This article was originally published by RFID Update.
December 16, 2004—IBM’s newly formed Sensor and Actuator division is releasing three new RFID products, the first to come out of the division since its formation in September when the company announced a commitment to it of a quarter billion dollars over five years. According to IBM’s Sensor and Actuator director of strategy Ann Breidenbach, the products, called RFID Device Infrastructure, RFID Premises Server, and Remote Server, comprise an “end-to-end” solution, covering middleware needs, legacy and third-party software integration, and kiosk and self-service retail environments.
Big Blue will see stiff competition from the biggest names in enterprise software — Oracle, SAP, Microsoft, Sun, and Hewlett-Packard — who are all eager to help enterprises manage the predicted torrent of data coming from upcoming RFID deployments. But it should fare pretty well, according to Forrester Research analyst Sharyn Leaver, who notes that IBM’s new products were developed based on the vast insight and experience gained through extensive real-world work it has done with RFID early adopters. Add to that the company’s already formidable services capabilities, especially in light of the RFID industry’s proclaimed labor shortage, and there do indeed seem to be the makings of a market leader.
Read the article at eWeek
