RFID wristbands are convenient & durable smart product. It is not only prove valuable in the event organizing business, but the positive attributes of this technology leave no industry untouched. It is cast at one time and has the advantages of good waterproof and shock resistance. It is especially suitable for use in parks and swimming pools. It can also be used for access control, club membership and employee management.
Visit:- https://www.newbega.com/rfid-wristbands/
RFID wristbands are convenient & durable smart product. It is not only prove valuable in the event organizing business, but the positive attributes of this technology leave no industry untouched. It is cast at one time and has the advantages of good waterproof and shock resistance. It is especially suitable for use in parks and swimming pools. It can also be used for access control, club membership and employee management.
Visit:- https://www.newbega.com/rfid-wristbands/
In fast-paced mass manufacturing, every product needs to be identified for traceability to avoid the slipping of faulty products into the hands of consumers.
Presentation i gave about near field communication at KHM / Lessius. The paper that goes with it can be found here: http://yves.eightroad.com
The paper itself was written in dutch.
Intelligence Billing System Using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Z...iosrjce
IOSR Journal of Computer Engineering (IOSR-JCE) is a double blind peer reviewed International Journal that provides rapid publication (within a month) of articles in all areas of computer engineering and its applications. The journal welcomes publications of high quality papers on theoretical developments and practical applications in computer technology. Original research papers, state-of-the-art reviews, and high quality technical notes are invited for publications.
With a growing selection of antenna choices and sensor ICs, SMARTRAC’s sensor tag and inlay family offers state-of-the-art products with great flexibility to accurately measure moisture and temperature conditions in industrial, healthcare and many other applications.
Sensor inlays and tags are passive UHF inlays equipped with RFMicron’s Magnus® IC family. These RFID sensor inlays offer great performance, and are a perfect choice where moisture and temperature detection is an important requirement. Their specific antenna design acts as a resistor/inductor/capacitor (RLC) tuned circuit to enable an antenna to sense its environment. The antenna converts environmental data into an impedance change, and the sensor tag IC translates this into a sensor code, as it dynamically matches antenna impedance to die impedance.
These single-chip sensor inlay and tag solutions are cost-efficient and easy to implement, and work on different surface materials ranging from textiles to metal parts to construction materials. They can be deployed where active or semi-active sensors are not practical, and involve no battery maintenance, costs or problems with product lifetime or recycling. Delivery formats are dry and wet to suit all converting-industry needs.
Almost everything in your warehouse will eventually be connected to the Internet of Things (IoT), the online network that connects and exchanges data between devices, vehicles, inventory and even buildings. The Internet of Things is already starting the digital transformation of supply chains by improving efficiency, accuracy, and reducing costs. It is anticipated that many more benefits and opportunities will emerge in the future. Every supply chain business, from manufacturing to logistics, should be taking a close look at the Internet of Things now. Early adopters of IoT technologies will be better able to take a giant leap forward in their business and gain a competitive edge from this technology.
RFID is often most efficiently used when combined with other technologies. In this way, it can then become a route to completing and enhancing an existing solution.
Contrary to what one might think, the implementation of RFID does not trigger a
revolution of all operational processes - it can be integrated very smoothly into existing
ones and work in parallel with other solutions.
NFC and consumers - Success factors and limitations in retail business - Flor...Florian Resatsch
Shown at the WIMA 2007 in Monaco, this presentation covers ideas and discussions around frequencies for retail business. Consumer applications with NFC are also discussed.
NFC Applications For Retailer - Mobile Prosumer Mobile and Sales AssistantFlorian Resatsch
In the last two years we were conducting this project. Stephan Karpischek and I did a lot of research for mobile applications in the area of retailers. The presentation only shows the basic ideas we had. If you are interested in an indepth information, please contact me.
What Are The Uses Of RFID Application In Industries ? Omega-CstOmega_UAE
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Is Being Used Since The World War II For Defence Purpose, But Nowadays It Became More Accessible And Used In Multiple Industries, Here Are Those Few Industries Making Best Use Of It.
