/active, the activities in both countries will be very much to the fore. Dr. John Wang of the University of Nevada Las Vegas will talk on “Opportunities for Active RFID and RTLS in China” and Stephen Moody of the US Army will discuss “Food Safety and Quality Control in the Military Supply Chain” using active RFID. Loc8tor and other companies presenting have their tags and readers made in China.
In addition, other speakers from the Republic of Ireland, Norway, Israel, the UK and other countries will be in attendance in a truly global line-up of best-in-class experts. The driving forces behind the growth of active RFID from 12% of the market today to 26% in ten years time will be fully explored. Raghu Das, CEO of analysts IDTechEx, who host the conference, will present the global market analysis and forecasts. There are optional Masterclasses and an Investment Forum as well as visits to local centers of excellence. /PR
Ruggedised and Apparel RFID Become Popular
By Dr Peter Harrop
The IDTechEx Knowledgebase of over 3,500 RFID projects in 109 countries illustrates how this market of over $5 billion is rapidly diversifying. For example, ruggedised RFID tags have long been sold in volume for opening your car door at a distance and for industrial laundry. However, in the last six months, most of the sellers of disposable UHF labels used in the retail supply chain and on air baggage report a rapid increase in requests for ruggedised versions. That usually involves the capability of working on metal in addition to the ability to withstand mechanical, chemical, thermal and electromagnetic abuse. Such tags are therefore often referred to as on-metal tags and most of them rely on thick plastic, with some employing clever electromagnetic materials as well.
Apparel and Ruggedised tags
Compare the use of disposable tags for retail apparel with tags fitted for life in laundry. In both cases it is done simply for stock control. The next phase is to combine the best features of both in order to provide many other paybacks and consumer benefits. Tagging of rented apparel and linen is carried out by over one hundred commercial and dedicated laundries in military establishments, hospitals, casinos and so on. It is well established. Over 150 million items are laundered by industrial laundries across the world and some items, such as uniforms, are replaced and re-tagged within one year. New versions of laundry tags take the form of small buttons and colour matched discs.
Disposable apparel tags
In addition, we now have a clearly demonstrated business case for disposable tags on apparel in the retail supply chain. Over 200 million of these disposable apparel tags are being fitted this year and one hundred times that number is in prospect in ten years time. About 60 retailers and their suppliers are now copying this and wondering why they did not do so earlier, such are the benefits in profit and customer service.
The next stage – washable, woven RFID
Emboldened by the success of Marks and Spencer in the UK and many others, impressive fashion and retail groupings in Germany, Italy and Japan are now trialling the many other potential benefits that can be realised if we move beyond RFID simply for stock control of apparel.
This calls for testing to establish which potential benefits are worthwhile. We must create an affordable tag that is neither the disposable apparel tag of today nor the heavy, ruggedised laundry tag but something combining the benefits of both, typically in a light weight, thin, woven designer label fitted for life. Will it be UHF as with current retail labels or HF as with laundry tags.
As required, if RFID enabled Near Field Communication phones are to be used for purchasing? When used in an open system where retailers sell more than just own brand fashion, what standards and numbering system will be used? Unlike today's apparel tagging, there are technical, payback and sometimes privacy issues to be resolved with the next phase but the prizes are great for all in the value chain. It is little wonder that the famous brands from Armani in Italy to the leading Japanese retailers are involved. Some of the options and issues are summarised below.
Great variety of needs for ruggedised RFID
An RFID tag in a designer label must withstand dry cleaning, washing machines and irons. In other applications such as electrodes in refining and being set in concrete, ruggedised RFID tags are variously withstanding hot acid mist, extremely alkaline environments and more. Even UHF tags, traditionally among the most sensitive to metal and water nearby, are being used on metal computer equipment and in wet environments when specially made for the purpose. In future, about one percent of UHF tags will be made in this way and their premium price means that they will represent at least ten percent of the market. Enhanced systems are often needed as well for these challenging applications and sensing may be involved.
