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Go check out KMAG -RFID tech co. BM681, no debt. record revs may,june,july.2012.
I marked the board but I think you are Fucking insane!
August 31, 2010
About two hundred and forty pre-schoolers in Contra Costa County, California are being tracked with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology as part of a Head Start facility upgrade made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
Baja Beach Club Rotterdam Netherlands starts with implanting RFID Chips into their customers. Wake up Europe!
Intel to Provide Equipment and Infrastructure Support
South Plainfield, New Jersey (July 5, 2005) — CAPE Systems Group, Inc., a leading provider of software technology for packaging design, pallet optimization, inventory and warehouse management, supply chain execution and order fulfilment, and Open Terra, a leading provider of wireless mobile platform technologies, today announced that they would be establishing a state of the art RFID Test and Integration Center at CAPE’s dedicated 15,000 square foot facility located in South Plainfield, New Jersey. CAPE is currently certified to provide Wal-Mart compliant RFID tagging solutions to its vendors
Intel Corporation will provide equipment and infrastructure support for the new RFID Center, including servers based on Intel® Itanium® 2 and 64-bit Intel® Xeon™ processors; Intel® Pentium® 4-based desktops; and notebooks built on Intel® Centrino™ mobile technology*. It is intended that the Center will provide full testing, evaluation and integration of the latest RFID technologies. The RFID Center will feature, among other things, a demo pavilion where leading providers of RFID-enabling technologies can be showcased.
“Through their membership in the Intel® Early Access Program, Open Terra and Cape Systems optimize their software to support PCs, servers, notebooks and handhelds based on our full-line of next-generation processors,” said Melissa Laird, general manager of Intel’s Developer Relations Division. “The RFID solution developed by Open Terra and Cape Systems integrates wireless technology, extended memory access and multithreading capabilities that are enabled by Intel® architecture.”
The rapidly emerging needs of the packaging, pharmaceutical, consumer packaged goods, postal and overnight package deliveries, and retail industries will be a particular focus. In this regard, the RFID Center is being located in the pharmaceutical capital of the world to make it more accessible to the particular needs of this industry. Tackling the problems of the pharmaceutical supply chain with cutting edge RFID technologies and services, in which increasing product tracking capabilities and accuracy and decreasing counterfeiting, will be a major initiatives of the RFID Center. The RFID Center is expected to be fully operational by late summer 2005.
Nicholas Toms, CAPE’s CEO, stated “As wireless technologies have become more pervasive across the supply chain, the benefits of using radio tags to manage movement of goods from the manufacturer to the customer have become widely understood. Now with a growing number of customers such as Wal-Mart, Gillette, Target, Albertsons, Tesco, Carrefours and the US Department of Defense mandating RFID tagging, their vendors are looking for immediate solutions to meet their expanding compliance requirements. Once adopted, users can then address the viability of using this technology to enhance their own internal operations. The CAPE RFID Center will enable customers to evaluate and test various proposed solutions to identify those that best suit their needs before investing capital.”
Ted Bielenda, CTO of Open Terra, stated, “We are delighted to be a part of this exciting development. By bringing together the leading providers of RFID enabling technologies, including our own mobility products, into one test and integration facility, we are creating a one-stop shop to evaluate and test various solutions to design the optimal solutions for our customers’ needs.”
About Open Terra
Open Terra is establishing new benchmarks in the ever-changing world of mobile applications. Founded in 2002, the company helps enterprises achieve their wireless strategies by empowering remote workforces. The company's online, instant mobility solutions deliver unprecedented connectivity and access to information from databases, applications and Web services that will help businesses run more productively and profitably. With the worldwide emergence and explosive growth of 3G, RFID, WiFi, and WiMax wireless technologies, along with the Internet, Open Terra's advanced mobile enabling technology is positioned to meet this demand. For information, call 732-765-9600, email at info@openterra.com or click to www.openterra.com.
About CAPE Systems
CAPE Systems is an international provider of supply chain management technologies. CAPE Systems offers a comprehensive range of software systems and tools, from packaging and pallet optimization software, RFID asset tracking, to integrated warehouse and inventory management solutions, pick-to-light systems, and transportation management systems for enterprise wide and collaborative supply chain optimization. For more information about CAPE visit: www.capesystems.com.
* Intel®, Itanium®, Xeon™, Pentium® and Centrino™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.
http://openterra.com/news/CAPE_Press_070505.php
May 13, 2010
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has begun issuing its newly redesigned "green card" for permanent residents that includes enhanced security and efficiency features, including a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag.
Starting May 11, USCIS began issuing all-new Permanent Resident Cards, known as the green card, in the redesigned format. The card is provided to legal permanent residents as proof of residency and authorization to work within the United States. The goal of the redesign was to deter counterfeiting and tampering and to facilitate quick and accurate authentication, the agency said in a news release May 11.
"Redesigning the green card is a major achievement for USCIS," Director Alejandro Mayorkas said. "The new security technology makes a critical contribution to the integrity of the immigration system."
The RFID tag is a microchip that contains data that may be read wirelessly with a reader. This capability was included to allow the card to be read at a distance at border crossings to improve the efficiency of the entry processing. “The RFID capability will allow Customs and Border Protection officers at ports of entry to read the card from a distance and compare it immediately to file data,” according to the news release.
Currently, the Homeland Security Department has authorized several other types of official identification with RFID tags that may be used at the land borders under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. These include U.S. passports issued after October 2008, U.S. passport cards and so-called enhanced driver’s licenses issued in Michigan, New York, Vermont and Washington state.
Other features of the green card redesign include holographic images, laser-engraved fingerprints, and high resolution micro-images on the card to deter counterfeiting. Tighter integration of the card design with personalized elements will make it difficult to alter the card if it is stolen. A preprinted return address will make it easier to return a lost card to the USCIS.
The card also will be issued with green tinting in keeping with its informal name.
LaserCard Corp., which provided the green card technologies, said the new card is the first implementation of optical security media and the RFID on a single card.
