Nissan Chooses WhereNet Locatable Active RFID System

Nissan North America, Inc. announced earlier that it will be using WhereNet Locatable real-time locating system (RTLS) technology to automate both its inbound supply chain and outbound delivery chain.

The automaker partners with WhereNet Corp., a leader of wireless solutions, to strengthen continuous improvement initiative at its four-million square foot assembly plant in Canton, Mississippi. Said partnership is aimed at improving the North American vehicle production, labor productivity, and auto parts Nissan quality.

"Amidst soaring demand and several new model introductions each year, the WhereNet system gives Nissan the agility to manage its inbound supply chain on a just-in-time basis to support flexible manufacturing processes. In addition, WhereNet assists on the outbound side by automating predelivery processes to bring more new vehicles to the marketplace faster," said Chantal Polsonetti, vice president of manufacturing advisory services for ARC Advisory Group.

The Canton assembly plant of the automaker is capable of producing 400,000 vehicles annually. It assembles Nissan Maxima auto parts and other significant vehicles of the automaker. Nissan Altima sedan, Armada and Infiniti QX56 SUVs, Quest minivan, and Titan full-size pickup truck are also produced in said plant.

"As one of the most efficient vehicle manufacturers in North America -- according to the 2006 Harbour Report -- Nissan is setting the standard for manufacturing by embracing new technologies like WhereNet to continuously improve processes," said Tom Bacon, vice president of the automotive division for WhereNet. "WhereNet's locatable active RFID system provides a critical foundation for flexible manufacturing as it enables automakers to manage multiple models with meticulous precision, ensuring that the right part is delivered to the assembly line just in time. In addition to helping manufacturers maintain a lean inbound supply chain, WhereNet also drives efficiency on the outbound side, accelerating delivery of new vehicles to dealers through our industry-first, automated VTMS solution."

In the partnership with WhereNet, Nissan also expects to reduce labor cost, on-site dwell time for parts and vehicles, improve responsiveness to customers, and to produce high-quality vehicles as ensured by the system. This is because the system also immediately detects quality defects in vehicles hence; rework costs will be prevented.

As a manager of one of the largest auto store in Springfield,Massachusetts, Sarah has extensive expertise on auto parts and automotives in general. This 42 year old is a certified car enthusiast.

RFID Applications

RFID, Radio Frequency Identification is a technology, which includes wireless data capture and transaction processing. Proximity (short range) and Vicinity (long range) are two major application areas where RFID technology is used. Track and trace applications are long range or vicinity applications. This technology provides additional functionality and benefits for product authentication. Access control applications are Short range or proximity type of applications.

AgileSense Technologies is focused on delivering innovative, high value RFID solutions assisting company's track assets, people and documents. AgileSense provides robust and complete RFID solutions built on top of its extensible middleware/framework for Government, Healthcare, Manufacturing and Aerospace industries.

Asset Tracking: Static or in-motion assets tracking or locating, like a healthcare facility, wheelchairs or IV pumps in, laptops in a corporation and servers in a data center, was not so easy task.

User can instantly determine the general location of tagged assets anywhere within the facility with the help of active RFID technology. "Control point" detection zones at strategic locations throughout the facility allow the user to define logical zones and monitor high traffic areas. Tagged assets moving through these control points provide instant location data.

Asset tracking applications will see an almost vertical growth curve in the coming years and the growth rate in this area will be much higher than the growth rate of general RFID market.

People Tracking: People tracking system are used just as asset tracking system. Hospitals and jails are most general tracking required places.

Hospital uses RFID tags for tracking their special patients. In emergency patient and other essential equipment can easily track. It will be mainly very useful in mental care hospitals where doctors can track each and every activity of the patient. Hospitals also use these RFID tags for locating and tracking all the activities of the newly born babies.

The best use of the people tracking system will be in jails. It becomes an easy tracking system to track their inmates. Many jails of different US states like Michigan, California, Arizona are already using RFID-tracking systems to keep a close eye on jail inmates.

Document tracking: This is most common problem. Availability of large amount of data and documents brings lots of problem in document management system. An RFID document-tracking system saves time and money by substantially reducing: ?Time spent searching for lost document ? The financial and legal impact associated with losing documents.

Government Library: Many government libraries use barcode and electromagnetic strips to track various assets. RFID technology uses for reading these barcodes unlike the self-barcode reader RFID powered barcode reader can read multiple items simultaneously. This reduces queues and increases the number of customers using self-check, which in turn will reduce the staff necessary at the circulation desks.

