Electron Rfid

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IBM Business Consulting Services

ibm.com/bcs

An IBM Institute for Business Value executive brief

Product innovation in electronics

The untold RFID story


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The IBM Institute for Business Value develops fact-based strategic insights for senior

business executives around critical industry-specific and cross-industry issues. This executive

brief is based on an in-depth study created by the IBM Institute for Business Value. This

research is a part of an ongoing commitment by IBM Business Consulting Services to provide

analysis and viewpoints that help companies realize business value. You may contact the

authors or send an e-mail to [email protected] for more information.


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The untold RFID story IBM Business Consulting Services1

Introduction

With suppliers working feverishly to comply with requests from major retailers

and government agencies, most companies RFID efforts to date have centered

on shipment compliance, which generally benefits the client, but not the supplier

incurring the investment. However, client mandated use of RFID in the supply chain

barely scratches the surface of the benefits RFID offers. Just as the Web browserserved as the spark for generating innovative uses of the Internet that go well

beyond Web browsing, RFID will soon transcend basic asset and inventory tracking,

and will become an important aspect of the next generation of connected electronic

products. RFID allows not only greater innovation in product manufacturing and distri-

bution, but when it is combined with the appropriate networking infrastructure it can

enhance the way products themselves function which can mean far greater returns

for electronics companies.

Tagging opportunity: Taking RFID beyond the supply chain

Big retailers (such as Wal-Mart, Metro and Tesco) have established a challenging

timeline to implement RFID technology from their supply chain to the retail shelf. Inaddition, government agencies such as the United States Department of Defense

(DoD) are rapidly embracing RFID and demanding that suppliers fall into step. If

suppliers want to remain competitive, they will have to comply with these mandates,

at the very least adding RFID to their products on item, packet, pallet or container

level, depending on the demands of their most important customers.

While tagging offers benefits such as reduced out-of-stock on the retailers shelf,

cost conscious supply chain managers will look for other opportunities to recoup

investments made in RFID compliance. Indeed, most will first look to the enhanced

supply chain visibility and performance RFID tagging offers. But the greatest oppor-

tunity for electronics companies lies well beyond the supply chain in process and

product innovations that may yield even greater returns.

RFID can be used to increase automation and optimize processes across receiving,

manufacturing, work-in-progress management and shipping resulting in faster

time to market. Here, RFID can provide the crucial link between manufacturing

execution systems and the physical world. For instance, RFID chips can be used on

manufacturing equipment to signal condition or wear, circumventing delays caused

by faulty or failing machinery. RFID application is especially compelling in situations

where limited manual (human) intervention is desired. For instance, many electronics

manufacturing environments require clean rooms, necessitating a solution that

embeds out-of-sight, fully automated identification.

Contents

1 Introduction

1 Tagging opportunity: Taking

RFID beyond the supply chain

3 Signals of change: RFID in

product innovation

5 Electronics industry: Easier

entry, enhanced results

6 Tracking RFID success:

Alternative approaches

9 On the way to opportunity:

Overcoming RFID obstacles

11 Finding the right frequency:

Are you ready to benefit

from RFID?

12About the author

13 About IBM Business

Consulting Services

13 References


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Fabricating the future: IBM realizes RFID rewards

The profitable operation of a semiconductor fabrication plant (fab) depends heavily on speed and

automation. At any given moment, thousands of different active containers are moving through the

plant and need to be tracked in realtime by the factory control system. Manual processes not only slow

down production, they can also pose a contamination risk in the clean room environment.

After assessing traditional systems to track work-in-progress across the new 300mm semiconductor

fab in Fishkill, NY, IBM Technology Group decided RFID presented crucial advantages in simultaneously

fulfilling requirements for high accuracy, efficiency and automation. For instance, RFID offers the ability

to read multiple tags at once with no line of sight required. The tags can be used in harsh environments,

are less susceptible to damage and are reusable.

With a passive RFID tag on every container, IBM can track its current location, where it came from and

where it will go in realtime. Better prioritization of orders translates to accelerated time to market. In

addition, IBM saves on labor costs: the fab can run with 60 to 70 people compared with an industry

average of 100 to 120,2

and be operated by a skeleton crew instead of shut down on holidays.

