AIM Insights
Mobile Commerce or Mobile Chaos?
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
AIM Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Using mobile phones to read bar codes to access a variety of services is clearly a growing trend. While this is not a clear infringement of traditional mobile computing applications, it is definitely a trend that may blur the lines between consumer and corporate applications.
Many of these mobile commerce applications employ standard or proprietary 2D symbols while others rely on existing GS1 symbols on products. The variety of current and proposed applications include directing the phone's browser to the manufacturer's web site for more information on the product, to special promotion sites offering money-saving coupons and special deals, third party sites to do comparison shopping, identify allergens in food products or possible drug interactions, bus schedules, and self-directed city tours. The problem is, with the proliferation of these applications, the possibility for chaos increases.
As more applications are developed that rely on the same GS1 symbol as the key, how is the mobile device to know what to do with the data? And, as more 2D symbols show up, how is the consumer or retail employee to know what will result from reading the symbol?
Read More
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
AIM Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Using mobile phones to read bar codes to access a variety of services is clearly a growing trend. While this is not a clear infringement of traditional mobile computing applications, it is definitely a trend that may blur the lines between consumer and corporate applications.
Many of these mobile commerce applications employ standard or proprietary 2D symbols while others rely on existing GS1 symbols on products. The variety of current and proposed applications include directing the phone's browser to the manufacturer's web site for more information on the product, to special promotion sites offering money-saving coupons and special deals, third party sites to do comparison shopping, identify allergens in food products or possible drug interactions, bus schedules, and self-directed city tours. The problem is, with the proliferation of these applications, the possibility for chaos increases.
As more applications are developed that rely on the same GS1 symbol as the key, how is the mobile device to know what to do with the data? And, as more 2D symbols show up, how is the consumer or retail employee to know what will result from reading the symbol?
Read More
Mobilizing AIDC Applications
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
AIM Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
When we talk of mobile applications of AIDC technologies, we immediately think of mobile computers and WiFi communications. While this continues to be a vital part of automatic identification and mobility, the newest opportunities for mobile applications are targeted directly at consumers and their cell phones.
Advances in cell phone capabilities mean that both bar codes and RFID are increasingly becoming part of the consumer experience. What's more, cell service providers are beginning to get behind these expanded applications since they stand to benefit from additional connect charges or higher priced plans that provide unlimited web access. So where is this all headed and how do you leverage this new capability?
Read More
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
AIM Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
When we talk of mobile applications of AIDC technologies, we immediately think of mobile computers and WiFi communications. While this continues to be a vital part of automatic identification and mobility, the newest opportunities for mobile applications are targeted directly at consumers and their cell phones.
Advances in cell phone capabilities mean that both bar codes and RFID are increasingly becoming part of the consumer experience. What's more, cell service providers are beginning to get behind these expanded applications since they stand to benefit from additional connect charges or higher priced plans that provide unlimited web access. So where is this all headed and how do you leverage this new capability?
Read More
Editorial: The Power of Association
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
AIM Connections
Daniel P. Mullen
President
I field a lot of phone calls from news media, users and potential users about automatic identification and mobility (AIDC) technology, applications and products. Invariably, one of the questions is, "What is AIM Global and what do you do?" In layman's terms, I explain that AIM Global is an association of the world's leading providers of data collection and enterprise mobile computing technology, services, and support and that the association’s primary missions focus in the area of education and standards.
In truth, however, AIM Global is a lot more than that. AIM Global represents "the power of association" to move the industry forward in a way that no other organization can. Companies that stand outside the association and think they benefit equally from AIM's activities are missing the point -- and missing the boat.
Read More
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
AIM Connections
Daniel P. Mullen
President
I field a lot of phone calls from news media, users and potential users about automatic identification and mobility (AIDC) technology, applications and products. Invariably, one of the questions is, "What is AIM Global and what do you do?" In layman's terms, I explain that AIM Global is an association of the world's leading providers of data collection and enterprise mobile computing technology, services, and support and that the association’s primary missions focus in the area of education and standards.
In truth, however, AIM Global is a lot more than that. AIM Global represents "the power of association" to move the industry forward in a way that no other organization can. Companies that stand outside the association and think they benefit equally from AIM's activities are missing the point -- and missing the boat.
Read More
Editorial: New Year; New Focus
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
AIM Connections
Dan Mullen
President
AIM Global
With every New Year come new challenges, new opportunities and new ideas. It's critical to reassess one's goals, objectives and strategies in order to keep pace with the changing nature of the world in order to remain relevant. AIM Global is no exception.
Throughout its 30-plus years of existence, the association has focused the majority of its attention on educating the end user community on the benefits of mobile computing and automatic identification and data collection. This focus has helped AIM create the vibrant and diverse community of vendors and fostered the growth of the marketplace through the development of standards and educational products.
To address the requirements of today's environment, while education, advocacy and standards will continue to be served by AIM Global and its committees, the organization will focus more of our resources on helping its members understand and meet the needs of the diverse customer base around the world.
Read More
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
AIM Connections
Dan Mullen
President
AIM Global
With every New Year come new challenges, new opportunities and new ideas. It's critical to reassess one's goals, objectives and strategies in order to keep pace with the changing nature of the world in order to remain relevant. AIM Global is no exception.
Throughout its 30-plus years of existence, the association has focused the majority of its attention on educating the end user community on the benefits of mobile computing and automatic identification and data collection. This focus has helped AIM create the vibrant and diverse community of vendors and fostered the growth of the marketplace through the development of standards and educational products.
To address the requirements of today's environment, while education, advocacy and standards will continue to be served by AIM Global and its committees, the organization will focus more of our resources on helping its members understand and meet the needs of the diverse customer base around the world.
Read More
Bar Codes and RFID: Preventing Medication Errors
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
Recent events have focused the public's attention on medication errors -- up to 1.5 million errors annually in the US resulting in as many as 7,000 deaths. While the Hollywood fame of Dennis Quaid fueled media attention to his twins' Heparin overdose, the more tragic story was the same type of Heparin overdose that led to the deaths of three infants in a neonatal intensive care facility at an Indiana hospital. The good news is that it could have been worse. Six infants actually received the overdose -- three are still in critical condition. The bad news is that it all could have been prevented by proper use of bar codes, RFID or other automatic identification technologies -- a fact that even mainstream news commentators have noted.
Read More
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
Recent events have focused the public's attention on medication errors -- up to 1.5 million errors annually in the US resulting in as many as 7,000 deaths. While the Hollywood fame of Dennis Quaid fueled media attention to his twins' Heparin overdose, the more tragic story was the same type of Heparin overdose that led to the deaths of three infants in a neonatal intensive care facility at an Indiana hospital. The good news is that it could have been worse. Six infants actually received the overdose -- three are still in critical condition. The bad news is that it all could have been prevented by proper use of bar codes, RFID or other automatic identification technologies -- a fact that even mainstream news commentators have noted.
Read More
Bar Codes: The New Marketing and Social Networking Tool
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
AIM Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
There have been numerous attempts in the past to use bar codes and 2D symbols to link an item or ad to additional promotional material. Early attempts had only limited success due to the scarcity of devices to read the symbols.
With the advent of camera phones with built-in decoding software, the use of matrix symbols on promotional material has been growing, particularly in the Pacific Rim. In the May 2007 issue of "AIM Connections" we talked about ShotCode [see link below], a proprietary matrix symbology that is being used to encode a web address on business cards, corporate promotional material and even as a tattoo. Now, mainstream symbologies QR Code and Data Matrix are breaking into the personal marketing and social networking space in a big way.
Read More
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
AIM Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
There have been numerous attempts in the past to use bar codes and 2D symbols to link an item or ad to additional promotional material. Early attempts had only limited success due to the scarcity of devices to read the symbols.
With the advent of camera phones with built-in decoding software, the use of matrix symbols on promotional material has been growing, particularly in the Pacific Rim. In the May 2007 issue of "AIM Connections" we talked about ShotCode [see link below], a proprietary matrix symbology that is being used to encode a web address on business cards, corporate promotional material and even as a tattoo. Now, mainstream symbologies QR Code and Data Matrix are breaking into the personal marketing and social networking space in a big way.
Read More
The Five Rs for AIDC in Health Care
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
AIM Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
With the healthcare system under increasing pressure to contain costs and maintain patient care quality with fewer resources, hospitals should look at the five Rs of Automatic Identification and Data Collection (AIDC): choosing the Right technology for the Right application implemented in the Right way with the Right training and the Right policies.
Read More
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
AIM Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
With the healthcare system under increasing pressure to contain costs and maintain patient care quality with fewer resources, hospitals should look at the five Rs of Automatic Identification and Data Collection (AIDC): choosing the Right technology for the Right application implemented in the Right way with the Right training and the Right policies.
Read More
Editorial: Recipe for AIDC Success - It's All in the Mix
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
AIM Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
There are times when it seems as if automatic identification and data collection (AIDC) is all things to all people: a way to increase efficiency, convenience, security, and throughput and to reduce waste, costs and shrinkage...the litany of benefits could go on. And, it's true that AIDC can enable organizations to do all these things.
But it's important to remember that AIDC is not all things at all times. It's mobile computing, wireless LANs, bar codes, RFID, voice, magnetic stripe, biometrics...this list could go on as well. As with any recipe, success depends on the proper mix of ingredients.
Read More
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
AIM Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
There are times when it seems as if automatic identification and data collection (AIDC) is all things to all people: a way to increase efficiency, convenience, security, and throughput and to reduce waste, costs and shrinkage...the litany of benefits could go on. And, it's true that AIDC can enable organizations to do all these things.
But it's important to remember that AIDC is not all things at all times. It's mobile computing, wireless LANs, bar codes, RFID, voice, magnetic stripe, biometrics...this list could go on as well. As with any recipe, success depends on the proper mix of ingredients.
Read More
RFID: The Hang-gliding Abrams Tank
Thursday, August 30, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Take the best capabilities of a hang glider, a sports car, a minivan, an SUV, a tractor trailer and an Abrams M1A2 tank. Then, combine all these optimal performance and capacity characteristics in a functional specification for what you want as your next vehicle. Oh, and insist that it cost less than $20,000.
Sounds reasonable, right? After all, they can all be classed as modes of transport.
That’s not unlike what’s happening in the public’s perception of RFID today.
Read More
Thursday, August 30, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Take the best capabilities of a hang glider, a sports car, a minivan, an SUV, a tractor trailer and an Abrams M1A2 tank. Then, combine all these optimal performance and capacity characteristics in a functional specification for what you want as your next vehicle. Oh, and insist that it cost less than $20,000.
Sounds reasonable, right? After all, they can all be classed as modes of transport.
That’s not unlike what’s happening in the public’s perception of RFID today.
Read More
RFID: "Fresh" Thinking
Thursday, August 23, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
RFID is increasingly being used to help ensure the freshness of goods in the supply chain. When we think of perishable products, we tend to think of fruits, vegetables, flowers and even meat. But...fabrics and fashions?
Yes, indeed. These can be just as perishable. And RFID is increasingly being seen as a way to ensure that an adequate supply of "fresh" fashions is on the racks at an affordable price.
Read More
Thursday, August 23, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
RFID is increasingly being used to help ensure the freshness of goods in the supply chain. When we think of perishable products, we tend to think of fruits, vegetables, flowers and even meat. But...fabrics and fashions?
Yes, indeed. These can be just as perishable. And RFID is increasingly being seen as a way to ensure that an adequate supply of "fresh" fashions is on the racks at an affordable price.
Read More
RFID: Safety First
Thursday, August 16, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Past issues have discussed how RFID could be used to help victims in a wide range of emergency situations from mine accidents to natural disasters. Now, however, it's time to look at how RFID can be used to help protect first responders in some of these situations.
Read More
Thursday, August 16, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Past issues have discussed how RFID could be used to help victims in a wide range of emergency situations from mine accidents to natural disasters. Now, however, it's time to look at how RFID can be used to help protect first responders in some of these situations.
Read More
Bar Codes: Still Meeting New Challenges
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
AIM Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
By now, it's a fairly well understood that bar codes have not been, and will not be, killed off by RFID or any other technology in the foreseeable future. However, many who acknowledge that bar codes (or at least optically readable symbologies) will be around for a while have assumed the status quo for bar code technology. Not true. GS1 has begun investigating whether additional, existing, matrix symbologies should be certified for health care (and possibly other small space applications) and new symbologies are still being introduced to meet new needs or address old problems much more effectively.