Europe's largest conference
At Europe's largest RFID conference, RFID Europe, in Cambridge UK 30th September - 1 October, the most impressive users, developers and suppliers of ruggedised and apparel RFID will present their new advances and view of the future. That includes users of ruggedised and on-metal RFID such the US Navy, IBM, Container Centralen, Laing O'Rourke, Marshall Aerospace, Progressive Gaming, the Royal Alexandra Hospital, St Olav's Hospital, the Academic Medical Centre, the Air Transport Association and Transport for London. Richard Rees, one of the most experienced figures in the area of standards and system integration will give an overview. He is CEO of gold sponsor Scanology in the Netherlands which has an enviable reputation for the highest performing HF RFID systems and more to announce. /PR
NFC-Enabled Phones and Contactless Smart Cards 2008-2018
NFC-enabled phones have yet to take off, despite phones with the Sony Felica interface, compatible with NFC, being placed in the hands of over 50 million Japanese in little more than two years – one of the fastest adoption rates for electronics ever. So why the delay? Here Dr Peter Harrop shares insight into the topic summarizing findings from the new IDTechEx report NFC-Enabled Phones and Contactless Smart Cards 2008-2018 www.IDTechEx.com/nfc.
Near Field Communication (NFC), by which electronic devices communicate if held within a few centimeters of each other, is underpinned by global ISO specifications. It has attracted the attention of the largest telcos, transport companies, banks and others and new trials are frequently announced all over the world.
However, it has yet to take off, despite phones with the Sony Felica interface, compatible with NFC, being placed in the hands of 40 million Japanese in little more than two years – one of the fastest adoption rates for electronics ever. The many trials confirm that we are all like the Japanese in seeking the convenience that such phones can offer. So why the delay? Why do more and more trials?
History repeats itself?
With NFC phones, the telcos have nearly all the power and they have often failed to seek a mutuality of benefit with others in the value chain. That has meant that very few NFC enabled phones have been made available, banks are cautious about letting their cards be mimicked by the phones and transport operators are cautious about the ticketing option being loaded. As in retail RFID, they can cite technical problems for delay because telcos prefer NFC to be loaded on the SIM and that standard is not quite ready. There are also issues such as the capacity of the SIM cards.
Role model of success
It will all be resolved in due course. The wealth of value added services in prospect for the telcos will see to that but, as with retail RFID, the speed of progress will depend on how much mutuality of benefit is allowed to emerge. At least there is a role model of success. The telco NTT DoCoMo is behind the early success of the Japanese phones now commonly used for shop purchases and ticketing. It struck realistic deals, including emulating the Suica stored value card held by 22 million people.
All was not perfect. The railway function was difficult to download and the railway company JREast initially required purchase through its own card. Japan is now seeing next generation trials and rollouts such as use of its new Ubiquitous Product Code on mobile phones for managing supplies and assets and use of the phones for secure access to buildings.
Some of the foreign trials explore other innovations such as down loading transport applications in Germany simply by holding the phone near a passive RFID tag, say on a ticket machine. But many telcos have to practice mutuality of benefit before real progress is made. That seems likely soon in China and Korea, for example, and rollout there will be aided by existing huge infrastructure for contactless cards and tickets. All those barriers and readers will read the phones.
New IDTechEx forecasts
IDTechEx forecasts that, while the yearly number of mobile phones sold rises from one to two billion in the next few years, the number of RFID enabled phones sold will rise from 134 million in 2008 to 860 million in 2018, mostly all of this is happening in East Asia. East Asians will continue to show the way, not because of differences in consumer wants but because their governments and industry make sure the inter-industry haggling stops and projects that benefit the nation go ahead. For example, IDTechEx sees the following numbers of RFID enabled phones sold in 2013.
Phones do not kill cards
So, as the NFC proponents get their act together, will the business in contactless (ie RFID) smart cards and tickets come to a halt? The answer is no, mainly because the cards and tickets serve many purposes that mobile phones are unlikely to serve and other people are in the driving seat. For example, reloading a national ID card or driving license card on your new phone every year is not worth the hassle if you can, as now, keep the card version for ten years.
