The Disadvantages of RFID Credit Cards

RFID credit cards are taking the nation. Also known as Radio Frequency Identification, RFID for short, these cards allow you to make purchases with your credit card without even having to type in a pin number, swipe your card through a reader, or even sign for the sale. Instead, a coil radio transmitter insider your card--imagine how small it must be!--sends out a tagged radio signature, that then gets transformed by the way you move your finger over the card.

In essence, your personal way of "swiping" your card with your finger gives the signal a distinct "shape" that acts like an electronic fingerprint. In theory, no one else could have this electronic fingerprint. It's not so much theory anymore. Some credit card companies are already experimenting with RFID technology. You can use them at gas stations, convenience stores, maybe even vending machines.

But is this technology as secure as all the experts say it is? It may be, but the thought of not signing for your purchase may make you have the heebie-jeebies. Also, usually with regular credit cards, the cashier is supposed to look at your card and compare signatures, to make sure you are you, each and every time you make a purchase. With RFID cards, you forgo this extra step of security.

Another issue with RFID cards, and one you won't hear the credit card companies make, is that RFID cards make it possible to too easily to spend and drive up your debt. If all a person has to do is wave their card at the fast food restaurant, to get gas, to buy that expensive new flat-screen televisions set, then chances are they may start waving their card more and more. In the long run, that will make a ton more money for the credit card companies. But for the buyer, that could mean a long lifetime of living in debt.

Another potential issue with RFID technology is that it could be the next wave of the future for everything from passports to security to get into buildings. It could be used possibly to even track your movements throughout the day, the week, and the year. Just imagine--your car, every building that you enter into, your house, your work--all of them have RFID security technology. That makes for a chance for Big Brother to keep an eye on you. A scary thought, and pretty far-fetched, yes, but a possible reality none the less thanks to RFID.

Joshua Shapiro recommends Find Credit Cards to find a Citibank credit card offer that's tailored to suit your financial needs

The Advantages of RFID Credit Cards

With all of the wireless technology that is available these days, it's almost a question of how much farther can we go to make things easier? Even swiping a credit card has become too much for some and the invention of RFID credit cards is showing up at your local registers.

What is RFID?

RFID is a radio frequency device that allows information to be transmitted by radio waves. This is much like the FastTrak toll booth payments that allow you to wave a card at the reader to pay your tolls. And it's coming to a restaurant near you.

McDonald's is looking at implementing RFID credit cards so that people can fill their card with money and then wave their card at a register to transmit the payment. It's fast, it's easy, and it saves time in line. Plus it's safer than you might think.

What's great about RFID?

RFID is easy to use and easy to transport. And for those that are nervous about carrying all their information on an RFID credit card, you can rest easy because the information is encrypted and can only be decrypted by an RFID reader. Of course, who's to say that thieves won't come up with a way to get that information without your knowledge? But the general consensus is that RFID is much safer than traditional credit cards.

With traditional credit cards, you can simply enter the information into an online retailer or hand it to an employee who can then take down the information for their own use. This allows for plenty of opportunities for someone to use your information without your permission while on the Internet or by filling out new credit card applications.

With the RFID credit card that information never passes into the employee's hands it goes directly to the server that handles payments. This is much more secure and helps a user feel safer in each transaction. However, with this technology, a thief will just have to take possession of the RFID credit card in order to use it.

Overall, RFID credit cards are the wave of the future, being used widely in Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore. They allow for simpler transactions and less worry. Even Chase credit cards are thinking about using RFID technology in their cards.

Yours credit cards could be next.

Beth Derkowitz recommends Find Credit Cards for finding the best Chase rewards credit card for you.

RFID Labels What Do I Need To Know For Products In Canada And The USA!

RFID labels, I hear the term but what does it mean and should I be thinking of using it for my business? RFID is a radio frequency identification . Every product is identified somehow. A sign, a label, a barcode label and an RFID label are all different ways to identify product. Which one should I chose? If I own a lemonade stand chances are I'll make a sign to describe what's in the pitcher. If I manufacture gum, chances are that my label will have words to tell the consumer what it is, and a bar code for the cash register scanner to identify the product and price. RFID uses radio frequencies to transmit data to a reader which captures the data. The reader takes the digital information and downloads it to it's computer so the data may be used and interpreted.

RFID tags or labels contain a micro chip which can store about 2KB of data. This allows you to store more than just it's SKU and price. You can store other important information like which manufacturing plant it comes from, the date it was manufactured and expiration date to name a few. why do we want to capture this information in this way. Business today is about profit, streamlining and being the most productive you can be. If we can capture this data instantly then we can analyze it and make the right decisions quicker and more accurately. If we can reduce manual operations, we increase efficiency and reduce the chance for human errors, either by careless mistakes or wrong assumptions.

This sounds like a great system so why isn't everybody using it? It's not because it's a new technolgy because it isn't. Why the change now? It has been around since atleast the 70's and was primarily used in the army. The reason it hasn't become the accepted norm is the cost. The readers alone can cost $1000.00 each and the labels themselves are considerably more expensive than bar code labels. Without mass acceptance and technological advancements this technology was not thought of as a viable alternative.

Why the change now? Basically it comes down to one word, Walmart. Walmart has grown into such a huge company that to manage it's logistics and supply chain it has become essential to be the most efficient and streamlined as possible. Walmart feels that this technology will help it control it's inventory and procurement costs, thereby increasing it's profitability. It has thus dictated that it's top 50 suppliers start using this technology. This one decision has changed the evolution of RFID labels. Money is now being spent to increase RFID reliability and lower the cost for it's use. We now have second generation RFID labels which are cheaper, more powerful and more reliable than the first generation. Like personal computers this product should become more powerful and cheaper as time goes on. Other mass retailers are jumping on the RFID band wagon not wanting to be left behind and be at a competitive disadvantage.