“We worked closely with the USCIS to develop the most physically secure and counterfeit-resistant identification credentials available today,” said Bob DeVincenzi, president of LaserCard, said in a May 12 statement. LaserCard first implemented optical technologies on the green card in 1998. “This new version with enhanced visual and physical security puts a credible copy even further out of the reach of counterfeiters,” DeVincenzi said.
http://fcw.com/articles/2010/05/13/us-issues-redesigned-rfid-green-cards.aspx
Ice cream with (RFID) chips to go
St. Paul ice cream shop turns to RFID to give customer real-time scoop on flavors
By Jaikumar Vijayan
17 May 2010
FRAMINGHAM, 14 MAY 2010 - Businesses are using Radio Frequency ID (RFID) tags to track everything from large shipping containers, to livestock to tiny electronic components. It's unlikely though if any business is using the technology for the same purpose as Izzy's Ice Cream Cafe in St. Paul, Minn.
The shop, which epitomizes the classic mom-and-pop business, has concocted close to 100 flavors of ice cream and serves 32 flavors at any one time. Until this week, customers had little way of knowing if their favorite flavors -- Peppermint Bon Bon, Cherries Jubilee and Dulce de Leche to name a few -- were available until they arrived at the counter.
Not any more. On Monday, Izzy's started using RFID technology to give customers real-time updates on all the available flavors in its dipping cabinet, the glass covered case where the tubs of ice cream are displayed.
RFID readers stuck in the dipping cabinets scan tags attached to the signs that go above each ice cream tub to give customers updated information on available ice cream flavors. Each time one tub of ice cream is replaced with a new flavor, an employee swaps out the RFID tag in front of the tub with the one corresponding to the new flavor.
RFID readers in the dipping cabinet scan the tags 22 times every second and send the information to a system which then projects a series of dots representing different flavors onto a wall in the store.
Customers glance at the colored dots projected on the wall, or on the plasma TV behind the counter, to find out what flavors the store is serving at any time. No more anxious moments of uncertainty. No more even having to come to the store to get the scoop on what Izzy's has available. The information grabbed by the RFID readers is pumped to Izzy's Web site where a new Web page lists all the flavors the shop is serving.
Those willing to risk missing out on their favorite flavor can even tarry a bit on the Web page and play a memory game with the dots. Or they can hover over the dots to discover that Izzy classics, such as its Dark Chocolate Zin, is made from Italian balsamic vinegar and Ravenswood red zinfandel, or that perennial favorite Salted Carmel is almost always available. Customers who sign up, can get e-mail updates (and soon text messages) when their favorite flavor is being served. Izzy's also sends updates to its Facebook page and Twitter account.
If all this seems like a bit much for an ice cream shop, it isn't for Jeff Sommers, the English major and fine arts grad-turned-tech nerd who, along with his wife Lara Hammel, runs the store.
"If you live in the world of selling ice cream, the problem you run into on Day One of opening is how to tell your customers what flavors you have in the cabinet," Sommers said.
With limited space in front of the cabinet, most ice cream shops resort to listing available flavors on display boards behind the counter. It's a system that is manually intensive and prone to errors, especially when a shop sells as many flavors as Izzy's does, Sommers said. And it results in too many crestfallen customers at the order counter after they learn their favorite flavor is sold out.
With RFID tags on its ice cream tubs, customers can track the flavors available at Izzy's Ice Cream Cafe in St. Paul, Minn., by checking the shop's Web page.
Sommers, who professes a fascination with technologies involving sensors and sensing networks, decided to try RFID to solve the problem.
"I just love consuming innovative ideas," Sommers said. Getting technology companies interested in his scheme was tricky, he admitted. Finding an RFID systems integrator interested in such a small project and a software company willing to implement the Web interface was challenging, Sommers said.
"In hindsight, it was a bit like walking into a fancy car dealership and asking to buy a car for $1,000," he said.
Technology companies were initially skeptical about working with such a small client. "So I had to put on a real full court press to get them inspired by it," Sommers said.
Steve Haben, a senior engineer with AbeTech Inc., the Rogers, Minn.-based company that helped Izzy's deploy the RFID technology, admitted to being wary about the project when Sommers first approached the company.
Izzy's was by far AbeTech's smallest RFID client. The ice cream shop's proposed application of the technology was also very different from the usual fixed asset tracking applications for which most AbeTech clients use RFID. Most of AbeTech's clients, which include some Fortune 500 companies, use RFID to track the movement of assets in their manufacturing facilities, warehouses and distribution centers.
Sommers wanted to take the technology in a "new direction," by using RFID to provide real-time visibility of his products, Haben said. "In his world, this really was the big challenge," he said.
The task took a year to complete and has had its share of challenges. The original plan was to stick RFID tags directly on the ice cream tubs, but the tub surfaces turned out to be too smooth. So the tags had to be stuck on the signs in front of the tubs, after first having them laser-cut to size and shape. Sticking RFID antennas in the dipping cabinet to read the tags was also tricky. That issue was resolved with the help of a neighbor who works in the prosthetics industry and suggested trying materials used in orthotics to affix the antennas to the cabinet.
Less than four days after rolling out the project, it has already hit its first glitch. Too many Facebook updates caused some "frustrated chatter" among followers and prompted Izzy's to disable the updates to the social networking sites while it works out the kinks.
So how does one measure ROI with an effort such as this? Sommers has little idea beyond hoping that some "generous economist" will help him figure out that one. For the moment, he is happy measuring success in terms of customer satisfaction. Sommers figures that if he can make customers happy by making their experience in the store a smoother one, the effort is worth it.
"I want to make customers really proud to be spending money at my store. I want them to say. 'I want to be a customer in that place, ' " he said.
http://mis-asia.com/news/articles/ice-cream-with-rfid-chips-to-go
http://www.environmental-expert.com/resulteachpressrelease.aspx?cid=38614&codi=169037
Global Market for RFID in Healthcare , The
Source: ReportsandReports
May 13, 2010
Dallas, TX: Reports announce it will carry Global Market for RFID in Healthcare , The Market Research Report in its Store.
This report describes RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) potential and opportunities worldwide, outlines key market trends and dynamics, and provides a number of case studies to show value and return on investment examples.
RFID offers various solutions for the main segments of the healthcare industry—hospitals and nursing homes, pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies.