RFID supports the focus on an open standards infrastructure, acting as the first phase of a uniqueidentification of semiconductor material containers across all IBM sites. IBM is also well positioned to

seamlessly integrate into the supply networks of major clients, and to participate directly in the joint

benefits of RFID compliance.

For many companies that begin their RFID journey with compliance followed by

process optimization and innovation, product innovation will be the last area where

they take action (see Figure 1). These companies will likely want to apply what

they learned from compliance, supply chain enhancement and other automation

and optimization efforts to compete in the product innovation space. The lessons

learned along with the intellectual property and assets acquired through gaining

supply chain visibility and optimizing processes can add significantly to the valueproposition and business case for RFID-based product innovations.

In its Milpitas facility, Seagate

has deployed RFID for

traceability of all materials,

processes and equipment

used in the manufacturing of

disc drives. The company had

previously tried to use bar code

technology, but the human

intervention required, and the

contamination concerns from

the paper that the bar code was

printed on, made RFID a more

elegant solution.1


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Figure 1: The typical path to RFID innovation.

Signals of change: RFID in product innovation

While it is rather straightforward for any product developer to upgrade its physicalproducts with RFID functionality, such as placing RFID readers in mobile phones or

microwave ovens, it is the expertise in the back-end functions, such as data storage

and distribution, protocol conversion, standards implementation and the ingenuity to

overcome technical difficulties that will differentiate companies from their compet-

itors. After all, RFID technology is only as useful as the information it conveys, and

how that information is captured, stored and used to increase product functionality

and value will define how appealing RFID-enabled products are to the end customer.

What does RFID product innovation look like today? And how will it change the future

functionality and value of electronics products? Though companies are just now

beginning to move into the product innovation arena, the following scenarios demon-strate early stage RFID capability, as well as how RFID technology could evolve to

increase the functionality, usability and attractiveness of products in the near future.

Value

Experience required

Comply

Gain SCMvisibility

Innovateprocess

Innovateproducts

Source: IBM Business Consulting Services analysis.


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Personal communications: Mobile phones do work

Adding RFID tags and the capability to read RFID tags to mobile phones establishes a network between

the virtual world of the Internet and the physical world of objects. For instance, Nokia offers an RFID

kit for their 5140 mobile phone as part of their field force solution offerings. By touching an RFID

tag on the phone, or pointing the phone to RFID tags attached to physical objects, the customer can

send and receive a plethora of useful information. In one scenario, an RFID tag can be affixed to the

dashboard of a car. When the phone is pointed to it, it can transmit beginning and ending trip mileage

for expense purposes. RFID tags can also be used to set up time and attendance recording for roving

field employees, or to capture readings on meters or other remote machinery in the course of a days

work.3

At the same time, the value proposition for companies that add RFID-tagging to their products

is enhanced, as the RFID reading capability is now "in the hands" of customers around the world and no

longer requires the installation of stationary readers.

Industrial automation: Better bag handling

Airlines and airport operators have identified RFID as a breakthrough technology that can add dramatic

improvements to the accuracy and decrease the cost of handling baggage. For instance, though fewerthan a million of the 80 million or so bags Delta Air Lines handles in an average year fail to reach their

final destination on the same flight as their owners, locating and delivering misdirected luggage costs the

airline about US$100 million annually.4

In October and November of 2003, Delta tested RFID tags on 40,000 passenger bags tracked from

check-in to loading. The results? RFID increased best case scenario bag handling efficiency to 99.8

percent from the 80 percent achieved by todays barcode reading processes. That translates into only 80

bag handling errors versus the current 6,000 errors per 40,000 bags.5

In addition, Las Vegas McCarran International Airport officials announced that the airport would begin

attaching radio tags to all checked luggage this fall. In tests, the RFID system that the airport will use

accurately routed 99.7 percent of luggage, compared with 89 percent for optically scanned bar codes.6

White goods: Appliances with advantages

As more and more products are RFID tagged to comply with supply chain requirements, the unique

information they transmit can be of use along the entire lifecycle of the product. Typical consumer

products such as clothes and food interact with white goods appliances like washing machines, refrig-

erators and ovens. By embedding RFID reading capabilities into these white goods, and either storing

handling information locally or on the Internet, the end-consumer can avoid the typical risks associated

with household applications. No more mixing incompatible fabrics in the washing machine or making

half of a pie only to find out that the eggs in the refrigerator are past their date.