RFID is available at a limited amount of printers due to the learning curve needed to manufacture these labels properly. Solutions Ink is one of these few companies able to deliver RFID labels and help answer all your questions. If you need more information about your labelling needs email me at steve@solutionsink4u.com or check out www.solutionsink4u.com

Steven Schneidman Solutions Ink steve@solutionsink4u.com www.solutionsink4u.com

Steven Schneidman has taught finance at a Canadian University and worked at the head office of a major Canadian Bank. He currently owns a successful printing and promotional product company.

Viagra and RFID tags

Viagra's popularity is a known fact. Ever since its launch in 1998 by Pfizer Inc., the erectile dysfunction(ED) drug has performed miracle in the sexual life of millions of its users. The proper usage of Viagra can help in overcoming the ailment of ED to a large extent. Its effectiveness in the treatment of ED is unparallel and due to this factor, lots of dubious companies are making huge chunk of money by manufacturing fake version of it.

Due to this rising business of fake drugs, big companies like Pfizer are incurred with heavy losses as the fake versions of Viagra are available at a much cheaper price. It is a big blow for the company's financial status as the making and manufacturing of Viagra is an expensive affair.

Therefore, to overcome this counterfeit business, Pfizer Inc., the manufacturer of Viagra has begun to ship its Viagra product with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to its customers in the U.S. It's part of the company's initiative to promote patient safety by combating pharmaceutical counterfeiting. Pfizer is following on the heels of Purdue Pharma, which began tagging every 100-tablet bottle of the painkiller OxyContin since 2004 for controlling the fake drug business.

The reason behind Viagra's selection for the RFID project is because of the fact that it has been a major target for counterfeiters. The benefit of RFID tag is that it discourages counterfeiting because it is both difficult and expensive to duplicate. RFID tags incorporate the EPC into each package, case and pallet of Viagra so that pharmacists and wholesalers can use specially-designed electronic scanners to communicate the code over the internet to a secure Pfizer website.

This particular step taken by Viagra manufacturer is praise worthy as it can prevent Viagra users from buying fake version of the ED drug.

For more infomation on Viagra, visit: http://www.viagrapunch.com

The author is an amateur writer focusing primarily on health related topics or on the health related research findings.

What is RFID and how will it help me?

RFID technolgy has been around for a few years but we are just hitting the tip of the iceberg when it comes to its many uses. Most people don't even know what RFID is but odds are they have already been affected by it.

You have or are about to own a RFID tag and you don't even know it. If you have an EZ pass in your car that automatically pays the toll when you go past then you have a RFID tag. Wow thats cool is what you are probably saying but that is just one of the uses.

They also use RFID to track cattle and soon they will be using it to track your luggage at the airport. As of this writing the airport in Las Vegas and Toyko Japan is experimenting with it.

You might have read about RFID in the newspaper lately and that is what lead you here. Major department stores are using RFID to track their inventory. You can read all about it on http://www.a1-rfid.com This works by placing a RFID tag on the pallet or the individual boxes and they are read as they are received at the stores from the warehouse.

This has many benefits as there can no longer be items that "fall off the truck" as they say which will help keep cost down. It also keeps less employees on the payroll which is a bad thing since items will be within a few clicks of the mouse to their location.

You may even have heard about people having their medical history placed on a RFID chip and having that chip inbedded in their arm so they will always have their medical history. That is some advanced stuff as the hospital will need a RFID reader to fetch the records.

The is also talk of RFID being used in cell phones. If your boss gives you a new cell phone be weary of it because he might have done it to track you.

You have seen the commercials for ONSTAR where they dispatch help to your car in an emergency. How do they know where you are hmmmm. Like I said there are many things that RFID can and will be used for.

This article can be reprinted and republished as long as it has a hyperlink to www.a1-rfid.com

Vince Ohare is a Free Lance writer featured on over 1000 technolgy websites. You can see more of his articles on http://www.a1-rfid.com

RFID: A Smart Tag Primer

Good things come in small packages. This familiar clich usually refers to precious stones, but today it's taken on new meaning, in that small things are now protecting items we deem valuable.

Good things come in small packages. This familiar clich usually refers to precious stones, but today it's taken on new meaning, in that small things are now protecting items we deem valuable.

Analysts estimate that the retail industry loses US $50B a year to theft and up to ten times that much to counterfeiting. High-end products such as cosmetics, fragrances and pharmaceuticals are most likely to be stolen or counterfeited. Many retailers and manufacturers believe that this big problem may have a tiny solution RFID smart tags.

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is an automatic data capture technology that offers unparalleled accuracy in inventory control and supply chain management. Although RFID is a relative newcomer to the media spotlight, the technology has been quietly working its way into our culture and into our lives since it was drafted by the military 60 years ago.

The US Department of Defense first used RFID to track military aircraft during World War II. Since then, this compelling technology has been used extensively in highway toll collection, building security, library circulation, parcel delivery and airport luggage transportation.

What exactly is RFID and how does it affect the future of packaging?

RFID functions as a network of microchip smart tags and receivers. Each smart tag is embedded with a unique electronic product code (EPC) and a micro-antenna. Once assigned, the EPC becomes a DNA-like marker for the item, identifying it from every other item in the world. When a tagged item passes within range of a reader, the reader retrieves the EPC via radio waves, identifies the item and its exact location, and relays this real-time information to a central computer. Taken together, the series of transactions comprise a comprehensive record of the tagged items movement from point of origin to point of sale.

