RFID
Technology
Radio frequency
Identification or RFID Technology is revolutionizing numerous
industries and organizations around the world. The concept of using
radio waves to transmit information is excellent in numerous
applications. Unlike barcodes or visual tags, radio waves can
communicate with a receiver through nonmetal objects at distances
depending on the frequency and system. RFID Technology is quickly
infiltrated various industries. Governments, hospitals, law
enforcement agencies, firms, and patron-based businesses, such as
amusement parks, or concert venues, are finding innovative uses for
RFID systems. The different uses result in variant systems, which
greatly range in complexity and capacity depending on their purpose.
RFID Technology
Is Increasing Efficiency and Profits: RFID Technology involves an
RFID tag, which can be programmed with special data, an antenna, and
a transceiver. These three components can differ depending on their
use, complexity, and cost. Basically, the radio frequency, or
wavelength and strength, and the complexity and design of the tags
and transceiver, determine the system. The RFID tag communicates
information with the antennae, which then relays to the receiver,
and conversely as well. This allows accurate real time acquisition
of information, or the updating of data, with unprecedented
ease.
Many uses exist
for RFID tags. They can be designed to track and monitor any person,
animal, or object. RFID identification wristbands are widely used in
hospitals and correctional facilities. Connected to reliable
computers, RFID solutions are reducing employee errors, and
improving the overall efficiency and function of the facilities.
Available in any shape, the RFID tags are very versatile. For
example, miniscule tags can be put under an animal's skin to track
it. Also, manufacturing or retail businesses use radio frequency
tags on their products for a variety of purposes. RFID Technology is
significantly improving businesses and organizations around the
world.
Developments in
RFID Technology continue to yield larger memory capacities, wider
reading ranges, and faster processing. It is highly unlikely that
the technology will ultimately replace barcode — even with the
inevitable reduction in raw materials coupled with economies of
scale, the integrated circuit in an RF tag will never be as
cost-effective as a barcode label. However, RFID Technology
will continue to grow in its established niches where barcode or
other optical technologies are not effective. If some standards
commonality is achieved - whereby RFID equipment from different
manufacturers can be used interchangeably - the market will very
likely grow exponentially.
The major
disadvantage of RFID Technology is its cost. While the antennae or
sensors used to ”grab” the information are comparable in cost to the
components of a typical electro-magnetic system theft detection
system, typically $2,000 to $3,000 each; a server costing as much as
$15,000 is required and the tags cost $.75 to $.90 each. It may be
some time before the cost of tags comes down to $.50 or less, the
figure which polling of librarians has determined is the key to
their serious consideration of the technology. Gemstone, a European
manufacturer of RFID tags, expects to bring a $.50 tag to market
within three years.
Currently, the
most common applications for RFID Technology include tracking goods
in the supply chain and parts as they move through a manufacturing
production line. It is being used to track both hard and soft
assets. It is also being used in security applications to control
access to buildings and networks and in payment systems that let
customers pay for items without using cash. It is being used to
track cows and pets.
RFID Technology
is used to mark, identify and track individual objects as they move
from the manufacturing floor through the supply chain and into the
hands of the buyer or consumer. As the objects move through the
supply chain, wireless RFID readers can communicate with an RFID tag
on the object, collect information about the object (such as a
unique number), and match that number in a database to access a
complete record about the object. Interest in RFID Technology is
driven by the desire of companies to achieve greater visibility to
their supply chains, with the goal of increasing operational
efficiency. An efficient supply chain operation helps to ensure that
goods can be bought at the place and time consumers are ready to
purchase. Potential gains from the visibility RFID generates include
lower inventory levels, reduced labor costs and increased sales—the
bottom line: increased profitability.