The expansion of technologies helping retailers to be more efficient and sales effective – from the warehouse to the shop floor – is exponentially increasing the need for a secure and highly available network. Connectivity to the retail outlet is also crucial to omni-channel strategies being fully embraced by the retail industry. 3G/4G networking solutions deliver highly flexible connectivity to power these applications and relieve the reliance on fixed lines.
In fast-paced mass manufacturing, every product needs to be identified for traceability to avoid the slipping of faulty products into the hands of consumers.
Presentation i gave about near field communication at KHM / Lessius. The paper that goes with it can be found here: http://yves.eightroad.com
The paper itself was written in dutch.
Intelligence Billing System Using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Z...iosrjce
IOSR Journal of Computer Engineering (IOSR-JCE) is a double blind peer reviewed International Journal that provides rapid publication (within a month) of articles in all areas of computer engineering and its applications. The journal welcomes publications of high quality papers on theoretical developments and practical applications in computer technology. Original research papers, state-of-the-art reviews, and high quality technical notes are invited for publications.
With a growing selection of antenna choices and sensor ICs, SMARTRAC’s sensor tag and inlay family offers state-of-the-art products with great flexibility to accurately measure moisture and temperature conditions in industrial, healthcare and many other applications.
Sensor inlays and tags are passive UHF inlays equipped with RFMicron’s Magnus® IC family. These RFID sensor inlays offer great performance, and are a perfect choice where moisture and temperature detection is an important requirement. Their specific antenna design acts as a resistor/inductor/capacitor (RLC) tuned circuit to enable an antenna to sense its environment. The antenna converts environmental data into an impedance change, and the sensor tag IC translates this into a sensor code, as it dynamically matches antenna impedance to die impedance.
These single-chip sensor inlay and tag solutions are cost-efficient and easy to implement, and work on different surface materials ranging from textiles to metal parts to construction materials. They can be deployed where active or semi-active sensors are not practical, and involve no battery maintenance, costs or problems with product lifetime or recycling. Delivery formats are dry and wet to suit all converting-industry needs.
Almost everything in your warehouse will eventually be connected to the Internet of Things (IoT), the online network that connects and exchanges data between devices, vehicles, inventory and even buildings. The Internet of Things is already starting the digital transformation of supply chains by improving efficiency, accuracy, and reducing costs. It is anticipated that many more benefits and opportunities will emerge in the future. Every supply chain business, from manufacturing to logistics, should be taking a close look at the Internet of Things now. Early adopters of IoT technologies will be better able to take a giant leap forward in their business and gain a competitive edge from this technology.
RFID is often most efficiently used when combined with other technologies. In this way, it can then become a route to completing and enhancing an existing solution.
Contrary to what one might think, the implementation of RFID does not trigger a
revolution of all operational processes - it can be integrated very smoothly into existing
ones and work in parallel with other solutions.
NFC and consumers - Success factors and limitations in retail business - Flor...Florian Resatsch
Shown at the WIMA 2007 in Monaco, this presentation covers ideas and discussions around frequencies for retail business. Consumer applications with NFC are also discussed.
NFC Applications For Retailer - Mobile Prosumer Mobile and Sales AssistantFlorian Resatsch
In the last two years we were conducting this project. Stephan Karpischek and I did a lot of research for mobile applications in the area of retailers. The presentation only shows the basic ideas we had. If you are interested in an indepth information, please contact me.
What Are The Uses Of RFID Application In Industries ? Omega-CstOmega_UAE
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Is Being Used Since The World War II For Defence Purpose, But Nowadays It Became More Accessible And Used In Multiple Industries, Here Are Those Few Industries Making Best Use Of It.
The expansion of technologies helping retailers to be more efficient and sales effective – from the warehouse to the shop floor – is exponentially increasing the need for a secure and highly available network. Connectivity to the retail outlet is also crucial to omni-channel strategies being fully embraced by the retail industry. 3G/4G networking solutions deliver highly flexible connectivity to power these applications and relieve the reliance on fixed lines.
