Labels: library, management, rfid, system, technology

Labels: library, management, rfid, security, system, technology

Labels: library, rfid, security, system, technology

Labels: location, platform, rfid, sensor, technology, windows

Near Field Communication (NFC) technology has been around for several years. When Bluetooth SIG approved Bluetooth version 2.1 + EDR specification last year, it was of no surprise that the specification includes an improvement for inter-device pairing process and a support for NFC technology. Despite the fact that Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology is still missing from the latest release of Bluetooth version 3 specification this year, there is no doubt that short-range RFID technology has increasingly been more important than ever.


With its latest RFID patent application, Apple seems to understand the importance of having short-range RFID technology embedded into its future products, which will probably include iPhone 4G. The main benefit of having short-range RFID technology embedded into a mobile device is mainly a better user experience.

Beyond user experience, by emulating the functions of both RFID tag and reader, any device embedded with this kind of touch screen can better facilitate a web of interrelated communication between its users and any object embedded with RFID technology.

The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.

Labels: iphone, nfc, panel, reader, rfid, screen, sensor, tag, touch

Labels: airport, antenna, convergence, hkia, reader, rfid, systems, uhf

Although Confidex has shipped Ironside tags to several customers in substantially larger volumes, the London Underground application is of great relevance to other escalator operators around the world. Maintenance and safety of escalators is important for Metro operators such as London Underground and for shopping malls and other public places.

The escalators of the London Underground carry more than three million passengers every day from the street to the platforms and back again. Most commuters and tourists don't give the travelling metal staircases a second thought; a fact that is a testament to the reliability of the system and the care taken over the maintenance of escalators. The steps that make up these escalators are subject to constant wear from the feet of passengers and from the mechanical movement on the escalator track. A failure in an escalator step could cause serious injury. If an escalator step were to fail during rush hours, lives could be put at risk and serious disruption to travelers would result.

To prevent such an event, London Underground, has implemented an inspection / maintenance regime that ensures the structural integrity of every step is checked at least once during the course of every year. With almost 30,000 escalator steps, in almost 200 escalators, needing to be checked this requires significant effort by London Underground’s engineering staff.

To address the need for faster, more accurate and more cost-efficient maintenance, London Underground decided to use RFID technology. They selected CoreRFID Ltd, based in Warrington, UK as their solutions provider and Confidex for their tag expertise company. A decision was made early on to use UHF Gen2 (ISO-18000-6C) technology as the only viable technology able to read tags attached on metal from a distance.

CoreRFID developed the "Step Tracking System" as the maintenance management solution. This uses PDA with RFID Reader (Nordic ID's PL3000 ruggedized hand held reader) mounted on a cradle beside the escalator and application software to read and write information on the tag. The choice of the ruggedized and extremely durable Confidex tag was seen as a key to the success of the pilot project.

"It was obvious to us that Confidex had the best solution here. The tags to be used had to last in the very challenging environment of an operating escalator with vibration, temperature variation, grease and dirt as well as magnetic fields all being a factor. In consultation with Confidex we selected the Ironside Tag. We have more than 18 months experience with most of Confidex Hard Tags and Speciality Labels and we were confident about the choice." says Richard Harrison, Technical Sales Director of CoreRFID.

"The tags are installed under the steps, attached with acrylic adhesive provided by Confidex and in spite of the very tough environment and constant movement, not a single Ironside Tag detached from its escalator step over the two months long trial period" continues Richard. "However, in the future all new steps will come from manufacture with tags riveted on them."

Operational deployment has now started across the Bakerloo, Central, and Victoria lines and other underground stations where London Underground is responsible for escalator maintenance.

"This has been a very good collaboration between our three organizations. We are very pleased to see a well managed project from idea to trial and pilot moving to a full scale roll out," said Torbjörn Andersson, Confidex Vice President of Sales & Business Development. "There are clear advantages for London Underground in using RFID. Having an automated system that provides essential data without interrupting escalator use is something many other users and operators of escalators can take advantage of. Operators and maintainers looking for improved Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul for their escalators and travelators can look to Confidex and CoreRFID who will publish a case study of the application in the near future."

Confidex Ironside is a "Hard Tag" in Impact resistant material. It is among the most durable, on-metal, high temperature resistant Gen2 tags available to date. The tag, which use NXP's G2XM chip featuring 240bit EPC, UID and 512bits of user memory, was an early recipient of SAE’s AS5678 certification.

"The flagship Confidex Ironside Hard Tag is already used in a variety of applications, on metal containers, airline food carts, postal roll cages, power transformers, stillages in automotive manufacturing and on road maintenance equipment to mention a few said Torbjörn Andersson."

A complete Technical Product Specification including installation guide is downloadable from Confidex website: http://www.confidex.fi/ironside0.html


About Confidex
Confidex, headquartered in Tampere, Finland, is a fast growing company with unique expertise in RFID design, manufacturing and system engineering. With offices in Europe, North America and China, Confidex provides high-performing, industry-standard RFID tags for demanding applications. The company’s highly experienced team has enabled Confidex to quickly become the trusted partner for major vendors and end-users in the RFID industry. Confidex's core competencies and experience span HF (high frequency) and UHF (ultra high frequency) antenna design, tag manufacturing, and advanced tag conversion and encapsulation.

For more information, contact:
Torbjörn Andersson
Vice President
Worldwide Sales & Business Development
Tel: +46 768 530130
E-Mail: torbjorn.andersson@confidex.net

About CoreRFID
CoreRFID, based in Warrington, UK is a specialist solution integrator and distributor for RFID applications and technology. CoreRFID develops and implements RFID solutions across healthcare, transport, facilities management, government and high-value manufacturing. The company has delivered applications for asset management, health and safety monitoring, pick and pack manufacturing and plant maintenance. CoreRFID’s principal capabilities are in RFID technology selection, mobile computing platforms and solution design, development and deployment, working in conjunction with major clients and integrating where necessary with existing back office systems. CoreRFID also operates a web shop outlet and distribution facility. For more information, visit www.corerfid.com or www.rfidshop.com


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Labels: confidex, escalators, ironside, london, rfid, tag, underground

Several industry analysts have noted that implementing passive UHF RFID technology for asset management delivers exceptional benefits such as reduced property loss, increased security, improved audit controls, more accurate information on the movement and condition of assets, and as a result, significant cost savings.

"RFID tagging of IT equipment can deliver quicker, more detailed and more accurate day-to-day management of some of the most important operational assets within an organization," notes Michael Liard, Research Director, RFID & Contactless at ABI Research (Oyster Bay, NY). "ABI Research has found that there is significant potential for a ramp up of RFID tagging within organizations looking to more effectively manage and track their IT assets – especially where statutory and industry regulations such as Sarbanes Oxley require detailed, accurate and regular auditing of IT assets."

Tracking IT assets such as servers, routers, storage devices, and desktop computers, as well as any portable devices such as removable hard drives and laptops, is becoming increasingly crucial for most companies. Keeping track of multiple high value devices in multiple locations is a complex task that until now has resulted in inaccurate inventory data that invites theft and increased replacement costs. With Confidex Steelwave Micro, companies now have a tested and proven on-metal RFID tag that enables the accurate tracking of all valuable IT assets throughout their lifecycles regardless of where the devices are located.

With a small footprint (1.5" x 0.5"/38mm x 13mm), outstanding read range (8.2´ - 9.8´/2.5m - 3.0m), and unique characteristics that enable attachment to metal and non-metal devices, Confidex Steelwave Micro is ideal for tracking all valuable IT assets as well as assets in a variety of other applications.

"We have already been sampling the new Steelwave Micro with selected System Integrators and IT Hardware manufacturers to ensure it meets the performance requirement of most IT asset tagging projects," said Torbjörn Andersson, Vice President of Sales& Marketing at Confidex. "Feedback has been very positive; not only regarding the read performance, but also the superior quality and form factor."

Confidex Steelwave Micro joins the growing family of unique Confidex RFID tags that have been successfully used in a variety of demanding applications such as identification of IT assets, vehicles, rail cars, and reusable transit items, in motion, from arctic to subtropical regions.

About Confidex
Confidex, headquartered in Tampere, Finland, is a fast growing company with unique expertise in RFID design, manufacturing and system engineering. With offices in Europe, North America and China, Confidex provides high-performing, industry-standard RFID tags for demanding applications. The company’s highly experienced team has enabled Confidex to quickly become the trusted partner for major vendors and end-users in the RFID industry. Confidex's core competencies and experience span HF (high frequency) and UHF (ultra high frequency) antenna design, tag manufacturing, and advanced tag conversion and encapsulation.

For more information, contact:
Torbjörn Andersson
Confidex Vice President of Sales & Marketing
Tel: +46 768 530130
E-Mail: torbjorn.andersson@confidex.net


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Labels: asset, confidex, it, metal, microsoft, passive, rfid, steelwave, tag, tracking, uhf

The new Multi-Purpose Stored Value (MPSV) card is also expected to provide more features than the existing EZ-link cards. When purchasing the new card, commuters no longer need to pay travel deposit. The maximum stored value of S$500 and its 5-year life span would provide convenience for purposes other than paying for transit fares, such as Electronic Road Pricing (ERP), Electronic Parking System (EPS) and retail payments.

In the first quarter of 2009, cardholders would be able to use it for paying purchases in schools, printing services, F&B outlets and private buses. Later in 2009, 7-Eleven stores, libraries, taxis, vending machines, Singapore Pools and hospitals would be able to accept the new card as a means of payment for transactions less than S$100.

The convergence of mass transit and micropayment applications on the new contactles smart cards will likely pose a challenge to the market dominance of NETS (Network for Electronic Transfers Singapore) in retail sector. NETS itself has identified the estimated $1.5 bilion transit market in Singapore as an expansion area, according to NETS' CEO Poh Mui Hoon as quoted by The Straits Times.

In recent years, Asia Pacific consumers have seen a growing Near Field Communication (NFC) trials, Mobile Wallet and Digital Money applications, which use short-range RFID technology. While most contactless smart card applications still use cards due to various reasons, mobile phones and USB sticks have started to emerge as alternative devices.

The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.


* Comments (2) *


Japan has taken a route of Felica and NFC. Singapore is going in CEPAS direction. Both are contactless technologies. I am not sure what are the pros and cons of these? Any idea?
- William -


Comparing FeliCa, NFC and CEPAS is like comparing apples and oranges. FeliCa is a contactless IC card technology developed by a Japanese company - Sony. NFC is a short-range wireless technology applicable to a wide range of devices. CEPAS is a national (Singapore) specification for contactless electronic payment, which can provide a level playing field for NETS and EZ-Link to "compete", with regards to the vision of an interoperable national electronic payment platform. As a matter of fact, the previous version of EZ-Link cards used FeliCa. However, there would not be a level playing field if the new platform was built on FeliCa.
- Adi Tedjasaputra -


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Labels: asia, card, contactless, ez-link, payment, rfid, singapore, smartcard, transit

Labels: active, beacon, code, control, inventory, rf, rfid, security, tags

When the researchers of the Digital Security group at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands exposed the security flaw in MIFARE Classic, NXP reacted by taking the researchers to court in an effort to stop the publication of a research paper detailing the security flaw to be presented in ESORICS 2008, Malaga, Spain this October.

A couple of weeks ago, a district court in Arnhem decided to overturn NXP's injunction to stop the publication. The court viewed that the paper publication detailing MIFARE Classic's security flaw does not result in damage to NXP. The production and marketing of the defective chip is NXP's own responsibility, according to the court ruling. The original court decision (in Dutch) is available for download.

The court decision has forced NXP to advise customers using MIFARE Classic chips to either upgrade their systems or switch to a completely different chip with a higher security level. All the systems using the chips, such as Oyster cards of London's s transport network and SmartRider of Perth's transport network in Western Australia, are affected by the security risk.

The revelation, however, does not seem to deter the confidence of London transport network authority with its 17 million Oyster Cards. Quoted by BBC News, a spokesman for Transport for London said: "Transport for London remains confident in the security of the Oyster card system. We take fraud and the security of personal data extremely seriously and constantly review our security procedures."