This report defines the market for RFID opportunities in the healthcare industry focusing on five general market segments:
Pharmaceutical/Blood Product Distribution and Tracking
Patient/Medical Staff Identification and Tracking
Medical Asset Tracking and Locating
Implantable Device RFID use
Other areas (including medical documents and patient records)
Market estimates and forecasts are provided for each segment.
The main users of RFID technology in the healthcare sector include hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturers, nursing homes, and pharmacies.
In the pharmaceuticals sector, RFID has been deployed by a number of companies, primarily for supply chain management applications. In most cases, the technology has been deployed for particular applications or a part of the business.
The number of nursing homes, and pharmacies and drug stores witnessed a small decline during the first half of this decade. The aging population in the US and the increased prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and other conditions are driving the adoption of RFID-enabled systems in nursing homes.
Approximately 30 percent of nursing homes in the US are making use of various RFID-enabled applications such as wander-prevention systems. Adoption of RFID by pharmacies operating independently is estimated to be relatively low due to the high investment cost. The adoption is expected to increase in the future as the infrastructure cost is likely to decrease.
As part of its coverage of RFID in global healthcare the report discusses the following trends:
Healthcare Establishment Statistics
U.S. Healthcare Employment Projections
Aging Population
RFID Emissions may Affect Certain Medical Devices
Active RFID and Wi-Fi Networks in Healthcare Applications
Hospital Inefficiency
Counterfeit Drugs
Global Counterfeiting
Benefits of Improving Product Management
Regulatory Compliance to Control Drug Counterfeiting
Electronic Pedigree and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
Return on Investment (ROI)
Improved Inventory Control
Prescription Sample Control
Health and Safety Concerns
Smaller, Faster Chips
Other Uses of RFID in Healthcare
“Never Events” Reimbursement
Signal Transmissions
Existing Technologies
Uniform Regulation and Standardization
Public Privacy Concerns
This Kalorama Information market research report was constructed using both primary and secondary sources, including a search of trade and medical literature, annual reports, and interviews with executives at companies in the industry.
The following companies are profiled in the report:
3M
Alien Technology
Blue Vector
Hewlett-Packard
International Business Machines (IBM)
Intermec, Inc.
Motorola 145
PositiveID (previously VeriChip)
Solstice Medical
SupplyScape
Tagsys, Inc.
Versus Technology
Zebra Technologies
Browse complete report on: http://www.reportsandreports.com/market-reports/global-market-for-rfid-in-healthcare-the/
CHAPTER ONE: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Introduction
Scope and Methodology
Size and Growth of the Market
Customer Segments
Cost of RFID Deployment
Industry Initiatives to Promote the Adoption of RFID in Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals
CHAPTER TWO: INTRODUCTION
Basics of RFID Technology
Basic System Components
Configurations of RFID Systems
Parameters for Distinguishing RFID Systems
Classification of RFID System
Security Aspects and Possible Attacks on RFID Systems
RFID Infrastructure
Key Benefits of RFID in Healthcare
Applications of RFID in the Pharmaceutical Industry
RFID Application Areas
Drivers
Challenges
Application of Identification Technologies
Anti-Counterfeiting Applications for RFID in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain
Current Counterfeit Warning fromm the FDA
Pfizer’s SupplyScape E-Pedigree System
Pharmaceutical Company Interview
Pharmaceutical Distributor Interview
Worldwide Implementation of RFID within Pharmaceuticals
Building Radio Frequency Identification Solutions for the
Global Environment (BRIDGE) Project
St. Clair Hospital
GlaxoSmithKline
Refrigerated Drug Cabinets
Partners Develop E-Pedigree Solutions for Pharmaceutical Companies
Cardinal Health and California’s Drug Pedigree Law
Faster and More Accurate Shipping Methods
Worldwide Implementation of RFID Within Healthcare Services Industry
Jena Hospital
Wayne Memorial Hospital
Enterprise VISion system from Versus Technology
CHAPTER THREE: ISSUES AND TRENDS
Healthcare Establishment Statistics
U.S. Healthcare Employment Projections
Aging Population
RFID Emissions may Affect Certain Medical Devices
Affect on Blood Products
Active RFID and Wi-Fi Networks in Healthcare Applications
Hospital Inefficiency
Counterfeit Drugs
Global Counterfeiting
Benefits of Improving Product Management
Regulatory Compliance to Control Drug Counterfeiting
Electronic Pedigree and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
Return on Investment (ROI)
Improved Inventory Control
Prescription Sample Control, Restocking Pharmaceutical Supplies and RFID
Health and Safety Concerns
Clinical Trials
Smaller, Faster Chips
Other Uses of RFID in Healthcare
“Never Events” Reimbursement
Signal Transmissions
Existing Technologies
Uniform Regulation and Standardization Developers Answer to Uniform Standards
RFID’s Public Privacy Concerns
CHAPTER FOUR: MARKET ANALYSIS
Overview
World RFID Markets by Application
Military Applications
Animal Applications
Retail/Manufacturing/Fashion Applications
Transportation Applications
Documents/Financial Assets/Security (non-military) Applications
Healthcare Applications
Other Applications
RFID Focus: Healthcare Market
Pharmaceutical RFID Market Size and Forecast
Staff and Patient RFID ID and Tracking Market Size and Forecast
Medical Asset RFID Tracking Market Size and Forecast
Implantable Device RFID Tracking Market Size and Forecast
Other Medical/Healthcare RFID Technology Market Size and Forecast
Total Healthcare RFID Market by World Region
Industry Voices
Industry Initiatives to Promote the Adoption of RFID in Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals
CHAPTER FIVE: IMPLEMENTING AN RFID SYSTEM
RFID Infrastructure Deployment
Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Deployment
Scaling from Pilot to Implementation Stage
Cost of RFID Deployment
CHAPTER SIX: CORPORATE PROFILES
Introduction
3M 134
Alien Technology
Blue Vector
Hewlett-Packard
International Business Machines (IBM)
Intermec, Inc.
Motorola 145
PositiveID (previously VeriChip)
Solstice Medical
SupplyScape
Tagsys, Inc.
