DePuy Orthopaedics, a unit of Johnson & Johnson that manufacturers replacement joints and other orthopedic products, reported positive ROI within months of using RFID to track the individual items packed within its surgical kits. Kits are now processed in less than a minute, compared to the 10 to 30 minutes it took with bar coding.
We asked registered attendees of RFID Journal LIVE! 2008 what would most likely get them to visit one vendor’s booth over another’s. Their responses indicate they are looking for RFID technology they can deploy—now.
Gartner today announced new data on the RFID market, the first time the research firm has done so in over two years. Worldwide RFID revenues will reach $1.2 billion in 2008, up 31 percent from last year’s $917.3 million. This article highlights other key findings.
EPCglobal calls for clarification on proposed European Commission rules for the retail sector.
Kraft Foods joins RecycleBank in its use of RFID to track and reward consumers for recycling.
Volunteers at the University of Washington are using RFID to track themselves and their personal belongings within a computer science research building. Location data is used to help people find each other, locate lost items, and track how time is spent.
The long-range RFID system promises to provide ranchers, their commercial interests and rodeos an easier method for tracking their animals, through ZigBee technology.
STMicroelectronics introduced a system-on-chip for near field communications (NFC). The new product combines standardized NFC reading capability, controller functions, software, and memory into a single chip for integration with electronic devices. It is scheduled to go into production in Q4 2008.
William Frick intros UHF RFID security access cards; SkyeTek announces smaller, low-power UHF reader module; GAO RFID unveils EPC Gen 2 wristband; Wavetrend’s reader gets safety certification for mining industry; Ekahau teams with ArrowSpan to offer mesh Wi-Fi RTLS; Augusta Systems products interoperate with BizTalk Server RFID.
Silicon Valley-based Omni-ID officially launched at the end of last month and appointed a new CEO in Thomas Pavela to lead it from nascent startup to aggressive competitor in the RFID market. RFID Update spoke with Pavela about the company’s high-performance RFID tags and its plans for the near term.
The three organizations will work together with others around the world to move toward an international set of standards for RFID.
The 747-bed Boston hospital has installed an RFID-based real-time location system throughout its 17 floors, enabling it to track thousands of medical devices.