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Italian electronics manufacturer Merloni is one company that has announced a line of white goods that

use RFID technology in innovative products that have future-forward capabilities.7

Fed with RFID tagged

clothes, the washing machine will be able to relay important information such as which clothes cannot be

washed together or how much detergent to use for the load size. The refrigerator will propose nutritious

meals and recipe instructions using RFID tagged contents and warn the consumer before foods expire.

While these capabilities may sound extravagant today, they give insight on the many possibilities offered

as the physical world of products begin to interact more and more with the virtual world of information

through RFID.

Electronics industry: Easier entry, enhanced results

Many industries, from consumer packaged goods to automotive, have much to gain

from RFID capability and innovation. But it can be argued that no industry has as

much to offer, or to gain, as Electronics in taking RFID focus beyond simple tag and

track and compliance initiatives.

RFID is electronics. Therefore, the electronics industry has far more ability to conceive,

build and implement RFID, and has more to gain from the successful innovation

that results than do other industries. Electronics companies supply the underlying

technology that enables RFID: they manufacture the actual tags and readers, and will

establish many aspects of the infrastructure (databases, data transfer over telco-lines,

electrical compliance of a solution, etc.). Hence, they should be at the forefront of

RFID, constantly scanning the horizon for ways in which they can supply customers

with innovative products and solutions to generate growth.

Adding RFID capabilities to an electronics product is more straightforward and

provides more functionality than in other industries. Adding an RFID tag to a bag of

potato chips provides few innovative possibilities for capturing and conveying infor-

mation or increasing functionality. Conversely, in electronics products, adding a tag

or chip to a mobile phone, washing machine, or heart rate monitor can increase the

value of the product by changing its capabilities, and hence the very nature of the

product itself which has the potential to provide greater returns on RFID investment.

Electronics, often touted as "the new plastic," are pervasive. They are everywhere,

embedded into more and more of the objects we use on a daily basis. And RFID will

likely multiply that pervasiveness. RFID helps make pervasive connectivity real and

practical bringing pervasive computing out of the theoretical world and into real

life business-critical applications such as supply chain management and factory


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automation. It also brings pervasive computing to a level where sustained profit-

ability becomes an obtainable opportunity. By offering the capabilities necessary to

connect the virtual world of the Internet with physical objects, RFID will help fuel the

growth of the burgeoning network of interconnected devices, as well as provide the

infrastructure that keeps these devices in contact.

Lastly, in an industry that works on razor thin margins, electronics companies must

constantly seek new avenues toward productivity gains. In fact, the industry is

already well positioned to do so: since much of production is already outsourced,

innovative process improvements on the plant floor at an Electronics Manufacturing

Service (EMS) provider can bring value to its whole customer base. For electronics

companies, the savings from RFID-enabled innovation at the contract manufacturer

creates a second wave of optimization beyond the initial windfall from outsourcing

and allows electronics companies to share the cost of innovation with the EMS

entire customer set.

Tracking RFID success: Alternate approachesWhile many electronics companies may lean toward the more traditional "compliance

first" path to RFID product innovation, some will find that they need not follow a

prescribed path to realize greater returns from RFID. These companies will learn

quickly that RFID at every level from supply chain visibility and optimization to

process and product innovation offers opportunities to leverage existing relation-

ships, enhance market position and generate growth (see Figure 2).

Figure 2: Alternate approaches to creating growth with RFID.

ComplianceTraditionalentry path

Supplychain visibility

Processinnovation

Productinnovation

Shortcut to CEOs agenda

Innovation first

Source: IBM Business Consulting Services analysis.