Versus Technology
Zebra Technologies
REGULATORY AUTHORITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS
LIST OF COMPANIES
TABLE OF EXHIBITS
CHAPTER ONE: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Table 1-1: World Healthcare RFID Market, 2007-2014
Figure 1-1: World Healthcare RFID Market, 2007-2014
Figure 1-2: Global Market for RFID with Segmented RFID Markets in Healthcare, 2009
Table 1-2: Major RFID Benefits for Users
CHAPTER TWO: INTRODUCTION
Table 2-1: RFID Terminology
Figure 2-1: RFID System
Figure 2-2: Parameters for Distinguishing RFID Systems
Table 2-2: Classification of Radio Frequency in Terms of Performance Parameters
Table 2-3: Applications of RFID with Different Ranges
Table 2-4: Comparison of Active and Passive RFID in Terms of Different Performance Parameters
Figure 2-3: Parameters for Classification of RFID Systems
Table 2-5: Auto ID Centre Classification of RFID Systems
Table 2-6: Types of Attacks on RFID Systems and their Countermeasures
Figure 2-4: Classification of RFID Tags
Figure 2-5: Value Chain of the RFID Industry
Table 2-7: Select Identification Technologies Compared on Different Parameters
Table 2-8: Key Differences between Bar Codes and RFID
Table 2-9: Vertical-wise Application and Benefits of RFID
Figure 2-6: Classification of Identification Technologies Applications
Figure 2-7: Example of a Comprehensive Track-and-Trace Process
Table 2-10: BRIDGE project RFID Implementation
CHAPTER THREE: ISSUES AND TRENDS
Table 3-1: Healthcare Statistics
Table 3-2: International Population Trend Age 65+
Figure 3-1: International Population Trend Age 65+
Table 3-3: United States Population Trend Age 65+
Figure 3-2: International Population Trend Age 65+
Table 3-4: Counterfeiting Rates by Region
Table 3-5: Estimated Return on Investment (millions) for the Implementation of RFID -Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
Figure 3-3: Estimated Return on Investment (millions) for the Implementation of RFID - Typical Large Pharmaceutical Manufacturer
Table 3-6: Estimated Return on Investment (millions) for the Implementation of RFID -Pharmaceutical Distributors
Figure 3-4: Estimated Return on Investment (millions) for the Implementation of RFID - Typical Large Pharmaceutical Distributor
CHAPTER FOUR: MARKETS
Table 4-1: Total World RFID Market, All Applications, 2007-2014
Figure 4-1: Total World RFID Market, All Applications, 2007-2014
Table 4-2: Total RFID Market by Application
Figure 4-2: Total RFID Market by Application
Table 4-3: World Healthcare RFID Market, 2007-2014
Figure 4-3: World Healthcare RFID Market, 2007-2014
Table 4-4: Pharmaceutical and Blood Products RFID Market, 2007-2014
Figure 4-4: Pharmaceutical and Blood Products RFID Market, 2007-2014
Table 4-5: Staff and Patient Tracking RFID Market, 2007-2014
Figure 4-5: Staff and Patient Tracking RFID Market, 2007-2014
Table 4-6: Medical Asset RFID Tracking Market, 2007-2014
Table 4-7: Implantable Device RFID Tracking Market, 2007-2014
Figure 4-7: Implantable Device RFID Tracking Market, 2007-2014
Table 4-8: Other RFID Tracking Market, 2007-2014
Figure 4-9: Composite Figure - Global Market for RFID with Segmented RFID Markets in Healthcare, 2007-2014
Figure 4-10: Global Market for RFID with Segmented RFID Markets in Healthcare, 2009
Table 4-9: Healthcare RFID Market by World Region, Estimated 2009 Revenues and Share
Figure 4-11: Healthcare RFID Market by World Region, Estimated 2009 Share
CHAPTER FIVE: IMPLEMENTING AN RFID SYSTEM
Table 5-1: Planning and Implementing RFID Systems
Table 5-2: Phase-wise Proposed Deployment of RFID in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain
Figure 5-1: Cost of Implementation of RFID (2004 and 2010)
Browse complete report on: http://www.reportsandreports.com/market-reports/global-market-for-rfid-in-healthcare-the/
HB 2569, prohibiting RFID in our driver’s license-One last hurdle to clear!
April 18, 2010
http://axiomamuse.wordpress.com/2010/04/18/hb-2569-prohibiting-rfid-in-our-driver%E2%80%99s-license-one-last-hurdle-to-clear/
RFID: Food Safety and Product Recalls
Wednesday, April 07, 2010 - RFID Connections
Consumer safety and corporate profits can both benefit from RFID
Bert Moore
Editor
The recent recall of 177 products (to date) containing hydrolyzed vegetable protein (a flavor enhancer used in a wide variety of processed food products, such as soups, sauces, chilis, stews, hot dogs, gravies, seasoned snack foods, dips, and dressings) clearly illustrates the vulnerability of the food supply chain -- and the need for companies to understand the many ways that RFID can help to protect consumer safety and minimize the financial impact of product recalls.
To call the modern food supply and distribution channel a "chain" is woefully inadequate -- it's more like a tapestry with dozens and even hundreds of "threads" coming together to produce the final product. Livestock are fed with commercial feed that may contain ingredients from dozens of sources; processed foods contain many different ingredients that may, for any given batch, be sourced from different companies which, in turn, may receive products from many other companies; fresh produce, juices and jams typically come from many different farms and orchards. And this is the same situation in every foreign country from which produce and ingredients are sourced.
The complexity of the food supply tapestry is staggering. Perhaps the wonder is that it functions so well and that retail outlets are stocked with an ever-increasing number of products to satisfy customer demand.
Yet the very scale and complexity of sourcing, processing and distribution means that a single incident of contamination can affect hundreds of products and pose serious health risks for consumers.
There's no need to review the number and variety of food product recalls in the past year...what is important is to understand how the hazards to both public and corporate health can be reduced. Equally important is the fact that there are demonstrated instances where using RFID to provide specific data about the source of products (e.g., Dole "Hearts Delight" packaged salad recall) really does enable smaller, quicker, less costly, and more efficient product recalls.