He added: "Any fraudulent card would be identified within 24 hours of being used and blocked. Using a fraudulent card for free travel is subject to prosecution and we would seek to enforce this wherever possible."

The statement came one week after thousands of London commuters were unable to use their Oyster cards due to a computer system crash. Unfortunately, the system crashed again a few days ago.

Beside transport networks, many organisations have also deployed systems based on the chip to secure entry into buildings, including military installations. Recognizing the security risk posed by the chips, one European country has brought in soldiers to guard some government facilities using the MIFARE Classic chip in their smart door key cards last March.

The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.


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Labels: card, chip, mifare, nxp, rfid, risk, security, smart, smartcard

Many have learnt the hard way about the complexity of open-loop RFID applications. The latest was the Indonesian government finding out that contactless smart card application for fuel rationing programme in Indonesia is not as simple as implementing micropayment using similar technology in Singapore or Malaysia. Beside technology challenges, the social and political cost associated with the application was not well-anticipated and calculated by the Indonesian Government. Others may not have the privilege such as the Indonesian Government to mull over almost one year before finding out about the infeasibility of such application.

Compared to open-loop RFID applications, closed-loop RFID applications may have more benefits. One of the important benefits is the possibility to execute RFID technology adoption plans according to a time frame decided solely by an organisation.

Nevertheless, closed-loop RFID applications have their own challenges. The latest study on the a closed-loop RFID application in health care, for example, has shown that Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) from RFID may induce potentially hazardous incidents in critical care medical equipment.

The study tested two RFID systems, i.e. active and passive. The passive system consisted of (1) OBID UHF Reader from Feig Electronic working in 868 MHz frequency with maximum power output of 4 W and (2) EPC Gen 2 tags in the format of adhesive labels using Texas Instruments' inlays incorporating Impinj's Monza chips. The active RFID system consisted of (1) Avonwood's Eureka-iD Wakeup Unit and Antenna working in 125 kHz frequency with magnetic flux density of 68 x 10E-3 microtesla at 1 meter and (2) Eureka-iD Asset Tag working in 868 MHz frequency at 2 microwatt.

From all the medical devices submitted to EMI tests, the study found out that the passive UHF EPC Gen 2 compliant system working at 868 MHz seemed to cause more EMI compared with the active RFID system.

The study has attracted various reactions. One of the latest is a denial asserting that EMI in the study was caused solely by RFID readers or interrogators, but not RFID tags. The author has carelessly ignored the facts and basic working principles of RFID systems, in which operational RFID tags can emit electromagnetic radiation that may cause interference, in addition to the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the readers.

The study serves as a timely reminder that safety should come first, especially when the organisation planning to adopt RFID technology is in the health care business, such as hospital.

The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.


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Labels: applications, care, hazard, health, healthcare, research, rfid, study, technology

The tender for the procurement process, which is expected to last for 45 days, has started last Wednesday, as reported by Media Indonesia when quoting the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Purnomo Yusgiantoro. The winner of the tender will have 80 days to implement the programme, so the Fuel Smart Card programme can run from September 2008.

The Fuel Smart Card programme that aims to limit the consumption of subsidized fuel has been mulled over since last year and delayed, but it was only recently when the oil price shot up, threatened the economic growth and state budget spending, the Indonesian government decided to move forward with the programme.

In the programme, a smart card in a size of credit card and printed with a bar code will be attached to a location on a vehicle, depending whether it is a public bus, motorcycle or private car. Before filling up the tank, a fuel station officer should scan the smart card with a reader. A successful reading of the smart card will result in the vehicle registration number and its fuel quota data to be displayed on a monitor installed at the station. Based on the reading, the vehicle's owner can only buy fuel according to the remaining quota.

Similar to the parking pilot project programme executed by the Jakarta City Administration in 2003 and the Fuel Smart Card programme in Tehran, Iran, the Indonesian Fuel Smart Card programme, which is currently on trial, still relies heavily on the readiness of stakeholders involved. The Jakarta City Administration abandoned the parking pilot project after the project was swamped by operational problems in 2003, while the introduction of Fuel Smart Card programme in Tehran sparked violence last year. In both cases, the stakeholders were not ready to accept the introduced systems.

Fortunately, the Indonesian government still has a chance to learn from the past and make a better decision in the Fuel Smart Card programme. There is still a room for improvement on the programme that can ease the transition from the current system and prepare all stakeholders involved to achieve the best results.

The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.


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Labels: card, fuel, indonesia, project, rfid, smart, smartcard, tender

"The new system will require Smart Cards. People will just swipe their card through a machine on the street to pay parking fees," said the agency's Deputy Head, Udar Pristono as quoted by The Jakarta Post last week.

Smart Card was first introduced as a technology that requires a contact area to transfer electrical power and communicate with Smart Card Reader. In the evolution of Smart Card, Contactless Smart Card was introduced. Using inductive coupling technology, Contactless Smart Card can transfer energy from a Smart Card Reader and activate the chip in a Smart Card without the need of physical contact.

déjà vu
/day&ulzh;aa voo/
· noun a feeling of having already experienced the present situation.
— ORIGIN French, ‘already seen’.
Compact Oxford English Dictionary

For the patrons of some streets in Jakarta, Smart Cards are not new. In 2003, the Jakarta City Administration appointed PT Adiwira Sembada as the sole contractor to run a parking pilot programme in several streets in Jakarta, while a Singapore-based company, Epecom Technology & Distribution Pte Ltd, formerly known as Gimexore Private Limited, provided full system integration for the pilot programme. In addition, INSIDE Contactless, which is headquartered in France, supplied Smart Card chip PicoTag and contactless springboard modules Hand'IT for handheld readers.

Swamped by operational problems, the pilot programme using Smart Cards known as "Kartu Kontan" was eventually declared as a total failure. The Jakarta City Administration officially terminated the operational collaboration between the Jakarta City Parking Agency and PT Adiwira Sembada in November 2003 after about six months of pilot programme launching. The equipments that cost about $2,000 per unit were rendered useless.

This year, with a new concept of "two parking operators, one parking system", the Jakarta City Administration will likely to appoint two private parking operators. The two operators, one of them is PT Adiwira Sembada, were recommended by the Jakarta City Council to manage parking in Jakarta streets, as reported by The Jakarta Post in January.

The new self-serve parking payment system operated by the two parking operators is expected to increase revenue of the Jakarta City Administration from parking fees. For the operation of the new parking management units, the Jakarta City Administration has initially allocated Rp 40 billion ($4.3 million) budget.

The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.


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Labels: card, indonesia, jakarta, parking, payment, rfid, smart, smartcard, technology

The RFID Asia Summit 2008 was officially inaugurated by the Founder of RFID Asia, Adi Tedjasaputra. In his opening remarks, he pointed out how the tremendous advancement in RFID technology and market growth in Asia Pacific has started to add values in different emerging markets. Furthermore, he also detailed the unique role of RFID Asia in contributing to the advancement of RFID technology and market growth in Asia Pacific, while producing a shared practice and collective intelligence as RFID Asia community members engage in a collective process of learning and sharing. Regarding the event itself, he explained how RFID Asia Summit 2008 was crafted to provide delegates with a unique experience and results.

After the opening remarks, Stephen Dolan, the Director of Sybase Australia & New Zealand unveiled how to integrate business logic and processes with RFID and sensor technologies, including mobile devices. One of the most interesting parts in his presentation is his view on the death of RFID Middleware – the software connecting RFID readers with enterprise applications. Enriched with real-life examples and industrial case studies, he concluded his presentation with several key recommendations to integrate sensor data into Enterprise Applications.

The next speaker, Dr. Toni Anwar, the Coordinator Software Systems Engineering of TGGS Thailand introduced the basics of RFID technology and applications with examples in building automation system and smart parking. He closed his presentation with some future RFID trends and the requirements for further development in RFID.

Opening the theme of Near Field Communication (NFC) in RFID Asia Summit 2008, Goh Say Yeow, EVP Sales and Managing Director Asia Pacific of INSIDE presented the market trends and development of contactless payment. From the current contactless payment, he explained the role of NFC technology as an enabler for contactless card and card reader emulation using NFC-enabled mobile phones. Furthermore, he also detailed three NFC use cases that will have impact for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), i.e. pairing/connectivity, proximity service and transactions. Most importantly, he also highlighted that convenience will be the real value proposition of NFC that will drive consumer adoption.

Going further with NFC technology, Jonathon Gould, VP Asia Pacific of ViVOtech reviewed different generations of electronic payment system with contactless payment becoming the latest trend. He further mentioned several cases and trials involving NFC technology for mobile payment and marketing.

After a sumptuous and active networking luncheon, Chua Thian Yee, CEO of CASSIS, focused on the NFC technology used for mobile payment, reviewing the consumer landscape, the fundamentals of NFC technology and several mobile payment cases.

Heru Wahyudi, Sales and Marketing Manager, representing PT. Solusi Periferal and Intermec presented different kind of industrial RFID applications, with some remarks that are open for further discussions, such as: the possibility of having real benefits from RFID implementation without complete process re-engineering, internal benefit with self-implemented RFID and collaboration with suppliers and customers to produce more value.

In late afternoon, Dr. Urachada Ketprom of NECTEC Thailand has captured the attention of RFID Asia Summit 2008 delegates with her well-prepared presentation on animal and food traceability. Her presentation was further enriched with the latest updates on RFID projects, such as chicken farm management, animal transport checkpoint, swine farm management, microchip-implanted pets and shrimp traceability.

Exhibition is one of the highlights in the RFID Asia Summit 2008. International delegates have visited and engaged actively with the exhibitors to explore business opportunities and get the latest information on RFID products and services available in the market . The expressions of contentment were received from both the exhibitors and delegates.

Opening the RFID Demonstration Rally (tm), the RFID Group Research at School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) shared the latest information on RFID technology research and development, as well as the university-industry collaboration that has taken place. The presentation was immediately followed by product demonstration from Intermec/PT Solusi Periferal and Sicurezza, including a short video clip presentation by ViVOtech.

Closing the International Conference on Auto-ID, RFID, Smart Card and Mobile Technology, Adi Tedjasaputra summarized the full day activities and announced the networking events and One-to-One Business Meeting in the next morning following the conference.

The writer is an ICT Consultant and Researcher with various affiliations to academic and industry organizations. Her current research interest includes ICT4D, m-Learning, e-Learning, Web 2.0, healthcare, wireless and mobile technology.


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Labels: contactless, indonesia, mobile, nfc, rfid, smartcard, technology

5-cent RFID tag is the most demanded RFID product in the world. Unfortunately, the product does not exist. The underlying assumption of large volume purchase to reach the price level of 5-cent has never become reality.

"We quickly determined that if RFID tags were ever going to have a shot at being widely used, a 5-cent price target was important for both psychological and commercial reasons. In return, though, the volumes would have to be very high—for example, more than 5 billion bar codes are scanned daily today. The problem with RFID tags at the time was that the industry was "stuck" in a higher-margin, lower-volume mind-set." wrote Sanjay Sarma, the co-founder of MIT's Auto-ID Center (now Auto-ID Lab), and also the CTO and Director of Oat Systems, in his article “Integrating RFID” several years ago.

Eventhough Wal-Mart has recently started to issue an ultimatum to its suppliers shipping to its Sam's Club warehouse outlet distribution center in Texas, USA with a premium price of $2 per pallet, it is estimated that over 15,000 Wal-Mart suppliers have yet to comply with Wal-Mart's RFID mandate, according to a recent article at Computer Business Review.

While the retail supply chain industry is still waiting for the coming of 5-cent RFID tag, various RFID applications that do not rely on 5-cent price level have mushroomed for the past few years in diverse vertical industries.

RFID and Sensor Technologies
The use of RFID and sensor technologies have become more common nowadays. Active RFID tags with built-in sensors are readily available in the market. Applications such as electronic container seals, intelligent buildings, vital sign measurement of monitored hospital patients are only a few of applications that require cost-effective infrastructure. With the increasing number of nodes and types of sensors in wireless sensor network (WSN), the role of infrastructure has become more critical to manage sensors and intelligent networks.

