RFID poised to move beyond supply chain

摘要

Radio frequency identification technology is starting to produce efficiencies in the supply chain for early adopters such as Wal-Mart and Procter & Gamble, with Tesco and the Ministry of Defence are among those planning RFID implementations for next year. The technology could soon move beyond the supply chain and enter mainstream business and consumer use, according to analysts. But first, RFID providers and users need to resolve issues of cost, privacy, return on investment and lack of standards, which are delaying adoption. RFID has the edge over barcodes, which are a line-of-sight technology, requiring a scanner to "see" the barcode to read it. It uses radio waves to automatically identify tagged objects. Tags can be read as long as they are within range of a reader.