How can RFID help?
The short form is that RFID can help with every "thread" of the tapestry -- from beginning to end. In other words, RFID can track products and ingredients from "plant" (organic or manufacturing) to plate.
Data on RFID tags can be read without human intervention, can be embedded in containers and pallets (obscured by covering materials), can be applied to fixed locations and moveable equipment (including metal objects), can withstand extremely harsh environments and processes, can be equipped with sensors to detect changes in temperature and humidity and, in short, can provide tracking and monitoring data with a granularity that would be, at best, cumbersome and, at worst, impossible to achieve with any other technology.
Given appropriate data capture and exchange, this granularity allows the traceability and recall of specific lots or batches of contaminated or misprocessed food items. The traceability goes both ways -- from the supplier that identifies the problem to every customer who is affected (and not the ones who aren't) or from the consumer product back through the supply tapestry to the source.
Where can RFID help?
Source ID
Whether the "plant" is one growing in a field or a manufacturing facility, RFID can be used to identify every inch (millimeter) of the thread -- whether it's a specific machine or process, a specific field on a farm, a specific feeding station, a specific refrigerated trailer or a specific pallet.
Lot/batch ID
Most food products are processed in batches -- even continuous processes such as potato chip or candy manufacturing and those as apparently "simple" as orange juice and apple sauce. They can be viewed as "batches" for various reasons: because they contain ingredients from different sources during the day, because operators and conditions change during the course of a day (or shift), or they use fruits and vegetables from different parts of many different farms and orchards.
While a "batch" may not be as clearly defined in these processes as in others -- there will be overlap, for example, when potatoes from a new field are added to the chip making process -- some basic metrics will be able to identify approximately where the batches overlap -- and this overlap perhaps could be considered a separate "mini" batch.
Using RFID to identify all the ingredients that go into a particular batch allows for targeted recalls to minimize public health hazards, limit the financial impact and protect the brand.
The ability to recall two "mini" batches (where there are mixed sources of ingredients) along with the primary batch(es) could eliminate the need to recall full batches before and after the affected batch(es) -- or even an entire day's production -- as a precautionary measure.
Shipping container ID
As product is woven into the tapestry via the distribution/transportation channel, identifying each container with lot/batch information simplifies tracking and product recall. Linking shipping container ID to a specific lot/batch ID (which could include a specific machine or process) means that contaminated or misprocessed items can be quickly traced back to the supplier of the ingredient or product and outward to the distributor or retailer, again, making targeted recalls faster and more efficient.
Pallets
Linking shipping container ID to pallet ID continues the traceability of an increasing number of the threads in the food supply.
Several of the most recent recalls have been due to contamination from wooden pallets. While synthetic pallets are less likely to absorb harmful bacteria, there are sterilization procedures to ensure the sanitation of both wooden and synthetic pallets. Because hardened RFID tags can withstand all the harsh environments and treatments pallets must undergo in sterilization processes, they can contain a record of the type of material the pallet last contained, who had them, when they were used, and the specific time/date and the sterilization process(es) employed prior to them being re-used.
Tracing pallet contamination can help determine whether contamination came from the production plant/process/batch or whether it came from the pallet itself. If the pallet proves to be the source, then tracing all pallets that have similar use histories and similar sterilization processes on a particular date or dates can identify all companies that might have shipped product on the affected pallets. In other words, contaminated pallets could affect completely different products manufactured or shipped by different companies and pallet history information can be used to identify those companies and products.
Environmental ID
Sensor-equipped RFID tags affixed to selected pallets or parts of loads can provide critical data to identify potential contamination or spoilage due to fluctuations in temperature, humidity, light or shock. These tags can provide data that can be used throughout the "weave" -- in handling, initial warehousing, shipping, transportation, receiving, and storage -- no matter how many times the product is handled, shipped and stored before reaching the consumer.
Trailer ID
Pallet IDs associated with RFID trailer IDs can not only provide traceability of the product from shipping to receiving but, when coupled with GPS and RFID security seals, can monitor the product in transit to identify any potential point of delay, diversion or tampering. Dirty trailers or those previously used to transport toxic, hazardous or incompatible materials could also be a source of contamination. The ability to determine that the trailer itself was the source of the problem could result in a very small product recall (and provide critical warnings to other shippers about the problems with the trailer).
Distribution ID
As the tapestry begins to be unwoven to get product to the consumer, as product moves through wholesalers, distributors, third parties, etc., the RFID tags on trailers, sensor data, tags on pallets and shipping containers can be read to follow each thread to its ultimate destination.
During product recalls, suppliers can notify customers of the recall. More importantly, retailers can simply check their logs of incoming goods to see if they have any of the affected products in their store rooms or on their shelves. Reading the RFID tags on shipping containers that are brought to the sales floor could narrow the time-frame during which the recalled products were on their shelves.
In an ideal scenario, retailers would be able to use customer loyalty card and POS data to determine who might have purchased affected products and notify them by e-mail, phone or the next time they visit the store.
Conclusion
The ways in which RFID can be used to support food safety are nearly as varied and complex as the food supply tapestry itself.
Two facts, however, are quite simple. The food supply needs to be better protected. And RFID can help.
http://www.aimglobal.org/members/news/templates/template.aspx?articleid=3686&zoneid=24
Low Frequency Handheld RFID Reader
Posted by GAORFIDAssetTracking 11 minutes ago
(http://www.gaorfidassettracking.com)
Toronto, Canada – GAO RFID Asset Tracking
(www.GAORFIDAssetTracking.com) has rolled out this 125kHz handheld RFID reader, which is a portable data collection terminal intended for use in applications like logistics and transportation management systems. The RFID reader is widely used for security patrolling, military patrolling, facility guard patrolling, and remote equipment inspections.
This low frequency portable RFID reader, model 221003, has a memory capacity of 512kB to store tag ID-codes with data/time stamps in a journal memory. It is powered by an 850mAH Li battery and has a maximum reading distance of 4cm. The reader is equipped with a high resolution LCD screen displaying the read data. This lightweight RFID reader is compliant with EM4001, EM4100 and ISO14443 LF standards.