Read More
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
AIM Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
By now, it's a fairly well understood that bar codes have not been, and will not be, killed off by RFID or any other technology in the foreseeable future. However, many who acknowledge that bar codes (or at least optically readable symbologies) will be around for a while have assumed the status quo for bar code technology. Not true. GS1 has begun investigating whether additional, existing, matrix symbologies should be certified for health care (and possibly other small space applications) and new symbologies are still being introduced to meet new needs or address old problems much more effectively.
Read More
RFID: Time to Get Paranoid (Really)
Thursday, August 09, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
In a recent Black Hat demonstration, RFID passport readers were reportedly "crashed" when a manipulated JPEG 2000 photo was included in an RFID-enabled passport. The corrupted image caused a "buffer overflow" fault in the readers by containing more data than was expected. This has been hyped as a problem with RFID but the truth is that it was a reader programming oversight. Tthe software should have rejected the data (and e-Passport) instead of allowing the buffer overflow to stop the reading program. What's the lesson here? That it's time for manufacturers and implementers of RFID to get paranoid. But in a good way.
Read More
Thursday, August 09, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
In a recent Black Hat demonstration, RFID passport readers were reportedly "crashed" when a manipulated JPEG 2000 photo was included in an RFID-enabled passport. The corrupted image caused a "buffer overflow" fault in the readers by containing more data than was expected. This has been hyped as a problem with RFID but the truth is that it was a reader programming oversight. Tthe software should have rejected the data (and e-Passport) instead of allowing the buffer overflow to stop the reading program. What's the lesson here? That it's time for manufacturers and implementers of RFID to get paranoid. But in a good way.
Read More
RFID in the Food Chain: From Seed to Shelf
Thursday, August 02, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
In July of this year, a food recall, termed "urgent" by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), covered 90 different products, from chili sauce to corned beef hash to dog food, produced at a plant in Georgia linked to a botulism outbreak. Yet a week after this recall hit the news (TV, radio, print), some smaller stores in Georgia still had the products on the shelves because, reportedly, the stores' managers and employees hadn't heard about the recall.
Could RFID have helped by tracking those products to the store shelf to ensure removal? Absolutely. But RFID has so much more to offer in protecting the safety of food supplies.
Read More
Thursday, August 02, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
In July of this year, a food recall, termed "urgent" by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), covered 90 different products, from chili sauce to corned beef hash to dog food, produced at a plant in Georgia linked to a botulism outbreak. Yet a week after this recall hit the news (TV, radio, print), some smaller stores in Georgia still had the products on the shelves because, reportedly, the stores' managers and employees hadn't heard about the recall.
Could RFID have helped by tracking those products to the store shelf to ensure removal? Absolutely. But RFID has so much more to offer in protecting the safety of food supplies.
Read More
RFID: Critiquing the Critics
Thursday, July 26, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
To suggest that RFID is the perfect solution for every problem ignores the obvious: that there is no "perfect" solution for any problem. However, it's equally fallacious to suggest that limitations of an RFID technology mean it should not be deployed at all. Critics are often successful at pointing out what's “wrong” with RFID because they do so without providing either context or alternatives. So, here's a quick guide to uncovering the merit of RFID critiques that you might see
Read More
Thursday, July 26, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
To suggest that RFID is the perfect solution for every problem ignores the obvious: that there is no "perfect" solution for any problem. However, it's equally fallacious to suggest that limitations of an RFID technology mean it should not be deployed at all. Critics are often successful at pointing out what's “wrong” with RFID because they do so without providing either context or alternatives. So, here's a quick guide to uncovering the merit of RFID critiques that you might see
Read More
RFID and U.S. Ports – Where Does Security Fit into the Equation (updated 7/24/07)
Thursday, July 19, 2007
RFID Connections
Linda Young
Director, Business Development
AIM Global
The RFID Senate Caucus addressed the topic of Port Security last week in Washington, D.C. Some of the presentations raised the question about what really matters to marine terminal operators: security or efficiency. Are they at odds with each other or, in fact, could they both be addressed by a common solution?
Read More
Thursday, July 19, 2007
RFID Connections
Linda Young
Director, Business Development
AIM Global
The RFID Senate Caucus addressed the topic of Port Security last week in Washington, D.C. Some of the presentations raised the question about what really matters to marine terminal operators: security or efficiency. Are they at odds with each other or, in fact, could they both be addressed by a common solution?
Read More
RFID: Medical Information and Security
Thursday, July 12, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
A recent report, by the Council On Ethical and Judicial Affairs of the American Medical Association (AMA) looks at the use of RFID. While it acknowledges that there are no real medical risks, the report seems to confuse the current version of implantable RFID tags with other types of RFID tags. And, while the report doesn't really sound any real alarms about RFID, it's being reported by some media, at least in the headline of some articles, that the report highlights "significant risks."
Read More
Thursday, July 12, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
A recent report, by the Council On Ethical and Judicial Affairs of the American Medical Association (AMA) looks at the use of RFID. While it acknowledges that there are no real medical risks, the report seems to confuse the current version of implantable RFID tags with other types of RFID tags. And, while the report doesn't really sound any real alarms about RFID, it's being reported by some media, at least in the headline of some articles, that the report highlights "significant risks."
Read More
Editorial: What's in a Name? GS1 DataBar™ Status
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
AIM Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Earlier this year, GS1 announced that it was changing the designation of Reduced Space Symbology (RSS) to GS1 DataBar™. This has caused some confusion on the part of those ordering bar code standards or complying with symbology requirements in certain ISO and ISO/IEC documents. The short answer is that both EAN.UCC Composite (that includes the "RSS" component) and RSS bar code symbology standards are still valid and are still referenced in international standards. There is no technical difference between RSS and GS1 DataBar.
Read More
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
AIM Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Earlier this year, GS1 announced that it was changing the designation of Reduced Space Symbology (RSS) to GS1 DataBar™. This has caused some confusion on the part of those ordering bar code standards or complying with symbology requirements in certain ISO and ISO/IEC documents. The short answer is that both EAN.UCC Composite (that includes the "RSS" component) and RSS bar code symbology standards are still valid and are still referenced in international standards. There is no technical difference between RSS and GS1 DataBar.
Read More
RFID: Living Up to Expectations?
Thursday, June 28, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
A popular topic these days seems to be the slow growth of RFID in full-scale deployments across a broad range of applications. The implication is that RFID isn't delivering on its promise to bring about the "Internet of Things" and provide huge ROI. In fact, we should not be surprised by this. To really understand the state of RFID today, it's important to put the early expectations of the technology in perspective.
Read More
Thursday, June 28, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
A popular topic these days seems to be the slow growth of RFID in full-scale deployments across a broad range of applications. The implication is that RFID isn't delivering on its promise to bring about the "Internet of Things" and provide huge ROI. In fact, we should not be surprised by this. To really understand the state of RFID today, it's important to put the early expectations of the technology in perspective.
Read More
RFID: You've Got To Hand It To Consumers
June 21, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Articles often talk about the ways in which RFID will help improve delivery of goods through the supply chain to the consumer. While these improvements will certainly help ensure a good supply of the right products on store shelves, the benefits, to consumers, are essentially invisible -- something happening behind the scenes about which they know little and care less. Thus, despite these very real benefits, RFID doesn't generate much "buzz" at the consumer level. So how do you get consumers excited about RFID?
Read More
June 21, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Articles often talk about the ways in which RFID will help improve delivery of goods through the supply chain to the consumer. While these improvements will certainly help ensure a good supply of the right products on store shelves, the benefits, to consumers, are essentially invisible -- something happening behind the scenes about which they know little and care less. Thus, despite these very real benefits, RFID doesn't generate much "buzz" at the consumer level. So how do you get consumers excited about RFID?
Read More
RFID and Biometrics: A Bad Thing?
Thursday, June 14, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Here's something to add to privacy concerns: some worry that the inclusion of biometric data on an RFID-enabled identification document actually increases the risk of identity theft than RFID alone. In fact, the concern applies to any method of encoding biometric data that can be read from a card without the individual's express permission. The other technologies identified as "security risks" were 2D symbols and magnetic stripes, both of which are cited as possible technologies for use on future US ID cards. The concerns were voiced in comments to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in response to a call for comments on the proposed REAL ID Act.
Read More
Thursday, June 14, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Here's something to add to privacy concerns: some worry that the inclusion of biometric data on an RFID-enabled identification document actually increases the risk of identity theft than RFID alone. In fact, the concern applies to any method of encoding biometric data that can be read from a card without the individual's express permission. The other technologies identified as "security risks" were 2D symbols and magnetic stripes, both of which are cited as possible technologies for use on future US ID cards. The concerns were voiced in comments to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in response to a call for comments on the proposed REAL ID Act.
Read More
RFID, Bar Codes and Pharmaceutical Authenticity (Updated)
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
AIM Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Last month saw actions by both the US and European Union (EU) that demonstrated concern about the security of the pharmaceutical supply chain and a serious intent to stem the growing number of counterfeit drugs entering the supply chain. The US Senate passed legislation with product authentication provisions and the EU heard from the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations on proposed means to halt counterfeiting. Neither action, however, favors RFID and only the EU seems pre-disposed to using any form of automatic identification technology. (Updated 12 Jun 07)
Read More
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
AIM Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Last month saw actions by both the US and European Union (EU) that demonstrated concern about the security of the pharmaceutical supply chain and a serious intent to stem the growing number of counterfeit drugs entering the supply chain. The US Senate passed legislation with product authentication provisions and the EU heard from the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations on proposed means to halt counterfeiting. Neither action, however, favors RFID and only the EU seems pre-disposed to using any form of automatic identification technology. (Updated 12 Jun 07)
Read More
RFID, Bar Codes and Pharmaceutical Authenticity
Thursday, June 07, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Last month saw actions by both the US and European Union (EU) that demonstrated concern about the security of the pharmaceutical supply chain and a serious intent to stem the growing number of counterfeit drugs entering the supply chain. The US Senate passed legislation with product authentication provisions and the EU heard from the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations on proposed means to halt counterfeiting. Neither action, however, favors RFID and only the EU seems pre-disposed to using any form of automatic identification technology
Read More
Thursday, June 07, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Last month saw actions by both the US and European Union (EU) that demonstrated concern about the security of the pharmaceutical supply chain and a serious intent to stem the growing number of counterfeit drugs entering the supply chain. The US Senate passed legislation with product authentication provisions and the EU heard from the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations on proposed means to halt counterfeiting. Neither action, however, favors RFID and only the EU seems pre-disposed to using any form of automatic identification technology
Read More
RFID: Living in the (Mis)Information Age
Thursday, May 31, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
While recycling for the good of the environment seems to be slow catching on in some places, the recycling of misinformation about RFID seems to be doing quite well. And, these days, it seems that all that's necessary to be a pundit on RFID is to cite some of the previous misinformation to support some vague misgivings about technology -- whether or not they actually apply to RFID. And, it seems to be okay to argue both sides of the technology issue to prove your point: that it's a threat because it works too well and, at the same time, may be prone to failure.
Read More
Thursday, May 31, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
While recycling for the good of the environment seems to be slow catching on in some places, the recycling of misinformation about RFID seems to be doing quite well. And, these days, it seems that all that's necessary to be a pundit on RFID is to cite some of the previous misinformation to support some vague misgivings about technology -- whether or not they actually apply to RFID. And, it seems to be okay to argue both sides of the technology issue to prove your point: that it's a threat because it works too well and, at the same time, may be prone to failure.
Read More
RFID: Punish Behavior, Not Technology
Thursday, May 24, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Imagine an unconscious patient requiring immediate medical care being brought into an emergency room following a natural disaster or some other emergency. The person has an RFID card that would give medical professionals access to critical health information and medical history. But they're prohibited from reading it because it would violate the individual's rights to privacy.
Is this an unbelievable scenario? Not really. This year, legislators are considering a plethora of RFID legislation and, unless we're careful, this scenario might well be played out in emergency rooms across the country.
