Jun 22, 2007This article was originally published by RFID Update.
June 22, 2007—Wealth and asset management firm Robert W. Baird & Co. has released its RFID Monthly for June. Baird has given RFID Update permission to reprint the Key Developments section (below), which offers the report highlights. For those wanting more detail, the complete 15-page document is available free here.
The standard matrix of primary RFID providers is on page 12, and following are the Key Developments:
- Progress is Slow, but Steady. We have not seen anything substantially new in the past month, but we do observe that we are seeing industry players continue to introduce new products and solutions at a good clip. In our view, such investment is key in fostering market development. In addition, we are beginning to see RFID discussed with some greater frequency in several of the technology trade publications, which is encouraging given the relative hiatus in the past six to nine months.
- Key Retail Pilot Expanding. Marks and Spencer has expanded its 42 store garment pilot to 120 stores in the past month, and plans to extend the rollout into additional departments by the end of summer. The initial pilot examined the effectiveness of using RFID to track key garments on store racks to better manage supply chain inventory and out of stocks. As part of the original pilot, roughly 50 million RFID tags had been used. With the increase in stores and expanded department usage, Marks and Spencer plans to use as many as 100 million IPX-based tags in 2007. We see apparel tagging as becoming increasingly prevalent over the course of the next twelve to 18 months.
- Healthcare and Contactless Payment Programs Increasing in Visibility. Over the past six to twelve months, we have seen a steady increase in the number of contactless payment applications in mainstream retail, including Mobil, McDonald's, and CVS pharmacies. In this edition we highlight some unique forms of electronic payment, including laundry and parking applications. Such applications are drawing increased attention, even by the Chicago Federal Reserve in their most recent "Chicago Fed Letter." We are also seeing an increasing variety of healthcare-related applications for both passive and active applications. In this edition, we profile active systems that help with dementia patients, a passive solution for monitoring acid reflux, and a potential solution to monitor blood sugar levels. While these applications only comprise a very small amount of total transactions, we are clearly seeing a trend towards greater usage.
Download the full Baird RFID Monthly (pdf)