The greatest promise of RFID lies in its application versatility. Smart tags can be affixed to either individual products or to pallets containing multiple units, and can be read through most materials. RFID readers can scan multiple items at one time, making them functionally superior to traditional, uni-task bar code scanners.

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Auto-ID Center began to explore commercial applications of RFID in 1999. Wal-Mart, The Gillette Company and Proctor & Gamble were among the first to conduct pallet-level pilot tests. They quickly found that RFID offers improved supply chain visibility and more accurate inventory forecasting. Because RFID does not require line-of-sight operations (contrary to manual bar code scanning) the end users achieved improved inventory control with reduced labor costs.

Encouraged by their success, British retailers Marks & Spencer and Germanys Metro AG quickly adopted RFID applications in their production and distribution channels. The US Department of Defense, Benetton, CVS, Home Depot, Gap, Target, Kohls, Tesco, Coca Cola and Albertsons have all begun incorporating RFID into their supply chain operations. In 2004 Wal-Mart issued a mandate that their Top 100 suppliers become RFID compliant by 2005, and the FDA plans to convert to item-level RFID distribution tracking by 2007.

In spite of strong industry support for RFID, widespread adoption of the technology has been slow. One reason for the delay is the lack of uniform standards for network and data management. For example, smart tags are currently available in low, high or ultra-high frequency versions, with read ranges of as little as a few inches to as much as 30 feet. AIM Global is a consortium of RFID developers and suppliers who are working to establish global RFID standards. Their goal is to educate manufacturers and suppliers about the potential benefits of RFID, and to provide the education and resources necessary to realize ROI from the use of this technology.

Cost and quality concerns have further dampened enthusiasm for RFID. Tag failure rates are reported to be as high as 20% to 30%. At an average cost of $.30 per tag, many suppliers find the prospect of item-level tagging prohibitive.

So far, RFID compliance has been the responsibility of suppliers. Retailers have generally refused to accept any price increases resultant from RFID start-up expenses. As a result, suppliers have had to either absorb the cost of becoming RFID compliant or risk losing lucrative commercial contracts.

However, as RFID becomes the norm manufacturers will look for converters who can provide pre-tagged packaging that is market-standard compliant and ready for entry into the RFID regulated supply chain.

Technology is inherently evolutionary. The logistics of RFID are changing rapidly, with ongoing advancements in ink, labels and methods of smart tag attachment. In a future article I will explore specific developments in converting techniques and the impact of this compelling technology on the packaging industry.

 

Dennis Bacchetta is the Marketing Manager at Diamond Packaging. He frequently writes on industry topics and technical issues. You may contact him at dbacchetta@diamondpkg.com.

RFID Spychips! Grocery Store Surveillance

Privacy Storm Over RFID Chips by Mike Banks Valentine

American consumers

RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification and is a term that will become increasingly well known as usage of the new technology becomes pervasive. There is no question that the tiny chips, which enable tracking of physical goods from the assembly line to warehouse to retail outlet to checkstand, will replace the barcodes previously used for that purpose.

Some RFID chips are tiny, they are nearly indistiguishable from dust in many cases. Photo link:

These dust sized RFID chips are capable of transmitting their own SKU (Sales Keeping Unit), the same info currently encoded in barcodes, distances of up to 20 feet to an "RFID Reader". But that's not all these diminuitive little chips can do. They are capable of sending a unique serial number that can identify the item it's embedded in - down to it's date and location of manufacture. Barcodes were limited to carrying information that identified classes of products. RFID carries information equivalent to the product DNA, while allowing a number for every item on the planet!

When that item passes an "RFID reader" at the manufacturer's door, the tracking system knows the item has passed out of the building. Another reader signals that it has now passed into a train or plane to be shipped to a warehouse, where another reader tracks arrival and storage information, then successive readers know it passes to truck, grocery shelf, retail check- stand and out the door. All of this can now be accomplished without opening containers, leading to huge cost savings throughout the "supply chain".

Privacy issues don't arise until consumers link that chain. Walmart is now REQUIRING their 100 largest suppliers to use RFID tags at the pallet level. Meaning that those tags are currently in use to identify and track groups of products as they arrive at the Walmart warehouse up until shelving at the giant retailer. Some products, such as Gillette razors, had been testing individual item tracking up until final sale and removal from the Walmart store. Privacy advocates slowed that practice by launching a boycott of Gillette.

If the privacy concerns over tracking of a single product through the store to sale caused slowing of implementation of this technology, what can we expect when EVERY product is RFID tagged? There is no doubt this is coming and not in the distant future, but within the next 5 years or so. The US Department of Defense is now requiring ALL vendors to use RFID technology and embed tags in products sold to the US military by next year.

Clearly there will be little or no outcry from military and government personnel about privacy invading technology since government is rarely expected to respect privacy "in-house". But if all military vendors are compelled to use RFID chips in every item used in every one of the millions of supplies sold to and used by the military - by next year, 2005 - then there is little doubt that the entire US goverment will soon implement this same policy for all items purchased by Uncle Sam and used by government employees.

More and more giant retailers like Walmart are requiring suppliers to use RFID technology. The German chain Metro Group, which operates 2300 stores in Europe and Asia has demanded the same of their suppliers. Metro Group has gone even further with RFID to operate what they call the "Store of the future" where shoppers needn't remove items from shopping carts to pay for them. They simply pass by RFID readers and all items will be tallied and paid for. Metro stores provide RFID tagged "loyalty cards" to consumers that identifies those shoppers by reading within purses and wallets as those consumers enter and leave any of the 2300 Metro stores.