Stephen Dolan, the Director of Sybase Australia and New Zealand, one of the international speakers in RFID Asia Summit 2008, will unveil how to integrate business logic and processes with RFID and sensor technologies, including mobile devices.

"My expectation is that this summit could create people's awareness of what RFID technology can support to the existing environment, from biology to medical, from telecommunication to material engineering," said Dr. Toni Anwar of TGGS Thailand who will present how to design and implement integrated and intelligent building automation and security with RFID technology. "This event could also be a real summit of people, who then will continue in a good RFID project with another."

Animal and Food Traceability
Predicted as the largest RFID market of all, the use of RFID technology for animals, food and farming will benefit the food supply chain in a huge number of ways, including livestock disease control and merchandising prepared food, according to the latest report "RFID for Animals, Food and Farming 2007-2011" published by IDTechEx.

During the RFID Asia Summit 2008, Dr. Urachada Ketprom of NECTEC, Thailand's National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, will present how Thailand, the world's largest producer of farm-raised shrimp and the fourth biggest poultry exporter, uses RFID technology for animal and food traceability.

"RFID Asia Summit 2008 presents an opportunity to update current RFID trends and connects people in RFID business or academic together to exchange information and new conceptual idea for new application development," said Dr. Urachada Ketprom.

Contactless Smart Card and Near Field Communication (NFC)
From mass transportation to ID cards, contactless smart card has been the choice for micropayment in cashless society. Now that NFC is ready to turn mobile phones into credit cards and personal payment terminals, mobile commerce has also been redefined. Jupiter Research estimates the total of US$22 billion mobile phone payment transaction by 2011.

Jonathon Gould, Vice President of ViVOtech will share his experience and knowledge about the ecosystem for NFC-enabled mobile payment and mobile commerce, including mobile wallet and digital money. Moreover, the transition from EMV to NFC payment, the latest contactless payment technology, applications, projects and market trends presented by international renowned speakers such as Goh Say Yeow, VP & Director Asia of INSIDE Contactless and Chua Thian Yee, CEO of CASSIS International will also become the inspiring and thought-provoking discussion during the RFID Asia Summit 2008.

"I hope this summit will share with the participants the implementation experience and to do the project right the first time," said Chua Thian Yee of CASSIS International, a leading end-to-end security solution and service provider of smart card innovation, technology and services headquartered in Singapore.

Different from other RFID events, the RFID Asia Summit 2008 to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia, will integrate conference presentations by a line up of international renowned speakers, RFID Demonstration Rally™, exhibition and networking sessions, making the RFID Asia Summit 2008 a unique one-stop event to learn from RFID experts and business leaders, experience the latest RFID products and meet prospective partners and clients.

ABOUT RFID ASIA SUMMIT 2008
RFID Asia Summit 2008 aims to address the potentials and challenges of RFID technology and harness the economic opportunities in various vertical industries in Indonesia and Asia Pacific region. As the only event in Asia Pacific dedicated for leaders and RFID experts in charge for the development of businesses in the emerging markets, RFID Asia Summit 2008 is also endeavored to boost business interests in RFID technology within the region.

Catering the demand for invaluable insights on the latest Auto-ID, RFID, Smart Card and Mobile technology, trends and markets, RFID Asia Summit 2008 will present a line-up of international renowned speakers who will lead intellectually thought-provoking and inspiring conference tracks, RFID demonstrations and business networking sessions.

For more information about the RFID Asia Summit 2008, please visit The Official Website of RFID Asia Summit 2008.


ABOUT INDONESIA
Indonesia accounts as one of the fastest and vibrantly growing economy in the South East Asia with more than 6% annual economic growth. As one of the next major emerging economies with strong economic growth and commodity trade, Indonesia - the world´s largest archipelagos boasts a growing demand for RFID technology solutions in telecommunication, banking & finance, transportation, logistics, healthcare, oil & gas, mining, building automation, manufacturing, agriculture and security industries. In conjunction with the official Indonesian Government's programme of Visit Indonesia 2008, RFID Asia Summit 2008 will attract both international and local business leaders and RFID experts in the Asia Pacific region.

As the first country in Southeast Asia that has implemented National Single Window (NSW), which provides one-stop electronic services for customs and excise, shipping, bank transfers, insurance and licensing, including electronic processing of trade documents, Indonesia is expected to modernize its national infrastructure in the upcoming years. Various sectors in Indonesia are expected to grow faster than its annual economic growth. Such sectors include transport and communications sector that is expected to achieve annual growth of 6.8% with total value of US$33.23bn by 2011, according to the latest research on Indonesia's Freight Transport report published by Business Monitor International.


ABOUT RFID ASIA
RFID Asia is the Independent Knowledge Centre that helps RFID vendors and end-users making the best investment, leverage competitiveness and market share through Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. As the prominent RFID community in Asia, RFID Asia is the bridge connecting different stakeholders with interest in RFID technology. As an independent venture, RFID Asia helps RFID vendors and end-users alike to achieve their goals. For more information about RFID Asia, please visit www.rfidAsia.org.


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Labels: 2008, asia, auto-id, mobile, nfc, rfid, smartcard, summit, technology

The latest research from International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group shows that more than 80 million of 230 million Indonesians have mobile phone subscriptions. With the estimated spending of more than US$ 2.9 billion in 2007 for telecommunication networks and more for the next few years, Indonesia is expected to become the third largest mobile market in Asia by 2010.

Accompanying the growth of mobile market in Indonesia, services such as Mobile Wallet and Digital Money have demanded the RFID industry in Indonesia to grow beyond the traditional markets of access control and security. In addition, the spending priority of the Indonesian Government on infrastructure projects in telecommunication, power, utilities and transportation sectors during 2008 and the next few years has also driven the increasing demand of RFID technology in diverse vertical industries.

For catering the demand for invaluable insights on the latest Auto-ID, RFID, Smart Card and Mobile technology, trends and markets in Indonesia and other emerging Asia Pacific markets, RFID Asia Summit 2008 will present a line-up of international renowned speakers who will lead intellectually thought-provoking and inspiring conference tracks, RFID demonstrations and business networking sessions.

“I hope this summit will share with the participants the implementation experience and to do the project right the first time,” said one of the international conference speakers, Chua Thian Yee – CEO of CASSIS International, a leading end-to-end security solution and service provider of smart card innovation, technology and services headquartered in Singapore.

The line-up of esteemed speakers include Goh Say Yeow – the Executive Vice President Sales and Managing Director Asia of INSIDE Contactless, Chua Thian Yee - the CEO of CASSIS International, Dr. Toni Anwar – the Coordinator for Software Systems Engineering Programme of Thai-German Graduate School of Engineering and other international renowned speakers, leaders and RFID experts from Asia Pacific region.

Adi Tedjasaputra - the Founder of RFID Asia said, “RFID Asia Summit 2008 is a must-attend event for leaders and RFID experts in Asia Pacific region.”

For more information about the RFID Asia Summit 2008, please visit The Official Website of RFID Asia Summit 2008.

About Indonesia

Indonesia accounts as one of the fastest and vibrantly growing economy in the South East Asia with more than 6% annual economic growth. As one of the next major emerging economies with strong economic growth and commodity trade, Indonesia - the world´s largest archipelagos boasts a growing demand for RFID technology solutions in telecommunication, banking & finance, transportation, logistics, healthcare, oil & gas, mining, building automation, manufacturing, agriculture and security industries. In conjunction with the official Indonesian Government's programme of Visit Indonesia 2008, RFID Asia Summit 2008 will attract both international and local business leaders and RFID experts in the Asia Pacific region.

About RFID Asia

RFID Asia is the Independent Knowledge Centre that helps RFID vendors and end-users making the best investment, leverage competitiveness and market share through Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. As the prominent RFID community in Asia, RFID Asia is the bridge connecting different stakeholders with interest in RFID technology. As an independent venture, RFID Asia helps RFID vendors and end-users alike to achieve their goals. For more information about RFID Asia, please visit www.rfidAsia.org


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Labels: asia, auto-id, conference, indonesia, mobile, rfid, smartcard, summit

Equipped with 64KB FRAM memory, the world's highest capacity to date, Fujitsu's new RFID tag will enable highly efficient global aircraft maintenance operations by ensuring precise and rapid management of each aircraft part. The tag complies with the EPCglobal[2] Class 1 Generation 2 standard supporting a variety of radio frequencies, which vary by region, and thus provides for global traceability.

Fujitsu's new UHF-RFID tags will deliver high-speed data writing capability and high durability, while also offering state-of-the-art security functions, such as password management for each part of the memory area.

In recent years, the aviation industry has striven to raise the quality and efficiency of aircraft maintenance by improving traceability of parts. In line with this trend, a need has arisen for high-capacity RFID tags which can store not only part identification codes but also product and part maintenance history data.

To satisfy these needs, Fujitsu developed a 64 KB high-capacity RFID tag memory for the aviation industry. Fujitsu's new RFID tag will increase the quality and the efficiency of aircraft maintenance operations by enabling the traceability of various products and maintenance information for parts exchanged between companies and across nations around the world. Overall, customers will realize improved supply chain management through shorter cycle times and lower costs.

Sales of the RFID tag are scheduled to begin in the first quarter of fiscal year 2008 (April - June 2008).

Key Features

1. World's highest-capacity RFID tags
- Featuring 64KB high-capacity FRAM, Fujitsu's RFID tags deliver high-speed data writing capability and high durability. The tags also offer state-of-the-art security functions, such as password management for each part of the memory area.
Compatible with different frequencies used around the world

2. The new RFID tag can be implemented globally as a result of compliance with the -- EPCglobal Class 1 Generation 2 standard, supporting a variety of frequencies used in different countries. Furthermore, the tag can be mounted on metal surfaces and meets fire retardancy standards by satisfying the testing requirements for SAE AS5678[3] specifications, which are required to be met for high-quality aviation parts.

3. Highly efficient aircraft maintenance
- The high memory and overall capability of Fujitsu's 64KB RFID tag will enable numerous automated data exchange and data management processes by providing a robust, point-of-use information source, resulting in significant cycle-time and cost reduction opportunities for airline maintenance operations and supply chain management.


Key Specifications:

1. Standards:
EPCglobal Class 1 Generation 2* / ISO/IEC 18000-6 Type C*
*Class 1 Generation 2:
A transmission standard instituted by EPCglobal, for data transmission between readers/writers and UHF-RFID tags. This is a second-generation standard specification that improves performance of the EPC Class 1 specification.
*ISO/IEC 18000-6 Type C:
An international standard for UHF-RFID tags, defined by ISO and based on EPCglobal's "EPCglobal Class 1 Generation 2" standard.

2. Memory size:
65,536Byte (System Memory: 1,280Byte, User Memory*: 64,256Byte)
*User Memory:
Refers to the memory area of the RFID tag in which the user can freely read/write, which some low-cost RFID tags do not feature. The user memory size of conventional RFID tags is usually a few hundred bits.

3. Tag dimensions*:
2 x 1 inch (Width: 50.8mm, Depth: 25.4mm, Height: 6.22mm)
*Fujitsu plans to develop smaller and lighter RFID tags.

4. Weight:
13.6 g

5. Frequency:
860-960 MHz

Notes:
[1] FRAM: Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (also referred to as FeRAM). Memory that uses ferroelectric film as a capacitor for storing data. Featuring advantages of both ROM and RAM devices, FRAM features high-speed access, low power consumption, and high endurance for numerous rewrites.
[2] EPCglobal: EPCglobal is a non-profit organization established by GS1 (formerly known as EAN International), which promotes the international standardization of barcodes, and GS1 US(TM) (formerly the Uniform Code Council, Inc.).
[3] SAE AS5678: Issued by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) in December 2006, SAE AS5678 is a standard defining environmental specifications and test methods for passive RFID tags used in aviation applications. SAE has categorized and defined environmental specifications for RFID tag use, for the three environmental categories of "Standard," "Robust" and "Harsh."


