Pay Attention!
Ignoring what the government does in RFID is like being in the lumber business and dismissing Home Depot.
By Doug Farry
Aug. 1, 2006—As with most emerging technologies, the government has been a follower, not a leader, in RFID use. But government use of RFID is expanding rapidly—led by the U.S. Department of Defense, which has been relatively active and innovative in its deployments. A study in May 2005 by the Government Accountability Office showed that dozens of federal departments and agencies have active plans to use RFID for a growing range of applications.
Yet many technology providers that have decided not to pursue the government market are not interested in the government's activities. And many private-sector businesses that are using RFID have dismissed the government's experimentation with RFID as irrelevant to their own efforts. But ignoring what the government is doing in RFID is a mistake for your business.
Why? The U.S. government is the largest purchaser of IT products in the world—more than $64 billion worth this year. Since price is influenced by volume, what the government buys—and how much it buys—can have a significant impact on products available in the private sector.
Aug. 1, 2006—As with most emerging technologies, the government has been a follower, not a leader, in RFID use. But government use of RFID is expanding rapidly—led by the U.S. Department of Defense, which has been relatively active and innovative in its deployments. A study in May 2005 by the Government Accountability Office showed that dozens of federal departments and agencies have active plans to use RFID for a growing range of applications.
Yet many technology providers that have decided not to pursue the government market are not interested in the government's activities. And many private-sector businesses that are using RFID have dismissed the government's experimentation with RFID as irrelevant to their own efforts. But ignoring what the government is doing in RFID is a mistake for your business.
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