RFID is an interesting technology that has generated a great deal of interest in the last few years. For this study, the focus is specifically on the impact of RFID technology in a supermarket.
By understanding the details behind RFID and clearing some misconceptions regarding privacy and security, this report aims to clarify the adoption of RFID in major supermarkets such as FairPrice.
Towards the end, we aim to provide a summarized solution on how RFID technology can benefit the store and the steps required to implement it in a supermarket.
The latest Accenture research reveals that RFID is enabling retail omnichannel services and driving business value to retailers everywhere. Learn more: https://accntu.re/3bYBElX
n the dynamic realm of technology, innovations continue to shape and redefine industries, offering solutions that streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and revolutionize operations. One such innovation that is poised to make a significant impact is the Chipless Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. As businesses seek advanced methods to track assets, manage inventory, and enhance security, the Chipless RFID market emerges as a beacon of opportunity. This blog takes an in-depth look at the Chipless RFID market, its growth trajectory, key drivers, applications, and the transformative potential it holds.
Here is a Whitepaper I wrote way back in 2011 for the the Steel Industry. The industry has only started capitalizing on the RFID Technology for Inventory Tracking and Realtime Location Tracking. I see a lot of potential in exploiting the usage of RFID Technology in our day to day operations.
Happy Reading..!
Nowadays purchasing and shopping at big malls is becoming a daily activity in metro cities. There will be huge rush at malls on holidays and weekends. The rush is even more when there are special offers and discount. People purchase different items and put them in trolley. After total purchase one needs to go to billing counter for payments. At the billing counter the cashier prepare the bill using bar code reader which is a time consuming process and results in long queues at billing counters. Our aim is to develop a system that can be used in shopping malls to solve the above mentioned challenge. The system will be placed in all the trolleys. It consists RFID reader, Zigbee, display. All the products in the mall will be equipped with RFID tags. When a person places any product in the trolley, the respective tag of the product is detected and the price of that product is stored in the memory. Item name and its cost will be displayed on LCD. As a person places more products, the cost of the products is added to the total bill. Thus the billing is done in the trolley itself. At the billing Counter the total bill data will be transferred to PC by wireless RF modules.
Cfsei west chapter_launch_release05302008Brian Berger
Steel Group Aids Engineers in Western U.S. States led by Brian Berger, Manager, Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute, American Iron and Steel Institute
Titan, cfpua and dirty campaigning among debate topics wect tv6-wect.com ne...Brian Berger
Outspent $20-to-$1, I defeated an entrenched 20-year incumbent thanks to incredible volunteer support and genuine desire to serve, sacrifice, and stand-up for principles even in the fave of being viciously attacked and nearly killed by scared corrupt leaders and their law enforcement pals (I beat the Sheriff too who hired and promoted these sick, sadistic law enforcement officers who are unaware that there exists a US Constitution....and who like too many bullies with a badge, they have no integrity!)
County commission candidates face tight budget, high unemployment wilmingto...Brian Berger
Funny how my efforts paid off with reforms in economic development practices...for awhile...though I'll never get any credit. Instead, I was beaten and tortured, literally, for opposing the most corrupt government in America...in Southeast North Carolina. FBI? What a joke...undermining and meddling in elections and undermining democracy since the 1930s, instead of opposing political corruption and law enforcement criminal acts, sadism, rights violations, disregard for the Constitution, Just like NC's current Gov. Cooper, his predecessor, Pat "Duke Energy" McCrory, and the DA, Ben David, Sheriff, and their equally corrupt pals in New Hanover County and Wilmington, like Ted Davis, Woody White and the fake Christians who share their sick, lynch mob values!!!