Visit http://www.GAORFIDAssetTracking.com for more information.
For any sales inquires please contact:
1-877 585-9555 ext. 601 – Toll Free (USA & Canada)
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About GAO RFID Asset Tracking
GAO RFID Asset Tracking (www.GAORFIDAssetTracking.com) is a leading provider of RFID Readers, RFID Tags and RFID software providing cost saving solutions to end users worldwide. GAO offers all RFID technologies: Low Frequency (LF), High Frequency (HF), Ultra High Frequency (UHF, Gen 2) as well as Active and Semi-Passive. GAO RFID Asset Tracking’s products and services are easily customized for use in asset tracking, healthcare, supply chain & logistics, event management, access control, livestock tracking, inventory control & management, field service maintenance and document authentication.
http://www.newdesignworld.com/press/story/75200
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is used in all areas of automatic data capture allowing contactless identification of objects using RF. With applications ranging from industrial automation, access control, animal identification, ePassport and ticketing, RFID technology solutions are receiving much attention in the research and development departments of large corporations. RFID is a major growth area in auto ID, providing the technology behind contactless smart cards, production automation and the electronic supply chain.
The RFID Handbook includes all the latest information on industry standards and applications, this book provides a standard reference for people working with RFID technology. Expanded sections explain exactly how the pysical interface (“RF-link”) of RFID systems work:
Coverage of RFID technologies, including electron data carrier architecture and common algorithms for anticollision.
Details important RFID applications, such as the smartlabel, the e-ticketing, the ePassport and the automatic supply chain.
Detailed appendix providing up-to-date information on relevant ISO standards and regulations, including descriptions of ISO 14443 for contactless ticketing and ISO 15693 covering the smartlabel
A leading edge reference for this rapidly evolving technology, this text is of interest to practitioners in auto ID and IT designing RFID products and end-users of RFID technology , computer and electronics engineers in security system development and microchip designers, automation, industrial and transport engineers and materials handling specialists. Also a valuable resource for graduate level students in electronics and industrial engineering design.
At this site you will find
Informations about the RFID Handbook and the different language editions.
The RFID Handbook currently is available in 6 languages: German, Englisch, Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Russian.
Sample reader and additional files for download
A linklist which will guide you to RFID related sites in the web
A forum which allows you to get in contact with other people, working on RFID
http://www.rfid-handbook.de/index.html
Rfid Technology
Pros and Cons of RFID Technology
I. RFID Advantages
Radio Frequency Identification provides a valuable service that is capable of revolutionizing the way companies track products. There are many benefactors of this technology: the military, retailers, suppliers, consulting firms, producers of the technology, and consumers. RFID provides companies with a better alternative to bar-coding because no line-of-sight is needed to read a pallet, a carton, or a product with a RFID tag. RFID tags also contain information on the product that is easily readable and accessible for the reader. RFID will also begin to automate company’s supply chain, reducing labor costs, human error and time spent checking in products.
In 2005, manufacturers and suppliers requesting new bids from the military must be RFID compliant on four different levels: packaged operational rations, clothing, tools, and weapon system repair parts and components. The military requires that all cartons and pallets are shipped with a Military Shipping Label which displays shipping data. The Department of Defense has created the RFID Military Compliance Solution as a way to help suppliers and manufacturers meet the military’s new standards for RFID. The program is run by Avery Dennison Retail Information Services, and they were commissioned by the RFID Military Compliance Solution. Avery Dennison Retail Information Services sells the RFID tags to companies which must be affixed close to the Military Shipping Labels to comply with Department of Defense regulations.
The U.S. military is saving an enormous amount of money by using active and passive RFID systems. By using RFID for communication and transportation systems in Iraq and Afghanistan, the military is able to diagnose and fix problems much faster than before. The implementation of RFID in just this area will save the military close to half a million dollars this year. The U.S. government has contracted IBM to do research on the current RFID being used currently in the military and the potential future applications for RFID in the military. The military has been successful in creating better visibility throughout their supply chain increasing their productivity and stability.
Retailers and other companies that have a demanding supply chain can gain an advantage on the field by using RFID in the supply chain. By demanding that all levels of their supply chain be RFID capable is a sizable investment. The productivity increase that follows the initial investment and implementation for companies will pay for their investment. Wal-Mart was the first retailer to use RFID in their distribution centers and warehouses, prompting many companies to follow in their footsteps once Wal-Mart’s success was realized.
RFID is very successful with retail companies because it improves productivity, saves on human labor costs, and gives companies real-time visibility with all their products. RFID tags use an Electronic Product Code (EPC) which is an upgrade and a replacement for the Universal Product Code (UPC) system. “EPC has a 96-bit code that has digits to identify the manufacturer, product category and the individual item. Manufacturers obtain registration numbers & assign them to products. Each number is unique to a given item.”
The cost of a tag is anywhere between twenty-five to fifty cents. In the next five to ten years it could be reduced to five cents per tag. At some point in the near future tags could fall to one cent tempting companies to use RFID tags on every product in a store. Wal-Mart says that since their stores now have RFID, it makes it easier to keep store shelves stocked allowing employees to interact with customers.
Target was able to save on their investment for implementing RFID, following in Wal-Mart’s footsteps as Wal-Mart had already paved the way and suffered the pitfalls of implementing a new technology. In addition to the lower implementation costs, many of Target’s suppliers had already begun preparing for the switch over to RFID assuming Target would follow Wal-Mart. Target as a large retailer knows how important it is to be able to provide real-time data on pallets, cartons and shipments up and down-stream through their supply chain.
A break-through in RFID technology was made by Intermec, Inc. in May of 2006, with new rugged and reusable RFID tags. These tags can be written thousands of times; it can handle hazardous chemical exposure, and withstands temperatures from -50 degrees Fahrenheit to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. In October of 2006, Intermec released a new version of the rugged, reusable RFID tag, including wide-band antenna that can be used on any surface in any part of the world.