Read More
Thursday, May 24, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Imagine an unconscious patient requiring immediate medical care being brought into an emergency room following a natural disaster or some other emergency. The person has an RFID card that would give medical professionals access to critical health information and medical history. But they're prohibited from reading it because it would violate the individual's rights to privacy.
Is this an unbelievable scenario? Not really. This year, legislators are considering a plethora of RFID legislation and, unless we're careful, this scenario might well be played out in emergency rooms across the country.
Read More
RFID: Container e-Seals Promise: Will Governments Deliver?
Thursday, May 17, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
The announcement last week that ISO has added air interface protocols to its 18185 series for electronic security seals (e-Seals) for containers means that, for the first time, e-Seal vendors can develop interoperable products. The promise of an e-Seal standard is that seaports could automatically identify containers that have been tampered with. This will help guard against biological and toxicological attacks as well as to combat the proliferation of counterfeit and diverted products and to help prevent human smuggling.
However, for this promise to truly pay off, it's up to governments to develop "green lanes" to speed clearance of containers through Customs in order to provide sufficient incentive for companies to use e-Seals.
Read More
Thursday, May 17, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
The announcement last week that ISO has added air interface protocols to its 18185 series for electronic security seals (e-Seals) for containers means that, for the first time, e-Seal vendors can develop interoperable products. The promise of an e-Seal standard is that seaports could automatically identify containers that have been tampered with. This will help guard against biological and toxicological attacks as well as to combat the proliferation of counterfeit and diverted products and to help prevent human smuggling.
However, for this promise to truly pay off, it's up to governments to develop "green lanes" to speed clearance of containers through Customs in order to provide sufficient incentive for companies to use e-Seals.
Read More
RFID: Turn to RFID in an Emergency
Thursday, May 10, 2007
RFID Connections
Linda Young
Director, Business Development
AIM Global
The 21st century has already seen more than its share of natural disasters and man-made tragedies -- from the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on 9/11 to the horrific conditions in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. These events have shattered thousands of lives and left family members of both victims and emergency personnel wondering -- for days or weeks -- about the fate of loved ones.
These events have also alerted us to the need to improve emergency communication systems for future disaster situations. This week, U.S. congressional staffers learned that RFID is one technology that can make a significant difference.
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Thursday, May 10, 2007
RFID Connections
Linda Young
Director, Business Development
AIM Global
The 21st century has already seen more than its share of natural disasters and man-made tragedies -- from the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on 9/11 to the horrific conditions in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. These events have shattered thousands of lives and left family members of both victims and emergency personnel wondering -- for days or weeks -- about the fate of loved ones.
These events have also alerted us to the need to improve emergency communication systems for future disaster situations. This week, U.S. congressional staffers learned that RFID is one technology that can make a significant difference.
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Editorial: 2D Symbols: A Hot Topic
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
AIM Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
While a lot of media attention might be focused on the recent introduction and licensing of Microsoft's High Capacity Color Barcode, there's much more going on with 2D symbols than might be obvious. From the quality of direct marked parts to the development of standards for new 2D symbologies, AIM Global's Technical Symbology Committee (TSC) is playing a key role in developing rigorous, global solutions for a wide range of industries and applications.
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Tuesday, May 08, 2007
AIM Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
While a lot of media attention might be focused on the recent introduction and licensing of Microsoft's High Capacity Color Barcode, there's much more going on with 2D symbols than might be obvious. From the quality of direct marked parts to the development of standards for new 2D symbologies, AIM Global's Technical Symbology Committee (TSC) is playing a key role in developing rigorous, global solutions for a wide range of industries and applications.
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Bar Codes: Not Dead by a Long "Shot"
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
AIM Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
It's abundantly clear from the recent announcement of the Microsoft multi-color matrix code for product authenticity and the new symbologies being developed in AIM's Technical Symbology Committee that bar code is still very much alive and well. But this column isn't about the nitty-gritty, day-to-day industrial and commercial kind of bar codes. It's about bar codes and popular culture.
Bar codes and matrix symbols have shown up in pop culture before -- first as objects of protest for "messing up" the design of products and periodicals (Mad Magazine ran a full page U.P.C. symbol on the cover in protest of having to add it to the cover) -- and later as the subject of pricey artwork. Never, however, has a lowly optical symbol achieved true "cult" status. Until now.
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Tuesday, May 08, 2007
AIM Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
It's abundantly clear from the recent announcement of the Microsoft multi-color matrix code for product authenticity and the new symbologies being developed in AIM's Technical Symbology Committee that bar code is still very much alive and well. But this column isn't about the nitty-gritty, day-to-day industrial and commercial kind of bar codes. It's about bar codes and popular culture.
Bar codes and matrix symbols have shown up in pop culture before -- first as objects of protest for "messing up" the design of products and periodicals (Mad Magazine ran a full page U.P.C. symbol on the cover in protest of having to add it to the cover) -- and later as the subject of pricey artwork. Never, however, has a lowly optical symbol achieved true "cult" status. Until now.
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RFID's "Lack of Maturity" a Good Thing
Thursday, May 03, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
With a "mature" technology, you don't often see much by way of startling innovation. By that measure, one thing that was abundantly clear at RFID Journal LIVE! in Orlando earlier this week is that RFID is far from "mature." Companies are developing truly novel applications of RFID and, in some cases, even redefining the paradigm of how RFID is used. Whether any of these new ideas actually see wide spread deployment isn't important. What's important is that creative thinking is rampant in the field of RFID and indications are that the industry will continue to move forward in new and innovative ways for years to come.
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Thursday, May 03, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
With a "mature" technology, you don't often see much by way of startling innovation. By that measure, one thing that was abundantly clear at RFID Journal LIVE! in Orlando earlier this week is that RFID is far from "mature." Companies are developing truly novel applications of RFID and, in some cases, even redefining the paradigm of how RFID is used. Whether any of these new ideas actually see wide spread deployment isn't important. What's important is that creative thinking is rampant in the field of RFID and indications are that the industry will continue to move forward in new and innovative ways for years to come.
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RFID: "Balanced Articles" - Enough Already
Thursday, April 26, 2007
RFID Connections
Dan Mullen
President
AIM Global
Recently, two different publications -- one which should have been quite reputable -- offered what appear, on first glance, to be attempts at balanced articles of RFID. They provided an overview, benefits and potential pitfalls (aka threats). On closer reading, however, it's clear that they were written, not by journalists or analysts, but by "researchers" who know very little about the technology. The kind of "balance" in these articles does more harm than good.
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Thursday, April 26, 2007
RFID Connections
Dan Mullen
President
AIM Global
Recently, two different publications -- one which should have been quite reputable -- offered what appear, on first glance, to be attempts at balanced articles of RFID. They provided an overview, benefits and potential pitfalls (aka threats). On closer reading, however, it's clear that they were written, not by journalists or analysts, but by "researchers" who know very little about the technology. The kind of "balance" in these articles does more harm than good.
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RFID: Good Enough for Healthcare Asset Tracking?
Thursday, April 19, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Recent articles questioning the use of WiFi-based RFID asset tracking (Real Time Locating Systems or RTLS) in healthcare suggest that the ROI has yet to be proven, despite reports from multiple vendors and healthcare providers who have implemented pilots. The authors believe that RFID is too limited to provide the full range of functions needed for real ROI. On the one hand, they're right -- simply sticking an RFID tag on an asset is fairly useless. On the other hand, they're wrong -- the limitation isn't necessarily with RFID but with back-end systems.
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Thursday, April 19, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Recent articles questioning the use of WiFi-based RFID asset tracking (Real Time Locating Systems or RTLS) in healthcare suggest that the ROI has yet to be proven, despite reports from multiple vendors and healthcare providers who have implemented pilots. The authors believe that RFID is too limited to provide the full range of functions needed for real ROI. On the one hand, they're right -- simply sticking an RFID tag on an asset is fairly useless. On the other hand, they're wrong -- the limitation isn't necessarily with RFID but with back-end systems.
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RFID: How Can I Help You Today?
Thursday, April 12, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
[Editor's Note: this is a blog entry made by an RFID tag]
Can I help you track your food back to the specific section of a field in which it was grown in cases of contamination? Can I help ensure the structural safety of your parking garage? Can I help you be reunited with your lost pet? Can I help you make sure everyone has safely evacuated your building in the case of an emergency? Can I help ensure the authenticity and safety of your drugs? Can I help secure your border against biological and chemical threats? Can I help ensure that critical safety equipment in your building is present and functioning? Can I help ensure that you get the proper medical treatment? Can I help you find your luggage among thousands of bags after severe weather has forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights? Can I help ensure that HazMat equipment will protect those who are trying to protect you?
I will...if you'll let me.
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Thursday, April 12, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
[Editor's Note: this is a blog entry made by an RFID tag]
Can I help you track your food back to the specific section of a field in which it was grown in cases of contamination? Can I help ensure the structural safety of your parking garage? Can I help you be reunited with your lost pet? Can I help you make sure everyone has safely evacuated your building in the case of an emergency? Can I help ensure the authenticity and safety of your drugs? Can I help secure your border against biological and chemical threats? Can I help ensure that critical safety equipment in your building is present and functioning? Can I help ensure that you get the proper medical treatment? Can I help you find your luggage among thousands of bags after severe weather has forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights? Can I help ensure that HazMat equipment will protect those who are trying to protect you?
I will...if you'll let me.
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RFID: Visibility Beyond the Supply Chain
Thursday, April 05, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
While there continues to be tremendous benefits to be gained from RFID in supply chain applications, it's a mistake to believe that simply providing product visibility from Point A to Point B (and all the points in between) is what constitutes "visibility." For many businesses and organizations, asset visibility is as important as -- or more important than -- the visibility of its products.
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Thursday, April 05, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
While there continues to be tremendous benefits to be gained from RFID in supply chain applications, it's a mistake to believe that simply providing product visibility from Point A to Point B (and all the points in between) is what constitutes "visibility." For many businesses and organizations, asset visibility is as important as -- or more important than -- the visibility of its products.
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Container Tracking: RFID vs. Satellite -- An Honest Evaluation
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Bert Moore
Editor
One recent article contrasting RFID and satellite tracking for cargo containers raised some interesting points. Unfortunately, instead of focusing on positive aspects of what satellite tracking could offer, it concentrated on making some fairly dubious assertions about the "faults" of RFID. So, what is the truth about satellite versus RFID for container tracking?
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Thursday, March 29, 2007
Bert Moore
Editor
One recent article contrasting RFID and satellite tracking for cargo containers raised some interesting points. Unfortunately, instead of focusing on positive aspects of what satellite tracking could offer, it concentrated on making some fairly dubious assertions about the "faults" of RFID. So, what is the truth about satellite versus RFID for container tracking?
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RFID: Patent Absurdity
Thursday, March 22, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
A recently revealed patent application describes a method for tracking shoppers and their habits using an RFID-enabled item carried by the shopper such as a financial transaction card.
That patent application is part of a proposed "blueprint" for consumer habit monitoring and tracking using a variety of RFID-enabled items. The application also suggested that "consumer tracker" stations (RFID readers) could also be placed in common areas such as schools, shopping centers, bus stations or other places of public accommodation.
There are two things wrong with this. Can you guess what they are?
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Thursday, March 22, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
A recently revealed patent application describes a method for tracking shoppers and their habits using an RFID-enabled item carried by the shopper such as a financial transaction card.
That patent application is part of a proposed "blueprint" for consumer habit monitoring and tracking using a variety of RFID-enabled items. The application also suggested that "consumer tracker" stations (RFID readers) could also be placed in common areas such as schools, shopping centers, bus stations or other places of public accommodation.
There are two things wrong with this. Can you guess what they are?
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RFID: "Et tu, Brute?" -- Killing Some RFID "Truths"
Thursday, March 15, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Since this issue comes out on the Ides of March, the date on which Julius Caesar was reportedly murdered in the Forum by the Senators of Rome "for the good of Rome," it seems appropriate to try to "kill" some widely held "truths" about RFID. Since "RFID Connections" tends to explain the benefits of RFID, this may be seen as "traitorous" -- but it needs to be done "for the good of the industry." Because telling the truth about RFID is the true purpose of this e-newsletter.