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Labels: aviation, fram, fujitsu, rfid, tag

T-Cash or Telkomsel Cash is a mobile commerce service provided by Telkomsel, one of the mobile telecommunication service operators in Indonesia. The mobile commerce service enables a user to conduct commercial transactions using either mobile phone or RFID card.

During the launch of T-Cash, which was attended by the Minister of State Owned Enterprises - Sofyan A. Djalil, the President Director of Telkomsel – Kiskenda Suriahardja said "The service is launched as an effort to support the mission of Bank Indonesia and provide a non-cash means of payment which is efficient, fast, effective and secure."

Transaction with T-Cash system relies on Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network Number (MSISDN) – a unique number identifying mobile subscriber, which still requires subscriber to verbally tell merchant at the point of sale (POS) to process any transaction. The use of Smart Labels and RFID cards in any transaction is expected to provide automatic identification of MSISDN by merchant terminals in the near future.

At this stage, the established mobile commerce ecosystem includes Telkomsel as Integrator and also Service Provider; Bank Indonesia as regulator; Indomaret and Modern Foto as Merchants; Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) and Bank Mandiri as the Financial Service Providers; Department of National Education as academic content provider; and Finnet as switching provider.

Eunice Sari is an ICT Consultant and Researcher with various affiliations to academic and industry organizations. Her current research interest includes ICT4D, m-Learning, e-Learning, Web 2.0, healthcare, wireless and mobile technology. Adi Tedjasaputra is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.


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Labels: 2.0, card, indonesia, m-commerce, m-payment, mobile, nfc, payment, rfid, t-cash, technology

Several months ago, a consortium of GS1 Australia and RMIT claimed the achievement of 100 percent read rate during a two-month RFID pilot in Australia. During the pilot of National EPC Network Demonstrator Project (NDP) Extension, the team tagged each pallet to produce electronic proof of deliveries (ePODs).

Last month, the world's fourth largest retailer - Metro Group announced the completion of operational rollout of RFID technology in its 180 stores and warehouses in Germany. The rollout is the largest RFID project in the European retail sector after claiming 98.5 percent read rate in trials across its distribution centers early this year.

While we hear more good news about the successful pilots and rollouts of open-loop RFID applications, some RFID vendors have already shifted their efforts to cater the demand for RFID technology in closed-loop applications, rather than open-loop RFID applications in retail supply chain sector. The change very much reflects the fact that the current demand for RFID technology in supply chain sector is still very much less than expected. On the other hand, the demand for RFID technology in diverse close-loop applications has grown significantly during the past few years.

What is Closed-loop RFID Applications?

Closed-loop RFID applications is the use of RFID technology by an organisation to achieve specific goals or solve specific problems, usually through process re-engineering. Different from open-loop RFID applications that require tight and also often complex cooperation with different stakeholders in different organisations, closed-loop RFID applications benefit from the possibility to execute RFID technology adoption plans according to a time frame decided solely by an organisation - usually the end-user itself.

On the RFID system level, the infrastructure required by closed-loop RFID applications is often simpler than open-loop RFID applications. There is no issue or less issue of data sharing and ownership among different organisations compared to open-loop RFID applications. The RFID system security requirement is usually less complex than open-loop RFID applications.

The second part will provide some examples of closed-loop RFID applications that can deliver values for different end-users.

The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.

Closed-loop RFID Applications (Part 2)


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Labels: closed-loop, project, rfid, scm, security, technology

When the crucial steps of an RFID implementation project have been carefully integrated, the reliability of system performance can be guaranteed. A dynamic "feedback loop" approach is essential to any ability to provide such guarantees. RFID-services vendors with the requisite experience and expertise to take this approach will have no difficulty offering a performance guarantee with the systems they implement.

Automotive manufacturing and RFID

Increasingly, Asia Pacific is fast becoming the new automotive region, given that manufacturing and labor costs are far lower than the United States and Europe. For example, region-specific models of Chevrolet are manufactured in South Korea (such as the Optra), while Volkswagen and Skoda now has shared manufacturing in China, catering specifically to the mainland Chinese market with the popular VW Passat and Skoda Octavia (and now Superb) models. Even mainstream Japanese car manufacturers are relocating some of their manufacturing of region-specific models (such as Altis and Corolla) to lower-cost locations such as Thailand.

Some manufacturers have used RFID to keep track of the most critical (and sometimes most expensive) item of a car, the engine block. RFID tagging can help reduce misplaced engines (which must be scrapped due to the sensitivity of such products). It is possible that RFID tagging can become important in keeping track of major parts within a car, including the drivetrain assembly, in the near future.

Recommended approach to implementing RFID

Before implementing RFID, it is important to conduct a feasibility analysis of the supply chain environment. Setting out to do a conceptual model, with the right definitions, you should then analyze the process within your entire supply chain (all the way to your ultimate customer and include all stakeholders).

After creating a budget with an invitation to your vendor for demonstrations and any small scale tests, you need to conduct an analysis of your sites, and then have some of your personnels to gauge the usability of the RFID system.

You should attempt to launch your RFID installation in phases, with a test or pilot site, running for perhaps a reasonable length of time, to iron out any kinks in the system. Once you are assured that it will work enterprise-wide, then roll out the system to the entire site. It is also important to re-visit every step of this process of implementation, to ensure that you can improve or tweak the system as necessary.

Outsourcing to a partner

In an ideal scenario, or at least a very small implementation, it may be possible to roll out your RFID system entirely by your in-house team. However, there may be a wisdom to outsource the implementation to a professional services partner, to reduce possible problems during implementation, and also to create accountability and reduce your own exposure to risk. Why is it so?

Researchers have advised that unless you happen to be a data integration specialist, it is entirely possible that your information architecture will break, or affect the corporate ROI.

RF is also an esoteric science whereby specialized skills may be needed to diagnose the RF environment for a site, and to install readers and testing tag performance.

And since RFID expertise is usually not in-house, it may require an outside professional to ensure a solid hardware configuration that will provide better reliability and performance. Nothing beats real world deployment experience, and so for good professional services partners, they would bring to the table real experience that can solve deployment problems, even for pilot runs. Of course, it is important to ensure that your potential partner does indeed have such real world experience, and not simply a portfolio of clients who were "sold" the RFID hardware and other third-party software.

The writer is the Regional Marketing Manager of Intermec Asia Pacific.


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Labels: business, china, project, rfid, scm, tag, technology, tracking

Some countries, such as China, South Korea and Japan, have successful and more widespread adoption of RFID than other countries in Asia Pacific. Many RFID adoptions come from established sites which have other forms of supply chain implementations, and therefore, are considered retrofitted RFID adoptions. While RFID implementations from scratch would be considered the easiest from a technological point of view, we must not discount that many sites would require a phased-in approach of RFID, starting perhaps with test sites to ensure compatibility with enterprise and back-end software.

What makes RFID great for the modern supply chain environment?

Unlike traditional barcode systems, RFID readers do not require a visual line of sight. This can be useful for proximity scanning of RFID tags on tagged items, rather than demanding personnel to be positioned visually within the logistics items to check their availability. Therefore, RFID systems can be extremely useful for supply chain environments that use optimized storage planning, where items can be stacked back to back. And because of proximity scanning rather than line of sight requirements, more data collection along the entire supply chain can be set up easily, without dramatic process changes.

With RFID tags, whether passive or especially active tags, more information can be stored on the tags, compared to traditional barcodes. For active RFID tags, data can be updated enroute (read/write capability), which provide even more flexibility for supply chain backend systems and their interaction.

Increasing adoption of RFID

RFID is also more practical than ever before, with clear business cases being demonstrated for asset management and supply chain operations alike. For example, TNT Logistics reduced its truck load verification time 24 percent by using RFID to automatically record goods loaded onto its trailers. Hundreds of other companies around the world are also implementing RFID-based shipping, receiving and inventory visibility applications.

A sub-trend behind RFID adoption for inventory, warehouse and distribution operations is the use of vehicle-mounted and other mobile RFID readers to enhance or replace stationary models. With a mobile infrastructure, companies don’t need to purchase, install and maintain a separate RFID reader for each dock door. Forklift-mounted and handheld readers can cover multiple docks, and be used in warehouse aisles and elsewhere throughout the facility, further reducing the required RFID investment. Plus, they put information directly in the user’s hands, so they can prevent errors, rather than just record them after they occur.

Container tracking and RFID

With the global struggle against terror or theft, it is imperative that any component of the entire supply chain must be secured, and authenticated, so that there is no breakdown in the process.

With RFID tagging, containers, and pallets, can all be adequately tracked and authenticated, along every step of the process from manufacturing to the ultimate client’s location, however remote the location may be. This is not merely a customer requirement (often to comply with internal controls and procedures), but also increasingly a governmental requirement in many locations (especially in the United States and Europe). With adequate tracking through RFID tags, shippers and manufacturers can account to governments and customers, but also build in a "shield" to protect their brands, given that brands these days can break easily due to some lapses in accountability.

The second part of this article will discuss the RFID adoption in automotive manufacturing and a recommended approach to implement RFID.

The writer is the Regional Marketing Manager of Intermec Asia Pacific.

RFID in Supply Chain Environment (Part 2)


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Labels: business, china, japan, mobile, reader, rfid, scm, tag, technology, tracking

Following a successful pilot, HDB called 2 tenders in 2006 to implement RFID to replace the paper SPT at all our car parks. The successful tenderers have distributed RFID tags to SPT holders since March 2007. They will complete the distribution by February 2008.

The HDB RFID tag has a Unique Identification (UID) number tied to the vehicle’s registration number. Like the existing paper SPT, the tag is displayed on the windscreen for cars or near the road tax disc for motor-cycles.

Once the season parking charges are paid by the motorists, the updated information is downloaded to our Electronic Handheld Terminal (EHT). This information will be encrypted in the EHT and not stored in the RFID tag. Our parking enforcement staff will then use the EHT to scan the tag and retrieve the UID which is matched against the information of the vehicle such as its registration number and validity of season parking.

There is no middleware used for this system. The RFID tag brings more convenience for SPT holders as they would no longer need to replace the paper SPT each time they renew their season parking. For those who renew electronically such as GIRO, internet and AXS or SAM self-service kiosks, they do not need to wait for the SPT to be sent to them. The feedback from the motorists on RFID is positive.

Our parking enforcement staffs are also happy with the system as it increases their productivity when carrying out enforcement action especially at night. There is no change to the mode of renewal with the implementation of the RFID, i.e. motorists can continue to renew their season parking through Giro, internet, self service kiosks or at our Branch Offices.

The writer is the Estates Officer of Housing Administration Department, Housing & Development Board (HDB) Singapore.


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Labels: hdb, rfid, singapore, spt, tag, technology

Labels: rfid, security, technology

Different from other RFID centres in Singapore, this privately-funded centre only focuses on research and development projects that can add values and leverage the active RFID solutions provided by Frontline using Real-Time Location System (RTLS) platform from Aeroscout, an American-based company providing enterprise visibility solutions.

Ng Chee Keong, the Sales Manager of Frontline, further said that this initiative intends to provide a mini environment for industries to try out and prove their RFID vision and concept before spending million of dollars on RFID deployment in a real environment. He also mentioned that with a significantly lower cost compared to a normal R&D organisation, an enterprise can build a prototype or demo, try it out in its actual environment and see whether the solution is suitable and workable for their organisation.

Built with an investment of more than US$200,000, the centre was still largely a work-in-progress when RFID Asia recently visited the centre. Two workstations, a couple of active RFID tags, an access point, a location receiver and an exciter were the equipments available in the centre. In addition, there were several posters of RFID projects that were previously carried out by the students of Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

The collaboration between Frontline and Ngee Ann Polytechnic has actually started a year back, including several Singapore Government projects in human tagging using active RFID technology. Within a framework of three to six month RFID projects, Ngee Ann Polytechnic's students and lecturers can gain some experience in several realistic industrial projects, while Frontline can readily tap the expertise of the academics.

The writer is an ICT Consultant and Researcher with various affiliations to academic and industry organizations. Her current research interest includes ICT4D, m-Learning, e-Learning, Web 2.0, healthcare, wireless and mobile technology.