Indeed, it may not be permitted by the authorities. A more detailed comparison below shows how all these media have their own fast growth path ahead, with minimal competition, beyond financial cards possibly being impacted by preference to load them on phones in later years. Both cards and phones are now capable of high speed transactions at up to 424 kb/s but other functional differences drive the largely divergent applications.
Source IDTechEx report “NFC Mobile Phones and Contactless Smart Cards 2008-2018” www.IDTechEx.com/nfc.
Cargo Container Security: It’s Not “One Size Fits All”
Tracking of cargo containers and their contents from departure to delivery has clear benefits for the industrial and transportation sectors: increased visibility and security of goods in transit. A further potential benefit – greater public safety and security – is a subject of debate. But it is frequently true that combinations of the three available tracking technologies, rather than any one in isolation, promise the maximum value for investment.
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), cellular data communications and satellite communications can all be applied to container tracking and security. Each has its pros and cons, and currently there is no one technology or business model that will be entirely cost-effective or sufficient for all container tracking and security.
According to ABI Research director Michael Liard, “Choosing container tracking technologies is all about finding a balance between the cost of each individual method versus the value it can deliver. In many cases a smart combination of technologies will provide greater value than the sum of its parts. Potential users today are searching for that optimum tradeoff.”
For instance:
- RFID offers low overall costs (but expensive infrastructure). It stores data, but provides near real-time feedback only when passing through interrogation zones.
- Cellular communications carry moderate costs and offer real-time updates (where cellular service exists), but service fees are high.
- Satellite communications also offer real-time data nearly anywhere, but costs are high, and metallic environments can cause problems.
In a real-world example of such integration, RFID tags from Savi Technologies, attached to containers, are read by Qualcomm's global positioning satellite network, enhancing total asset visibility coverage and real-time data transmission capabilities.
Converged solutions such as this are currently being trialed and tested, but actual deployments are still few and far between.
Liard adds, “A key challenge is that there are still too few government security mandates on container tracking. The security aspects of container tracking are the hardest to quantify, but mandates do help drive markets, and they can help provide some guidance around technology selection.” [ABI Research]
Printed Electronics: The Future of RFID?
The MIT Enterprise Forum RFID Special Interest Group is hosting a meeting on the Future of Printed Electronics featuring speakers from Kovio, PolyIC and IDTechEx on Tuesday February 19.Over the next 15 years the money spent on RFID tags will peak then rapidly fall. Perhaps RFID will repeat the history of barcodes - companies today do not pay per barcode – they are printed usually during the package production process and are virtually free – just a tiny bit of printed ink.
So too will RFID tags evolve for the highest volume opportunities – fully printed logic and memory circuits using cheap materials, enabling sub one cent tags. The silicon chip, with its huge manufacture and material cost and interconnect challenges will be relegated to tags requiring only the highest performance in terms of memory, speed of operation and sophistication.
Wishful thinking? Tell that to the 1500 organizations developing printed electronics in a major way. Printed electronics is seeing the chemical, electronic and printing industries collaborate as never before. For if one can print transistors, RFID tags will be one of the smallest markets they intend to dominate, given the possibilities for low cost dispersed manufacturing of simple electronic circuits. Indeed, not all are prioritizing RFID. Printed electronics enable low cost bill board displays, transparent flexible solar cells, large area sensors and logic devices and much more.The investment in printed electronics development grossly exceeds that invested in RFID. See for example Samsung investing $500 Million in 12 months for next generation “organic” displays, or one photovoltaic company raising $200 Million to commercialize non silicon solar cells. All involved agree that this market will be bigger than the $200 Bn silicon industry – by being able to do new things and meet challenges that silicon cannot – such as the sub one cent RFID tag.
Of course, initially there will be comprises – you won’t see the UHF EPC gen 2 tag with it’s 40,000+ transistors replicated by printed transistors anytime soon because current printed electronics can make hundreds, but not yet thousands of transistors. That will change, but so too possibly will the industry, perhaps coming full circle – remember the simple licenseplate-only RFID tag that the MIT Auto ID Center envisaged before industry overlaid additional requirements in the specification? – that is possible now with printed electronics.