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Thursday, March 15, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
Since this issue comes out on the Ides of March, the date on which Julius Caesar was reportedly murdered in the Forum by the Senators of Rome "for the good of Rome," it seems appropriate to try to "kill" some widely held "truths" about RFID. Since "RFID Connections" tends to explain the benefits of RFID, this may be seen as "traitorous" -- but it needs to be done "for the good of the industry." Because telling the truth about RFID is the true purpose of this e-newsletter.
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AIM Viewpoint: "Real ID" Reality Check
March 13, 2007
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
In what has been called a "victory" for privacy advocates, on March 1, 2007 U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff suggested using bar code technology rather than RFID as the machine readable technology on U.S. driver's licenses. As far as this being a "victory" for the privacy advocates, it's a small one at best since they were the only ones who assumed that RFID would be required. Since 45 states and the District of Columbia already have a 2D bar code with the driver's information on it, that seemed, to many, to be a logical approach for making driver's license machine readable. And 2D symbols are entirely capable of encoding biometric information as well -- at a fraction of the cost (and public resistance) of RFID.
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March 13, 2007
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
In what has been called a "victory" for privacy advocates, on March 1, 2007 U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff suggested using bar code technology rather than RFID as the machine readable technology on U.S. driver's licenses. As far as this being a "victory" for the privacy advocates, it's a small one at best since they were the only ones who assumed that RFID would be required. Since 45 states and the District of Columbia already have a 2D bar code with the driver's information on it, that seemed, to many, to be a logical approach for making driver's license machine readable. And 2D symbols are entirely capable of encoding biometric information as well -- at a fraction of the cost (and public resistance) of RFID.
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President's Message: On The Road With AIDC
March 13, 2007
AIM Global
Dan Mullen
President, AIM Global
Last week, as I sat on the tarmac at Washington’s Reagan National airport, following the AIM Showcase and the first event supporting the RFID Caucus in Washington, D.C., I had a chance to reflect on the state of the RFID industry from two different perspectives. I spent time with executives from vendor and user organizations who are the thought leaders in the development and application of the full range of automatic data collection technology and who are naturally enthusiastic about the promise of the technologies. During the same span, I also crossed paths with key “influencers” in government and media who, while interested, clearly have a limited understanding of RFID and are somewhat skeptical about industry claims.
While RFID may be getting the majority of press these days, the conclusions I reached are true for the entire AIDC community.
Read More
March 13, 2007
AIM Global
Dan Mullen
President, AIM Global
Last week, as I sat on the tarmac at Washington’s Reagan National airport, following the AIM Showcase and the first event supporting the RFID Caucus in Washington, D.C., I had a chance to reflect on the state of the RFID industry from two different perspectives. I spent time with executives from vendor and user organizations who are the thought leaders in the development and application of the full range of automatic data collection technology and who are naturally enthusiastic about the promise of the technologies. During the same span, I also crossed paths with key “influencers” in government and media who, while interested, clearly have a limited understanding of RFID and are somewhat skeptical about industry claims.
While RFID may be getting the majority of press these days, the conclusions I reached are true for the entire AIDC community.
Read More
President's Message: On The Road With AIDC
March 13, 2007
AIM Global
Dan Mullen
President, AIM Global
Last week, as I sat on the tarmac at Washington’s Reagan National airport, following the AIM Showcase and the first event supporting the RFID Caucus in Washington, D.C., I had a chance to reflect on the state of the RFID industry from two different perspectives. I spent time with executives from vendor and user organizations who are the thought leaders in the development and application of the full range of automatic data collection technology and who are naturally enthusiastic about the promise of the technologies. During the same span, I also crossed paths with key “influencers” in government and media who, while interested, clearly have a limited understanding of RFID and are somewhat skeptical about industry claims.
While RFID may be getting the majority of press these days, the conclusions I reached are true for the entire AIDC community.
Read More
March 13, 2007
AIM Global
Dan Mullen
President, AIM Global
Last week, as I sat on the tarmac at Washington’s Reagan National airport, following the AIM Showcase and the first event supporting the RFID Caucus in Washington, D.C., I had a chance to reflect on the state of the RFID industry from two different perspectives. I spent time with executives from vendor and user organizations who are the thought leaders in the development and application of the full range of automatic data collection technology and who are naturally enthusiastic about the promise of the technologies. During the same span, I also crossed paths with key “influencers” in government and media who, while interested, clearly have a limited understanding of RFID and are somewhat skeptical about industry claims.
While RFID may be getting the majority of press these days, the conclusions I reached are true for the entire AIDC community.
Read More
RFID Traveling Blues
March 8, 2007
RFID Connections
Dan Mullen
President, AIM Global
Last week, as I sat on the tarmac at Washington’s Reagan National airport, following the AIM Showcase and the first event supporting the RFID Caucus in Washington, D.C., I had a chance to reflect on the state of the RFID industry from two different perspectives. I spent time with executives from vendor and user organizations who are the thought leaders in the development and application of the full range of automatic data collection technology and who are naturally enthusiastic about the promise of the technologies. During the same span, I also crossed paths with key “influencers” in government and media who, while interested, clearly have a limited understanding of RFID and are somewhat skeptical about industry claims.
Read More
March 8, 2007
RFID Connections
Dan Mullen
President, AIM Global
Last week, as I sat on the tarmac at Washington’s Reagan National airport, following the AIM Showcase and the first event supporting the RFID Caucus in Washington, D.C., I had a chance to reflect on the state of the RFID industry from two different perspectives. I spent time with executives from vendor and user organizations who are the thought leaders in the development and application of the full range of automatic data collection technology and who are naturally enthusiastic about the promise of the technologies. During the same span, I also crossed paths with key “influencers” in government and media who, while interested, clearly have a limited understanding of RFID and are somewhat skeptical about industry claims.
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RFID: Capacity or Connectivity?
Thursday, March 01, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
In a recent interview, Larry Graham, co-chair of the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) Automatic Identification and Data Collection Workgroup, stated that the auto industry has determined it needs a 1 or 2 kbit tag for its needs. While the auto industry's requirement may seem, to some, to be somewhat excessive, consider that the aerospace industry may need 8 kbits.
This raises the question about the intended function of a serialized AIDC "label" -- should it be merely a license plate for lookup or should it contain enough information to be useful all by itself. It's not a new question.
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Thursday, March 01, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
In a recent interview, Larry Graham, co-chair of the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) Automatic Identification and Data Collection Workgroup, stated that the auto industry has determined it needs a 1 or 2 kbit tag for its needs. While the auto industry's requirement may seem, to some, to be somewhat excessive, consider that the aerospace industry may need 8 kbits.
This raises the question about the intended function of a serialized AIDC "label" -- should it be merely a license plate for lookup or should it contain enough information to be useful all by itself. It's not a new question.
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RFID: Successful Failure
Thursday, February 22, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
An article in the February 15, 2006 Wall Street Journal ("Wal-Mart's Radio-Tracked Inventory Hits Static") points out that Wal-Mart's roll-out has not met early projections and cites cost and lack of supplier ROI as potential elements that might derail the whole project.
And, while the article's facts are essentially correct, it seems to have been written with the idea that "bad news is good news" -- that is, focusing on the negatives makes better reading. It also seems to suggest that, if implementation of new technology does not go exactly as planned and on a strict schedule, it's destined to fail.
One is reminded, at this point, of the (in)famous article published in a reputable business magazine (that shall remain nameless) ten years after the announcement of the original U.P.C. code and symbol entitled, "UPC, the Grand Experiment That Failed."
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Thursday, February 22, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
An article in the February 15, 2006 Wall Street Journal ("Wal-Mart's Radio-Tracked Inventory Hits Static") points out that Wal-Mart's roll-out has not met early projections and cites cost and lack of supplier ROI as potential elements that might derail the whole project.
And, while the article's facts are essentially correct, it seems to have been written with the idea that "bad news is good news" -- that is, focusing on the negatives makes better reading. It also seems to suggest that, if implementation of new technology does not go exactly as planned and on a strict schedule, it's destined to fail.
One is reminded, at this point, of the (in)famous article published in a reputable business magazine (that shall remain nameless) ten years after the announcement of the original U.P.C. code and symbol entitled, "UPC, the Grand Experiment That Failed."
Read More
RFID: What's in a Name?
Thursday, February 15, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
What's in a name...or more precisely a term? As Phil Calderbank pointed out in his "Hear and Know" interviews in the past two issues, quite a lot. While it's obvious that the term "spychips" was intentionally coined to instill fear and suspicion in the general public, it seems that the standard term "RFID" may have a similar effect on some people. And that's something the RFID community should consider. And, yes, there are lessons to be learned from bar code implementations.
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Thursday, February 15, 2007
RFID Connections
Bert Moore
Editor
What's in a name...or more precisely a term? As Phil Calderbank pointed out in his "Hear and Know" interviews in the past two issues, quite a lot. While it's obvious that the term "spychips" was intentionally coined to instill fear and suspicion in the general public, it seems that the standard term "RFID" may have a similar effect on some people. And that's something the RFID community should consider. And, yes, there are lessons to be learned from bar code implementations.
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What's In a Number?
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
AIM Global
The recent U.S. FDA decision to require a Unique Device Identifier (UDI) for medical devices has sparked some controversy over which system to use and the potential costs of implementation. While the sophistication of, and reliance on, computer systems today is a far cry from what it was 35 years ago when the original U.P.C. coding system was announced, the analogy -- and its message -- are still valid.
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Tuesday, February 13, 2007
AIM Global
The recent U.S. FDA decision to require a Unique Device Identifier (UDI) for medical devices has sparked some controversy over which system to use and the potential costs of implementation. While the sophistication of, and reliance on, computer systems today is a far cry from what it was 35 years ago when the original U.P.C. coding system was announced, the analogy -- and its message -- are still valid.
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Bar Code: GS1 to Rename RSS
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
GS1 solutions partners have reported that GS1 will rename Reduced Space Symbology (RSS). The reason for the change is reportedly to avoid possible user confusion with the acronym for Really Simple Syndication (RSS) that is prevalent for web feeds. Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is better known to the general public. A public announcement of the change is expected to be made on February 14, 2007.
The question is whether the "rebranding" of RSS symbology will benefit the industry or simply cause unnecessary confusion and expense.
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Tuesday, February 13, 2007
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
GS1 solutions partners have reported that GS1 will rename Reduced Space Symbology (RSS). The reason for the change is reportedly to avoid possible user confusion with the acronym for Really Simple Syndication (RSS) that is prevalent for web feeds. Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is better known to the general public. A public announcement of the change is expected to be made on February 14, 2007.
The question is whether the "rebranding" of RSS symbology will benefit the industry or simply cause unnecessary confusion and expense.
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RFID: Smart People + Smart Cards = Dumb Hacking Scheme
Thursday, February 08, 2007
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
In one of those articles that makes you wonder whether some researchers don't need a better hobby, it has been reported that two members of Cambridge University's Computer Laboratory have devised a way to pull off fraudulent financial transactions using PIN-protected smart cards currently being deployed in the UK (to replace conventional magnetic stripe cards). The scheme involves a fraudulent (modified) card reader being placed in a legitimate place of business, the legitimate smart card (being used by a customer), two laptop computers, GSM or WiFi communications between them, a mutilated smart card in the hands of a criminal, a backpack, split-second timing and a few other minor issues.
The whole exercise is designed to prove that the new smart cards are not as secure as is being claimed. Of course, the fact that this scenario is wildly complex and the fact that these smart cards are a whole lot more secure than the magnetic stripe cards they're replacing doesn't seem to enter into the equation.
Read More
Thursday, February 08, 2007
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
In one of those articles that makes you wonder whether some researchers don't need a better hobby, it has been reported that two members of Cambridge University's Computer Laboratory have devised a way to pull off fraudulent financial transactions using PIN-protected smart cards currently being deployed in the UK (to replace conventional magnetic stripe cards). The scheme involves a fraudulent (modified) card reader being placed in a legitimate place of business, the legitimate smart card (being used by a customer), two laptop computers, GSM or WiFi communications between them, a mutilated smart card in the hands of a criminal, a backpack, split-second timing and a few other minor issues.
The whole exercise is designed to prove that the new smart cards are not as secure as is being claimed. Of course, the fact that this scenario is wildly complex and the fact that these smart cards are a whole lot more secure than the magnetic stripe cards they're replacing doesn't seem to enter into the equation.
Read More
RFID: Near Field Close at Hand?