RFID makes the business world seem like a smaller place, even companies like Wal-Mart who are very big and have a large integrated supply chain. RFID enables companies to be more efficient with their time and space. Companies that combine some newer supply chain technologies with RFID could see great results. Combining auto-picking with RFID would reduce man-power needed, time needed to move pallets and cartons around a warehouse, and time needed to send pallets to their proper destination. The goal of a company’s supply chain should be to reduce time needed to be productive, by automating as much of the supply chain as possible. It reduces human error, and machines are capable of running twenty-four hours a day and cost less than human labor. The
application of RFID for a large company like Wal-Mart or Target, as well as smaller retail stores can ensure a better shopping experience with more in-stock items and a more knowledgeable store.
The RFID market is booming and many technological companies have gotten in the game producing RFID parts and systems. In many cases being a producer of RFID components and systems also allows you to become a consulting firm for the technology. Hewlett Packard (HP) is one of the largest companies developing RFID systems. HP’s goal is to make it as easy and affordable as possible for a company adopting RFID technology. HP has experience in the RFID field, as they were one of the early adopters of the technology and have been very successful integrating it into their business. HP began with two larger clients, Hasbro (produces children’s toys) and Conros (a large Wal-Mart supplier). Hewlett Packard has created two RFID Centers for Excellence, one in California and one in Taiwan, to demonstrate new potential uses for the technology, as well as how it can be implemented into a business. More centers are slated to be opened throughout the world, including Great Britain, Singapore, and Tokyo RFID Centers for Excellence.
The RFID market sits at roughly one billion dollars in 2006 and has varying estimates as to the growth potential of the market. Estimates of RFID market size in 2008 vary anywhere from $1.3 billion by IDC, to $4.2 Billion by the Yankee Group. As shown in Figure 1 in the appendix, most of the industry is made up of sales of hardware, tags, readers and other physical products of RFID. Roughly 20-25% of the market is made up of consulting work for the technology and the last 5% is made up of software for RFID. The two biggest areas firms are concentrating on are the production and consulting sides of RFID.
The biggest challenges for producers and consultants alike are the reliability and durability of RFID systems and products. It is hard to simulate the wear and tear a product will experience over time. HP has made testing RFID products one of their benchmarks, providing intense field-testing of RFID to ensure its durability and quality. A competitor of HP is IBM, who according to AMR Research is the market leader in RFID. IBM has over eleven years experience working with RFID, and like HP, they were an early adopter of RFID technology. The advantage that IBM has over HP is there world-renowned consulting services, coupled with their immense networking capabilities. IBM’s services promise more results than HP’s RFID systems mainly because of IBM’s consulting expertise. IBM works with companies to locate the best avenues to implement RFID, attempting to maximize Return on Investment (ROI) by reducing one person per shift from manually tracking products allowing them to focus on value-added manufacturing activities. IBM also focuses on other ways to improve ROI including, offering a one-time savings of $230,000 in operating costs, continuous fabrication line operations, better customer service providing real-time information on products, and less errors and delays cause by human error.
RFID began to take off once companies like Wal-Mart and Target, and the U.S. military demanded that their top 100 suppliers must adopt RFID technology. Many suppliers were not ready for a move like this, a move that would completely retrofit their current operations at a high cost to the supplier. There were some suppliers that welcomed the change in technology and already began implementing RFID in anticipation of Wal-Mart and the U.S. military’s demand that their suppliers adopt the new technology. Wal-Mart demanded that their top one hundred suppliers would need to be RFID ready by January 2005, and to Wal-Mart’s surprise, twenty three extra suppliers have volunteered to make the change to RFID. There is a new generation of tags that hit the market in 2005, called the Gen 2 Standard, which make RFID more appealing to suppliers who have no RFID systems in place. The Gen 2 RFID improves on the first generation of RFID by increasing read times, increasing read ranges, and read tags more accurately.
Suppliers and manufacturers will notice the benefits of implementing RFID into their organizations streamlining parts of their operations. Return on Investment is the most important factor for a business implementing RFID. Suppliers will see their ROI increase as human labor hours are decreased, human errors are decreased and interoperability is increased. RFID increases the visibility of the suppliers so they can do their job in real time, assuring that the correct package is sent to the correct location. It also saves money in the long-term for manufacturers and suppliers because RFID will save time spent inventorying and tracking products. An advantage for suppliers and manufacturers using RFID is customization of products in a shorter period of time. Smaller suppliers and manufacturers will have a harder time implementing RFID, as costs range from $100,000 to $5 million to implement the technology, but as costs go down more companies will adopt RFID.
RFID does have another potential benefit for suppliers that could give them invaluable information. For Wal-Mart suppliers, readers are set up at the back door so suppliers know when their shipments have arrived increasing visibility for both entities. A second reader is placed at the entrance to the sales floor so the supplier can see what is on-hand on the sales floor and in the stock room. This will allow the supplier to see which products sell better than others so that they can be replaced, and it also allows the supplier to develop more accurate sales forecasts. A secondary benefit of RFID is that the promotions that merchandisers spend a lot of money to set up are often left in the stock room for too long or are improperly placed. Now merchandisers and vendors can make sure their promotions are being handled correctly. Suppliers and manufacturers have the potential to save money on production costs, while making money on customized products.
Consumers should be the ultimate winner with RFID being implemented throughout a company’s supply chain. In the long-run, stores will save money throughout their supply chain, thus bringing down costs to consumers. Consumers should also expect to find more helpful and more informative customers service with companies that have RFID. These companies now have real-time data to share with the customer. A consumer complaint about retail stores has always been that there are too many out-of-stock items; however, with RFID in place many of these stores should see a significant decrease in out-of-stock items. Having RFID tags on certain products can also make people’s lives much easier, such as a microwave that is a reader and recognizes the tag of the food you put in and will automatically cook it according to the directions on the tag. It also helps environmentally because companies will use resources more efficiently, benefiting everyone. Once RFID tags are able to be used on food products it will make a recall on a certain item much easier and it could potentially save lives.