Healthcare: Patient safety is a big challenge of healthcare vertical. Reducing medication errors, meeting new standards, staff shortages, and reducing costs are the plus points of use of RFID solutions. RFID wristbands containing patient records and medication history address several of these concerns.

Manufacturing & Aerospace: RFID technology provides an easy way to manage a huge and laborious manufacturing process. It offers all the benefits of small production parts to batch, processes and manufacturing. This type of process helps in better analysis, reduce and eliminate bottlenecks, reduced time in locating parts and products and production process based sensors can be installed to alert any anomalies.

Aerospace industry and Department of Defense have a lot to gain from RFID integration into their production and process lines. Boeing and airbus, according to the direction of US Federal Aviation Administration, make it mandatory to put an appropriate tracking mechanism to track the aircraft parts.

All these RFID solutions are available for you in under the roof of Agilesense.com. Choose Agilesense as your default RFID solution provider.

Diana

RFID, its implications and how to defeat

Imagine a future in which your every belonging is marked with a unique number identifiable with the swipe of a scanner, where the location of your car is always pinpoint-able and where signal-emitting microchips storing personal information are implanted beneath your skin or embedded in your inner organs.

This is the possible future of radio frequency identification (RFID), a technology whose application has so far been limited largely to supply-chain management (enabling companies, for example, to keep track of the quantity of a given product they have in stock) but is now being experimented with for passport tracking, among other things. RFID is set to be applied in a whole range of consumer settings. Already being tested in products as innocuous as shampoo, lip balm, razor blades, clothing and cream cheese, RFID-enabled items are promoted by retailers and marketers as the next revolution in customer convenience. Consumer advocates say this is paving the way for a nightmarish future where personal privacy is a quaint throwback.

How RFID works
There are two types of RFID tags: active and passive. When most people talk about RFID, they talk about passive tags, in which a radio frequency is sent from a transmitter to a chip or card which has no power cell per se, but uses the transmitted signal to power itself long enough to respond with a coded identifier. This numeric identifier really carries no information other than a unique number, but keyed against a database that associates that number with other data, the RFID tag's identifier can evoke all information in the database keyed to that number.

An active tag has its own internal power source and can store as well as send even more detailed information.

The RFID value chain involves three parts: the tags, the readers and the application software that powers these systems. From there, the data generated by the application software can interface with other systems used in an enterprise, or, if they obtain the information or collect it themselves, concievably by governments or more nefarious organizations.

Where it?s used today
Global companies such as Gillette, Phillips, Procter & Gamble, Wal-Mart and others see huge savings to be made from the use of RFID, and there are numerous pilot projects underway which are indicating savings in supply chains as well as the ability to add value to both product owner, product reseller and customer.

But they?re just pilots, mostly. RFID is a long way from being everywhere, so far. Pharmaceutical tracking has long been held out as one of the flagship applications of RFID in the short term, yet just some 10 medications are expected be tagged using RFID technology on a large scale in the U.S. during 2006, analysts predict. Slow roll-outs are contrasting sharply with the optimism of a year ago, when evidence suggested tripling or even quadrupling of RFID for consumer goods tracking. Why? Uncertainty over pending legislation. There are a complex mixture of federal and new state laws (in particular Florida and California) intended to combat drug theft and counterfeiting that have implications for RFID. The details are still being worked out.

Where it?s likely to be used tomorrow
Depending which analysts you believe, the market for RFID technology will represent between 1.5 and 30 Billion USD by the year 2010. Analyst firm IDTechEx, which tracks the RFID industry, believes more than 585 billion tags will be delivered by 2016. Among the largest growth sectors, IDTechEx forsees the tagging of food, books, drugs, tires, tickets, secure documents (passports and visas), livestock, baggage and more.

Buses and subways in some parts of the world are being equipped with RFID readers, ready for multi-application e-tickets. These are expected to make things easier for the commuter, and help stem the fraud from the current paper-ticket system. However the biggest problem facing rollouts of RFID for commercial micropayment tracking is apparently not technical, but involves agreeing on the fees charged by the clearing house and how credit from lost and discarded tickets will be divided.

Passport tracking
One of the highest profile uses of RFID will be passport tracking. Since the terrorist attacks of 2001, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has wanted the world to agree on a standard for machine-readable passports. Countries whose citizens currently do not have visa requirements to enter the United States will have to issue passports that conform to the standard or risk losing their non-visa status.