Business Week Article on
Metro Future Stores Protest

Target Stores announced this month that they too, would be requiring suppliers to RFID tag at the pallet and case level by 2005.

Privacy loving Americans may not stand for the "Big Brother" implications of a system like that used by the German retail chain. An anti-RFID web site has been launched by privacy advocates and named "Spychips" for the ability of the chips to track consumers and link their buying habits to other personally identifiable information.

A recent piece by technology commentator Jeffrey Harrow has a chilling description of how RFID technology might betray consumers movements and link their buying habits in a huge database. Harrow is a consultant and analyst of emerging technology. He often comments on privacy implications related to implementation of emerging technology. ------------------------------------------------------------- Harrow paints a harrowing picture of RFID readers.

"The issue is that these many sensors . . . would also note the passing of your car key's unique ID; the unique ID of your driver's license, and even the unique ID of each and every dollar bill in your wallet. ... And if all the chains' main computers and those of smaller stores made this mass of random information available to say, a Marketing firm, or to other stores along your path (for a fee, of course), or to a government organization upon demand, then a very detailed picture of "You" - your travel habits, your spending habits (remember those individually tagged dollar bills?), almost everything about you, could be mixed, matched and dissected in ways that you might, or might not, agree with. This might be the ultimate "data mining" warehouse."

Harrow Technology Report

RFID is publicly discussed only by technology enthusiasts like Harrow and a few privacy advocates concerned about the implications of that "data mining warehouse". But as those RFID chips supplant barcodes over the next couple of years, we'll be hearing from privacy advocates when the Big Brother implications become clearer to consumers. Mark your calendar for early in 2005 and prepare to weather the coming storm of privacy concerns that could reach hurricane proportions.

------------------------------------------------------------ Mike Banks Valentine is a web journalist covering privacy issues where you can learn about Automotive Event Data Recorders or EDR's, Computer SpyWare, Identity Theft, Surveillance, HIPAA, COPPA, TIA, GLB and privacy implications of the USA Patriot Act.

RF Engineering for 802.11 WLANJoe Bardwell

The article describes electromagnetic propagation and how RF engineering concepts can be applied specifically to 802.11 Wi-Fi WLANs. The popular formulae often applied to wireless networking are explained in clear, concise terms, with the math and physics being included. These include free space path loss, Fresnel zone calculation, and even an introduction to the Maxwell wave equations. The official title of the paper is, "I'm Going to Let My Chauffeur Answer That.", an allusion to a humorous story explained in the paper. The full text of the paper is available on the Connect802 website, in the Literature section at: www.Connect802.com/literature

Mr. Bardwell is a recognized technical expert and speaker and is co-author of the book, "Troubleshooting Campus Networks" (Wiley). He is Chief Scientist and President of Connect802 Corporation, a Wi-Fi design and systems integration company in California. (www.Connect802.com)

BIGSquid RFID: Leading RFID Solution in India

BIGSquid RFID: Leading RFID Solution in India

RFID (pronounced as separate letters) short for radio frequency identification. It is a technology, which uniquely identifies objects automatically using wireless radio communications.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technique of distantly piling and recovering data by means of devices known as RFID tags. An RFID tag is a little object, like a sticky label, that can be integrated into a product. RFID tags hold antennas to facilitate them to accept and react to radio-frequency inquiries from an RFID transceiver.

What is RFID tags? What are the different RFID tags?

RFID tags are of two types: active RFID and passive RFID. Passive RFID tags dont have their own power supply. The little electrical current stimulated in the antenna by the inward radio frequency scan gives adequate power for the tag to send a rejoinder. Because of power and cost factors, the rejoinder of a passive RFID tag is essentially concise. It is normally just an ID number (GUID). Shortage of its own power supply crafts the device very small. Commercially accessible products exist that can be implanted beneath the skin. The least such devices commercially accessible measured 0.4 mm 0.4 mm, and thinner than a sheet of paper. Such devices are virtually undetectable. Passive tags have practical read ranges that differ from about 10 mm up to about 5 meters. Passive tags are cheap to manufacture.

Active RFID tags, ought to have a power source, and may have longer ranges and larger memories than passive tags, as well as the capability to accumulate additional information sent by the transceiver. The smallest active tags are about the size of a coin. Many active tags have convenient ranges of tens of meters, and a battery life up to several years. While the cost factors of passive tags over active tags are noteworthy, other factors including accuracy and dependability make the use of active tags very common today.

A number of nations have anticipated embedding RFID devices in new passports to ease proficient machine reading of biometric data. The RFID-enabled passport distinctively identifies its holder; in the proposal currently under thought, the RFID tag will also comprise a range of other personal information (More info http://www.bigsquid.org)

BIGSquid RFID

BIG Squid RFID is not merely integrating various RFID middleware (tags and readers) with our own products, but we have formed partnerships with other leading companies that enable us to provide supply chain solutions for various clients. BIGSquid RFID provides solutions to various industries like pharmaceutical, manufacturing, textile etc., across the globe.

BIGSquid RFID is similar to bar code technology by automatically collecting information about a product or transaction quickly, easily and without human error. Lets understand some common differences between RFID and Bar Code.