It's time to fix the broken, corrupt, unaccountable, dishonest, sadistic criminal justice system in the US, where corruption by local law enforcement and the FBI is worse than criminal, and it's a national epidemic. DA Ben David, Sheriff Ed McMahon, and Gov. Roy Cooper, fmr. AG, engaged in a pattern of violent, corrupt, murderous and torturous activities claiming innocent lives and destroying anyone who dared stand-up for the victims of their crimes, their abuses of power, criminal endeavors and profit without any shred of morality, decency, humanity or accountability, each would be in jail except for the similarly corrupt, violent sadism and misconduct that is part of FBI and US Atty (Justice Dept.) values and militaristic, deceptive, life-destroying values of corrupt prosecutors and sadistic, immmoral law enforcement (a cultural epidemic that has destroyed far too many innocent lives and destroyed families from Coast-to-Coast! I nearly lost my life speaking the truth...except they cooked up a worse fate for me than even death. MS-13 is less sadistic and immoral than the law enforcement community in NC! Charge these bad apples and let justice reign for once!!!
Commissioner Brian Berger, the "Taxpayers' Watchdog" in corrupt Wilmington, NC (New Hanover County), where self-serving, financially self-interested politicians like Woody White, Ted Davis, Jonathan Barfield, Rick Catlin and their friends Gov. Pat McCrory, new Gov. Roy Cooper, the State legislature and sadistic law enforcement carry out unspeakable acts of brutal and illegal corrupt acts, without concern for lives or ethics.
Essentials of Automations: The Art of Triggers and Actions in FMESafe Software
In this second installment of our Essentials of Automations webinar series, we’ll explore the landscape of triggers and actions, guiding you through the nuances of authoring and adapting workspaces for seamless automations. Gain an understanding of the full spectrum of triggers and actions available in FME, empowering you to enhance your workspaces for efficient automation.
We’ll kick things off by showcasing the most commonly used event-based triggers, introducing you to various automation workflows like manual triggers, schedules, directory watchers, and more. Plus, see how these elements play out in real scenarios.
Whether you’re tweaking your current setup or building from the ground up, this session will arm you with the tools and insights needed to transform your FME usage into a powerhouse of productivity. Join us to discover effective strategies that simplify complex processes, enhancing your productivity and transforming your data management practices with FME. Let’s turn complexity into clarity and make your workspaces work wonders!
20 Comprehensive Checklist of Designing and Developing a WebsitePixlogix Infotech
Dive into the world of Website Designing and Developing with Pixlogix! Looking to create a stunning online presence? Look no further! Our comprehensive checklist covers everything you need to know to craft a website that stands out. From user-friendly design to seamless functionality, we've got you covered. Don't miss out on this invaluable resource! Check out our checklist now at Pixlogix and start your journey towards a captivating online presence today.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of technologies, XML continues to play a vital role in structuring, storing, and transporting data across diverse systems. The recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) present new methodologies for enhancing XML development workflows, introducing efficiency, automation, and intelligent capabilities. This presentation will outline the scope and perspective of utilizing AI in XML development. The potential benefits and the possible pitfalls will be highlighted, providing a balanced view of the subject.
We will explore the capabilities of AI in understanding XML markup languages and autonomously creating structured XML content. Additionally, we will examine the capacity of AI to enrich plain text with appropriate XML markup. Practical examples and methodological guidelines will be provided to elucidate how AI can be effectively prompted to interpret and generate accurate XML markup.
Further emphasis will be placed on the role of AI in developing XSLT, or schemas such as XSD and Schematron. We will address the techniques and strategies adopted to create prompts for generating code, explaining code, or refactoring the code, and the results achieved.
The discussion will extend to how AI can be used to transform XML content. In particular, the focus will be on the use of AI XPath extension functions in XSLT, Schematron, Schematron Quick Fixes, or for XML content refactoring.
The presentation aims to deliver a comprehensive overview of AI usage in XML development, providing attendees with the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions. Whether you’re at the early stages of adopting AI or considering integrating it in advanced XML development, this presentation will cover all levels of expertise.