Thursday, February 01, 2007
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
Over the past year, there have been a few announcements about the ability of long-range tags to be read by near field communications (NFC) techniques. The significance of this is that properly configured Gen2 UHF tags could be employed for item-level tagging where it's important to differentiate among a number of closely spaced items for applications such as retail checkout or hospital pharmacies.
NFC, however, is stirring more interest in more consumer-oriented applications that can be integrated into NFC-enabled mobile phones. Will these applications bring us one step closer to general acceptance of RFID or will consumers see NFC as being an entirely different technology?
Read More
Thursday, February 01, 2007
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
Over the past year, there have been a few announcements about the ability of long-range tags to be read by near field communications (NFC) techniques. The significance of this is that properly configured Gen2 UHF tags could be employed for item-level tagging where it's important to differentiate among a number of closely spaced items for applications such as retail checkout or hospital pharmacies.
NFC, however, is stirring more interest in more consumer-oriented applications that can be integrated into NFC-enabled mobile phones. Will these applications bring us one step closer to general acceptance of RFID or will consumers see NFC as being an entirely different technology?
Read More
RFID: It's Not for the Birds...Yet
Thursday, January 25, 2007
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
Those with a long history in the AIDC industry might remember "Buzz," the bar coded bee. Researchers affixed special, very small bar code symbols to bees to track their exit and entry to hives. Back in the mid-80s, researchers had called the AIM office to inquire about the possibility of using RFID to track the bees but, at the time, even the smallest transponders were too heavy to allow the bees to fly -- and that would rather have defeated the purpose of the study.
Today, however, it's a different world. "Buzz" now has some thoroughly modern cousins that are being tracked with, yes, RFID. But that's not the most important part of the story.
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Thursday, January 25, 2007
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
Those with a long history in the AIDC industry might remember "Buzz," the bar coded bee. Researchers affixed special, very small bar code symbols to bees to track their exit and entry to hives. Back in the mid-80s, researchers had called the AIM office to inquire about the possibility of using RFID to track the bees but, at the time, even the smallest transponders were too heavy to allow the bees to fly -- and that would rather have defeated the purpose of the study.
Today, however, it's a different world. "Buzz" now has some thoroughly modern cousins that are being tracked with, yes, RFID. But that's not the most important part of the story.
Read More
Putting RFID In Its Place
Thursday, January 18, 2007
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
The recent acquisition of WhereNet by Zebra Technologies has momentarily raised public awareness about Real Time Locating Systems (RTLS) -- an awareness that's perhaps long over due. And it will likely create debate about proprietary RTLS systems versus those that use WiFi. The relative merits of different RTLS systems -- or even RTLS itself -- isn't the issue here. The issue is ROI.
Read More
Thursday, January 18, 2007
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
The recent acquisition of WhereNet by Zebra Technologies has momentarily raised public awareness about Real Time Locating Systems (RTLS) -- an awareness that's perhaps long over due. And it will likely create debate about proprietary RTLS systems versus those that use WiFi. The relative merits of different RTLS systems -- or even RTLS itself -- isn't the issue here. The issue is ROI.
Read More
RFID: Market Fragmentation or Creative Expansion?
Thursday, January 11, 2007
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
Ultra-low, low, high and ultrahigh frequency; active, passive, battery-assisted passive; license plate only, huge memories; read-only, read/write; labels, tags, cards, RFID-enabled cell phones -- the proliferation of options for RFID is mind-boggling. Does this indicate a total lack of direction in the future of RFID or is it a sign that the technology is healthy, robust, and still growing? A recent, media teleconference presented by AIM Global featuring Julie England, of Texas Instruments, and Joe White, of Motorola Enterprise Mobility (formerly Symbol Technologies) provided some keen insight into this dynamic.
Read More
Thursday, January 11, 2007
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
Ultra-low, low, high and ultrahigh frequency; active, passive, battery-assisted passive; license plate only, huge memories; read-only, read/write; labels, tags, cards, RFID-enabled cell phones -- the proliferation of options for RFID is mind-boggling. Does this indicate a total lack of direction in the future of RFID or is it a sign that the technology is healthy, robust, and still growing? A recent, media teleconference presented by AIM Global featuring Julie England, of Texas Instruments, and Joe White, of Motorola Enterprise Mobility (formerly Symbol Technologies) provided some keen insight into this dynamic.
Read More
Editorial: For Matrix Symbols - A Fuzzy Future
January 9, 2007
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
Of course, that's the good news. With the increased need to provide permanent part identification under extreme manufacturing and use conditions, direct part marking (DPM) of matrix symbols, primarily Data Matrix, is proving to be the only viable solution. In some cases, the symbol is applied to the part prior to chemical etching, machining or other processes that create pitted, etched or other difficult backgrounds that may cause variable specular reflection. In other cases, the part is powder coated which creates a "fuzzy" surface which greatly reduces contrast and increases the difficulty of locating the symbol. To complicate matters, some marking technologies are not capable of producing smooth lines of dots.
Up to this point, it has not been possible to assess the potential readability (quality) of these small symbols with established print quality guidelines. The approval of the AIM Direct Part Marking Quality Guidelines is the first step in addressing this need.
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January 9, 2007
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
Of course, that's the good news. With the increased need to provide permanent part identification under extreme manufacturing and use conditions, direct part marking (DPM) of matrix symbols, primarily Data Matrix, is proving to be the only viable solution. In some cases, the symbol is applied to the part prior to chemical etching, machining or other processes that create pitted, etched or other difficult backgrounds that may cause variable specular reflection. In other cases, the part is powder coated which creates a "fuzzy" surface which greatly reduces contrast and increases the difficulty of locating the symbol. To complicate matters, some marking technologies are not capable of producing smooth lines of dots.
Up to this point, it has not been possible to assess the potential readability (quality) of these small symbols with established print quality guidelines. The approval of the AIM Direct Part Marking Quality Guidelines is the first step in addressing this need.
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RFID: Close At Hand
Thursday, January 04, 2007
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
In 2006, much of the media attention focused, justifiably, on Gen2 UHF and longer-range RFID tags for use in logistics. As we enter 2007, however, equal attention should be given to applications a little "closer at hand" -- in fact, in your hand. Integration of RFID readers into cell phones and PDAs, along with advances in sensor-enabled tags and the growing interest in Near Field Communications (NFC) applications and sensors, might see an entirely new RFID model emerging: personal RFID.
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Thursday, January 04, 2007
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
In 2006, much of the media attention focused, justifiably, on Gen2 UHF and longer-range RFID tags for use in logistics. As we enter 2007, however, equal attention should be given to applications a little "closer at hand" -- in fact, in your hand. Integration of RFID readers into cell phones and PDAs, along with advances in sensor-enabled tags and the growing interest in Near Field Communications (NFC) applications and sensors, might see an entirely new RFID model emerging: personal RFID.
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RFID: Success by Association
Thursday, December 21, 2006
AIM Global
Dan Mullen
President, AIM Global
If one thing differentiates successful innovators from laggards, it's this: leadership -- leadership in the development of standards, in studies, in pilot programs, in the broad advancement of their particular field. Yes, it's an investment -- in time, in personnel, in money, in risk -- but the ROI comes in more ways than the laggards will ever see.
Innovators take risks and laggards think that, by waiting, they can simply reap all the benefits of the efforts of the innovators. But laggards often find that, by the time they discover a particular application requirement or process doesn't fit well with their operations, it's too late to change the requirement. Why? Because the innovators have developed requirements and processes that meet their needs. And laggards sat on the sidelines while their futures were decided by others.
So, as 2006 comes to a close, you have to ask yourself whether you're going to be an innovator or a laggard in 2007. Will you control your future or be controlled by it?
Read More
Thursday, December 21, 2006
AIM Global
Dan Mullen
President, AIM Global
If one thing differentiates successful innovators from laggards, it's this: leadership -- leadership in the development of standards, in studies, in pilot programs, in the broad advancement of their particular field. Yes, it's an investment -- in time, in personnel, in money, in risk -- but the ROI comes in more ways than the laggards will ever see.
Innovators take risks and laggards think that, by waiting, they can simply reap all the benefits of the efforts of the innovators. But laggards often find that, by the time they discover a particular application requirement or process doesn't fit well with their operations, it's too late to change the requirement. Why? Because the innovators have developed requirements and processes that meet their needs. And laggards sat on the sidelines while their futures were decided by others.
So, as 2006 comes to a close, you have to ask yourself whether you're going to be an innovator or a laggard in 2007. Will you control your future or be controlled by it?
Read More
RFID: Active, Passive and Other -- Clarification
Thursday, December 14, 2006
AIM Global
Craig K. Harmon
QED Systems
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 31 Vocabulary Rapporteur
GUEST EDITORIAL: The AIM Viewpoint in the December 7, 2006 issue of RFID Connections confuses rather than clarifies the question. The following is a response to that column and an attempt to more clearly define the distinction between "active" and "passive" tags.
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Thursday, December 14, 2006
AIM Global
Craig K. Harmon
QED Systems
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 31 Vocabulary Rapporteur
GUEST EDITORIAL: The AIM Viewpoint in the December 7, 2006 issue of RFID Connections confuses rather than clarifies the question. The following is a response to that column and an attempt to more clearly define the distinction between "active" and "passive" tags.
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Bar Codes: Still Alive and Kicking
December 12, 2006
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
Not only are bar codes still very much alive, they're becoming a critical component in helping to save lives, particularly in the area of pharmaceuticals and patient care.
With the recent emphasis on the potential use of RFID in the healthcare supply chain, it's easy to forget that bar codes are the only data collection technology currently mandated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and documented to improve patient care and reduce medication errors.
Read More
December 12, 2006
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
Not only are bar codes still very much alive, they're becoming a critical component in helping to save lives, particularly in the area of pharmaceuticals and patient care.
With the recent emphasis on the potential use of RFID in the healthcare supply chain, it's easy to forget that bar codes are the only data collection technology currently mandated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and documented to improve patient care and reduce medication errors.
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RFID: Active, Passive or Other?
Thursday, December 07, 2006
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
With interest in sensor-enabled or extended memory (in the range of kilobytes) RFID tags, people are becoming aware of the fact that some passive RFID tags have batteries in them to power sensors, data loggers and maintain memory. The terms "semi-active," "semi-passive," and "battery assisted passive (BAP)" are being used rather interchangeably to describe this type of tag. But what do these terms really mean? And does the industry even agree on the definition of active?
Read More
Thursday, December 07, 2006
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
With interest in sensor-enabled or extended memory (in the range of kilobytes) RFID tags, people are becoming aware of the fact that some passive RFID tags have batteries in them to power sensors, data loggers and maintain memory. The terms "semi-active," "semi-passive," and "battery assisted passive (BAP)" are being used rather interchangeably to describe this type of tag. But what do these terms really mean? And does the industry even agree on the definition of active?
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Guest Viewpoint: RFID Violates Packaging Symmetry -- What To Do About It
Thursday, November 16, 2006
AIM Global
Packaging design deals with form, fit, function and aesthetics. These elements constitute the basis for nearly all product packaging as we know it. Adding singular features or foreign devices such as RFID tags can induce asymmetry and present enormous challenges to packaging design.
Read More
Thursday, November 16, 2006
AIM Global
Packaging design deals with form, fit, function and aesthetics. These elements constitute the basis for nearly all product packaging as we know it. Adding singular features or foreign devices such as RFID tags can induce asymmetry and present enormous challenges to packaging design.
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AIDC Technologies: Teleconvergence
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
AIM Global
AIM Global's position has always been that Automatic Identification and Mobility (AIM) products are a family of technologies that can work together as part of a larger enterprise system. Today, it's not difficult to find examples of this where, for example, both RFID and bar codes are being used in logistics applications. What is less obvious, however, are some of the ways AIM technologies have been, and are being, integrated with more mainstream applications.
Read More
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
AIM Global
AIM Global's position has always been that Automatic Identification and Mobility (AIM) products are a family of technologies that can work together as part of a larger enterprise system. Today, it's not difficult to find examples of this where, for example, both RFID and bar codes are being used in logistics applications. What is less obvious, however, are some of the ways AIM technologies have been, and are being, integrated with more mainstream applications.