When, how, who and why? It is all discussed at the MIT Enterprise Forum RFID Special Interest Group on Tuesday February 19, 2008, at the MIT Stata Center room 124 from 6pm to 8pm. The session is free to attend. For more details and to pre-register please visit this website. /PR IDTechEx
Motorola and Intelleflex Partner in Extended Capability RFID
Motorola, Inc. today announced a strategic relationship between the RFID division of the Enterprise Mobility business, and Intelleflex, The Intelligent RFID Platform Company, to deliver best-in-class Extended Capability RFID solutions. The companies will undertake cooperative development activities, combining their respective technologies to create new product platforms to be offered by both companies, enabling each to deliver a powerful set of new RFID solutions to customers worldwide.
In addition, Motorola Ventures, the strategic venture capital arm of Motorola, invested in the Series C financing round in Intelleflex along with new investor Arcapita Ventures.
"Many of the most important emerging applications of RFID technology depend upon extended capability solutions, with features such as large user memory, long range operation, advanced security architectures, robust performance in difficult RF environments and sensors for environmental data capture of items like temperature exposure," commented Bob Sanders, vice president and general manager of Advanced Data Capture, Motorola Enterprise Mobility Solutions.
"By delivering these types of solutions, we will be able to better serve our customers in markets like cold-chain distribution and asset tracking. We chose to partner with Intelleflex because they have established themselves as the technology leader in this product category," he added.
Over the past several years, RFID focus has shifted to closed loop applications, where individual business entities invest in technology to solution a targeted business problem. Many of these issues, such as high-value asset tracking, yard management, cold supply chain and parts maintenance require the features and performance of an extended capability RFID platform.
"We are very excited about new business opportunities that will be enabled as a result of this relationship," said Mike Lowry, President of Lowry Computer Products. "The combination of Motorola's RFID leadership and Intelleflex' breakthrough extended capability RFID technology is compelling. It will allow us to deliver powerful new solutions to our current and future customers in automotive, food and drug, electronics, government, healthcare and other industry sectors."
Motorola and Intelleflex have commenced joint development work that will result in the release of new extended capability RFID products, by both companies, in 2008. [WirelessIQ]
Lebih dari 2000 RFID tags kini digunakan Manusia?
Teknologi RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) merupakan teknologi pengidentifikasian otomatis dengan memanfaatkan teknologi radio, sehingga data yang disimpan pada sebuah RFID tag atau responder, yang bentuknya sangat kecil, dapat dibaca oleh alat pembaca tag (RFID reader). RFID tags sendiri merupakan chip silikon yang dilengkapi antena, yang memungkinkan menerima dan merespon permintaan data berbasis frekuensi radio dari suatu RFID transceiver. Karena bentuknya yang sangat kecil, sehingga RFID tags ini dapat dipasangkan pada produk, binatang, dan bahkan manusia.
Dengan memasangkannya pada suatu produk, maka produk dapat dikenali, misalnya yang terkait dengan jenis, nomor identifikasi, harga dan informasi lainnya mengenai produk tersebut. Dengan adanya RFID tag, produk dapat terhubung dengan sistem inventori misalnya, juga harganya dapat langsung dibaca ketika melewati konter pembayaran, sehingga tidak perlu lagi dipindai (scan) seperti pada barcode yang berlaku saat ini. Cukup dengan melewatkan produk yang ber-RFID tag, harganya langsung sudah diketahui dan masuk dalam daftar belanjaan Anda.
Produk yang dilengkapi RFID tag, juga dapat langsung berhubungan dengan sistem inventori, sehingga keberadaan produk, termasuk jumlah produk tersebut, yang ada di konter pajangan, dapat diketahui. Bahkan, pemesanan atas produk tersebut pun dapat diketahui dan langsung dilakukan, jika jumlah produk tersebut, misalnya, sudah berada pada jumlah minimal untuk dilakukannya pemesanan baru. Dan, banyak informasi lain yang bisa disimpan pada RFID tags yang dipasangkan pada produk-produk yang nantinya dijual di mal, supermarket, atau di kalangan distributor, pemasok, atau pabrikan.