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Labels: 2.0, aeroscout, frontline, mobile, rfid, singapore, tag, technology

In the next three days, both EZ-Link and Starhub will distribute 1000 NFC-enabled handsets to their pre-selected customers. The trial participants, in the next 6 months, will have an opportunity to use their new iWOW SZ1.0 handsets for contactless payment services as well as to download information from NFC tags and smart posters available at 32 bus stops along Orchard Road, Wisma Atria Shopping Mall, Orchard MRT station's concourse level, 500 ClearChannel bus shelters, 9 Golden Village Cineplexes and Sony Gallery Stores in Singapore.

Using NFC tags and smart posters conforming to the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) X 6319-4 or FeliCa standard protocol, the trial participants in Singapore can expect a similar user experience with i-mode FeliCa services that have been used in Japan since 2003.

Singapore Telecommunication (Singtel) and Network for Electronic Transfers Singapore (NETS) have also announced a plan to embark on similar public NFC service trial early next year in cooperation with Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.

The writer is an ICT Consultant and Researcher with various affiliations to academic and industry organizations. Her current research interest includes ICT4D, m-Learning, e-Learning, Web 2.0, healthcare, wireless and mobile technology.


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Labels: 2.0, ez-link, japan, mobile, nfc, payment, rfid, singapore, starhub, technology

2D Bar Code

There are now auto-focus scan engines that can read linear and 2D bar codes alike from 50 feet away and as close as six inches. Complementary developments in illumination technology enable bar codes to be successfully read in dark environments where they couldn’t be read before. With a scanning infrastructure in place to process all types of codes at multiple distances, companies can start building advanced visibility and traceability features into their legacy production, inventory and distribution operations.

RFID

Hundreds of companies around the world are implementing RFID-based shipping, receiving and inventory visibility applications. A sub-trend behind RFID adoption for inventory, warehouse and distribution operations is the use of vehicle-mounted and other mobile RFID readers to enhance or replace stationary models. Forklift-mounted and handheld readers can cover multiple docks, and be used in warehouse aisles and elsewhere throughout the facility, further reducing the required RFID investment. Plus, they put information directly in the user’s hands, so they can prevent errors, rather than just record them after they occur.

RTLS

Real time location systems (RTLS) allow you to expand your wireless local area network into an asset tracking system. Any device connected to the wireless LAN can be tracked and located. One application is to track forklifts via their vehicle-mounted computer’s radio. The Wireless Location Appliance and supporting software can track the radio’s location in real time to support efficient dynamic storage, routing, monitor dwell time, and gather data for productivity and asset utilization analysis. Many other expensive products and assets can be equipped with an RTLS device for real-time monitoring.

Remote Management

Using wireless LANs to track warehouse and factory assets is an example of how a mainstream IT resource has been adapted to benefit industrial environments. Another example, powerful remote management systems have been developed specifically to configure, monitor and troubleshoot bar code readers and printers, RFID equipment, ruggedized computers and other industrial data collection and communications equipment. Such software is also extremely valuable during rollouts and upgrades, because system administrators can use it to set configurations and install software remotely and across groups of devices, instead of having to handle each device individually.

Security

Stronger security is another mainstream business trend and requirement that is supported in supply chain technology. Mobile computers can be locked down so customer information and other data can’t be accessed if the device is lost or stolen. Rugged wireless computers and data collection equipment also support many of the leading securities used to protect enterprise wireless networks, including 802.11i, 802.1x, WPA, WPA2, LEAP, FIPS-140, RADIUS servers, VPNs and more.

Conclusion

Business needs for security, real-time visibility, and up-to-date information don’t stop at the office door. These needs extend throughout supply chain operations, so reliable information systems must extend just as far. Developments in mobile computing, wireless communication, RFID, bar code and other data collection and communications technologies are helping businesses extend visibility and control over more areas of their operations.

The writer is the Regional Marketing Manager of Intermec Asia Pacific.


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Labels: business, mobile, rfid, rtls, scm, security, technology, tracking

1. Library

The RFID applications for the library include:
a. Entrance access control - The door will only unlock if it detects correct IDs.
b. Visitors Counter - Automatic counter system to count the number of daily library visitors
c. Anti-theft - Alert system to alarm the librarians if there is any book taken from the library without registration and daily books check-in/out system.
d. Book Location Checking System - Using portable reader, we can set the book's ID we are looking for and set the read coverage to find out the books' location.



Currently USM Engineering Campus library has already had a contactless smart card reader at its counter. When a student library card is pointed near the reader, the reader will get the library ID and transfer it to a host PC to access the database and check loaned book status. At the same time, the profile of the student is also updated.

The benefits from RFID implementation are the followings:
1.Enhance library security
2.Replace the guard's work for checking out book status and counting daily visitors
3.Prevent missing books
4.Find lost books inside library

2. Health Unit (Clinic)

The RFID application for health unit at USM is for medicine monitoring and management. The Auto-ID system will update medicine’s data at an interval of time, to make sure their availability, expiry date and location. It can alert the nurse to process an application form and order a new medicine if there is any shortage of medicine or if the medicine is expired. This system will update the medicine data into database automatically and improve the management system of medicine at health unit. We eliminate the patient tracking application because it is an unnecessary application for health unit in our campus.



Currently, USM Engineering Campus Health Unit has already had a contactless smart card reader at its counter. When a student card is pointed near the reader, the reader will get the student's IC number, transfer the information to host PC, access to student database, then check or update student's clinic record.

The benefit from RFID implementation is improved operations and saving time. Accurate and automatic data capture coupled with intelligent control leads to better security of medicine control.

3. Guard House

The RFID applications for the entrance gate at USM include:
a. Entrance access control - The gate will only unlock if it detects a correct tag ID.
b. Asset/Item tracking and tracing – Anti-theft detects whether an asset or item has an authorization to be brought out of campus. If it is not, several actions, such as guard alert, alarm activation and gate/barrier closing can be performed.
c. Vehicle verification – Unique ID for all students', staff' and visitors' vehicle. If there is any unknown vehicle, the guard can do necessary actions. If any vehicle parks at a forbidden area, the guard can record time, date and location of violation and the owner will get a fine.

Currently, USM Engineering Campus has two formal gates, one main gate and one side gate opened for entrance. There are 2 barriers with contactless smart card readers at the main gate, which function from 10:30 pm until 6:30am. Anyone crossing the barriers needs to confirm ID with a reader. The system replaces manual registration for student or staff at USM with auto-ID data recording to the database.

The benefits from RFID implementation are the followings:
1. Enhance campus security
2. Improve operation and management system for guard
3. Anti-theft, reduce criminal
4. Trace unknown vehicle
5. Fine the vehicle rules breaker effectively

4. School, DU (Main Hall) and DK (Lecture Hall)

At school or lab, we can also implement RFID technology to track and trace assets or equipment for a room or lab, to prevent theft or missing equipment, and improve the registration process.

5. Others
For USM hostel, six engineering schools, DU (Main Hall), and DK (Lecture Hall), RFID application like door lock system and auto attendance record system can be implemented using a contactless smart card system. But it is not a cost-effective application that can benefit much from RFID technology. As a result, we eliminate the RFID application on these locations.

In spite of the current excitement, RFID may not be suitable for everyone. There are some hurdles we need to consider seriously before embarking on a real implementation of RFID network system for digital campus, including:

* Price
* Complexity
* Existing solutions
* Advantages
* Applicability

The current state of RFID technology based on a collection of comments and observations is:
* Confusing
* Lacking of expertise
* Still in learning state

Toni Anwar is the Coordinator for Software Systems Engineering Programme at the Sirindhorn International Thai-German Graduate School of Engineering (TGGS), King Mongkut Institute Technology North Bangkok (KMITNB), Bangkok, Thailand.

Teong-Keat Chua is a Design Verification Engineer at Spansion Penang Design Center, Malaysia.



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Labels: card, malaysia, project, reader, rfid, security, tag, technology, tracking

Radar Response Tag technology was developed for the US Military at Sandia National Laboratories by Dr. Mike Lovejoy and his team. The work started in 1990 and Sandia was specifically asked to come up with a technology to complement GPS for those times when soldiers went under the cover of thick foliage, etc. Therefore the original mandate was wide area non-GPS and the technology had to work in buildings.

Dr. Mike Lovejoy showed in the mid 1990s that the original technology could potentially achieve up to 3 ft. accuracy over a distance of 12 miles and also could geolocate inside buildings. The technology has now evolved into allowing "friendly fire" avoidance by the US Military using powerful readers.

What has been released to Gentag, Inc. by the US Government is the non-military or civilian version of the technology. This version allows sensor input, is non-covert and has the 12 mile range and indoor capabilities.

The technology operates at 430 MHz and is an active technology with a small battery. It wakes up upon interrogation and sends out a signal that is then geolocated. The range and precision is due to unique and proprietary hardware and software.

A unique aspect of the technology is to piggyback on GPS for the reader components (external). Using the technology, a single reader, for example, can be placed inside an aircraft and create triangulation coordinates using a stationary GPS satellite as a reference point. This reference point could then be used to track missing children, hikers, stolen cars or boats. Otherwise the technology can be fixed, stationary or hybrid.

Gentag Inc. anticipates that the non-military version of the technology will be developed in three phases:

* Small board level
* ASIC (single chip)
* Integration into cell phones

The wide use of the technology for consumers will occur in phase II (ASIC). At that stage the technology will be credit card size and low cost. It will probably take about 18 months to reach that stage, depending on the funding. Gentag Inc. is currently looking for partners to manufacture and/or license the technology.

The writer is the President and CEO of Gentag Inc.


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Labels: rfid, technology, tracking

Here are the top 10 trends and technologies impacting supply chain operations spanning production, distribution, retail and remote service.

1. Comprehensive connectivity – from 802.11 wireless LAN technologies, cellular networks, Bluetooth
2. Voice and GPS communication integrated into rugged computers
3. Speech recognition
4. Digital imaging
5. Portable printing
6. 2D & other bar coding advances
7. RFID
8. RTLS
9. Remote management
10. Wireless and device security

You're probably familiar with the technologies listed above, but perhaps not with the latest developments and trends. For example, did you know that practically any application can be easily modified to accept speech input because of the recent development of terminal emulation-based speech recognition technology? Did you know that Bluetooth, 802.11b/g, cellular and GPS communication are all available in a single handheld device? Did you know improved optics allow 2D bar codes on paper to be read at greater distances (over 50 feet) than 1D bar codes on retro-reflective labels?

Connectivity

The various forms of wireless connectivity – Bluetooth for personal area networking, 802.11 wireless local area networking, and cellular wide area wireless networks for voice and data communication – are all highly visible and provide compelling business cases for many specific operations.

Smart phones have strong appeal because they provide convenient voice and data access. However they are extremely limited for delivery, field service and other mobile supply chain operations because the computer screens and interfaces aren’t optimized for enterprise applications, and the devices themselves aren’t rugged enough for everyday use in these environments. For operations with intensive data collection or transaction volume, companies have traditionally used ruggedized handheld computers to gain the reliability and performance they need, but these devices lacked cell phone capability.

Advanced Wireless: Voice & GPS

Now leading cellular carriers have certified rugged handheld computers for voice communication, enabling data collection, data communication and cell phone functionality to be converged into one device. Converging data and voice onto an integrated piece of equipment can cut the number of devices system administrators need to support in half, which provides sustainable operating cost savings. Connectivity convergence continues with the integration of GPS communication into mobile computers. Together with the falling costs of wide area wireless coverage (including GPRS, GSM, CDMA and other technologies) and more generous data plans, computing innovations like these make it affordable and practical for many companies to implement real-time data access systems for their delivery drivers, sales and service staff, inspectors and other personnel.

Speech Recognition

Speech recognition helps productivity by reducing the need for users to look at a computer display. Speech synthesis/recognition capability can now be easily embedded into numerous legacy software packages, including warehouse management, picking and putaway, inventory, inspection, quality control and other applications. This simplified integration has been made possible by the recent development of terminal emulation (TE)-based speech recognition technology, which eliminates the need for a separate speech server and a proprietary interface between the speech system and the application software.