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RFID Issues: Privacy in Public Places
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
AIM Global
For those following the various privacy concern debates, two new applications have surfaced to fuel fears of privacy invasion: one designed for access control that allows companies to track employees within their facilities and one intended to track passengers in airline terminals. These applications are, in the eyes of many concerned with personal privacy, embodiments of their worst nightmares. But now it's time to ask the question, "How much privacy are we entitled to in a public place?"
Read More
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
AIM Global
For those following the various privacy concern debates, two new applications have surfaced to fuel fears of privacy invasion: one designed for access control that allows companies to track employees within their facilities and one intended to track passengers in airline terminals. These applications are, in the eyes of many concerned with personal privacy, embodiments of their worst nightmares. But now it's time to ask the question, "How much privacy are we entitled to in a public place?"
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RFID: The Invisible Success
Thursday, October 26, 2006
AIM Global
For many, RFID has historically been an "invisible" technology; first, because it originally existed primarily in niche (closed) applications and, second, because people couldn't actually "see" it working. Today, the issue isn't so much seeing RFID as a viable technology but, rather, finding companies that are willing to talk about their "invisible" RFID applications, applications that are returning a solid ROI. Companies see their RFID applications as significant competitive advantage and tend to keep quiet about them. In many ways, they're doing themselves a disservice.
Read More
Thursday, October 26, 2006
AIM Global
For many, RFID has historically been an "invisible" technology; first, because it originally existed primarily in niche (closed) applications and, second, because people couldn't actually "see" it working. Today, the issue isn't so much seeing RFID as a viable technology but, rather, finding companies that are willing to talk about their "invisible" RFID applications, applications that are returning a solid ROI. Companies see their RFID applications as significant competitive advantage and tend to keep quiet about them. In many ways, they're doing themselves a disservice.
Read More
EU RFID Consultations
Thursday, October 19, 2006
AIM EMEA
Between early March and July this year, the European Union (EU) hosted a series of workshops in Brussels, Belgium on the emergence of RFID technology. These workshops were attended by the entire spectrum of stakeholders: manufacturers, system integrators, academicians, public bodies and regulators, and scientific institutions from all the EU Member states and from a number of countries outside of the EU. It is hoped that these consultations will prove a starting point for sound and secure implementation of RFID in Europe and around the world. Many news reports have produced snippets of the presentations, focusing on a limited number of comments. Following is a more complete report on the October 16, 2006 conference.
Read More
Thursday, October 19, 2006
AIM EMEA
Between early March and July this year, the European Union (EU) hosted a series of workshops in Brussels, Belgium on the emergence of RFID technology. These workshops were attended by the entire spectrum of stakeholders: manufacturers, system integrators, academicians, public bodies and regulators, and scientific institutions from all the EU Member states and from a number of countries outside of the EU. It is hoped that these consultations will prove a starting point for sound and secure implementation of RFID in Europe and around the world. Many news reports have produced snippets of the presentations, focusing on a limited number of comments. Following is a more complete report on the October 16, 2006 conference.
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AIM Viewpoint -- RFID and Privacy: Think Before You Implement
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
AIM Global
Privacy concerns aren't going to go away. In fact, they're going to continue to be an important issue for RFID as well as other AIM technologies. As technologies evolve and become more capable, the potential to design applications that could pose a privacy problem will only increase. It is up to the vendors and users to think through an application thoroughly in order to develop a robust system for the customer and to anticipate -- and avoid -- possible privacy and security concerns.
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Tuesday, October 10, 2006
AIM Global
Privacy concerns aren't going to go away. In fact, they're going to continue to be an important issue for RFID as well as other AIM technologies. As technologies evolve and become more capable, the potential to design applications that could pose a privacy problem will only increase. It is up to the vendors and users to think through an application thoroughly in order to develop a robust system for the customer and to anticipate -- and avoid -- possible privacy and security concerns.
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RFID: Objects in the Future May Be Closer Than They Appear
Thursday, October 05, 2006
AIM Global
Fifteen years ago, the ability to use special inks to print millions of RFID tags on conventional printing presses -- and the utopian goal for item-level RFID tagging -- was, according to one industry pundit, "about three years away." Over the years, the timeframe tended to remain the same -- three years away. More recently, however, with increased research and interest in the technology, the projection was revised to "somewhere in the not-too-distant-but-don't-hold-your-breath future."
While the caveat "don't hold your breath" still holds true, the future seems to be approaching more rapidly than anticipated.
Read More
Thursday, October 05, 2006
AIM Global
Fifteen years ago, the ability to use special inks to print millions of RFID tags on conventional printing presses -- and the utopian goal for item-level RFID tagging -- was, according to one industry pundit, "about three years away." Over the years, the timeframe tended to remain the same -- three years away. More recently, however, with increased research and interest in the technology, the projection was revised to "somewhere in the not-too-distant-but-don't-hold-your-breath future."
While the caveat "don't hold your breath" still holds true, the future seems to be approaching more rapidly than anticipated.
Read More
RFID: The Item-Level Tagging Question
Thursday, September 28, 2006
AIM GLobal
It's not so much a question of "whether" some high value items will eventually be RFID tagged but "how." There are proponents of either high frequency (HF) or ultra-high frequency (UHF) with pilot projects to support the feasibility of both. AIM has published a position statement on item-level tagging that concludes, "the marketplace will, as it has with all automatic identification and mobility products, evaluate the options and select the technology standard that best meets its needs and application environments." But does the marketplace have all the information it needs to make that choice?
Read More
Thursday, September 28, 2006
AIM GLobal
It's not so much a question of "whether" some high value items will eventually be RFID tagged but "how." There are proponents of either high frequency (HF) or ultra-high frequency (UHF) with pilot projects to support the feasibility of both. AIM has published a position statement on item-level tagging that concludes, "the marketplace will, as it has with all automatic identification and mobility products, evaluate the options and select the technology standard that best meets its needs and application environments." But does the marketplace have all the information it needs to make that choice?
Read More
RFID: Authenticity vs. Pedigree
Thursday, September 21, 2006
AIM Global
There is increasing economic incentive for companies to not only secure their own supply chains but to keep tabs on the distribution portion of it to prevent counterfeit, pirated, adulterated, and "grey market" goods from being introduced. It's not just a matter of brand protection; serious injuries and even death have resulted from counterfeit products as diverse as brake pads and baby formula. But there's a significant difference between proving authenticity and providing product "pedigree."
Read More
Thursday, September 21, 2006
AIM Global
There is increasing economic incentive for companies to not only secure their own supply chains but to keep tabs on the distribution portion of it to prevent counterfeit, pirated, adulterated, and "grey market" goods from being introduced. It's not just a matter of brand protection; serious injuries and even death have resulted from counterfeit products as diverse as brake pads and baby formula. But there's a significant difference between proving authenticity and providing product "pedigree."
Read More
RFID: Legislation - Good News and Not-So-Good News
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
AIM Global
California SB 768, the Identity Information Protection Act of 2006, passed the State Senate on August 30, 2006. The Governor has 30 days to sign it. It has been expected that this legislation would pass in one form or another -- the question was, "which" form. The good news is that industry representatives and legislators worked together to craft the final wording that was deemed acceptable to both sides. That's also the not-so-good news.
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Tuesday, September 12, 2006
AIM Global
California SB 768, the Identity Information Protection Act of 2006, passed the State Senate on August 30, 2006. The Governor has 30 days to sign it. It has been expected that this legislation would pass in one form or another -- the question was, "which" form. The good news is that industry representatives and legislators worked together to craft the final wording that was deemed acceptable to both sides. That's also the not-so-good news.
Read More
RFID: A Dearth of Direction
Thursday, September 07, 2006
AIM Global
In the August 30, 2006 AIM Viewpoint, I pointed out that a large number of RFID standards exist so the complaint that "there are no standards" is not a valid excuse for not implementing RFID. What is lacking, however, is real direction from industry organizations. Aside from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and several large retailers, there does not seem to be the fundamental support that helped start the trend towards bar code marking 30 years ago. The question we have to ask is, "Haven't you learned anything from the past?"
Read More
Thursday, September 07, 2006
AIM Global
In the August 30, 2006 AIM Viewpoint, I pointed out that a large number of RFID standards exist so the complaint that "there are no standards" is not a valid excuse for not implementing RFID. What is lacking, however, is real direction from industry organizations. Aside from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and several large retailers, there does not seem to be the fundamental support that helped start the trend towards bar code marking 30 years ago. The question we have to ask is, "Haven't you learned anything from the past?"
Read More
RFID: A Plethora of Standards
Thursday, August 31, 2006
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
A common excuse for not implementing RFID is "there are no standards." In fact, quite the opposite is true. A large number of international standards exist that define RFID technology and, in some cases, data structure and applications. For those who bemoan the supposed lack of standards, perhaps the problem is a lack of knowledge about where to find them.
Read More
Thursday, August 31, 2006
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
A common excuse for not implementing RFID is "there are no standards." In fact, quite the opposite is true. A large number of international standards exist that define RFID technology and, in some cases, data structure and applications. For those who bemoan the supposed lack of standards, perhaps the problem is a lack of knowledge about where to find them.
Read More
RFID Security: No Simple Answers
Thursday, August 24, 2006
AIM Global
Threats to any system -- including RFID -- come in many forms and in varying degrees of probability and severity. AIM's RFID Experts Group (REG) is currently developing a document that examines RFID security, threats and countermeasures.
In developing this document, it is already clear that security is a complex issue that is both application- and commodity-dependent. In short, there are no "cookie cutter" or “short and sweet” answers to providing the right level of, or approach to, security.
Read More
Thursday, August 24, 2006
AIM Global
Threats to any system -- including RFID -- come in many forms and in varying degrees of probability and severity. AIM's RFID Experts Group (REG) is currently developing a document that examines RFID security, threats and countermeasures.
In developing this document, it is already clear that security is a complex issue that is both application- and commodity-dependent. In short, there are no "cookie cutter" or “short and sweet” answers to providing the right level of, or approach to, security.
Read More
RFID: Cloning vs. Spoofing
Thursday, August 17, 2006
AIM Global
Given the proper equipment and circumstances, it is possible to fool an RFID reader into believing it's receiving data from an RFID tag or card. This is called "spoofing" and is often what's referred to when someone alleges they've "cloned" an RFID tag.
What's the difference between "cloning" and "spoofing"? And is it a cause for real concern?
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Thursday, August 17, 2006
AIM Global
Given the proper equipment and circumstances, it is possible to fool an RFID reader into believing it's receiving data from an RFID tag or card. This is called "spoofing" and is often what's referred to when someone alleges they've "cloned" an RFID tag.
What's the difference between "cloning" and "spoofing"? And is it a cause for real concern?
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RFID: Cloning vs. Copying
Thursday, August 10, 2006
AIM Global
There have been a few recent reports stating that RFID tags have been "cloned" in various demonstrations. The term "cloning" is so widely used that one might be led to believe that that's what has actually been done.
The truth is, none of these demonstrations has demonstrated "cloning" of RFID tags. Data has been read and written to another tag. And that's "copying" not "cloning."
Read More
Thursday, August 10, 2006
AIM Global
There have been a few recent reports stating that RFID tags have been "cloned" in various demonstrations. The term "cloning" is so widely used that one might be led to believe that that's what has actually been done.
The truth is, none of these demonstrations has demonstrated "cloning" of RFID tags. Data has been read and written to another tag. And that's "copying" not "cloning."
Read More
RFID-Enabled Document: Use-full or Use-Not
Thursday, August 03, 2006
AIM Global
Some of the measures being considered for "protecting" RFID-enabled documents make about as much sense as would removing the wheels from all motor vehicles to "protect" drivers from traffic accidents. While undoubtedly effective, one would have to wonder if it's the best approach.
Read More
Thursday, August 03, 2006
AIM Global
Some of the measures being considered for "protecting" RFID-enabled documents make about as much sense as would removing the wheels from all motor vehicles to "protect" drivers from traffic accidents. While undoubtedly effective, one would have to wonder if it's the best approach.
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RFID: Ensuring Personal Privacy is Good Business
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
In another recent thrashing of RFID, Vrije Universiteit (Holland) Professor Andrew Tanenbaum is quoted as saying, "Industry thinks nothing about invading your privacy." In fact, the opposite is true. Not only is AIM, its member companies, and other concerned industry groups diligently working on developing privacy and security recommendations, the RFID industry has recognized that ensuring the public's privacy is good business.