RFID tag juga memungkinkan digunakan pada produk-produk inventaris perusahaan atau kantor, sehingga semakin memudahkan untuk mengontrol, misalnya jumlahnya atau keberadaannya. RFID dapat juga digunakan untuk melacak kopor-kopor atau barang bawaan dalam suatu penerbangan ketika penumpang akan mengambilnya (baggage claim), sebelum keluar bandara.
Penggunaan pada binatang, juga tak kalah menarik perhatian banyak orang. Tetapi, sebenarnya, penggunaannya sangat beraneka ragam. Menurut Anita Campbell, saat ini, RFID tags bukan hanya digunakan untuk melacak keberadaan binatang kesayangan, melainkan juga untuk melacak buku-buku di perpustakaan, dan membayar toll tanpa harus memberhentikan kendaraan Anda.
Sedang penggunaan untuk binatang, tampaknya mulai meningkat. Di Amerika, saat ini, diperkirakakan ada jutaan binatang kesayangan (menurut situs Schering-Plough, sudah ada lebih dari 3 juta binatang yang dipasangi HomeAgain microchip) yang telah dipasangi RFID tags, namun istilah yang digunakan bukan RFID tags, melainkan microchip. Tujuannya sama, selain memberikan data, juga untuk memudahkan pelacakan keberadaannya dan sekaligus identifikasi kepemilikan, misalnya. Bisnis pemasangan microchip ini diperkirakan masih sangat terbuka lebar, karena saat ini tak kurang dari 142 juta ekor anjing dan kucing dipelihara oleh warga Amerika.
Sehingga, ke depan, penggunaan RFID tags atau microchip tampaknya akan semakin meningkat, bahkan bakal menjadi tren. Bahkan, saat ini pun sudah ada situs web Home Again yang menyediakan jasa pencarian binatang yang hilang secara online, yang mempertemukan informasi tentang kehilangan dengan diketemukannya binatang kesayangan seseorang, dan microchip tentu berperan penting sebagai tanda pengenalnya. Home Again juga menyediakan jasa pemasangan microchip pada binatang yang bersifat permanen. Harganya, katanya untuk perkenalan dikenakan sekitar USD68,5.
Tetapi, ada satu yang menarik. Belakangan ini, ketika semakin banyak anak-anak muda yang membuat tato di tubuhnya, juga piercing di lidahnya, yang dianggap sebagai gaya masa kini dan terlihat kosmopolitan, muncul gaya baru lainnya, yakni memasang microchip di bawah kulit lengan. Penggunaannya tentu dengan berbagai alasan pribadi, seperti sebagai identifiaksi diri, mekanisme pembayaran yang menggunakan sistem RFID, paspor digital, dan sebagainya.
Saat ini, diperkirakan sudah ada sekitar 2.000 orang di dunia, 68 orang di antaranya warga Amerika, yang sudah menggunakan microchip, yang dikenal sebagai VeriChips dan VeriMed chips. Sebagian besar menggunakannya untuk kepentingan medis. Namun, bisa jadi jumlahnya sesungguhnya lebih banyak lagi, karena bukan tidak mungkin, banyak juga yang melakukannya sendiri, misalnya untuk gaya atau kepentingan pribadi lainnya.
Hanya saja, masalah data pribadi dalam bentuk digital, termasuk yang tersedia dalam microchip atau RFID tag, ini sangat rawan dari kemungkinan pencurian dan penggunaan yang tak sesuai. Selain masalah sekuriti dari sistem yang digunakan, juga hal itu sangat terkait dengan penjagaan pribadi terhadap data tersebut. Karenanya, jelas sangat diperlukan kehati-hatian, kalau tak mau kehilangan data pribadi, yang justru potensial digunakan oleh orang lain untuk tindakan yang merugikan.
Di sisi lain, keberadaan RFID tag atau microchip seperti ini, pada awalnya memang tak pernah dimaksudkan untuk dipasangkan langsung di tubuh, melainkan pada benda atau binatang. Tetapi, sebenarnya masih banyak pilihan lain, misalnya digunakan pada baju, dalam bentuk gelang dan sebagainya, dan bukan dipasang di bawah kulit, yang mungkin saja akan terkait dengan keamanan dan kesehatan.