American and other passports are being developed that include RFID-based chips which allow the storage of considerable amounts of data such as fingerprints and digitized photographs. In the U.S., these passports are due to start being issued in October of 2006. Early in the development of these passports there were gaping security holes, such as the capability of being read by any reader, not just the ones at passport control (the upshot of this was that travelers carrying around RFID passports would have been openly broadcasting their identity, making it easy for wrongdoers to easily ? and surreptitiously ? pick Americans or nationals of other participating countries out of a crowd.)

Those security blunders were initially corrected by adding metal shielding to the passport cover to minimize its readability when closed, dialing back the range of the electronics and adding a special electronic protocol called Basic Access Control (or BAC). This scheme required the passport to be opened and scanned before its data could have been properly interpreted by an RFID receiver. Unfortunately, in early February 2006, Dutch security experts managed to ?listen in? on the communications between a prototype BAC-protected passport and a receiver and cracked the protocol. Which means the international authority developing this new global passport standard may need to go back to the drawing board as of this writing, because ?bad guys? could clearly stand in line at passport control and capture passport information. Details of the Dutch hack here.

Implications for privacy seekers
RFID has clear implications for those who are worried about their privacy and safety. Some of them are obvious, and some of them are not.

- Can be read without your knowledge ? Since the tags can be read without being swiped or obviously scanned (as is the case with magnetic strips or barcodes), anyone with an RFID tag reader can read the tags embedded in your clothes and other consumer products without your knowledge. For example, you could be scanned before you enter the store, just to see what you are carrying. You might then be approached by a clerk who knows what you have in your backpack or purse, and can suggest accessories or other items.
- Can be read a greater distances with a high-gain antenna ? For various technical reasons, RFID reader/tag systems are designed so that distance between the tag and the reader is kept to a minimum. However, a high-gain antenna can actually read tags from much further away, leading to privacy problems. Governments or others could punch through privacy screens and keep tabs on people.
- Difficult to remove ? RFID tags are hard for consumers to remove; some are very small (less than a half-millimeter square, and as thin as a sheet of paper) - others may be hidden or embedded inside a product where consumers cannot see them. New technologies allow RFID tags to be printed right on a product and may not be removable at all
- Disruptions if maliciously jammed ? RF signals can be jammed, which could complicate everyday life if RFID tags became essential. Imagine a central bus or train station, maybe an airport, where suddenly everyone could neither be ID'd or access their cash accounts. A single hour of jamming during morning rush over a large area could cost a large city untold millions of dollars in delayed commerce and transport. It would be worse than a mass-transit strike, and easier to repeat.
- Could be linked to a credit card number ? The Universal Product Code (UPC) implemented with barcodes allows each product sold in a store to have a unique number that identifies that product. Work is proceeding on a global system of product identification that would allow each individual item to have its own number. When the item is scanned for purchase and is paid for, the RFID tag number for a particular item can be associated with the credit card number it was purchased with.
- Potential for counterfeit ? If an RFID tag is being used to authenticate someone, anyone with access to an RFID reader can easily capture and fake someone else?s unique numeric identifier, and therefore, in essence, their electronic 'signature'. If an RFID-tagged smartcard is used for shopping, for instance, anyone who intercepted and reverse-engineered your number, and programmed another card with it, could make charges on your account.
- Marking for crime ? Even after you leave a store, any RFID devices in things you buy are still active. A thief could walk past you in the mall and know exactly what you have in your bags, marking you as a potential victim. Someone could even circle your house with an RFID scanner and pull up data on what you have in your house before robbing it. As a result, there are now discussions of ?zombie? RFID tags that expire upon leaving the store and reanimate if the product is ever returned to the store and returned to the supply chain.
- Marking for violence ? Military hardware and even clothing are beginning to make use of RFID tags to help track these items through supply chains. RFID is being used today by the U.S. military to track materials in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some analysts are concerned about particular items being associated with high-level officers that could trigger roadside bombs via an RFID scan of cars going by. (Thankfully, RFID tags retained close to the body can rarely be scanned. For instance, UHF tags, the kind being most widely deployed, are virtually unreadable near the body because of its high water content.)
Some have suggested that mobile phones are already as great a threat to privacy as RFID. In the case of mobile phones, information about your whereabouts and calling patterns is regularly available to your service provider, a centralized and highly regulated source of information gathering. An adversary with special-purpose equipment would also have the capability of tracking your mobile phone, but this would require significant expertise and investment. See our separate article "Cell phone hazards".

What makes RFID a more significant privacy threat than mobile phones is the fact that readers will be readily available and ubiquitously deployed. In other words, RFID readers will soon be an accepted element of everyday life, while eavesdropping equipment for mobile phones is unlikely to be.