By highlighting the potential advantages and challenges of integrating AI with XML development tools and languages, the presentation seeks to inspire thoughtful conversation around the future of XML development. We’ll not only delve into the technical aspects of AI-powered XML development but also discuss practical implications and possible future directions.
Encryption in Microsoft 365 - ExpertsLive Netherlands 2024Albert Hoitingh
In this session I delve into the encryption technology used in Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Purview. Including the concepts of Customer Key and Double Key Encryption.
GridMate - End to end testing is a critical piece to ensure quality and avoid...ThomasParaiso2
End to end testing is a critical piece to ensure quality and avoid regressions. In this session, we share our journey building an E2E testing pipeline for GridMate components (LWC and Aura) using Cypress, JSForce, FakerJS…
zkStudyClub - Reef: Fast Succinct Non-Interactive Zero-Knowledge Regex ProofsAlex Pruden
This paper presents Reef, a system for generating publicly verifiable succinct non-interactive zero-knowledge proofs that a committed document matches or does not match a regular expression. We describe applications such as proving the strength of passwords, the provenance of email despite redactions, the validity of oblivious DNS queries, and the existence of mutations in DNA. Reef supports the Perl Compatible Regular Expression syntax, including wildcards, alternation, ranges, capture groups, Kleene star, negations, and lookarounds. Reef introduces a new type of automata, Skipping Alternating Finite Automata (SAFA), that skips irrelevant parts of a document when producing proofs without undermining soundness, and instantiates SAFA with a lookup argument. Our experimental evaluation confirms that Reef can generate proofs for documents with 32M characters; the proofs are small and cheap to verify (under a second).
Paper: https://eprint.iacr.org/2023/1886
Removing Uninteresting Bytes in Software FuzzingAftab Hussain
Imagine a world where software fuzzing, the process of mutating bytes in test seeds to uncover hidden and erroneous program behaviors, becomes faster and more effective. A lot depends on the initial seeds, which can significantly dictate the trajectory of a fuzzing campaign, particularly in terms of how long it takes to uncover interesting behaviour in your code. We introduce DIAR, a technique designed to speedup fuzzing campaigns by pinpointing and eliminating those uninteresting bytes in the seeds. Picture this: instead of wasting valuable resources on meaningless mutations in large, bloated seeds, DIAR removes the unnecessary bytes, streamlining the entire process.
In this work, we equipped AFL, a popular fuzzer, with DIAR and examined two critical Linux libraries -- Libxml's xmllint, a tool for parsing xml documents, and Binutil's readelf, an essential debugging and security analysis command-line tool used to display detailed information about ELF (Executable and Linkable Format). Our preliminary results show that AFL+DIAR does not only discover new paths more quickly but also achieves higher coverage overall. This work thus showcases how starting with lean and optimized seeds can lead to faster, more comprehensive fuzzing campaigns -- and DIAR helps you find such seeds.
- These are slides of the talk given at IEEE International Conference on Software Testing Verification and Validation Workshop, ICSTW 2022.
Threats to mobile devices are more prevalent and increasing in scope and complexity. Users of mobile devices desire to take full advantage of the features
available on those devices, but many of the features provide convenience and capability but sacrifice security. This best practices guide outlines steps the users can take to better protect personal devices and information.
A tale of scale & speed: How the US Navy is enabling software delivery from l...sonjaschweigert1
Rapid and secure feature delivery is a goal across every application team and every branch of the DoD. The Navy’s DevSecOps platform, Party Barge, has achieved:
- Reduction in onboarding time from 5 weeks to 1 day
- Improved developer experience and productivity through actionable findings and reduction of false positives
- Maintenance of superior security standards and inherent policy enforcement with Authorization to Operate (ATO)
Development teams can ship efficiently and ensure applications are cyber ready for Navy Authorizing Officials (AOs). In this webinar, Sigma Defense and Anchore will give attendees a look behind the scenes and demo secure pipeline automation and security artifacts that speed up application ATO and time to production.