BIGSquid RFID and Bar code are both identification technologies that hold data that is accessed by some type of reader. In actuality, they complement each other very well and can be used effectively side by side in many applications. Bar code is an optical technology and RFID is a radio technology. However, unlike barcode technology, it provides a contact less data link, without need for line of sightfor example articles inside a cardboard boxor concerns about harsh or dirty environments that restrict the use of bar codes. Just like bar code, RFID tags are available with different memory sizes and encoding options. The ways these technologies exchange data account for most of the differences between RFID and bar code and help determine where each identification technology is best put to use. (More info http://www.bigsquid.org)

BIG Squid RFID uses an integrated microchip and antenna that reads information. The combination of the chip and antenna is called an RFID tag. There are two types of tags, and therefore two types of systems, active and passive. In passive systems, which are the most common, an RFID reader transmits an energy field that "wakes up" the tag and provides the power for the tag to operate. In active systems, a battery in the tag is used to boost the effective operating range of the tag and to offer additional features over passive tags, such as temperature sensing. The radio waves that are sent back and forth between tag and transmitter contain the data in the tag, and this data is then converted by the reader and transferred into a computer system.
Companies are focusing on passive UHF tags, which costs less than 50 cents today in volumes of 1 million tags or more. Their read range isn't as far -- typically less than 20 feet vs. 100 feet or more for active tags -- but they are far less expensive than active tags and can be disposed of with the product packaging. (More info http://www.bigsquid.org)

The Key Components to an RFID System are a number of components including tags of different sizes catering the different industrial needs, RFID readers and system software.

An RFID reader, usually connected to a Personal Computer, serves the same purpose as a barcode scanner. It can also be battery-powered to allow mobile transactions with RFID tags. The RFID reader handles the communication between the Information System and the RFID tag.

The BIGSquid RFID Software collects, permutes and stores the data collected from the tag in a back end like MySQL, SQL Server etc. This is usually similar to any other data collection software.

Company Profile
In Brief BIGSquid RFID is a technology company exclusively into Radio Frequency Identification Solutions. Our aim is to bring out high end RFID products that will help the business needs of various segments.

Our Team consists of experienced people from the industry with several years of R & D expertise in the field. To know more about our team write to team@bigsquid.org

Team lead Satheesh G Nair has over 14 years of engineering management experience in networking systems, computer systems and applications. He has been working on middleware technologies right from 1994. This exposure and understanding is the basis on which BIGSquid is built.

Satheesh is also the Co - founder of TrueBlue Technologies, where he built a enterprise mobile application technology company from scratch and managed the entire development process from product conceptualization to first customer ship. Products developed here are in commercial service in service provider networks around the globe. His background in building intelligent networking was particularly relevant to TrueBlue's future proof architectural model for next-generation mobile service and application delivery services model.

Prior to founding TrueBlue, Satheesh led a number of engineering development teams. These included the systems team for GISTROLON AG (a 51:49 Joint venture between ROMAG AG and SWISSTELECOM) in Switzerland and the innovative intelligent network management system for ECHELON'S LON based networks at Swiss telecom named Lontree. Satheesh holds Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science and Technology from University of Bangalore.

Please visit http://www.bigsquid.org to get more information on related topics. Contact us http://www.bigsquid.org/Contactus.html

From the boardroom to reality: RFID in the fashion apparel / textile industry

From the boardroom to reality: RFID in the fashion apparel / textile industry

Many Fashion Apparel / Textile companies - particularly those with a large network of stores - are well underway in terms of streamlining their supply chain and optimizing sales forecasts and distribution. They are now looking for ways to enhance revenues and market share by adopting modern ways of managing stores and inventory. RFID has now become a centrepiece in their strategic thinking. Some companies are also stepping up the process into actual implementation.


A new business model for Fashion Apparel and Textile chains

Leading Fashion Apparel / Textile companies have significantly modified their business model.

Shifting away from manufacturing, Fashion Apparel & Textile companies have built competitive advantage, based on new ways of delivering value to their consumers.

A new business model has developed and stabilized based on a centralized approach to design and logistics. A typical business model now includes central design, hundreds of external suppliers, (most often in Asia), and one or two central warehouses that serve as a logistical hub for stocking a large networks of retail outlets.


The new frontier is in the retail store

The cost cutting side of supply chain management is to a large extent behind us. It has already yielded most of its benefits.

The time is coming for additional revenue generation. Today, most large network Fashion Apparel & Textile companies focus on improving the "store side" of their supply chain and distribution operations.

Active Fashion Apparel & Textile chains are absolutely confident that the first benefits of RFID implementation will come from store-level applications such as real and/or near real time inventory linked to stock management systems and store re-stocking processes.

Typically, industries go through 5 steps in implementing a store-level RFID initiative:

Market Observation: Talking to business specialists, they gather information on technology accuracy and reliability, costs, and future trends.

Business Case: Metrics are designed and implemented on core store-level and DC-level processes. Consumer behavior is assessed.

The upper line of the business case is built upon additional sales related issues, improved inventory, stock management, and store re-stocking refinements.

Costs savings include staff time allocations, counting / checking, shrink reduction.

Costs include hardware and software technology (tags, readers, software & middleware), integration, training, roll-out and systems operation.

Technology Test / Adaptation: Companies implement a simulated store environment and test accuracy and reliability in boxes, on shelves, and on hangers. This step lasts for a period of a few months.

Real-size test: Companies implement a live test in one or several stores to prove the business case and check applicability of store-level processes in a live environment. Assessment metrics are those of the business case (additional sales and cost reduction). This step lasts about six months.

Deployment / Rollout: Rolling out to the network. It is envisioned that rollout should be as fast as possible in order to realize a quicker Return on Investment. A critical preoccupation is also to avoid the coexistence of several processes and to drop legacy processes as soon as possible.