Digital Imaging

Like cellular voice, digital imaging is another technology consumers are familiar with that has now found a place in enterprise mobile computing equipment and applications. Transportation and distribution companies are using digital cameras integrated into the mobile computers so their drivers can capture proof of delivery, store stamped invoices, and detail conditions that prevent delivery. Technicians use the technology for proof of service. Other applications include capturing shelf displays and monitoring trade promotion compliance, collecting competitive information, documentation by inspectors, collecting evidence for accident reports, and recording damage and usage conditions for warranty claims.

Portable Printing

Rugged portable printers are routinely used for output when documentation is required. Common applications include providing signed delivery receipts, purchase orders, work orders and inspection reports. Using mobile printers and computers together lets sales, service and delivery personnel give customers the documentation they desire, while creating an electronic record that frees the enterprise from having to process paperwork. Mobile printers remain one of the fastest-growing segments of the entire printing industry. Traditional applications are in field service and distribution, but adoption is growing quickly in warehouses and factories for forklift-based printing for picking, putaway, shipment labeling and other activities. Mobile printing provides proven labor savings in industrial environments by saving workers from having to make an unproductive trip to a central location to pick up labels, pick tickets, manifests and other output.

The Part 2 of this article will detail 2D Bar Code, RFID, RTLS, Remote Management and Security Technology.

The writer is the Regional Marketing Manager of Intermec Asia Pacific.


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Labels: barcode, business, connectivity, mobile, rfid, rtls, scm, security, technology

In a digital campus, digital workflow processes are expected to improve the management and operational efficiency of sub-communities such as library, hostel, clinic, faculties and bank. Apart from that, with the existence of Wi-Fi hotspots in the campus; staff, students and researchers can access the Internet from anywhere and anytime in the campus and use various applications, for example: e-learning, smart classes, digital library, e-merchant and e-banking by smart card with RFID etc.

However, in our project, we only focus on RFID technology and figure out how the technology can give a valuable improvement over the existing system at USM Engineering Campus. A simple example of RFID implementation is that students’ valuable asset like laptop and vehicle can be more easily monitored in the campus. The system can alert the guard house if any monitored asset tries to leave the campus area without permission. Another example is a library that can have an effective inventory control. RFID reader can instantaneously identify the books in the library and update book information at the time of borrowing or returning the books.

The design of several applications in a digital campus, such as library, health unit, guard house, hostel and school will be described in Part 2 of the case study.

Toni Anwar is the Coordinator for Software Systems Engineering Programme at the Sirindhorn International Thai-German Graduate School of Engineering (TGGS), King Mongkut Institute Technology North Bangkok (KMITNB), Bangkok, Thailand.

Teong-Keat Chua is a Design Verification Engineer at Spansion Penang Design Center, Malaysia.



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Labels: card, malaysia, mobile, project, reader, rfid, technology

Most organisations contemplating to embark on RFID initiatives will face a challenge to bring most benefits of the technology, while mitigating the costs and risks associated with it. Think Big, Start Smart and Scale Up with Agility is the key strategy for any successful RFID initiative. Using the strategy, decision makers can harness the potential benefit of RFID technology, justify the cost of investment, while still maintaining the flexibility for changes throughout their business process optimization, thus lowering the risks.

One of the key components in the Agile RFID strategy is Start Small. Here are a few tips to Start Small with RFID:

1. Focus on Existing Infrastructure
Reusing the existing infrastructure can deliver benefits at minimum cost in RFID implementation. However, this aspect is often neglected due to the lack of knowledge in the integration capability and capacity between the existing infrastructure and the new RFID infrastructure. By identifying one or more application areas where you can still use the existing infrastructure, you have reduced the time and cost for RFID infrastructure integration, which usually represents the largest cost component. For example, if you want to use RFID technology to enhance the convenience of access to a room or building, you may want to make sure that the new RFID infrastructure can easily be integrated with your existing access control and security systems. If you plan to print smart labels and currently have barcode printers, contact your barcode printer vendors and ask for upgrade options and plans, before buying some new RFID printers.

2. Focus on Scale
Large projects are prone to delay and failure. Whenever possible, break up a large RFID project initiative into some smaller RFID projects. Identify which small project will deliver the most impact for your organisation at the shortest time frame with the least investment. For example, automatic stock counting in a warehouse using RFID technology usually takes shorter time to implement than real-time asset location tracking, but the value delivered by the stock counting application is significant and less costly than the asset location tracking. By executing your plan properly and showing the benefits of RFID technology through your successful small project, it will be easier to convince your Chief Financial Officer or Finance Director about the value of RFID technology.

3. Focus on RFID Core Values
Understanding the power of RFID technology and its limitations is the key to stay focus on RFID core values. Unrealistic expectations from RFID technology are not only misleading, but also reducing the possibility of unleashing its vast potential. In addition, as any other technology, RFID also has its limitations. For example, the use of RFID technology for real-time asset tracking in asset management over continents will require an integration with other technology, such as Global Positioning Satellite (GPS). Focusing the use of RFID technology for real-time asset tracking in a limited area such as warehouse usually delivers more value than real-time tracking over a great distance.

The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.

Reference

Tedjasaputra, Adi (2005). RFID Phased Approach Needs Improvement. RFID Asia. Retrieved on September 3, 2007.


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Labels: business, project, rfid, security, technology, tracking

Acupuncture is a well-known medical technique in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Seeing a human body as a delicate balance between two opposing and inseparable forces: Yin and Yang, Qi or Chi (vital energy) is believed to circulate throughout body along meridians influenced by the balance between Yin and Yang. In a healthy body, Chi flows freely through meridians without blockage, stagnation or weakening. Xue (acupuncture points) are the locations where Chi of the Meridians rise close to the surface of body. It is believed that a human body consists of 12 main meridians, 8 secondary meridians and more than 2,000 acupuncture points (See reference 1, 2 and 3 for more information).

One of the exhibition highlights is an Interactive Acupuncture Chart. The main part of the system is a human body model illustrated with meridians and acupuncture points. This model gives visitors an opportunity to learn about different meridians and acupuncture points available throughout human body. Some key acupuncture points are tagged with small black coin-shaped passive RFID tags with a diameter of 14 mm and thickness of 3.2mm.

Another important part of the system is a flashlight-shaped RFID reader connected to a host computer. The 125kHz RFID reader serves as a probe to the human body model. Whenever a visitor points a key acupuncture point that is tagged with an RFID tag, a touch-screen display located nearby the human body model will give a corresponding information.

The system was interactive and easy to use for the visitors of all ages. The visitors explored and played with the system without realising the technology complexity. Some visitors who are interested to find the key acupuncture points related to their illness explored the human body model with the RFID reader easily.

Interestingly, during my exploration with the system, I accidentally discovered one of the RFID tags on the floor nearby the human model. Instead of examining all the key acupuncture points on the human body model to find the origin of the tag, I scanned the RFID tag and read the corresponding information on the touch-screen display. I easily located the exact location of the tag where the tag originated on the human body model. I put back the tag where it belongs and I was satisfied that the system functions as it should be.

Thanks to Cheong Hee Kiat for his generosity and recommendation.

The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.


References

1. Wikipedia. Acupuncture. Wikipedia. Retrieved on 27th August 2007.
2. NCCAM (December 2004). Acupuncture. NCCAM. Retrieved on 27th August 2007.
3. ICBS, Inc. Channels or Meridians in Acupunture. ICBS, Inc. Retrieved on 27th August 2007.


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Labels: china, reader, rfid, singapore, tag, technology

While RFID Asia does not sell or manufacture RFID products, we do provide RFID professional services through Consulting, Research, Business Representation and Advertising. We help companies make the best investment decisions on RFID technology and products. We also plan to open a new RFID kiosk that will become one-stop RFID store to help companies across various industry verticals, government agencies, research organisations and universities in Asia Pacific to learn, select, try out and buy a range of RFID products and services from various RFID vendors. The kiosk will link up RFID vendors and consumers alike to conduct trading and training on RFID products and services.

If you are one of the end-users planning to embark on RFID system deployment, the following guidelines may ease the process of choosing RFID tag:

1. Define Your Goal and Requirements Clearly
Without a properly defined goal, you will be easily distracted by many tempting offers and marketing gimmicks. If you need RFID tags for pilot, define your pilot project goal clearly. Your pilot project goal may solve the attendance problem at your office, secure a certain area of your warehouse, or only to know how a wireless automatic identification technology works. After you clearly define your goal, the next thing to remember is to keep your requirements simple. For example, when your application only requires read-only (RO) RFID tags, do not be tempted to choose Read-and-Write (R/W) RFID tags only because they have more “features”, unless you already know that you will need them later.

2. Source Carefully
There are thousands of RFID vendors in the market. Some are good, some are bad. Some are reliable, some are not. It is good if you can get a vendor referral from a source you can trust. If you cannot get any referral and unfamiliar with a vendor, ask relevant questions to the vendor upfront. Make sure details such as pricing, delivery, payment, dead tags, return policy, tag life time, etc. are not left out. The more you know in advance, less surprises you will experience.

3. Standard is The King
As an evolving technology, the change of RFID standards is inevitable. As standards evolve, RFID tags and related hardware could become perishable. Upgrade option is always the best solution. Look for vendors who offer tag upgrade for reusable RFID tags. The good news is that almost everyone in the RFID community agrees that the harmonization of global RFID protocol and spectrum allocation is as important as regional harmonization. When you deploy an RFID system, make sure that your system conforms to the regional regulation and interoperable with other systems that interact with your RFID system. Whatever standard you use, make sure it is ISO-compliant.

4. Price is Not Everything
The lure of low RFID tag price often results in a disappointment at the end. Many will find out sooner or later that 5-cent RFID tags do not exist in the market. If your RFID application is based on the 5-cent price assumption, it is better to postpone your project indefinitely or find another business case that can justify your RFID application on different price level.

5. Try and Evaluate
Before your RFID tags arrive, you need to prepare a try-out system in place to evaluate your RFID tag performance. It is the best if you can set up a test environment in the actual site where the RFID tags will be used. Depending on the sophistication of your application, budget and time, you can simply set up a simple read and write test or set up a sophisticated test environment using a real-time spectrum analyzer.

The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.


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Labels: business, payment, project, rfid, tag, technology

The current dog regulation in Singapore is already strict, but the Agri-Food and Vetenary Authority of Singapore (AVA) has issued a media release concerning the revisions to the Animals and Birds (Dog Licensing and Control) Rules on 6 August 2007. According to the release, the new revisions aim to provide better management of dog population, instill responsible pet ownership and discourage pet abandonment.

In the space-constraint island country of Singapore, keeping pets, including dogs may prove to be challenging. First you need to check with the management of your housing estate or condominium whether dogs are allowed. If you live in an HDB flat, you can only keep 1 small-sized dog of an approved breed. If you live in other premises, up to 3 dogs are allowed. A special permission is required if you want to keep more than 3 dogs.

While the mandatory RFID implant with ISO-compliant (ISO-11784 and ISO-11785) RFID transponders may work effectively for licensed stray dogs, it may not work effectively for unlicensed dogs, which number is unknown. Some pet lovers who cannot keep pets in their premises due to space constraint, regulation or financial reasons have two options: keep their pets without license or let them stray in the streets while still feeding them regularly. The new regulation will certainly have no much effect on this group of "dog owners".

The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.


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Labels: rfid, singapore, technology

The Bluetooth SIG claims on its website that NFC will "take ease of use to the next level". While this assertion may sound like a marketing jargon, NFC does have a potential to exploit two well-known physical interaction styles, i.e. waving and touching/tapping, in various short-range contactless applications. The familiarity with waving and touching is expected to ease the use of NFC-enabled devices and thus improve the overall user experience of NFC-enabled devices.

Beside the improvement in user experience, NFC also has a potential to bridge the change of paradigm in logical bond or connection among physical objects. When the on-going work on NFC's Host Controller Interface (HCI) specification is completed by 2008, the HCI is expected to cover all NFC operational modes, including reader/writer, peer-to-peer and card emulation.

