The RAIN (RFID) Forecast

As the first half of the 2020s draws to a close, it feels timely to reflect on how digital transformation has affected almost every vertical in the past five years, and how the next phase of innovation is set to shift things further.

Connected devices are now a fundamental part of everyday life, completely changing how we interact with each other, and the world around us. But while many solutions have been developed to address industry specific challenges, the next phase of innovation must combine these siloed solutions into ergonomic ecosystems. In short, digital transformation must transition into digital integration.

Finding a standards-based solution that allows businesses and systems to share information can revolutionize automated workflows, integrating real-time product data into business operations to unlock unparalleled operational efficiencies.

RAIN RFID

This is the role of RAIN RFID; a wireless technology that helps identify, locate, authenticate, and engage with items, which is already trusted to connect hundreds of billions of devices. As we look ahead to 2026, the use cases for RAIN technology are set to explode, with businesses looking to benefit from its data carrier capabilities for incoming Digital Product Passport (DPP) regulation and RAIN-enabled smartphones set to shake up entire industries.

So, if the next 12 months will see digital integration become a core driver of strategic growth, what are the key RAIN technology trends that businesses should know to get ahead?

RAIN-Enabled Smartphones Are A Gamechanger

This year, we saw significant strides towards RAIN Reader integration in smartphones, with a number of vendors already bringing their solutions to market. This will allow readily available off the shelf devices to be used in a business and, eventually, consumer context to read RAIN tags, making the technology more readily available to an increasing number of use cases. This is set to completely transform how businesses engage with their customers and how end-users interact with everyday items.

In the clothing retail space, for example, each staff member could be issued with a low-cost, pocket-sized and familiar-to-use device that allows for speedy and seamless inventory checks using the same RAIN RFID tags many businesses already trust for supply chain logistics management. This would cut down the cost and resources allocated to these administrative actions, while also enabling retail staff to provide customers with real-time data on stock levels on the shop floor.

And the customer benefits won’t end here. As we move towards full digital integration, the vision is that soon the customer will be able to use their own smartphone to not only check if a product is in stock, but also locate it. Certain stores are also already using RAIN to suggest potential upsell items and allow more seamless checkout processes. With RAIN-enabled smartphones, this could be even more frictionless, with customers potentially able to pick their items, scan them, pay and go without waiting in a queue.

The life of the tag can also continue well beyond the store. In the near future, when packing for a holiday or business trip, users will be able to use their RAIN-enabled smartphone to scan their suitcase, look at the list of the RAIN-tagged items and check that everything is packed. The tag that was put into place to support logistics in-store will become an integrated part of everyday life, throughout the product’s entire lifecycle.

The Prioritization of Sustainable Initiatives

The first phase of the European Union’s incoming DPP, part of the European Green Deal and Circular Economy Action Plan, is scheduled to come into effect as early as 2027. This first-of-its-kind regulatory tool will require businesses to host readily accessible data on the origins and composite materials of their products to engender transparency and circularity through enhanced recycling and reuse.

Businesses have just 12 more months to prioritize compliance. RAIN RFID has been prescribed by the CEN/CENELEC Joint Technical Committee 24 (JTC24) as one of the five approved data carriers for DPP data. It is already demonstrating its value in a number of form factors and use cases, carrying core sustainability data throughout the whole life of the product. With formal mandates to carry this sustainability data looming, the demand for embedded tags will inevitably also rise.

The tires ecosystem has demonstrated how RAIN tags can be integrated to turn the regulatory hurdle of compliance into a catalyst for innovation. The ability to identify individual tyres and openly share data enables a transparent, efficient, and collaborative supply chain that benefits all partners. This is making the tyres ecosystem more efficient in terms of cost and time spent on repairs, while providing a more efficient, verifiable recycling process.

Using Standards for Scalable, Interoperable Ecosystems

From Aviation to Zoos, there is a continuously expanding list of uses cases that now rely on RAIN technology. Solution providers must recognise that regardless of if their customer’s supply chain is global or local, as systems become increasingly intertwined, interoperability and traceability will be key to success.

Trusted standards allow different verticals to ‘speak the same language’, making business operations more efficient and adoption easier. The latest ISO/IEC 18000-63 Standards champion RAIN as a strong foundational layer for item identification and management upon which businesses can build next-generation digitally integrated strategies.

2026 will be an inflection point for businesses. Those that choose to integrate technologies that help them achieve greater transparency and efficiency will see the benefits to both their business and their consumer. Compliance with impending DPP regulation can also be turned into an opportunity to leverage rather than a hurdle to overcome. RAIN RFID will enable industry leaders to optimize processes, prioritize sustainability, unlock new opportunities and customer experiences, in turn driving their growth in an increasingly competitive business environment.

About the Author: Aileen Ryan, President and CEO of RAIN Alliance, executive career spans software and hardware engineering, strategy and commercial operations with a variety of technology firms and industry associations including Siemens, TM Forum, Huawei and Motorola.
She joined the RAIN Alliance in October 2022 from a senior position at Siemens, having played a pivotal role in the strategic acquisition of UltraSoC Technologies where she was Chief Strategy and Chief Operating Officer. She also spent a decade at the TM Forum, a global industry association, in various roles including Chief Operating Officer where she led the growth and transformation of the organization including restructuring, re-skilling, and re-designing its portfolio of services.
She is widely recognized as a leader in the global communications industry and was named by Silicon Republic as one of the top 25 Irish leaders in the Sci-Tech world, and by IT Security Guru and KPMG as one of the most inspiring women in cyber security in 2021. She holds an M.B.A., an M.Sc. in Computer Science, and a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and has completed advanced executive business studies at the University of Cambridge and the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.