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Shortcut to the CEO agenda

As soon as the need to comply with customer demands has been agreed upon and

the scope of the first RFID initiatives has been discussed, electronics companies

may decide to move ahead quickly with a RFID strategy that does not concern

supply chain issues. Compliance or small-scope process innovation topics usually

do not rate on the CEO agenda, but revenue growth does: in a recent IBM survey,89.5 percent of electronics industry CEOs cited revenue growth as the key focus for

strengthening their company's financial performance over the next three years.8

The obvious next step for some companies may therefore be to evaluate the

potential of RFID in the product portfolio. This will help lock in R&D and marketing

involvement as early as possible and drive the firm toward RFID-enabled product

innovation. The success of this approach depends on the state of current product

innovation processes and the ability of decision-makers to see technology as a

driving force in transforming the business model. However, the inherent acumen of

electronics companies for new technology makes it easier for them to adapt to this

line of thinking.

A more formidable impediment to the fusion between business and technology

necessary for successful RFID product innovation can often be found in the global

governance model. The distant geographical gap between R&D and sales depart-

ments is often mirrored by gaps in corporate mindset and connectedness. For

instance, when there is a strong disconnect between the centralized R&D organization

and the client-facing sales organizations in far-flung geographies and regions, there

are often rifts in the communication loop that can affect the development process.

The same holds true for process innovation opportunities in manufacturing when

plant operations, sales, R&D, and service organization and processes are connectedonly at the very highest levels. The very way the company is organized becomes a

barrier to the flow of information and communication, making significant process and

product innovation difficult. As with any push toward optimization and innovation in

any industry, electronics companies will no doubt need to improve communication

mechanisms and governance structures in order to make the most of the opportu-

nities RFID product innovation has to offer.

At one Japanese global

consumer electronics company,

local sales and logistics in

Europe have direct interaction

with clients and capture

technology and roadmap

requirements early on.

However, interaction between

R&D headquarters in Japan and

client-facing teams in Europe is

ad-hoc and not supported by any

governance model. Therefore,

this company risks losing the

opportunity to enhance the

business case with better

supply chain visibility or new

product possibilities, not to

mention recouping investments

made in adding RFID tags for

compliance purposes.9


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Innovation first

Electronics companies will play a key role in the advancement of RFID as a new

technology. Many already embrace RFID in the product innovation area by selling

RFID and RFID-enabling technology to customers. When the benefits of innovation

are observed at the end-customer, they can be a powerful source for advocating

subsequent internal process innovation. Often, these visible results are more crediblethan the promise offered by RFID initiatives conceived internally. When RFID-based

product innovation has successfully contributed to new offerings and solutions exter-

nally, the company may naturally see value in extending the benefits of RFID to the

internal organization.

Successful companies will be able to learn quickly from customers how RFID-

enabled products and solutions can be used, and then apply that experience

internally to strengthen their competitive position and continually develop new,

cutting-edge products and solutions. For instance, it is only logical and often

required by corporate policy that a company that sells RFID readers externally

installs their own readers internally at inventory gates. Similarly, a business unitthat builds RFID chips will use them to tag their own products on their way to the

distribution center. Other important assets that can be rapidly reused are software

solutions to connect to the RFID infrastructure, such as an electronic product code

(EPC) database to look up product data.

However, outdated organizational, knowledge management and product innovation

processes can stand in the way of progress, making it difficult for companies to

use the very offerings and solutions they develop for others. As ongoing studies

on innovation processes in global electronics companies confirm, most companies

are not able to evaluate the potential result of product innovation for any other use

than was originally intended.10

But the potential for growth that can be generatedby product innovation far outweighs the risks that what companies learn will not

be applicable internally. Another benefit of RFID-enabled product innovation is that

increased sales can be used to bolster (and fund) a business case for subsequent

internal RFID initiatives.