Consumers use RFID everyday and many do not realize the benefits they are receiving from the technology. Contactless payment is a developing technology, the card being used contains a tag and the payment area contains a reader. Mobil and Exxon use a “Speedpass” as their contactless form of payment allowing customers to wave the card in front of a reader to pay for gas or anything in the convenient store. Visa and Mastercard are the two biggest developers of this technology, claiming that it will benefit everyone from consumers to businesses. It allows people to have preset money on a card (either debit or credit) which decreases waiting time at check-out stands and increases loyalty to companies that offer this feature. Another use of smart cards is keyless entries, which is becoming a popular trend in America, using just a card and swipe it over the sensor to allow entry. RFID is a beneficial technology for consumers saving time and offering conveniences traditional bar codes, credit cards and keys cannot offer.
RFID contains many advantages over traditional ways of coding pallets, boxes and products. It allows for non-line of sight reading of the tag which stores all the product information. RFID reduces human labor costs and human errors through the supply chain saving companies money, as well as reducing theft in the store and warehouses. RFID can save lives as well if there is a recall and the recalled food item or product is tagged, then it would be easier to collect all the units.
II. Disadvantages
Radio Frequency Identification has been around for over fifty years, but it has been the rapid development and deployment of the technology over the last five years that has raised people’s awareness and understanding of the technology. While there are many potential benefits for RFID, there are many pitfalls as well. Every level that could benefit from RFID can also reap negative rewards from the technology.
The U.S. military was one of the early adopters of the technology using it for over ten years in a limited area of their operations. In 2003 they upgraded their usage of the technology by demanding that all suppliers must affix a RFID tag to every pallet, carton and big-ticket item being shipped to the military. The biggest problem the military faces is an issue of security. With complete product information on a tag it is easy for an enemy of the United States to pull information off a tag. This could result in loss of life of U.S. soldiers or even U.S. civilians if the wrong product ended up in the wrong hands. The tags could inform enemies of potential weaknesses and strengths of our military and give them a view on how to attack us at our weakest points.
Large companies like Wal-Mart and Target who use RFID face many potential problems with the technology. RFID has no proven infrastructure making it difficult for suppliers to keep up with these company’s demands to become RFID-ready. If the suppliers cannot effectively implement RFID into their business, then retailers cannot fully view their supply chain. If retailers cannot get all their information in real time across their entire supply chain, then the issues they are trying to solve will remain problems. Out-of-stock items, first-in-first-out products and last-in-last out products will still cause problems for these large retailers.
EPCGlobal is a start to an international standards body for RFID. It has yet to be approved by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and there is still not a global frequency standard. While 900 MHz appears to be the best frequency due to its long read-range capability, 13.56 MHz is still used delaying the standardization of global frequency for RFID. High costs of RFID implementation is the reason many mid-size and smaller retailers have not adopted the technology. The short-term outlook for companies who use RFID isn’t impressive, although long-term benefits will be realized.
Privacy issues are the number one pitfall for RFID and retailers. As long as the tags are only affixed to pallets and cartons then the retailers would not have any specific information on the consumer. However, when RFID tag prices fall, companies like Wal-Mart and Target plan on using RFID tags on individual products which they can trace consumer’s buying habits and other information consumer’s wish to keep private. It was privacy issues that force Benetton to cease their pilot RFID system. They wanted to embed a tag in articles of clothing to stop theft, determine consumer buying habits and keep their inventory at an acceptable level. Privacy advocate groups such as the Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion (CASPIAN) fight companies using RFID to track consumer behavior. A study showed that up to 78% of America was against RFID based solely on privacy issues. It will be difficult for companies in the future to tag individual items without a public outcry without some form of protection for the public’s privacy rights.
Consumers have the largest disadvantage of any other entities involved with RFID technology. There are five privacy issues that consumers must try to protect themselves from: Hidden placement of tags, unique identifiers for objects worldwide, massive data aggregation, hidden readers, and individual tracking and profiling. Hidden placement of tags by companies is an easy way to get information from consumers. The consumer will feel safe buying a product with no knowledge of an RFID tag embedded in their clothing. These tags theoretically could track a person around the world if there were readers in specific locations throughout the world. Personal information may also be embedded in these tags giving information as detailed as your medical history. Prada and Swatch use embedded tags in their clothing, and Benetton did as well, but a boycott of Benetton was successful and they removed their tags. There is no law against companies embedding tags, and only California and Utah have made official requests to change the situation.
Companies who use RFID can compile massive amounts of data on consumers, including product likes or dislikes, buying power or even prescription history. RFID makes it easy to amass this data and to designate correlations. If a corporation owns many stores they can combine data between companies and create new data on buying habits.
Hidden readers violate people’s privacy much the same way hidden tags do. Gillette and Accenture are introducing “silent commerce” which embeds tags on people’s products and readers in strategic locations without the consumer’s knowledge. These companies have experimented with different reader locations ranging from secret carpet locations to shelve locations and even hidden in floor tiles. Readers could even be installed in doorways on street lights, anywhere that people have to pass through, and instantly all information embedded in the tag is broadcast to the reader. If this were to happen privacy would be impossible because you would never know if the products you have contain tags, and you never know when you are within proximity to a reader.
The disadvantages of RFID hinge mainly on privacy concerns, technological imperfections, cost of the technology and no proven way to set up an RFID system for a company. The government and corporations are the two groups that offer the most concern for privacy issues. Hidden tags and readers threaten to take away human mystery, offering a world where people see, feel and hear only what the government and large corporation want people to.
III. Future of RFID
The future of RFID is uncertain, however, the technology is here to stay. Companies have many obstacles to overcome to make the technology a feasible option to be implemented. Privacy issues and will persist, although cost for RFID systems will decrease. In order for RFID to be successful, companies must work with privacy advocate groups to develop a fair way to implement RFID without alienating their customers.
Technology will continue to develop for RFID and many new applications will be realized. Automation will be a side-effect of RFID development, in the supply chain and in everyday activities. Contactless payment methods are already available, as well as automatic keycards to open doors. RFID tags installed in cars with readers on the roads and freeways will alert the authority if you are breaking the law. Supermarkets will eventually be able to realize their shopping cart checkout system once prices fall to a more affordable price. Fresh foods, metals and liquids will all be RFID compatible in the near future. If privacy issues are not watched closely, people will become tagged and there will always be someone watching and analyzing every person’s decisions.
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