We will cover:
- How to remove silos in DevSecOps
- How to build efficient development pipeline roles and component templates
- How to deliver security artifacts that matter for ATO’s (SBOMs, vulnerability reports, and policy evidence)
- How to streamline operations with automated policy checks on container images
GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using Deplo...James Anderson
Effective Application Security in Software Delivery lifecycle using Deployment Firewall and DBOM
The modern software delivery process (or the CI/CD process) includes many tools, distributed teams, open-source code, and cloud platforms. Constant focus on speed to release software to market, along with the traditional slow and manual security checks has caused gaps in continuous security as an important piece in the software supply chain. Today organizations feel more susceptible to external and internal cyber threats due to the vast attack surface in their applications supply chain and the lack of end-to-end governance and risk management.
The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
Speakers:
Bob Boule
Robert Boule is a technology enthusiast with PASSION for technology and making things work along with a knack for helping others understand how things work. He comes with around 20 years of solution engineering experience in application security, software continuous delivery, and SaaS platforms. He is known for his dynamic presentations in CI/CD and application security integrated in software delivery lifecycle.
Gopinath Rebala
Gopinath Rebala is the CTO of OpsMx, where he has overall responsibility for the machine learning and data processing architectures for Secure Software Delivery. Gopi also has a strong connection with our customers, leading design and architecture for strategic implementations. Gopi is a frequent speaker and well-known leader in continuous delivery and integrating security into software delivery.
Full-RAG: A modern architecture for hyper-personalizationZilliz
Mike Del Balso, CEO & Co-Founder at Tecton, presents "Full RAG," a novel approach to AI recommendation systems, aiming to push beyond the limitations of traditional models through a deep integration of contextual insights and real-time data, leveraging the Retrieval-Augmented Generation architecture. This talk will outline Full RAG's potential to significantly enhance personalization, address engineering challenges such as data management and model training, and introduce data enrichment with reranking as a key solution. Attendees will gain crucial insights into the importance of hyperpersonalization in AI, the capabilities of Full RAG for advanced personalization, and strategies for managing complex data integrations for deploying cutting-edge AI solutions.
Why You Should Replace Windows 11 with Nitrux Linux 3.5.0 for enhanced perfor...SOFTTECHHUB
The choice of an operating system plays a pivotal role in shaping our computing experience. For decades, Microsoft's Windows has dominated the market, offering a familiar and widely adopted platform for personal and professional use. However, as technological advancements continue to push the boundaries of innovation, alternative operating systems have emerged, challenging the status quo and offering users a fresh perspective on computing.
One such alternative that has garnered significant attention and acclaim is Nitrux Linux 3.5.0, a sleek, powerful, and user-friendly Linux distribution that promises to redefine the way we interact with our devices. With its focus on performance, security, and customization, Nitrux Linux presents a compelling case for those seeking to break free from the constraints of proprietary software and embrace the freedom and flexibility of open-source computing.
Maruthi Prithivirajan, Head of ASEAN & IN Solution Architecture, Neo4j
Get an inside look at the latest Neo4j innovations that enable relationship-driven intelligence at scale. Learn more about the newest cloud integrations and product enhancements that make Neo4j an essential choice for developers building apps with interconnected data and generative AI.
DevOps and Testing slides at DASA ConnectKari Kakkonen
My and Rik Marselis slides at 30.5.2024 DASA Connect conference. We discuss about what is testing, then what is agile testing and finally what is Testing in DevOps. Finally we had lovely workshop with the participants trying to find out different ways to think about quality and testing in different parts of the DevOps infinity loop.
Communications Mining Series - Zero to Hero - Session 1DianaGray10
This session provides introduction to UiPath Communication Mining, importance and platform overview. You will acquire a good understand of the phases in Communication Mining as we go over the platform with you. Topics covered:
• Communication Mining Overview
• Why is it important?
