January/February 2008

JAN/FEB 2008

Features

• COVER STORY
• View From the Top: 5 CIOs Speak Out on RFID
  The leaders who determine the overall strategic direction and business contribution of enterprise information technologies have strong views on how RFID should—and should not—be used.
• LAB REPORT
• Get a Better Sense of Your Product's Condition
  RFID sensors offer unique advantages compared with traditional cold-chain monitoring tools. Based on its work with cold-chain pilots, the RFID Research Center at the University of Arkansas tells you what you need to know to take advantage of them.
• VERTICAL FOCUS
• That Competitive Edge
  Manufacturers are using RFID in their plants to track work in process, manage assets, reduce errors—and boost their bottom line.

Departments

• EDITOR'S NOTE
• What All CIOs Should Know
• OUT IN FRONT
• If Bridges Could Talk
  Two Japanese companies have developed an RFID sensing system to determine a structure's integrity.
• OUT IN FRONT
• Personal Assistants for Plane Passengers
  Paxflow has designed an electronic boarding pass that can alert passengers about departure times, flight delays, gate changes and discount offers at airport shops.
• PERSPECTIVE
• Top 10 Stories From 2007
  What happened in 2007 could have a big impact on what occurs this year and in 2009.
• PERSPECTIVE
• Will Wal-Mart Shift Its Approach?
  What happened in 2007 could have a big impact on what occurs this year and in 2009.
• PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTS
• RFID Interrogators Grow Up
  Advancements in tag direction detection and tag distance calculation should improve data collection and asset tracking.

Columns

• ASHTON'S VIEW
• Five Predictions for '08
  The RFID industry will see more consolidation than innovation, and plenty of progress in unexpected places, but new exuberance will take a while.
• INSIDE THE LABS
• New Ear Tags for Animals
  Low-cost HF and UHF identification tags for cattle, pigs and chickens could speed up RFID adoption in the livestock industry.
• RADIO EUROPE
• Could NFC Fail to Take Off?
  Europe is home to some of the few live Near Field Communication rollouts, but they remain small and services are limited.