Bagaimana pun microchip merupakan bahan elektronik, yang bukan tak mungkin berpengaruh terhadap tubuh. Kecuali, memang ada mekanisme atau teknologi yang membuatnya menjadi lebih aman di”gunakan”. Tapi, akan lebih aman kalau digunakan sesuai kebutuhan dan pada tempatnya. Gaya sih boleh, tetapi jangan sampai mencederai diri sendiri.
Bacaan tambahan:
Barcelona clubbers get chipped
Simon Morton memasang microchip di lengannya untuk membayar minuman di klub.
Interview with CIO With Implanted RFID Chip
RFID pilot to target SMB suppliers
SingaporeBy Aaron Tan, ZDNet Asia
Wednesday, June 08 2005 12:00 AM
SINGAPORE--To push small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) onto the RFID (radio frequency identification) bandwagon, Singapore is conducting a pilot project involving local supermarket suppliers.
Led by EPCglobal Singapore and Spring Singapore--a government body that establishes industry standards--the project will help the top 20 SMB suppliers of Singapore's largest supermarket chain NTUC Fairprice, set up inventory systems based on RFID technology. The pilot project is slated to begin in September this year, and will last for nine months.
Recognizing the budget constraints of SMBs, Spring Singapore will offset 50 per cent of the cost of setting up their RFID infrastructures. Funding approval for RFID tags will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, said Tan Jin Soon, executive director of EPCglobal Singapore. The funds will come from the S$45 million (US$27 million) Domestic Sector Productivity Fund, he added.
The cost of RFID equipment such as tag readers and gantries is estimated to be about S$80,000 (US$48,136), while back-end inventory systems alone may cost about S$90,000 (US$54,153), according to Tan.
"The pilot project will help to connect SMBs with the retail chain masters, as well as assess the productivity impact of such a connection," said Loh Khum Yean, chief executive of Spring Singapore during the EPCglobal/RFID Forum here today. "We strongly encourage suppliers to participate in this pilot together with their respective retailers,"
Tan said Spring Singapore will be engaging a handful of RFID solution providers, who will set up the RFID infrastructure for each supplier in the pilot project. Bringing a group of SMB suppliers together will also establish more bargaining power, making it possible to achieve higher cost reductions in acquiring the RFID equipment, he added.
More importantly, the pilot project will serve as a showcase of RFID deployment among SMBs, Tan said. "If I'm a cooking oil manufacturer and find that another cooking oil manufacturer is using RFID (to streamline logistics and cut costs), I'll also want to do it."
Loh noted that electronic product codes will also help address two major challenges: out-of-stock situations and shrinkages--both at the store and the warehouses.
"It will also help to ensure that customers can purchase what they need from their retail stores whenever they need to do so," he added. "Spring believes our retailers, wholesalers, suppliers, manufacturers and logistics providers can expect significantly improved productivity from successful implementations in Singapore."
NTUC Fairprice, which has more than 100 stores, expects the pilot project to reap big benefits. "At the warehouse, there are tremendous benefits because the goods can move much faster," said Dickson Yeo, NTUC's assistant general manager for warehousing and logistics. "Jobs at the warehouse will also be revolutionized."
For example, workers at NTUC's warehouses can quickly identify RFID-tagged cartons before sending them to a particular store. In the past they had to spend time searching for stocks at the warehouse, Yeo said.
And once the cartons reach the store, they pass through the store's gantries with RFID readers. This can reduce pilferage because the supermarket will be able to ensure the right number of items reach the store, he explained.
In addition, Yeo said, RFID technology also helps the supermarket chain determine the expiry dates of perishable goods quickly by retrieving this information stored in the tag.
However, Susan Chong, Spring Singapore's standardization division director, said the important aspect of the pilot project is not just about sticking RFID tags on goods. Rather, it is to introduce new work processes to SMBs so they can automate and streamline logistics.
Source: RFID pilot to target SMB suppliers
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