Building the business case: Network size is the multiplier

A quasi consensus emerges in the Fashion Apparel & Textile Industry: With tag prices at about 10 cents per unit, and reading accuracy at 98-99%, RFID applications in the store offer a compelling business case.

Better inventory management and better re-stocking generates additional revenues, reduced % of missed sales, and lower shrinkage.

Cost savings are mainly generated in the Warehouses / Distribution Centers.

Initiative related costs include: Investment in hardware facilities, middleware, integration, RFID tags, and roll out costs (training, implementation, etc)

Obviously, the larger the network the higher the return. Proactive companies are considering rolling out to their whole network as quickly as possible.

Other potential benefits not covered in the analysis are: Better staff time allocation in the stores, reduction of transportation costs, and specific processes automation at the DC level (such as increased automatic picking).


Taking the RFID issue from the boardroom to reality

Moving from market observation to development of a business case is typically a Management Team initiative.

Typically, the role of the CEO is to initiate the business case, to assess the results with the Management Team in terms of competitive advantage and created value, and to decide whether or not to launch a pilot.

Senior Executives involved are most often the Chief Operating Officer, the Logistics Manager, the CTO or IT Manager, and the CFO. In the case where a Network Manager is in the organizational matrix (the person who manages the stores network) this individual is also involved.

Most often, Fashion Apparel and Textile industries have built lean organizations, based on an intimate knowledge and control of their processes and metrics. They therefore tend to develop their business cases internally, with limited or no help from external parties such as consultants.


Conclusions: RFID at the turning point

The Fashion Apparel / Textile Industry is at a crossroad in terms of RFID applications.

Obviously, in the short term, store-level applications are seen as the most promising ones mainly because of their direct impact on customer satisfaction and revenues.

RFID represents a new opportunity for delivering value to both customers and shareholders. They try to maximize value by adopting an end-to-end approach to RFID adoption.

TAGSYS ( http://www.tagsysrfid.com) is the global leader in item-level RFID infrastructure. TAGSYS provides RFID systems and tags for end-to-end item-level tracking that automates labor-intensive processes, authenticates and safeguards goods, and enables real-time inventory and asset visibility. The company is headquartered in France's Smart Valley with offices in the USA (Doylestown, Pennsylvania) and Asia (Hong Kong). More information on TAGSYS can be found at http://www.tagsysrfid.com

RFID Privacy and You

RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) is a tiny wireless technology which has the potential to radically transform the commerce world. It consists of an inexpensive chip, often smaller than a grain of sand, which can be read up to several meters away. The hope among retailers, is that the technology can be used as a next-generation barcode, automating inventory levels, and thus cutting costs for manufacturers and retailers. While the technology does offer some potentially remarkable opportunities, it also raises some concerns with regard to individual privacy and corporate espionage.

While barcode-type RFID tags are not likely to reach consumers on a regular basis in the near future, there is little doubt that with the success of early trials, they eventually will. Consequently, concerns about privacy infringement with regard to RFID are important not only in the theoretical sphere, but increasingly such discussions have vital practical applications.

SPECIFIC PRIVACY CONCERNS

RFID tags differ from conventional barcode tags in a number of ways. It is these differences that create the benefit of adopting the technology, while simultaneously creating the greatest concern over the privacy issues involved. For example, under today's bar code technology, a pack of Wrigley's Gum sold in Houston, Texas has the same barcode as a pack sold in New York City or Ontario. With RFID, however, each pack would have a unique ID code which could be tied to the purchaser of that gum when they use an 'item registration system' such as a frequent shopper card or a credit card.

Continuing with the Gum example, the purchaser could then be tracked if he/she ever entered that same store again, or perhaps more frightening, if they entered any other store with RFID reading capability. Because unlike a barcode, RFID can be read at a distance of up to a few yards. Meaning that if you enter a store with a pack of gum in your pocket, the reader can identify that pack of gum, the time and date you bought it, where you bought it, and how frequently you come into the store. If you used a credit card or a frequent shopper card to purchase it, the manufacturer and store could also tie that information to your name, address, and email. You could then receive targeted advertisements by gum companies as you walk down the aisle, or receive mailings through your e-mail or snail mail about other products.

As the technology behind RFID advances, the potential for privacy infringement does as well. A more recent development is a study which reveals that RFID already has the capability to determine the distance of a tag from the reader location. With such technology already available, it is not difficult to imagine a situation in which retailers could determine the location of individuals within their store, and thus target specific advertisements to that customer based upon past purchases. In effect, that store would be creating a personal log of your past purchases, your shopping patterns, and ultimately your behavioral patters. While such information gathering would be considered intrusive enough by many consumer's standards, the danger that such information could be sold to other retailers, (similar to the way such profiles are currently sold regarding internet commerce), could create potentially devastating information vulnerabilities. While some RFID critics have pointed out that the technology could lead to some sort of corporate 'Big Brother' there is a more widespread concern that allowing RFID to develop without legal restrictions will eliminate the possibility for consumers to refuse to give such information to retailers.

COUNTER-MEASURES

Despite these and other such dangers, however, there are some steps being taken to mitigate these privacy issues. For example, a recent proposal would require that all RFID-tagged products be clearly labeled. This would give consumers the choice to select products without RFID, or at a minimum to recognize that the items they select are being tracked. For those unsatisfied with disclosure, there also exist a growing number of products designed to limit their exposure to RFID tagged products. One such product is Kill Codes a command which turns off all RFID tags immediately as the consumer comes into contact with them, thus entirely eliminating the effectiveness of the technology. Another proposal, however, RSA Blocker Tags, try to address privacy concerns while maintaining the integrity of the product. Under this technology, the item can only be tracked by that store's authorized reader, meaning that customers cannot be tracked outside of the store in which they purchased the item.