Read More
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
In another recent thrashing of RFID, Vrije Universiteit (Holland) Professor Andrew Tanenbaum is quoted as saying, "Industry thinks nothing about invading your privacy." In fact, the opposite is true. Not only is AIM, its member companies, and other concerned industry groups diligently working on developing privacy and security recommendations, the RFID industry has recognized that ensuring the public's privacy is good business.
Read More
US Senate RFID Caucus: A Good Start
Thursday, July 20, 2006
AIM Global
Usually, when "legislators" and "RFID" are used in the same sentence, people in the industry tend to cringe. In this case, however, two US Senators have taken a very positive step in establishing a Senate RFID Caucus to help staffers understand the benefits and limitations of RFID technology.
Senator Dorgan (North Dakota) and Senator Cornyn (Texas), who co-founded the caucus, seem to understand that education, not legislation, is the immediate need when it comes to government and RFID.
Read More
Thursday, July 20, 2006
AIM Global
Usually, when "legislators" and "RFID" are used in the same sentence, people in the industry tend to cringe. In this case, however, two US Senators have taken a very positive step in establishing a Senate RFID Caucus to help staffers understand the benefits and limitations of RFID technology.
Senator Dorgan (North Dakota) and Senator Cornyn (Texas), who co-founded the caucus, seem to understand that education, not legislation, is the immediate need when it comes to government and RFID.
Read More
RFID Users: Thinking Outside the "Big Box"
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
One of the services offered by AIM Global is the ability for potential users to submit Requests for Proposals (RFPs) via the AIM Global web site. What strikes me in reviewing these RFPs is the diversity and creativity of some of these requests.
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Wednesday, July 12, 2006
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
One of the services offered by AIM Global is the ability for potential users to submit Requests for Proposals (RFPs) via the AIM Global web site. What strikes me in reviewing these RFPs is the diversity and creativity of some of these requests.
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Forced RFID Implants - Much Ado About Nothing
Thursday, June 22, 2006
AIM Global
On May 31, 2006, news reports read, "Civil libertarians cheered yesterday upon news that Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed a law making it a crime to require an individual to be implanted with a microchip. Activists and authors Katherine Albrecht and Liz McIntyre joined the celebration, predicting this move will spell trouble for the VeriChip Corporation, maker of the VeriChip human microchip implant."
It's interesting that the two opposing forces here, those promoting "national security" and those protecting "personal privacy" tend to use the same tactics.
Read More
Thursday, June 22, 2006
AIM Global
On May 31, 2006, news reports read, "Civil libertarians cheered yesterday upon news that Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed a law making it a crime to require an individual to be implanted with a microchip. Activists and authors Katherine Albrecht and Liz McIntyre joined the celebration, predicting this move will spell trouble for the VeriChip Corporation, maker of the VeriChip human microchip implant."
It's interesting that the two opposing forces here, those promoting "national security" and those protecting "personal privacy" tend to use the same tactics.
Read More
RFID: Time to Lead
Thursday, June 15, 2006
AIM Global
Daniel P. Mullen
President
AIM Global
Thomas Paine, one of America's founding fathers, said “Lead, follow, or get out of the way.” These words, often repeated to me by my father, quite succinctly state the choice that those in the business of RFID have to make.
AIM Global is a leader in education, standards, guidelines and advocacy for AIDC technologies and invites you to be a leader too.
On Wednesday, 7 June 2006, I was pleased to represent AIM Global at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee meeting in San Francisco, California. This committee had just released a draft statement on the use of RFID for human identification that contained a number of unsupported conclusions and erroneous assumptions.
This draft report, along with recent regulatory and legislative activities (pending or enacted) within the European Union, Asia, and at the state level here in the United States, highlight a continuing and growing need for education and outreach to ensure that accurate and balanced RFID information reaches the market, the media, and policy makers around the world.
Read More
Thursday, June 15, 2006
AIM Global
Daniel P. Mullen
President
AIM Global
Thomas Paine, one of America's founding fathers, said “Lead, follow, or get out of the way.” These words, often repeated to me by my father, quite succinctly state the choice that those in the business of RFID have to make.
AIM Global is a leader in education, standards, guidelines and advocacy for AIDC technologies and invites you to be a leader too.
On Wednesday, 7 June 2006, I was pleased to represent AIM Global at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee meeting in San Francisco, California. This committee had just released a draft statement on the use of RFID for human identification that contained a number of unsupported conclusions and erroneous assumptions.
This draft report, along with recent regulatory and legislative activities (pending or enacted) within the European Union, Asia, and at the state level here in the United States, highlight a continuing and growing need for education and outreach to ensure that accurate and balanced RFID information reaches the market, the media, and policy makers around the world.
Read More
AIM Global Responds to DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
AIM Global
On June 7, 2006, AIM Global president Dan Mullen addressed the Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee to the Department of Homeland Security regarding the Draft Report, “The Use of RFID for Human Identification.” The meeting, held at the Clift Hotel in San Francisco, California, was a forum to review comments from industry representatives and individual citizens.
The report, which contains a number of erroneous assumptions and unsupported conclusions, is critical of RFID. Mr. Mullen offered a more balanced perspective on the technology.
Read More
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
AIM Global
On June 7, 2006, AIM Global president Dan Mullen addressed the Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee to the Department of Homeland Security regarding the Draft Report, “The Use of RFID for Human Identification.” The meeting, held at the Clift Hotel in San Francisco, California, was a forum to review comments from industry representatives and individual citizens.
The report, which contains a number of erroneous assumptions and unsupported conclusions, is critical of RFID. Mr. Mullen offered a more balanced perspective on the technology.
Read More
RFID -- The Ongoing EU Public Consultations
June 8, 2006
AIM Global
Andrew Britts
New Business Director
AIM EMEA
The European Commission (EU) has instigated one of its widest public consultations ever to investigate the benefits and risks associated with the wider introduction of the RFID technology.
Read More
June 8, 2006
AIM Global
Andrew Britts
New Business Director
AIM EMEA
The European Commission (EU) has instigated one of its widest public consultations ever to investigate the benefits and risks associated with the wider introduction of the RFID technology.
Read More
RFID Criticism Welcome
Thursday, May 25, 2006
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
While it may seem that critics of RFID are doing everything they can to hinder the deployment of RFID in some applications, they are, in fact, benefiting suppliers as well as users by helping to push the envelope of technical solutions, prompting re-evaluation of assumptions, and helping ensure sound implementations.
Criticism of existing products and processes has also spurred the development of even more advanced RFID products and is creating new business opportunities for some RFID companies.
Read More
Thursday, May 25, 2006
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
While it may seem that critics of RFID are doing everything they can to hinder the deployment of RFID in some applications, they are, in fact, benefiting suppliers as well as users by helping to push the envelope of technical solutions, prompting re-evaluation of assumptions, and helping ensure sound implementations.
Criticism of existing products and processes has also spurred the development of even more advanced RFID products and is creating new business opportunities for some RFID companies.
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RFID: the Privacy Conundrum
Thursday, May 18, 2006
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
The recent announcement that Levi Strauss and Co. (Levis) would be supplying an undisclosed retailer with clothing with RFID tags has understandably sparked controversy.
The question being asked is, "Why did Levis announce the plan if the company was going to be secretive about the location?"
Privacy groups have stated that they would stage protests at the store if they knew its location.
That, in fact, is the conundrum manufacturers and retailers face today: keeping plans secret leads to protests; announcing plans leads to protests.
What to do?
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Thursday, May 18, 2006
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
The recent announcement that Levi Strauss and Co. (Levis) would be supplying an undisclosed retailer with clothing with RFID tags has understandably sparked controversy.
The question being asked is, "Why did Levis announce the plan if the company was going to be secretive about the location?"
Privacy groups have stated that they would stage protests at the store if they knew its location.
That, in fact, is the conundrum manufacturers and retailers face today: keeping plans secret leads to protests; announcing plans leads to protests.
What to do?
Read More
RFID: For the Common Good
Thursday, May 11, 2006
AIM Global
Dan Mullen
President
AIM Global
Suppose, 15 years ago, you had been told about a technology that could potentially erase (or copy) all the files from your computer, aid criminals in stealing your credit card and bank information, and even make you a party to unethical and illegal activities. And suppose a state legislature proposed banning that technology. Would you have supported the legislation?
Or suppose that you had been told that there was a new technology on the horizon that would claim one life every 13 minutes in the United States alone, damage the environment, and leave the country hostage to foreign interests. Would you have supported banning that technology?
Couched in those terms, many people would.
Yet if such legislation had been enacted, neither the Internet nor the automobile would be in use today.
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Thursday, May 11, 2006
AIM Global
Dan Mullen
President
AIM Global
Suppose, 15 years ago, you had been told about a technology that could potentially erase (or copy) all the files from your computer, aid criminals in stealing your credit card and bank information, and even make you a party to unethical and illegal activities. And suppose a state legislature proposed banning that technology. Would you have supported the legislation?
Or suppose that you had been told that there was a new technology on the horizon that would claim one life every 13 minutes in the United States alone, damage the environment, and leave the country hostage to foreign interests. Would you have supported banning that technology?
Couched in those terms, many people would.
Yet if such legislation had been enacted, neither the Internet nor the automobile would be in use today.
Read More
AIM Global Publishes Annual Report
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
AIM Global
The 2005 AIM Global Annual Report details the continued growth of the organization and the effectiveness of its worldwide leadership.
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Tuesday, April 04, 2006
AIM Global
The 2005 AIM Global Annual Report details the continued growth of the organization and the effectiveness of its worldwide leadership.
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International RFID Experts Say Your Pets and Computers are Safe from RFID Viruses
Thursday, March 23, 2006
AIM Global
Joint Release
Issued by members of the
International RFID Standards Community
Several articles, including one entitled, “Study Says Chips in ID Tags Are Vulnerable to Viruses" were published on 15 March 2006 and widely circulated by the world’s press. The articles describe work done by a group that is affiliated with the computer science department at Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam highlighting the possible problem of virus propagation in RFID tag environments.
RFID scientists and experts from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) met in Kyoto, Japan this week with the leadership of the AIM (Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility) RFID Experts Group as part of an ongoing effort to address issues involved with the fielding of RFID systems.
Read More
Thursday, March 23, 2006
AIM Global
Joint Release
Issued by members of the
International RFID Standards Community
Several articles, including one entitled, “Study Says Chips in ID Tags Are Vulnerable to Viruses" were published on 15 March 2006 and widely circulated by the world’s press. The articles describe work done by a group that is affiliated with the computer science department at Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam highlighting the possible problem of virus propagation in RFID tag environments.
RFID scientists and experts from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) met in Kyoto, Japan this week with the leadership of the AIM (Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility) RFID Experts Group as part of an ongoing effort to address issues involved with the fielding of RFID systems.
Read More
Editorial: Bringing Order to a Messy and Imperfect World
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
AIM Global annually recognizes two individuals, one each from the vendor and user communities, for outstanding contributions to the development and advancement of the automatic identification and mobility industry.
For most people, it's difficult to understand the true contributions of these individuals simply by reading the news releases. To help provide some additional insight into this year's Dilling and Percival award recipients, this issue carries interviews with both Alan Haberman and Dr. Patrick King.
Until you have "walked a mile in their shoes" (or, more accurately, "sat for hours in their chairs"), it's difficult to appreciate the real scope of what these individuals -- along with previous recipients -- have accomplished.
Read More
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
AIM Global
Bert Moore
Editor
AIM Global annually recognizes two individuals, one each from the vendor and user communities, for outstanding contributions to the development and advancement of the automatic identification and mobility industry.
For most people, it's difficult to understand the true contributions of these individuals simply by reading the news releases. To help provide some additional insight into this year's Dilling and Percival award recipients, this issue carries interviews with both Alan Haberman and Dr. Patrick King.
Until you have "walked a mile in their shoes" (or, more accurately, "sat for hours in their chairs"), it's difficult to appreciate the real scope of what these individuals -- along with previous recipients -- have accomplished.