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Off the beaten path: Philips powers toward product innovation

Entering the RFID arena early as an RFID chip maker, Philips Semiconductors initiated a joint project with

IBM in November 2003 to improve the business processes within the manufacturing and distribution

supply chain, inventory management and control as well as to enhance customer satisfaction. Piloted

at Philips Semiconductors Kao Hsiung manufacturing site in Taiwan and its distribution center in Hong

Kong, the project requires that all wafer cases and carton packages be tagged with RFID chips.11

Philips is differentiating itself from other early adopters, or companies that only consider compliance

when building a case for RFID, by using their process innovation experience and ingenuity with RFID

technology to move beyond its initial chip offering toward integrated end-to-end solutions for major

retailers, consumer goods manufacturers and couriers.12

By teaming with strategic partners and

complementing their products with services to establish solutions, they are using RFID to generate

growth beyond the typical compliance-based business case.

On the way to opportunity: Overcoming RFID obstaclesWhichever RFID path a company chooses, they will no doubt deal with obstacles

that arise from tag limitations, cost and privacy issues. However, as the industrybegins to explore the opportunities RFID offers, what today seem like insurmountable

challenges may be cast in a different light. Electronics companies must work to

examine every angle of business cases for RFID and weigh both the negative and

the positive results of RFID initiatives to make the sound decisions that will create

future growth.

Tag and technology limitations

Todays RFID tags are sensitive, and systems must be designed carefully to make

sure that all tags can be read. However, these obstacles will soon be surmounted

either by the development of better technology, increased experience with tag

use or by the placement of additional tag readers where necessary. New RFIDtechnology solutions are being developed every day. For instance, researchers are

currently working on RFID chips that are embedded organically in materials such as

plastic and glass. These chips will offer enhanced readability, as well as lower cost.13

Price

Companies must take not only the cost of the RFID tag but the total product or

device lifecycle cost into account to truly assess the cost benefit of RFID. For

instance, when RFID tags are used on packaging simply as tracking mecha-

nisms, the cost of the actual tag is of great consideration and importance slim

profit margins can come down to cents on the dollar. However, imagine an RFID


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device that senses wear, or the operational condition of a piece of machinery that

helps produce millions of dollars of inventory in this case, the cost of the tag is

far offset by the benefits it offers. Similarly, if an RFID chip that cost a few dollars

lends functionality or provides a differentiating feature to an electronics product

that justifies raising the price of the product considerably, the revenue generated is

obviously worth the investment.

Cost case: Shining the light on RFID savings

Because they cant be sure how much power is left and being suddenly left in the dark can quickly

become a life or death proposition U.S. soldiers in war zones throw away partially used batteries for

flashlights and other devices and take brand new ones as they equip themselves for each day.

A tag that signals how much power remains in the battery costs US$5, far more than the battery (which

usually cost just a few cents), but far less that the total cost of bringing new batteries over from the U.S.

(which can sometimes be greater than US$10 per battery). In addition, new environmental regulations

require the Army to recycle the batteries, raising total costs even higher.

Though this kind of tagging is not RFID-enabled, it provides a good point of reference with which to viewthe price/benefit equation this kind of technology can offer. In this scenario as in many others, it is easy

to see that cost issues are not always obvious. The price of the tag is just one part of the business case

and becomes less important as the total cost (and increased functionality) for the devices to which

tags are attached rises. As for the U.S. Department of Defense, they expect to save US$100M by putting

a tag (still as much as US$3-4 per unit) on each battery they ship.14

Privacy

In the public opinion, it is clear that privacy concerns can overshadow benefit

discussions about the deployment of RFID. Consumers of RFID-enabled services

and products will no doubt weigh their fears of privacy infringement against the

value proposition offered by the product or service. Capturing customer insights and

including customer feedback in the development process is important for electronics

companies to identify and include the features that customers value most.

As the RFID adoption rate increases, there is greater awareness of privacy concerns

in all industries, as well as an increased focus on the development of privacy

standards. EPCglobal, in a joint venture between EAN International and the Uniform

Code Council (UCC) that is overseen by the EPCglobal Board of Governors,

is working with its industry groups to develop privacy principles to guide the

implementation of EPC and RFID.15 RFID product and service vendors are actively

involved in this process as well. Their clients are looking to them to remain diligent in

the process of standards development and provide guidance in implementing these

standards and policies.


