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Horizon lines now have the ability to track its goods all across the supply route both via sea and land. The distribution center is in Seattle while the final destination is Alaska. The problem being faced by them was that the containers could be tracked while in trains and ships but used to vanish while trucked on highways

To solve this problem active RFID tags are being used. The tags have an internal power source and are being used for 5,100 containers. The range of the tags is 90 metres and can be read even when moving at a speed of 120 kilometer per hour. The tags have been provided by UK based Identec Solutions.

epcSolution has come up with a 3.5 version of its RFID software, the software is known by the name of RFIDTagManagerTM. The software has the added benefits of UID and also complies with DoD mandate. The new software enables the submission of a combined RFID/UID WAWF remittance as well as a material handling document. It also helps in providing a hard copy of the DD250.

According to Chuck Williams, CTO epcSolutions:

Recently Hitachi has come out with the smallest RFID tag available. The tag measures only .05 x .05 millimeters. The tag is just as thick as a piece of paper. The previous chip was about 64 times thicker than this. The chip is referred by the name of powder type and will be available in the market in the next 2 to 3 years. This is truly a revolution in the world of RFID.

The size of RFID tags is reducing and this new tag can be embedded in paper. This will help reduce counterfeiting of goods and seems like it will be used by the pharmaceutical industry. The tag is small but can still store a unique id.

As per the latest research most of the customers at the grocery store will prefer the use of RFID at the grocery store to make payments. According to survey by TNS about 67% of the people will prefer to make the payment via an RFID card rather than the store keeper.

Another 56% of the people were interested in the option of making use of RFID checkout lane if the option was available to them. People are of the opinion that in cases of rushes the use of RFID cards will drastically reduce the time spent in long queue.

GVFL is a venture capital company that will be investing Rs. 8 million in RapidRadio Solutions Pvt. Ltd. RapidRadio Solutions started its operations in 2005. The investment will be made from the Rs. 270 million Gujarat IT Fund.

According to Vishnu Varshney, CEO of GVFL Ltd :

The RapidRadio investment is a new milestone in our endeavor to provide critical seed stage and early stage funding to innovative start-ups that are poised to take knowledge based test-marketed ideas into commercial production. We are now stepping forward into campus incubation programs to identify and nurture promising ideas and entrepreneurs.

Being an enabling technology and not just a product, the opportunity for RFID application is incredibly diverse and large. Various sectors like manufacturing, retail, healthcare, vehicle tracking, inventory management with a compelling need of asset tracking are aggressively working towards the deployment of RFID.

Read more: RapidRadio's RFID Technology to be funded by GVFL

Till now almost 42 stores are making use of RFID tags to keep a track of products. This is by far the biggest use of item level tagging in the world. The project began in 2006 and since then Marks & Spencer has tagged around forty nine million items of clothing.

On the establishment of RFID tagging in all the stores the number of clothing been tagged will be increased from the present 6 types to 13 types. The company has never quantified the benefits of RFID on its sales. The initiative of use of RFID has helped in the recovery of the retailer. The sales of the company have shown a growth of 11% over the quarter.

At present the MedStar hospital has been making use of 700 active RFID tags. By the end of spring the hospital is planning to have more than 2500 tags in the entire campus. This would be one of the largest RFID systems in a hospital. The hospital is working along with Parco Wireless for this purpose. Parco Wireless is a provider of UWB RFID systems. The hospital first started the use of RFID in its emergency department in 2004. The operations were started with about 100 active tags and just 20 interrogators.

The use of UWB RFID system is used to locate and track the medical assets. Generally these items are required to keep a track of items that are needed to move the patients and things like wheelchairs and stretchers.

Read more: Washington Hospital Center to increase its RFID Expansion