Read More
Interview: Alan Haberman, 2006 Dilling Award Honoree
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
AIM Global
AIM Connections interviewed Alan Haberman at the AIM Annual Showcase in Newport Beach, CA last month. Haberman, the 2006 recipient of the Dick Dilling award presented to leaders and visionaries on the vendor side of the automatic identification and mobility industry, is unique in also having been recognized for his efforts in the user community as the recipient of the 2000 Don Percival award.
Mr. Haberman's leadership role in standards development spans four decades, giving him a valuable perspective on the industry and its progress from the very early days of U.P.C. to today. A fascinating perspective to be sure.
Read More
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
AIM Global
AIM Connections interviewed Alan Haberman at the AIM Annual Showcase in Newport Beach, CA last month. Haberman, the 2006 recipient of the Dick Dilling award presented to leaders and visionaries on the vendor side of the automatic identification and mobility industry, is unique in also having been recognized for his efforts in the user community as the recipient of the 2000 Don Percival award.
Mr. Haberman's leadership role in standards development spans four decades, giving him a valuable perspective on the industry and its progress from the very early days of U.P.C. to today. A fascinating perspective to be sure.
Read More
Interview: Dr. Pat King, 2006 Percival Award Honoree
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
AIM Global
During the AIM Annual Showcase in Long Beach, CA, AIM Connections took the opportunity to catch up with Dr. Pat King, the 2006 recipient of AIM's Don Percival award. Dr. King was honored for his work with RFID tagging of tires.
We asked Dr. King his views on the status of, and requirements for, successful RFID tagging in the industry. His answers suggest there's more to RFID than ROI.
Read More
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
AIM Global
During the AIM Annual Showcase in Long Beach, CA, AIM Connections took the opportunity to catch up with Dr. Pat King, the 2006 recipient of AIM's Don Percival award. Dr. King was honored for his work with RFID tagging of tires.
We asked Dr. King his views on the status of, and requirements for, successful RFID tagging in the industry. His answers suggest there's more to RFID than ROI.
Read More
Editorial: Awareness Required to Bring Biometrics to Retail
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
AIM Global
A number of retailers and schools are considering the use of fingerprint systems to provide customers with a faster, more convenient check-out experience while lowering payment processing costs. Fingerprint payment systems are already being tested or implemented in a number of places including academic settings.
Already, however, there is some reluctance on the part of consumers to enroll in fingerprint payment systems.
There are a number of issues involved in implementing biometric payment at retail. In order for biometrics to gain acceptance in retail situations, companies testing biometrics for consumer applications need to consider the full range of possible consumer concerns to avoid inadvertently provoking the kind of reaction some RFID implementations have caused.
Read More
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
AIM Global
A number of retailers and schools are considering the use of fingerprint systems to provide customers with a faster, more convenient check-out experience while lowering payment processing costs. Fingerprint payment systems are already being tested or implemented in a number of places including academic settings.
Already, however, there is some reluctance on the part of consumers to enroll in fingerprint payment systems.
There are a number of issues involved in implementing biometric payment at retail. In order for biometrics to gain acceptance in retail situations, companies testing biometrics for consumer applications need to consider the full range of possible consumer concerns to avoid inadvertently provoking the kind of reaction some RFID implementations have caused.
Read More
Convergence: Bar Codes, WiFi, RFID and Cell Phones
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
AIM Global
If PCs were the icon of the 1980s, PDAs and pagers the icons of the 1990s, then cell phones will certainly be considered the icon of the first decade of the 21st century. It's not just the ubiquity of cell phones that make this obvious, it is the increasing integration of a wide range of other technologies (bar codes, 2D symbols, RFID, WiFi) that are turning cell phones into universal communications and entertainment appliances.
Read More
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
AIM Global
If PCs were the icon of the 1980s, PDAs and pagers the icons of the 1990s, then cell phones will certainly be considered the icon of the first decade of the 21st century. It's not just the ubiquity of cell phones that make this obvious, it is the increasing integration of a wide range of other technologies (bar codes, 2D symbols, RFID, WiFi) that are turning cell phones into universal communications and entertainment appliances.
Read More
Convergence: Bar Codes, WiFi, RFID and Cell Phones
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
AIM Global
If PCs were the icon of the 1980s, PDAs and pagers the icons of the 1990s, then cell phones will certainly be considered the icon of the first decade of the 21st century. It's not just the ubiquity of cell phones that make this obvious, it is the increasing integration of a wide range of other technologies (bar codes, 2D symbols, RFID, WiFi) that are turning cell phones into universal communications and entertainment appliances.
Read More
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
AIM Global
If PCs were the icon of the 1980s, PDAs and pagers the icons of the 1990s, then cell phones will certainly be considered the icon of the first decade of the 21st century. It's not just the ubiquity of cell phones that make this obvious, it is the increasing integration of a wide range of other technologies (bar codes, 2D symbols, RFID, WiFi) that are turning cell phones into universal communications and entertainment appliances.
Read More
Editorial: 2006 -- the Year of Integration
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
AIM Global
For those following development in the radio frequency identification (RFID) industry, it would be no surprise if 2006 was touted as the year in which companies begin, albeit slowly in some cases, to integrate RFID into their operations rather than just pasting it on at the back end.
But that's not the kind of integration for which 2006 will be most remembered. What will be remembered is the integration of different forms of AIDC technologies into the same application.
Read More
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
AIM Global
For those following development in the radio frequency identification (RFID) industry, it would be no surprise if 2006 was touted as the year in which companies begin, albeit slowly in some cases, to integrate RFID into their operations rather than just pasting it on at the back end.
But that's not the kind of integration for which 2006 will be most remembered. What will be remembered is the integration of different forms of AIDC technologies into the same application.
Read More
Editorial: 2006 -- the Year of Integration
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
AIM Global
For those following development in the radio frequency identification (RFID) industry, it would be no surprise if 2006 was touted as the year in which companies begin, albeit slowly in some cases, to integrate RFID into their operations rather than just pasting it on at the back end.
But that's not the kind of integration for which 2006 will be most remembered. What will be remembered is the integration of different forms of AIDC technologies into the same application.
Read More
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
AIM Global
For those following development in the radio frequency identification (RFID) industry, it would be no surprise if 2006 was touted as the year in which companies begin, albeit slowly in some cases, to integrate RFID into their operations rather than just pasting it on at the back end.
But that's not the kind of integration for which 2006 will be most remembered. What will be remembered is the integration of different forms of AIDC technologies into the same application.
Read More
Lemelson Litigation Finally Laid to Rest
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
AIM Global
On 22 December 2005, the lawyers representing the Lemelson Foundation served notice that it would not pursue further action to assert the validity and licensing of Jerome Lemelson's patents on machine vision and bar code reading.
Read More
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
AIM Global
On 22 December 2005, the lawyers representing the Lemelson Foundation served notice that it would not pursue further action to assert the validity and licensing of Jerome Lemelson's patents on machine vision and bar code reading.
Read More
Guest Editorial: Forecast 2006
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
AIM Global
Direct Recruiters, Inc. is forecasting that 2006 will bring a hotbed of activity in RFID, Mobile Enterprise, Pharmaceutical Packaging, Material Handling, and Software Solutions especially for WMS, ERP, and MRP.
Read More
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
AIM Global
Direct Recruiters, Inc. is forecasting that 2006 will bring a hotbed of activity in RFID, Mobile Enterprise, Pharmaceutical Packaging, Material Handling, and Software Solutions especially for WMS, ERP, and MRP.
Read More
Lemelson Patents Deemed Invalid
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
AIM Global
In a 16 November 2005 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit expanded on a 9 September 2005 panel decision (see below) and declared all 14 of the claimed Lemelson bar code and machine vision patents unenforceable due to an unnecessary delay in filing ("laches"). This may signify the end of a six-year legal battle between the Lemelson Foundation (current owners of the patents) and nine AIDC companies.
Read More
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
AIM Global
In a 16 November 2005 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit expanded on a 9 September 2005 panel decision (see below) and declared all 14 of the claimed Lemelson bar code and machine vision patents unenforceable due to an unnecessary delay in filing ("laches"). This may signify the end of a six-year legal battle between the Lemelson Foundation (current owners of the patents) and nine AIDC companies.
Read More
Biometrics Poised to Play Larger Role in Retail
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
AIM Global
A recent announcement that Pay by Touch will acquire its chief rival BioPay sets the stage for greater use of biometrics (fingerprint ID) in the retail space.
Read More
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
AIM Global
A recent announcement that Pay by Touch will acquire its chief rival BioPay sets the stage for greater use of biometrics (fingerprint ID) in the retail space.
Read More
(Scanning) Power to the People
Monday, November 14, 2005
AIM Global
Ask a resident of Tokyo what he or she thinks of two-dimensional symbols and they'll probably tell you they're "fun." Sound odd? Anywhere else, it might be but the Japanese have the power to read 2D symbols such as QR Code into the palm of their hands. And they're using it.
Read More
Monday, November 14, 2005
AIM Global
Ask a resident of Tokyo what he or she thinks of two-dimensional symbols and they'll probably tell you they're "fun." Sound odd? Anywhere else, it might be but the Japanese have the power to read 2D symbols such as QR Code into the palm of their hands. And they're using it.
Read More
Important FDA Rule Update
Monday, November 14, 2005
AIM Global
The FDA has issued a clarification about the definition of "compliance" regarding the bar code rule. The FDA had previously agreed that rule-impacted products packaged with a bar code after 26 April 2006 would be in compliance. The FDA has since retracted that agreement.
Read More
Monday, November 14, 2005
AIM Global
The FDA has issued a clarification about the definition of "compliance" regarding the bar code rule. The FDA had previously agreed that rule-impacted products packaged with a bar code after 26 April 2006 would be in compliance. The FDA has since retracted that agreement.
Read More
AIM EMEA Executive Round Table Summary
Monday, November 14, 2005
AIM Global
The Roundtable, held on 4 November 2005 and hosted by AIM EMEA, was attended by 18 executives from six European countries. It was held in conjunction with the fourth ID World Conference held in Rome. While the numbers may appear small, the quality of the event was evident to all attendees.
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Monday, November 14, 2005
AIM Global
The Roundtable, held on 4 November 2005 and hosted by AIM EMEA, was attended by 18 executives from six European countries. It was held in conjunction with the fourth ID World Conference held in Rome. While the numbers may appear small, the quality of the event was evident to all attendees.
Read More
Breaking News: Group Proposes RFID Patent Pool
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
AIM Global
Following the model of the successful patent licensing consortia formed and implemented around essential technologies in the MPEG-2 and DVD industries, a group of companies involved with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology have worked together to develop an intellectual property (IP) licensing consortium.
Read More
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
AIM Global
Following the model of the successful patent licensing consortia formed and implemented around essential technologies in the MPEG-2 and DVD industries, a group of companies involved with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology have worked together to develop an intellectual property (IP) licensing consortium.
Read More
When is RFID not RFID?
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
AIM Global
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently denied that it is planning to use RFID for its employee ID badges. Instead DHS asserts it intends to use ISO 14443 (Contactless Smart Cards) which it claims is a different kind of RF.
It's not. It's just a different application of RFID.
The question is why the DHS felt it necessary to claim that Contactless Smart Cards (CSC) are not RFID. It seems as if they wanted to avoid a PR problem but they seem to have created an even larger one.
Read More
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
AIM Global
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently denied that it is planning to use RFID for its employee ID badges. Instead DHS asserts it intends to use ISO 14443 (Contactless Smart Cards) which it claims is a different kind of RF.
It's not. It's just a different application of RFID.
The question is why the DHS felt it necessary to claim that Contactless Smart Cards (CSC) are not RFID. It seems as if they wanted to avoid a PR problem but they seem to have created an even larger one.
Read More
RFID Hacking Threat Overstated
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
AIM Global
What's the threat from hackers breaking RFID encryption for gasoline purchases and car immobilizers? It exists but it's more on the level of something that's possible rather than something that's likely to happen.
This is one of those stories that receives a lot of attention from the media -- particularly the "tech" media -- but not a lot of analysis. Herewith, the full story.
Read More
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
AIM Global
What's the threat from hackers breaking RFID encryption for gasoline purchases and car immobilizers? It exists but it's more on the level of something that's possible rather than something that's likely to happen.
This is one of those stories that receives a lot of attention from the media -- particularly the "tech" media -- but not a lot of analysis. Herewith, the full story.
Read More