Imagine your NFC-enabled mobile phones that can act both as a credit card and a personal payment terminal. Imagine showing your digital photos and videos from your NFC-enabled camera on your friend's NFC-enabled television only by putting your camera next to the television. Imagine many other logical connection among physical objects that may be possible with NFC technology.

While the logical connection among physical objects is quite attractive, the technology may face some interoperability problems if there is no single technology standardization widely accepted by technology providers and end-users alike. The recent announcement of the NFC tag specification has shown that the NFC Forum has learnt from the RFID industry experience and built its NFC tag specification on the existing standards, such as: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) / International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 14443 and Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) X 6319-4/FeliCa.

The fact that NFC technology can ride on the popularity of mature technology such as Bluetooth shows the confidence in the future of NFC technology. However, similar with any other new and emerging technology, NFC will find its challenges along the way. Some of the challenges already identified include unreliable NFC infrastructure and insecure applications. We will see in the next 5 years whether NFC technology can overcome the challenges and find its niche application as Bluetooth did with its pairing feature.

The writer is the Founder of RFID Asia - The Prominent RFID Community in Asia.


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Labels: bluetooth, card, mobile, nfc, payment, reader, rfid, tag, technology

Near-Field Communication or NFC is a short-range 13.56 MHz wireless technology that can transfer data up to 424 kbits/s. Using standardized protocols developed by industry-sponsored NFC Forum, inter-device NFC communication is expected to establish two-way link and exchange data among different consumer products, such as mobile phones, televisions, personal computers and digital cameras. Touching and waving are the most common interaction styles that promise convenience as any other contactless technology. Nevertheless, the current usage of NFC technology is still limited to contactless card payment, contactless mobile payment and interactive smart poster.

Thian Yee Chua, the CEO of CASSIS, during a seminar in Singapore last week, emphasized the need to build an NFC ecosystem, an environment for consumer-service, for a wide adoption of NFC technology. Lim Boon Heong, the Marketing and Business Development Director in NFC business of INSIDE Contactless further detailed the importance of NFC handset availability, win-win business models and an open standard.

Contactless mobile payment is one of the applications highlighted during the seminar. Several pilots planned and initiated have involved major credit card companies, banks, merchants, mobile service providers, mobile network operators, such as: VISA, JCB, MasterCard, CCV Holland B.V, KPN, Nokia, PaySquare, Philips and ViVOtech, SK Telecom, Orange, France Telecom, China Fujian Mobile Communications Co. Ltd., Xiamen Branch and Xiamen E-Tong Card Company Ltd, 2-Eleven, Gemplus, CASSIS.

Yet, Bank of America that has conducted an NFC trial in collaboration with Venyon Oy and its 5000 employees at one of its corporate campus in Delaware reported in May 2007 that the NFC portion of the trial has flopped due to variety reasons, including undesirable mobile phone model and problems in downloading payment application to the handsets.

In addition, a security issue in the form of protocol vulnerabilities may become worse if NFC-enabled mobile phones can act as cards or terminals, can be programmed by their users and can communicate with each other (Anderson, Ross. RFID and the Middleman. Retrieved on 06-08-2007).

The writer is an ICT Consultant and Researcher with various affiliations to academic and industry organizations. Her current research interest includes ICT4D, m-Learning, e-Learning, Web 2.0, healthcare, wireless and mobile technology.


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Your Comments

The current NFC solution, being highly dependent on mobile handset (as far as mobile solution is concerned), is seen as the limitation. Such limitation can be overcame by a solution which will not depend on mobile handset.
- Eric Tan, Watchdata, Singapore, Sunday, August 12, 2007 -

Labels: 2.0, business, card, china, mobile, nfc, payment, rfid, security, singapore, technology, trial

Last Thursday, United Overseas Bank (UOB) of Singapore launched the first contactless Visa Wave Credit Card in Singapore. Following the trial success in Malaysia and Taiwan during the first quarter of 2007, the launch of UOB One Card in Singapore is not surprising. Susan Williams, the Director of Stakeholder Communications Visa International Asia Pacific, shared with RFID Asia that as the end of March 2007, there are a total of 8.1 million Visa Wave cards issued by the banks in Malaysia, while in Taiwan the number is more staggering: 23.9 million cards, with more than 2,970 merchant locations that accept Visa Wave cards

Similar to the other contactless credit cards like Master Card PayPass and AmEx Express Pay, the UOB One Card only allows a small value of transaction without card holder's signature in about 300 island-wide retail outlets. UOB One Card holders can wave their cards on a reader terminal to pay for a purchase and expect the EMV-based payment system, a payment system built for chip-based transaction, to process a transaction and print a receipt within 4-6 seconds, without any card handover. Based on the study commissioned by Visa, this process is much faster than a signature-based card payment that takes an average of 25 seconds or a cash transaction that takes an average of 14 seconds.

The convenience of such contactless payment is not without a catch. Compared to non-contactless credit cards that require signature authorization or pin numbers from authorized card holders for each transaction, contactless credit card, such as UOB One Card, imposes no verification for any transaction up to $100. There is virtually no verification system in place to make sure that a person making contactless credit card payment is actually the authorized card owner. It will be easier for an unauthorized person who can get access to such contactless credit card to misuse the card. The owner of such contactless credit card can risk $100 multiplied by the number of transactions before the card reported as missing, stolen or misused in such scenario.

During the CommunicAsia 2007 in Singapore, we interviewed a few visitors about Visa Wave. The ages of the interview participants were all above 40. All of the interviewed participants said that they were excited to know about the coming of a new contactless payment technology, but they were still reluctant to use a contactless payment system. The feeling of uncertainty was the main reason of their hesitance, for example: they were still unsure whether they would be double-charged or triple-charged for waving a card several times.

The feeling of uncertainty for the consumers in Singapore is not without a grounded reason. In 1999, the consumers in Singapore saw a total of 400,000 Singapore dollars wrongly debited from their bank accounts through a crash in the country's cashless point-of-sale system. This experience has affected the adoption of any new cashless system in Singapore.

Targeting young professionals (23-34 years old), the launch of UOB One Card is a significant step for Singapore towards a cashless society, a vision backed by the Singapore Government since 1999. Compared to the current cashless payment system using magnetic strip cards, the UOB One cards will introduce a relatively new interaction style in cashless payment for the consumers in Singapore. Consumers and merchants alike using the contactless credit card system may expect a significant portion of learning and teething problems in the upcoming days and months ahead. In addition, UOB One Card may not also be as popular as its predecessors in Taiwan and Malaysia because the credit card will only be appealing to a small segment in the Singapore's aging society.

The writer is an ICT Consultant and Researcher with various affiliations to academic and industry organizations. Her current research interest includes ICT4D, m-Learning, e-Learning, Web 2.0, healthcare, wireless and mobile technology.


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Labels: 2.0, card, malaysia, mobile, payment, reader, rfid, singapore, technology, trial

Telekom Research & Development Sdn. Bhd. (TMR&D) has developed a Smart Shelf harnessing the RFID technology working on HF band (13.56 MHz). The Smart Shelf exploits the short-range RFID technology that can automatically identify books within a distance of 30 cm relative to the shelf.

The innovation began in 2005 when we received feedbacks from the patrons of the Multimedia University (MMU) library who faced a difficulty in physically locating catalogued books. The difficulty has prompted the idea to begin with our research on Smart Shelf.

The Smart Shelf research was conducted to facilitate library search and enable multiple book tracking in real time. The RFID tag technology with 128-byte storage capacity has made this goal possible.

At first, we tested the RFID technology working in UHF band to track books on a shelf. We found out that we could not control the signal spectrum to automatically identify books in a pre-defined area. Furthermore, we also found a number of invalid identification.

After we tested the RFID technology working in HF band, we got more accurate results and we only had to tune the strength of signals using a vector network analyzer for achieving a specific working distance from a shelf.

We also learnt that several frequency bands may not be suitable for RFID systems. Any vacant space in the frequency spectrum for wireless systems is limited. In addition, the available license-free or Industrial-Scientific-Medical (ISM) frequency bands vary substantially from country to country in terms of regulations. In our case, the frequency range of 13.553 – 13.567 MHz suits our application that requires a small amount of data reading at low speed over a short distance.

Our Smart Shelf was launched on 9th February 2007 at MMU in Cyberjaya. The Minister of Higher Education, YB Dato' Mustapa Mohamed was present to officiate the event, which was attended by librarians from all over Malaysia.

The writer is Researcher/Project Leader at Telekom Research & Development Sdn. Bhd., a company that provides customized solutions through leading edge designs, fabrication and state-of-art technologies.


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Labels: hf, malaysia, project, rfid, tag, technology, tracking

With the number of contactless smart card unit shipments in the Asia Pacific region at approximately 230 million cards and the Asia Pacific RFID supply chain market that earned $170.3 million in 2006 (Frost & Sullivan 7 Jun 2007, RFID versus Contactless Smart Card and Frost & Sullivan 30 Jun 2007, Asia Pacific RFID Supply Chain Markets), it is hard to ignore the steady growing demand for RFID solutions in the region.

Heating up the emerging markets, METRO Group – the world's fourth largest retailer located in Germany has launched an initiative called Advanced Logistics Asia program since last year. The aim of the program is simply to improve the flow of goods along the supply chain between China (Hong Kong) and Germany with the use of RFID technology.

Speaking to FoodProductionDaily.com, Christian Maas - a METRO Group spokesperson, recently gave a comment on the pressure on its suppliers for adopting RFID and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) technology: "Suppliers doing without the innovative technology (RFID and EDI – ed.) will bear the higher process costs resulting from a lower efficiency. Suppliers participating in the RFID roll-out will benefit from a preferred treatment."

The remark implies that METRO Group believes in 3 things:

1. The technology used by METRO Group, including RFID, is innovative.


2. RFID will help suppliers achieving lower process costs as a result of higher process efficiency.


3. A preferred treatment is an incentive for suppliers to participate in the RFID roll-out.

Whether these beliefs are based on facts or assumptions, all suppliers to METRO Group will have to eventually go along with RFID deployment plan. First, the suppliers will have to participate in EDI framework integrating NVE (Shipping Unit Number). This participation requires suppliers to provide NVEs for complete pallets and each individual package. After the EDI System integration, the next step will be the use of RFID tags at the pallet level. Suppliers will have to attach RFID tags to all pallets before delivery.

Faced with the requirement for RFID technology compliance, suppliers should ask the following question: Is there any rational motive that can justify the adoption of RFID technology further into internal business processes? The answer to the question is crucial for any supplier to take a strategic decision whether to implement RFID technology only for the sake of compliance or integrate the RFID technology further into internal business processes.

The answer from the 26 METRO Group's industry partners from Asia (not 30 suppliers or partners as published previously in various media) participating in "Tag it easy" pilot project has already been decided: compliance.

As a part of the Advanced Logistics Asia program, the "Tag it easy" pilot project was launched in late May 2007. The project aims to enable consumer good industry partners in Hong Kong to apply RFID labels on the shipments to Unna, Germany.

Basically, there are only 3 things that the Asian suppliers participating in the project need to perform:

1. Use Metro Link portal to order pre-printed RFID labels for packages exported to Unna, Germany.


2. Manually attached the RFID labels to the export packages.


3. Manually read the data on the RFID labels affixed to the outgoing goods using a handheld reader.

The recent press release from METRO Group reported that 40 companies have adapted their processes to use RFID technology. From the press release, it is unclear whether the 40 companies include the 26 suppliers from Asia or not. However, based on the facts that the Asian suppliers solely perform peripheral activities with regard to RFID implementation, and not further adoption into internal business processes, it is fair to assume that the press release excludes the 26 suppliers from Asia.

Judging from the manual labour-intensive processes that are still heavily involved in the project, it will be difficult for suppliers to justify that RFID is an innovative technology that can help them to achieve lower process costs and higher process efficiency. The suppliers involved in the project may get a preferred treatment from the METRO Group and detailed proof of good delivery, nevertheless, it is still questionable whether the preferred treatment and detailed proof of good delivery can actually justify the additional operational costs and process waste.

