Jul 22, 2008This article was originally published by RFID Update.
July 22, 2008—Wealth and asset management firm Robert W. Baird & Co. has released its RFID Monthly for July. 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 24-page document is available free here.
The standard matrix of primary RFID providers is on page 18, and following are the Key Developments:
Project Activity with Electronic Vehicle Registration, Others.
In several recent editions, we alluded to potential opportunities in international vehicle registration, and now understand that Brazil and Mexico are moving forward with some smaller projects of less than 1 million (M) units. We believe that larger projects, which could have volumes in the 5M-10M unit range, are still being evaluated. We have also heard of expansions in IT asset management in financial firms and non-pharma healthcare, primarily with medical devices, specimen tracking, file management and government, primarily with asset management. Several vendors have recently commented on seeing strength in business activity in the last month. For recent RFID Update stories on this, see:
Large End Users Continue to Pursue RFID as "Strategic."
We are again encouraged to hear several large end users in different industries mention the potential use of RFID as "strategic." Many of these companies have appointed a key sponsor within the company to evaluate the technology and develop plans for how to move forward with proof of concept and piloting. We believe that many companies are attempting to use RFID to improve one business process, and use those savings to fund additional projects. We understand many companies are studying changes in business processes in conjunction with these plans.
Consolidation.
In the March edition of RFID Monthly, we had noted increased discussion of industry consolidation and believed that to be another sign of industry development as players seek to consolidate their position or develop an increased solution offering. In the past month, we saw two meaningful transactions with Checkpoint Systems' acquisition of OATSystems and Impinj's acquisition of Intel's RFID business. We expect more consolidation in the next 6-12 months as the industry focuses on creating defensible positions and solution development. We provide some thoughts on potential additional consolidation in the "Briefs" section. For recent RFID Update stories on this, see:
- Checkpoint Buys OAT to Become One-Stop RFID Shop
- RFID Industry Reaction to Checkpoint-OAT Deal, Part 1
- RFID Industry Reaction to Checkpoint-OAT Deal, Part 2
- Impinj Buys Intel's RFID Business, Cements Leadership
Download the full Baird RFID Monthly