• How can it help today’s business and the benefits
• Phases in Communication Mining
• Demo on Platform overview
• Q/A
Observability Concepts EVERY Developer Should Know -- DeveloperWeek Europe.pdfPaige Cruz
Monitoring and observability aren’t traditionally found in software curriculums and many of us cobble this knowledge together from whatever vendor or ecosystem we were first introduced to and whatever is a part of your current company’s observability stack.
While the dev and ops silo continues to crumble….many organizations still relegate monitoring & observability as the purview of ops, infra and SRE teams. This is a mistake - achieving a highly observable system requires collaboration up and down the stack.
I, a former op, would like to extend an invitation to all application developers to join the observability party will share these foundational concepts to build on:
Observability Concepts EVERY Developer Should Know -- DeveloperWeek Europe.pdf
The future is now chain store_age_guest-column_may2003-final
1. Chain Store Age Guest Column (May 2003)
RFID – The Future of the Supply Chain
During the 1970s, universal product codes (a.k.a. UPCs or “bar codes”) emerged as a
technology that had a significant impact on the movement and sale of merchandise. Bar
codes gave retailers a better way to track inventory, helped reduce labor costs, and
enhanced the overall customer shopping experience. However, the emergence of the bar
code did not take place overnight. It required years of work developing standards,
winning over minds, and creating the necessary hardware.
Well, as revolutionary as the bar code was, it may soon be a thing of the past. While still
in the developmental and testing stages, radio frequency identification – known as RFID
– is emerging as the next generation of the bar code, although far superior in many ways.
RFID tags are tiny microchips, embedded in an individual product or case of
merchandise, that transmit their unique ID code by emitting a radio wave that is picked
up by a reader. Using RFID, cases of merchandise on pallets could be scanned from a
distance of up to 15 feet instead of each case’s bar code having to be scanned individually
with a hand-held device. Also, readers built into shelves could alert a store when a
particular product needs to be replenished, and RFID can help reduce theft and shrinkage,
which costs retailers about $33 billion annually.
For an extra investment, the basic functioning of a “smart tag” could be upgraded to store
additional information. Point of Sale systems could process a shopping cart full of
merchandise in seconds, making self-checkout quicker and simpler for the customer.
The underlying technology already exists and several major retailers and manufacturers
have begun testing programs. They recognize that this new tracking system will
transform the supply chain, further reducing labor costs and offering instant, up-to-the-
minute inventory information.
While RFID is currently too expensive to be practical for widespread deployment, most
experts agree that by the end of this decade the price of each microchip will be low
enough to encourage broad industry use. So, while not practical as a bar code
replacement for several more years, retailers who prepare for the RFID future now will
be best positioned, and first to realize its benefits.
Most customers will readily embrace this easier shopping experience and the cost savings
RFID technology will generate. However, RFID’s ability to gather information about a
customer’s purchases and the potential to identify customers when they enter a store may
create concern among some privacy advocates. It will take industry-wide efforts to
educate the public and lawmakers on this new technology.
2. NRF’s CIO Council, composed of CIOs from leading retail chains, serves as the leading
forum for addressing retail technology issues, including RFID implementation. NRFtech
2003: IT Leadership Summit, hosted by the CIO Council in August, will bring retail
companies together with technology providers to develop common frameworks for retail
technology. Working with the Association for Retail Technology Standards (ARTS), a
division of NRF, the CIO Council is collaborating with the independent Uniform Code
Council to maximize the potential of RFID chips. This cooperation is essential to prevent
bumps down the road, and ensure that the retail industry is engaged and informed on
matters that have important business ramifications.
The combined technical standards expertise of ARTS and strategic decision-making
objectives of NRF’s CIO Council have made NRF a full-scale technology support
organization. NRF’s expertise working with lawmakers will be vital to ensuring that any
emerging public policy proposal that might touch on this new technology will be based
on reality, not myths, and will not endanger retailers’ use of RFID in the future. Through
attendance at NRFtech and involvement in the CIO Council, ARTS, and general NRF
membership programs, retailers will gain the insights and information now to harness the
technology of the future.
RFID is the wave of the future. Don’t let your business get left behind.