Issue #18 | March 3, 2005

I am writing to you from the conference floor at RFID World in Dallas, Texas. The crowd here today - which easily exceeds a 1,000 - is a reminder that the RFID industry has come a long way. It wasn't that long ago that I presented at conferences with no more than a couple hundred attendees, and people would freely ask me, "What is riff-id"? Today, people are on a mission: to learn as much as possible. I have lost count of how many people I have talked to who have been recently appointed as the RFID expert for their company, even though they know nothing about it. One gentleman was "promoted" from a supply chain position to become the "RFID Guru" just last week. But among the wide-eyed novices are some seasoned pros - there are representatives from leading manufacturers, Wal-Mart suppliers, Target suppliers, and even some members of the Target RFID team.

What amazes me the most is how many companies - in a relatively short period of time - are now self-proclaimed "experts" in RFID. The exhibiting vendors include many new faces. It's pretty easy to spot them. The tell-tale-signs include showing reader demonstration software or having their antennas secured to metal poles with twist ties. The ones that have been around the block have equipment housed in industrial grade enclosures, custom software applications, and solutions integrated with conveyance systems. The show is not just focused on supply chain. There are a couple flashy demonstrations including RFID tags in radio controlled race cars that zoom around a track, and a similar demonstration using toy trains.

There is a greater variety of equipment, including new hand-helds, label applicators, readers, reader modules, enclosures, and tag form factors. Getting some of this equipment is still a challenge, but the demonstration units sure leave you wanting more. The industry is still desperately in need of fork-lift mountable readers and antennas that are available! E-mail me if you can get me one in 14 days or less and take credit cards.

The middleware market is so big now the players are each trying to differentiate themselves by using new terminology. There's edge-ware, reader application programming interfaces (APIs), components for RFID, asset visibility tools, and the list goes on. I can understand why those new to this industry are confused. Heck, I've been in the industry for five years and I'm getting confused. The one thing that's certain is the world of RFID is only getting bigger. Stay tuned!

Written by Louis Sirico
Copyright ? 2005 Louis Sirico