RFID Skeptics Embrace RFID

After the event, some minds were definitely changed. One attendee from a maternity clothing manufacturer told me his company probably wouldn't invest in RFID to achieve supply-chain efficiencies. However, he believed that in-store applications such as the MagicMirror, which could increase sales, would likely be very attractive to upper management.

Another gentleman from a company that manufactures men's apparel said his firm had to get started soon. "It's clear that this is the wave of the future, and we should get started now," he said. "That way, when one of our customers asks us to start doing this, we'll be able to meet their requirements without a problem."

Attendees were able to see the MagicMirror as part of a demonstration area put together by Avery Dennison, Motorola and Vue Technology. And Checkpoint Systems showed off an interactive, RFID-enabled shoe display. When an attendee picked up a shoe, the system allowed that person to view information about that product and make such choices as color and size. In the real world, the system would then summon a store associate to bring such a pair of shoes from the back room.

"The technology has come a long way and is a lot more advanced than I realized," one attendee told me. "I plan to give a full report to our senior management and let them know not only that we should get started, but that we are already behind some of our competitors."

I have a feeling that some of the presentations at next year's event will include real-world case studies from the folks who were sitting on the fence before this year's event.

Mark Roberti is the founder and editor of RFID Journal. If you would like to comment on this article, click on the link below.