March/April 2011

MAR/APR 2011

Features

• COVER STORY
• 7 Trends Driving Adoption
  Whether you're just considering RFID or expanding a current project, it's now easier, faster and more cost-effective to deploy the technology—and achieve powerful benefits.
• VERTICAL FOCUS
• Logistics Providers Move, Slowly, Toward RFID
  The business cases for internal and global visibility have been identified, but cost and data interoperability remain roadblocks to widespread adoption.
• PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTS
• A Guide to RFID Apparel Retail Solutions
  Tagging and tracking items can help clothing merchandisers better manage inventory, improve on-shelf availability and reap other benefits to boost the bottom line. Here's what you need to know to choose the best solution for your company.

Departments

• EDITOR'S NOTE
• Making RFID Easy(er)
  The continued evolution of radio frequency identification hardware, software and standards is taking much of the complexity—and risk—out of deploying the technology.
• PERSPECTIVE
• Creating an RFID-Enabled Company
  RFID data could give managers and executives insights into what is really happening within their company, so they can make informed decisions.
• PERSPECTIVE
• Fast Followers Risk Becoming Laggards
  Those who follow early adopters could end up being left behind.
• OUT IN FRONT
• A Truly Intelligent Home
  Japan's Tagged World uses RFID to track occupants' activities, to reduce the chance they will leave a door unlocked, forget their wallets or lose their keys.
• OUT IN FRONT
• RFID Could Help Advance Drug Trials
  A new system called MagneTrace tracks pills as they're swallowed.

Columns

• ASHTON'S VIEW
• From Ridiculous to Ubiquitous
  What the not-so-sudden success of Near-Field Communication tells us about the future of other RFID technologies.
• INSIDE THE LABS
• Beefing Up Security
  A crypto algorithm embedded in an EPC Gen 2 tag could thwart counterfeiters and ensure only supply-chain partners have access to business information.
• OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
• Corralling Stray Reads
  Filters on fixed and handheld readers ensure data accuracy, providing retailers with real-time inventory visibility.