On the other hand, METRO Group can benefit tremendously from data quality improvement, process efficiency improvements along the supply chain, and real-time asset visibility & control, while the third-party RFID vendor - Checkpoint Systems, Inc. can profit from the use of their Check-Net® products and services.

The situation confirms the results of our previous study on RFID adoption in Supply Chain Logistics and Retail Logistics, in which a fair cost-sharing mechanism between retailer (METRO Group) and consumer good suppliers is essential for a sustainable RFID adoption to take place. In addition, it is also necessary for consumer good suppliers to be able to justify their investments in RFID technology with rational motives and justified returns. A specific business case for each unique consumer goods supplier and a customised solution to RFID system integration challenges are no longer nice-to-have. It has already become a fundamental requirement for a sustainable RFID adoption and sustainable growth of RFID supply chain markets.


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Labels: business, card, china, project, reader, rfid, scm, tag, technology

Labels: card, indonesia, malaysia, rfid, singapore, technology

Labels: business, payment, privacy, rfid, scm, security, tag, technology, tracking

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Don't get me wrong – I applaud the work of credible people and organisations to disseminate knowledge around RFID technology and promote RFID business - but we need to understand that any change or transformation in the real world is evolutionary. There is no such thing as RFID revolution or RFID magic.

Forecasts are probably good to give a sense of direction and motivation, but the real change or transformation lies in wise actions. RFID players who are not aware of this reality have tasted some loss or about to find out the harsh reality of the RFID industry. VeriChip has had a slow sales and its stock has been struggling since its initial public offering. U.S. Homeland Security is abandoning the plans for using RFID tags. EPCglobal Gen 2 UHF tag has failed to meet its 5-cent tag vision. Wal-Mart is yet to succeed in reducing labour and inventory costs using RFID technology.

RFID technology is now at the Slope of Enlightenment in the sense of Gartner's Hype Cycle. RFID community has just started the process of understanding the benefits of practical RFID applications. There is a huge need to bridge RFID knowledge gap and find the right partners for the right RFID projects and applications, particularly in Asia. The emerging markets in Asia, such as Indonesia, have started to show some active signs and enthusiasms.

In the beginning of the new year, I would like to use the opportunity to thank all the RFID Asia Community Members for your continuous support and active participation.

Have a Wireless and Prosperous Lunar New Year.


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Labels: label, rfid, tag, technology

Labels: business, china, india, japan, project, rfid, singapore, technology

Water and metal objects are the most known factors that can decrease the performance of air interface Ultra High Frequency (UHF) communication between RFID passive tags and readers. Depending on RFID applications, several options to alleviate the material effect include the use of active tags, additional tag spacer or insert material, and specific tag or antenna design.

Two other factors that can also influence the performance of UHF RFID applications, yet less known, are mobility and tagging position. These two factors can be very significant in several applications, such as RFID vehicle and conveyor belt tracking systems.

Mobility is a critical factor for RFID tagged objects or readers that are moving or mobile. Depending on the configuration of a particular RFID system and environment, a significant change in mobility path (direction) and also speed (velocity) within a specified time can influence the successful identification rate of RFID tags.

Tagging position, on the other hand, is related to the position where RFID tags are embedded, attached or injected (in the case of animal or human tagging). In many cases, optimum power from RFID reader is not required to operate passive tags.

However, in cases where the Effective Radiated Power (ERP) level and distance between reader and tags are fixed, such as in manufacturing setting, it is important to know the location in a tagged object where a passive tag can operate optimally. Such location is defined as R-Spot or Resonance Spot.

R-Spot is a location in a tagged object where a passive tag can operate optimally within specified Effective Radiated Power (ERP) level and certain distance from a reader.

During RFID tagging, R-Spots are usually the reference tagging locations where the identification of tags will result in optimum performance.

In some cases, such as pallet and case tagging with different contents and materials, R-Spots are likely to be variably diverse. Such cases may introduce the difficulty in automation, because a fixed tagging location on all tagged objects may become a requirement to achieve an efficient automation. This situation introduces the importance of L-Spot or Live Spot, which is the location in a tagged object where a passive tag can still obtain power from a reader to operate within specified ERP level and certain distance from a reader.

L-Spot is the location in a tagged object where a passive tag can still obtain power from a reader to operate within specified ERP level and certain distance from a reader.

L-Spot includes R-Spots as well, but L-Spot does not always guarantee that the tagging position will result in optimum performance.

The opposite of L-Spot is D-Spot or Dead Spot, where tags can still receive power from a reader, but the obtained power is insufficient to operate tags within specified ERP level and certain distance from a reader, resulting in identification failures.

D-Spot is the location in a tagged object where passive tags can still obtain the power from a reader, but the obtained power is insufficient to operate tags within specified ERP level and certain distance from a reader.

There are still many areas in RFID tagging that are yet to be explored. This introduction to RFID tagging has shown that there is still room for improvement, while the art and science of RFID tagging advances along with the increasing adoption of RFID technology in diverse applications.


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Biometric passports have recently been touted as cutting-edge technology able to prevent travel document forgery using a secure authentication process. These passports carry digital data about the physical characteristics of their respective holders, such as face shape and fingerprints. These physical characteristics, and their combinations, are the parameters or the determining factors in an authentication process known as biometric authentication.

Before the biometric authentication process can be performed, a recording process that transforms human physical characteristics into digital biometric data, or a biometric signature, is required to set an authentication reference. These digital data are usually encrypted and stored in a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip embedded or inserted into each biometric passport.

During the biometric passport authentication process, a passport-reading machine will read the biometric data stored in the RFID chip. After a successful contactless access, the data retrieved from the chip will then be authenticated against the initial, presumably genuine, biometric data stored in a database. In addition, a physical authentication process can also be integrated to increase the trustworthiness of the authentication process.

Most countries in the world are currently implementing or planning to adopt biometric passports for security purposes, including Indonesia.

As the world's fourth-most populous nation with more than 200 million people, Indonesia has decided to venture into the world of biometrics. Since February 2006, the country has been issuing what the government calls new biometric passports. According to the article, Justice ministry clarifies biometric passport prices, published by The Jakarta Post on July 21, 2006, the government says the biometric system, which scans fingerprints and photographic data into a bar code, has helped it detect 1,800 attempted passport frauds since its introduction in February 2006.

In addition, a press release issued by the sole contractor for the Biometric Indonesian Passport project, Digital Identification Solutions AG of Germany, dated July 12, 2006, from Stuttgart, claims that on average the new biometric passport system processes thousands of on-line passport applications daily and issues the passports in full color, and with numerous security features, on the spot where people apply for the passports.

"Being a German national, I sometimes would love to have my own government provide such user-friendly service to the public". says the CEO of the company in the press release.

Does this sound like an overstatement? I believe so.

However, I agree that the Biometric Indonesian Passport project is indeed one-of-a-kind in the world.

While developed countries are implementing or planning biometric passports with RFID chips embedded or inserted into them, the biometric Indonesian passports resort to bar code technology (the Post, July 21, 2006), which defeats the purpose of anti-counterfeit measures. Basically, it is easier to clone bar codes than the encrypted identification stored in an RFID chip.

Besides the security issue, it is also essential to guarantee that certain information in biometric passports is kept from unauthorized parties and specific privileges granted or assigned to the right people, which is almost impossible with the application of bar code technology. The biometric Indonesian passport system designer apparently forgets that secure authentication is the fundamental assumption for privacy protection and authorization.

In addition, the use of bar code technology also means that there is no unique identification system due to the limitation of the bar code numbering system. Bar code technology was originally designed only to identify a class of generic products, not a unique item, compared to RFID technology, which can support a unique identification system despite the numbering system being used.

Biometric (+RFID) passports and ID cards are definitely better, not having the basic security issues posed by bar code technology.

Nevertheless, the recent demonstration of biometric (+RFID) passport data cloning performed by a security consultant at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas could indicate that security risks in the use of biometric (+RFID) passports and ID cards still exist. However, the consultant could not change the information stored in the chip due to cryptographic protection.

In reality, there is no 100 percent security guarantee in this networked world. When you become part of a "network" voluntarily or involuntarily, there is always a chance that your security will be compromised. One sensible action you can take is to assess your state of security continuously, take several appropriate security measures and prepare recovery plans in the event of a security breach (RFID Security Threats: Your Cat is Probably Safe ... for Now, RFID Asia).

During a government forum on national IDs and e-passports for Indonesia held last June in Jakarta, the director for international cooperation at the Directorate General of Immigration unveiled a plan to decentralize the issuing of biometric Indonesian passports throughout Indonesian embassies.

Until now, there has been no country in the world planning or implementing a decentralization plan similar to the one proposed by the Indonesian government. It is certainly not about technological barriers. It is simply based on common sense and the assumption that the security risks of such decentralization outweigh the benefits of such a system in terms of efficiency. There is simply no country in the world that is willing to put its nationals and citizens on the front line of security risks and threats.

This article is featured at The Jakarta Post, Opinion and Editorial - August 15, 2006

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Going to school may seem to be routine and ordinary for most children. However, a growing number of children (and parents) around the world may not feel the same.

Let's meet Sanami-chan, a 4-year old student from Ayase city, Kanagawa prefecture in the greater Tokyo area, Japan. Her mother, Megumi-san, a 33-year old house wife, usually takes Sanami-chan to her school, Ryounan preschool, located several kilometers from their home.

Since February 2006, Sanami-chan and her mates in the school started to wear some active 300 MHz UHF RFID tags attached to their rucksacks. When Sanami-chan and Megumi-san pass through the preschool's front gate in the morning, the RFID reader installed in the gate will read the identification number stored in Sanami-chan's RFID tag. The reader will then instantly transmit the ID to the school's attendance information system, which then records Sanami-chan's arrival and changes the colour of Sanami-chan's name displayed on a PC monitor from red to green.

Sanami-chan and Megumi-san (fictitious personas) could describe how the children and parents in Japan have taken part in a growing number of RFID projects that involve children.

Children Safety

Several amusement parks, such as Legoland in Billund, Denmark, Dollywood Splash Country in Tennessee, USA and Wannado City, Florida, USA, have started adopting RFID technology mainly for the purpose of tracking and pinpointing children location in the amusement parks. A child safety seat system has been developed to alert drivers if a seat buckle disengages. Children clothes could be embedded with RFID tags with a purpose of triggering an alarm and some alerts when a child wearing such clothes crosses some predetermined boundaries. Various school attendance systems are implemented in various places in Japan and some other countries across Asia.

Despite the tremendous growth of RFID technology applications for ensuring children safety, there is also some opposition regarding the use of the technology on children. The ones who oppose the use of the technology for children safety often argue that the technology application could breach children's right to privacy and dignity, like the opinion expressed by EPIC, Electronic Frontier Foundation and ACLU-Northern California to the Brittan School Board regarding mandatory RFID badge programme for tracking children’s movements in and around the school located in Sutter, California, USA.

Nevertheless, in a different location quite far away, Tanabe city, Wakayama prefecture, Japan, Kinki Bureau of Telecommunications released a report of an RFID experiment on children that draws a different picture through a survey on parents whose children took part in the experiment: 83% of the parents said that the experimental RFID system increased their peace of mind and most of them were willing to pay a monthly fee for this kind of service.

Beyond Safety

Children safety is not the only reason for using RFID technology in the children world. RFID technology has also found its way into the world of children education and entertainment as well.

Embedding RFID into toys for language learning, interactive toy kitchen that can detect and respond to toy food placed on its plate and hybrid gaming system are only a few from many other innovative ideas that have become popular.

If you think that children have already had enough exposure to RFID technology in the world, think again!
There is already a specific lesson designed for children that they can share opinions about the technologies used to identify them and monitor their activities, and then develop plans for new uses of RFID-enabled technologies to share with their classmates, and write essays persuading readers to use their proposed technologies.

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(1) CDT-Led Working Group Releases RFID "Best Practices"

(2) Best Practices Ideal for Evolving Technology

(3) Technology-Neutral Consumer Privacy Legislation Still Needed

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