I spent most of last weekend going through the submissions we received for the 2010 RFID Journal Awards. This year, there are 105 entries, up from last year’s 75 (we added a new category for Special Achievement this time out). I have not yet read every entry in detail, but it’s clear there are some great projects in the running. Some deployments we have already covered on RFID Journal‘s Web site, but many are projects that have not been publicized before.
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The entries are in five categories:
Best RFID Implementation: given to the end-user company that has demonstrated the best use of RFID technology to improve its manufacturing, supply chain or retail operations
Best Use of RFID in a Product or Service: given to the end-user company that has best used RFID technology to enhance an existing product or service
Most Innovative Use of RFID: given to the end-user company with the most novel use of RFID technology
Best in Show: given to the company that exhibits the best new RFID product or service at RFID Journal LIVE! 2010
Special Achievement: a new award, given to the individual who has contributed to the RFID industry, or to the understanding or use of RFID by end users
About half of the submissions came from the United States. We also received submissions from the following countries:
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• Australia • Brazil • Canada • Colombia • Finland • Germany |
• Hong Kong • India • Iran • Italy • Japan • Malaysia |
• Mexico • Norway • South Africa • Switzerland • Taiwan • United Arab Emirates |
The entries are now in the hands of our panel of 25 judges (see The 2010 Judges), and we will receive their decisions during the first week of March. We’ll reveal the finalists shortly thereafter, and the winners will then be announced on Apr. 16 at LIVE! 2010, in Orlando, Fla.
Each year, I’m asked why we give the awards to end users, rather than to the systems integrators who “do all the work,” as one person recently put it. The answer is that we are trying to highlight success stories, so that other end users will see how RFID is being used to drive business value. By showing end users how they can benefit, we help promote adoption and create more business for the systems integrators that performed the implementations, as well as for the hardware and software companies that developed the solutions.
I’d like to thank everyone who submitted an entry, and wish you good luck. If you submitted an entry but have not yet received an acknowledgement from us, please e-mail [email protected]. We’ll profile the winners in the May/June 2010 issue of our print magazine.
And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m one of the judges, and I have some submissions to read.
Mark Roberti is the founder and editor of RFID Journal. If you would like to comment on this article, click on the link below. To read more of Mark’s opinions, visit the RFID Journal Blog or click here.