How to thwart RFID technology
There are a few approaches you can take to thwart RFID tags ... but before you take proactive steps, note that sometimes the very absence of a tag or its signal in places it?s expected could arouse suspicion. For instance, if you?re carrying what is expected to be an RFID-tagged passport and your tag isn?t working, say, you may invite unwanted scrutiny. Be careful which tags you choose to disrupt.

The simplest, most permanent approach to disable RFID tags is to destroy them. If you can detect them and wish to permanently render them useless, remove them and smash the small chip component with a hammer. If you?re not sure whether a product you own contains a tag, consider putting it in a microwave to destroy the tag if the object is otherwise safe to be microwaved. Be careful with some plastics. Note there have been reports of RFID materials catching fire in microwaves.

If removing the tag is not practical, there are four general ways to disrupt RFID tag detection.
- Blocking ? Construct a conductive foil box (even tin foil is good) around the tag. If you are concerned about RFID emissions from work badges, school IDs, new generation drivers licenses, credit cards, and even cash in the future containing RFID tags, buy or make an RFID-proof wallet. RFID wallet project details are easy to find on the Internet.
- Jamming ? Since RFID systems make use of the electromagnetic spectrum like wireless networks or cellphones, they are relatively easy to jam using a strong radio signal at the same frequency the tag operates. Although this would only be an inconvenience for consumers in stores (longer waits at the checkout), it could be disastrous in other environments where RFID is increasingly being used, like hospitals, or in military combat situations. Such jamming devices, however, would in most cases violate government regulations on radio emissions. A group of researchers in Amsterdam have theorized that a personal RFID jammer is possible (their paper is linked to from the version of this article that lives at our web site, www.powerprivacy.com) but the device seems only theoretical at this time.
- Repeated interrogation ? Active RFID tags that use a battery to increase the range of the system can be repeatedly interrogated to wear the battery down, disrupting the system.
- Popping ? Generating a very strong pulse of radiation at the right frequency can cause RFID tags to resonate and break.

What strategy you should pursue depends on what RFID privacy threats you are trying to thwart and your technical expertise.

RFID readers guide

RFID or Radio Frequency Identification is a constantly evolving technology that has made its foray into our lives from the inner circles of science very rapidly. It is basically one of the automatic identification systems like bar codes, smart cards, etc. which helps in identification of objects. However, because of its advanced and user friendly features RFID scores an edge above these antiquated technologies.

RFID system consists of specially designed RFID tags, readers, edge servers, middleware, and application software. The system works by transmitting the data stored in the tags to a RFID reader that in turn reads it and processes the data according to the application's specifications. This transmitted data can possess information about the location of the tag, or specifics concerning the product tagged. The system also includes an interrogator, which has a certain range in which it detects the RFID tag, activates it, and receives the response.

RFID tags, which are being used for a variety of purposes across different sectors, are primarily of three types. These three types are- passive, semi-passive or semi-active and active tags. This classification is based on the source of power supply in the RFID tags. The passive RFID tags do not have a power supply of their own. They make use of the electrical current induced by the radio frequency signal to transmit their response. Thus, despite of having no internal power supply these tags don't require batteries. These tags are small in size and have a range extending from 2mm to few meters. Moreover, they are the cheapest among the three varieties and thus, most widely used. The semi-passive or semi-active RFID tags have a small battery inside. Hence, they are a bit faster in responding and collating data than the passive tags. Besides this, their size and range are quite similar to the passive tags. The active tags have their own internal power source. Thus, they are bigger in size and possess a larger memory size with the ability to communicate with their readers even with large distances between them. However, they are the most expensive of all the three variants. Hence, so far their usage is quite limited.

The basic function of RFID reader is to communicate with the RFID tag by emitting radio waves through its antenna. The RFID readers are classified on the basis of their range like UHF, HF (13.56 MHz) and microwave (2.45 GHz). Their range also governs the prices of these readers. Hence, the UHF readers are the costliest and their prices range anywhere from $2500 to $3000. The reason why these readers are so expensive is because there is no IC integration and also because of its low volume of production and the non-availability of customized components. However, according to a new prediction by a research company, the prices of UHF readers are bound to fall by the end of 2006 or in 2007. This is because as more and more vendors will invest into this technology and as the demand levels will increase the component prices will fall.

Thus, RFID is a technology that has a bright future and is capable of benefiting the mankind.