CONCLUSION

While some of the dangers posited here seem far-fetched and unlikely, the technology already exists and is developing rapidly to ensure that such hypotheticals can become realities. RFID tags have the potential to revolutionize the shopping experience by bringing us targeted products and allowing retailers and manufacturers to track purchases and shopper behavior more accurately and cost-effectively. The concern, however, is that if we are not aware and careful about the potential abuses of such technologies early on, we may fail to incorporate them at a time when the laws and mores of such a system are still developing, ultimately suffering the consequences later on.

Rich McIver writes for http://www.rfidgazette.org, a free informational resource on RFID. See http://www.rfidgazette.org/privacy/ for more information on RFID privacy issues.

Radio Frequency Identification

RFID is being touted as the best source of identification and tracking in today?s world. RFID or Radio Frequency Identification is an automatic identification method that uses RFID tags and readers.

RFID technology uses radio waves and it is possible to find a product or an object with an RFID tag without coming in contact with it. An RFID tag having a unique tracking number or identification data is embedded into the object. The RFID tag or the microchip is connected to an aerial. This aerial helps the chip to transmit radio waves with the stored information. The signal is picked up by an RFID tag reader and the reader transmits this information to a computer in digital format, letting us find out the information with a push of a button.

Though there are many advantages of using RFID technology. However, only a few that are common in all RFID tags are mentioned.

? Ability to read and write
? Contact not required to read the data
? The functioning is completely automated
? It is resistant to things like paint and dirt
? Can function at different frequencies
? Distance of reading can range from few inches to several feet

RFID technology is not just about collecting data but ensuring that the data is turned into actionable information that businesses can use. By using RFID technology businesses can reduce costs through increased productivity and reduction in lost items. RFID technology can give businesses a competitive advantage never before envisioned. There is great potential for using RFID technology in retail, healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.

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RFID: California's Identity Information Protection Act

Utah introduced a bill designed to limit the use of RFID by state and county government. It was voted down. Maryland introduced a similar bill. It, too, was voted down. This is California's second RFID bill. The first was... voted down.

So, California's Bill No. 682 may not be an original idea, but it is important and relevant. And the strong bipartisan vote in favor of the bill is also important and relevant.

California Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) introduced the bill in February 2005. Yesterday the California state senate approved the bill in a 29 to 7 vote (21 Democrats and eight Republicans). If passed into law, the California bill will be the first legislation to limit the use of RFID.

An excerpt from bill 682: "This act would prohibit identification documents created, mandated, purchased or issued by various public entities from containing a contactless integrated circuit or other device that can broadcast personal information or enable personal information to be scanned remotely, except as specified."

Nothing wrong with that.

RFID is amazing technology that represents tremendous positive potential. RFID may be the best tool we have to keep our prescription drug pipeline safe, to alert us when an Alzheimer's patient wanders, or to warn us when our car tire is getting low.

It is not the best tool we have for identification.

New technology requires new vigilance. New uses of old technology also requre new vigilance. If we don't make deliberate decisions about the role of RFID in our lives, someone else will. It is that simple.

Sally Bacchetta - Freelance Writer/Sales Trainer

Sally Bacchetta is an award-winning freelance writer and sales trainer. She has published articles on a variety of topics, including RFID, selling skills, motivation, and pharmaceutical sales.

You can contact her at sb14580@yahoo.com and read her latest articles on her website.

RFID: Traceless Truth

Life usually seems to me to be a series of Rorschach tests. We each interpret events and patterns through the filter of our personal history, and no two people experience the same stimulus in the exact same way.

RFID means "cutting-edge technology" to one and "the end of personal freedom" to another. "Big Brother" to one and "transportation efficiency" to another. "Professional development opportunity" to an RFID software engineer and "layoff" to a no-longer-necessary inventory clerk.

But now and then the ink blot is so obvious that it transcends individual interpretation. Or in the case of Canadian technology firm Creo, it is the absence of the ink blot that is so clear.

Creo has developed Traceless technology, an RFID tagging system which is described on their website as "visually and chemically undetectable, even by forensic trace methods".

On the same website, Creo details potential applications for Traceless as "Traceless taggant can be applied to the surface of articles during manufacturing. Or, more commonly, it can be mixed in paper or ink during the production of packaging, envelopes, and labels."

What?!

Do you want visually and chemically undetectable track-and-trace technology mixed into paper or ink during production? Paper and ink... that's magazines, personal letterhead, business cards, maps, loan applications, medical information forms, social security cards, coupons, prescriptions... U.S. currency. (Ironically, even Rorschach tests.)

Before you write and tell me that I'm overreacting, integrate the fact that Creo has already signed an agreement with label manufacturer Acucote to incorporate Traceless technology into Acucote labels. This is not a boardroom Development Objective, folks. This is a stealth tracking reality.

EPCglobal's Guidelines on EPC for Consumer Products establish the need for Consumer Notice and Consumer Choice. The guidelines are published on the EPCglobal website, and include:

1. Consumer Notice

Consumers will be given clear notice of the presence of EPC on products or their packaging. This notice will be given through the use of an EPC logo or identifier on the products or packaging.

2. Consumer Choice

Consumers will be informed of the choices that are available to discard or remove or in the future disable EPC tags from the products they acquire."

By design, Creo's Traceless taggant clearly circumvents both consumer notice and consumer choice.

