RFID Journal Staff asked 10 years ago How much can I expect to spend if I choose to deploy?
—Name withheld
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It would not be possible to answer that question without a good deal more information. For one thing, there are several types of software that run on readers. All readers have firmware that comes with the device and thus costs nothing. Fixed readers often come with an operating system, such as Linux, that runs the device, as well as a software layer enabling users to perform basic operations. For example, you can set up a reader to divert a package on a conveyor, depending on the tag being interrogated. This, too, is usually part of the reader's cost.
Handhelds typically come with software for basic operations, such as reading specific tags. But some companies, such as OATSystems, have developed versions of their software that run on the handheld and perform the same functions as fixed interrogators. Data all feeds into the same back-end database. You cannot just buy the reader software—this is part of an overall enterprise software package. There are firms that will write specific applications for your handhelds, if needed; the cost would be based on what you specifically require.
—Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal
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