Mansi gupta recommends that you visit RFID readers for more information

RFID Software guide 101

RFID is the abbreviated form of Radio Frequency Identification. RFID is akin to the bar codes but in RFID the electro magnetic coupling is used to transmit signals. The main components of an RFID are silicon chips, an antenna and a transceiver that can be used anytime and anywhere. The passive RFID tags require no power source while active ones with power backup.

RFID is like a tag in which information and instructions are stored. It can be used in a car manufacturing, into a dog collar etc. An RFID system can range up to 90 feet. Unlike barcode technology, RFID does not require line-of-sight reading on which a bar code depends and RFID scanning can be done at greater distances than bar code scanning.

RFID has a plethora of uses. While initially the technology was just confined to tracing or identifying dogs, for a means of permanent identification number, the uses of RFID have simply multiplied over the years. Today RFID technology is seen in almost every field. Be it medicine, education (like library work), shipping, electronic devices automobiles, musical instruments, tracking movements of individuals via their passports etc., everywhere the RFID technology is at work.

RFID is becoming more widespread due to the manufacturing of RFID software. For instance lately technology company Intermec has created a new kind of intelligent RFID reader that can automatically route and manage information from RFID tags from remote locations, by using the IBM's WebSphere Device Infrastructure (WRDI). WRDI is basically an open-standards-based software platform that can be embedded in RFID devices. The software facilitates its users with automatic data collection and reporting from remote sites that do not have their own IT support systems. The software also helps to filter or refine the incoming data on the basis of pre-defined criteria or relevance and send only the requisite info to the application server of the company. WRDI is not just effective in de-cluttering of the data network traffic but it also enables in taking on-board decisions. The software is instrumental in integrating and reconciling the RFID data with information garnered from various business sections.

The IBSS (Integrated Business Service Systems) innovation of Synapse based software has also proved to be a boon for the corporate world. This software named SynTrack Mobile Asset Management keeps a record of costly assets of an enterprise as they move across different locations. The software can locate a hierarchy of zones, tags and tags groups. It provides a real time location of the assets being tracked by continuously updating the user interface.

Besides these big organizations a remarkable attempt has been made by a group of Malaysian. Using the RFID technology the students have invented a software program or a device known as Object Identification Information Network (Odin) to solve the practical problems of people.

The Sun Java System RFID Software has also shown commendable performance in the market. This software is Sun's unique RFID middleware platform offering that is based on largely accepted industry standards including those defined by the EPC global. The software provides a foundation for deploying the EPC Network for a company. The design of this software imparts high levels of reliability and scalability for EPC Network while also simplifying the task of integrating with multiple existing back-end enterprise systems.

Mansi gupta recommends that you visit RFID Software for more information.

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.

Check Out More Articles:Baumer Thailand

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.

RFID: AT90RF135602- Smallest RFID Reader

The AT90RF135602 definitely needs a nickname. Even in 8-point type it's too big a title for the world's smallest RFID reader!

AT90RF135602 (see what I mean?) is the latest RFID collaboration of California-based Atmel and UK-based Innovision Research & Technology. This single chip RFID reader is a mere 12mm by 12mm by 2mm. (For those of you who like to travel ultra-light, check out the scaled down 6mm by 8mm by 1.5mm version).

The AT90RF135602 reads and writes to 13.56 MHz RFID tags and smart labels, is optimised for a 2.8V battery operation, and is compliant to ISO/IEC 14443-A parts 2 & 3, making it especially suited for small, battery-powered handheld devices.

I can see how this smaller-than-dime-sized RFID reader may be helpful for NAVI (Navigation Assistance for the Visually Impaired) and other handheld applications. Smaller readers make handheld devices less obtrusive and more comfortable to carry. Good news for those using NAVI or taking self-guided museum or walking tours.

I can see how the AT90RF135602, priced at a relatively low $3 per unit (in quantities of 10,000) may be attractive to RFID managers trying to achieve maximum efficiency at minimum expense. It's inexpensive to operate, field programmable and upgradeable, so it's an investment that will grow with your operation.

I also see that as RFID readers become smaller they become more difficult to see. Easier to forget. Or never become aware of.

RFID tags continue to shrink, and in some cases have disappeared altogether, replaced by smart labels and smart inks. Too many consumers aren't even aware of RFID tags yet, and it's becoming more and more difficult to see them.

Technology naturally trends toward more power in a smaller footprint. That's one of the ways we measure progress.

As we trend toward ever-more progress, let us also trend toward ever-more citizen awareness. Let's make sure that we can look back on the AT90RF135602 as a really cool RFID reader that advanced our culture and improved the quality of our lives. And had a great nickname.

Sally Bacchetta - Freelance Writer 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.