I appreciate our general need for increased security and anti-counterfeiting measures. I am as concerned about the purity of my prescription and the safety of this country as any other reasonable person is. I have consistently supported the strengths of RFID technology in appropriate applications, and I will continue to do so.

But I can not interpret this particular picture with anything but alarm.

Plain, "old-fashioned" RFID tags -- visible and detectable -- offer a more sophisticated level of security than we have ever had before. They are unobtrusive, customizable, incorruptible and virtually impossible to counterfeit.

Creo's Traceless powder is not only unnerving and completely unnecessary, it is decidely counterproductive.

The nature of RFID technology inevitably raises public and personal sensitivity. In order for the collective "us" to gain from RFID, we must be partners in pursuit of transparent truth.

No matter how you look at it, transparent tags and transparent truth are mutually exclusive.

Sally Bacchetta - Freelance Writer/Sales Trainer

Sally Bacchetta is an award-winning freelance writer and sales trainer. She has published articles on a variety of topics, including RFID, selling skills, motivation, and pharmaceutical sales.

Visit her RFID blog for an exploration of the ethical and social considerations of RFID.

Abandoned Anchor Retrieval RFID System

There will be times when an anchored ship in the US Military needs to move fast and go after a rapidly increasing situation and task which must be accomplished immediately. If the anchors are deployed then they need a capacity to drop the rest of the chain and leave the anchor there. With a backup anchor on-board.

The anchor, which is left will be fitted with an RFID homing tracking device and it can be retrieved at a later date by specially fitted UUV underwater unmanned vehicle. The UUV will pick up the chain via a cable it attaches and bring that cable up to the ship which will then hoist the cable and anchor chain up until which time the actual anchor clears the ocean bottom.

Perhaps a study should be to determine how much time could be saved if the anchor system retrieval was not an issue? Could the ship, which was already running, move fast and be gone saving ten minutes or more? If so, ten minutes in a high stress situation could be of major value indeed.

There maybe other uses for this technology for other vessels and uses and an RFID retrieval system makes sense for anyone involved in UUV or ROVs also. In fact there are many ways this technology can be used for other things that can also become a huge concern. So we need to be thinking here and consider all this in 2006

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

It's a Small RFID World After All

Trolley Scan of Johannesburg, South Africa has announced the delivery of the first commercialized version of "RFID-radar" to a European IT company.

RFID-radar enables a system user to accurately measure the distance travelled by a signal from a transponder to a reader. This provides users with the unique coordinates of a tagged entity, accurate to within 0.5 meters.

Let's say that you buy a ticket to a hockey game. That ticket is RFID-chipped to track your entry and exit through the RFID-rigged gate. Conventional RFID operates with a pass/fail system. When your ticket (and presumably you) pass through the entry gate, you are identified as being inside the rink. Somewhere. When you pass through the exit gate, you're identified as being outside the rink. Somewhere.

RFID-radar turbo-narrows the scope of "somewhere". You're no longer simply inside or outside the rink. You are now trackable to within a few feet of your skin.

If you think that's not a new capability of RFID, think again. Conventional RFID has a fairly limited read range. Until now, you would have had to install RFID readers every 10-25 feet to achieve this degree of scrutiny.

RFID-radar accomplishes this with only one reader, up to 300 feet away.

According to Mike Marsh, Managing Director of Trolley Scan, "RFID-radar will result in the development of an entire new set of applications for computer based equipment. As all measurements are performed from one set of antennas, the equipment can even be mounted on a forklift truck to locate goods in a warehouse relative to the current position of the vehicle."

Although he declined to give any details, Marsh said that Trolley Scan has been asked to install RFID-radar on a helicopter.

I can see it now: Here comes the zamboni! Quick, cover yourself in foil!

Sally Bacchetta - Freelance Writer/Sales Trainer

Sally Bacchetta is an award-winning sales trainer and freelance writer. She has published articles on a variety of topics, including selling skills, motivation, pharmaceutical sales, parenting and RFID.

You can contact her at sb14580@yahoo.com and visit her RFID blog for an exploration of the ethical and social considerations of RFID.

Why RFID Credit Cards Will Make Your Life Easier

What if you could simply hold your wallet up and wave it at the cashier to pay for your groceries? Sound like science fiction? Well, it’s not. Radio Frequency Identification, or RFID, credit cards are already on the streets. In most cases, you have to actually take the card out of your wallet, but the technology exists where all you would need to do is run your wallet with the card inside a few centimeters in front of a sensor to pay for your purchase.

RFID technology is still fairly new, but it has been successful in most test markets. You may familiar with Exxon’s speed pass or American Express card’s Express Pay. These cards use the same technology as the toll tags that many drivers have on their front windshields. The electronic pass carries all the information that your regular credit card carries on its magnetic strip. But because you don’t have to swipe it through anything, you get in and out much faster.

This means one less hassle at the gas station, grocery store, or department store. And it if you are a business owner, it means you can process more customers in a shorter amount of time. When customers only have to tap a card on a reader or wave the card in front of a sensor, this dramatically reduces check out time usually spent entering PIN codes or signing electronic pads.

While there have been some concerns about security, the companies issuing the cards assure consumers that they have taken all necessary precautions. In fact, the new contactless cards could actually improve security as there are fewer people who see your card number and no risk of anyone seeing your PIN as you type it in at the check out counter. A merchant will only be able to see the last four digits of your card rather than the entire number, as well as the three-digit code on the back.

Overall, the time you spend in the check out and drive thru lines will be reduced from thirty to forty percent. This is great news for time challenged folks with places to be.

Rebecca Spitzer recommends Find Credit Cards for comparing RFID credit cards.