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In addition, academic institutions and government entities are engaged in privacy

discussions and policy definition for RFID. Current recommendations and guiding

principles recommended by various stakeholders of RFID include, but are not limited

to, the following:

Development and proactive communication of a clear privacy policy to customers

and employees

Incorporation of opt-in and opt-out options in the policies that govern the collec-

tion of customer information

Development of tag management policies

Collaboration with other members of the value net to create consistent policies

and processes.

Finding the right frequency: Are you ready to benefit from RFID?

Many electronics companies are just now beginning to consider RFID initiatives.

Will your company start down the compliance path, or head straight for growth

with product innovation? What current capabilities can make a certain RFID pointof entry (compliance, supply chain, process optimization and innovation or product

innovation) easier or more lucrative for your company? The following questions are

designed to help electronics industry executives assess the breadth of their RFID

strategy, and begin to plan a path to the future.

Are you at risk of losing an important supply chain contract if you don't quickly

implement RFID tags on your deliveries?

How are your current RFID initiatives scoped?

How can the benefits of these initiatives (cost-cutting, executive buy-in, and tech-

nology) be used as a launch point to move into product innovation?

Has your company identified a way to make (instead of spend) money on RFID

technology?

Have you taken the total cost and benefit into account in building a business case

for RFID, or are you focused only on the price of tags?

Have you considered ways in which your company might derive benefits from

compliance, or from RFID solutions deployed by key partners?

How holistic is your supply chain strategy? Have you mapped out every possible

role that RFID can play in your supply chain?

How well is your product development department leveraging expertise devel-

oped in supply chain management?


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Have you examined current manufacturing processes for areas where RFID tech-

nology could help to achieve better efficiency? What about reexamining peak

performing processes to see if RFID can offer new possibilities or raise perfor-

mance to even higher levels?

What RFID initiatives, products or solutions are key partners or customers

developing? How can they support or complement your companys productinnovation efforts?

RFID offers increased efficiency and functionality not only of the supply chain and

manufacturing processes, but of electronics products themselves. Information has

long been at the top of the list of assets that are most important to customers the

smarter products are, and the more convenience they lend to the life of the end-

consumer, the more sought after they will become. The electronics industry, more

than any other, is primed to tap into this opportunity. Seeing greater returns will

require electronics companies to look at RFID with new eyes focused on growth.

They will have to look past compliance to view every entry point into RFID as a

possible path to not just cutting costs, but generating revenue.

Even if the current best scenario for your company is early-stage RFID compliance, you

can set future growth in motion today by building a business case that puts you on the

path to product innovation. To explore ways in which we might assist you in using RFID

technology to positively impact your revenues, please contact us at [email protected]. To

browse other resources for business executives, visit our Web site:

ibm.com/bcs

About the author

Dr. Hagen Wenzek is the Global Electronics Industry Leader for the IBM Institute forBusiness Value. He may be contacted at [email protected].

Contributors

Marc Bourde, Supply Chain Management Leader, IBM Institute for Business Value

Faye Holland, Global RFID Marketing Leader, IBM

Jesus Mantas, Global RFID Leader for Electronics Industry, IBM Business

Consulting Services

Meg Merrill, Marketing Manager for Electronics Industry, IBM Business

Consulting Services


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About IBM Business Consulting Services

With consultants and professional staff in more than 160 countries globally, IBM

Business Consulting Services is the worlds largest consulting services organi-

zation. IBM Business Consulting Services provides clients with business process

and industry expertise, a deep understanding of technology solutions that address

specific industry issues and the ability to design, build and run those solutions in away that delivers bottom-line business value.

References1 "RFID Application Case study." ICT GmbH. http://www.ictglobal.de/download/pdf/

produkte/rfid_elektronik_eng.pdf (accessed July 27, 2004).

2 Poletti, Therese. "IBM chip plant is $2.5 billion gamble: Its researchers team up with

valley firms on chip designs, then IBM controls production." The Mercury News,

June 1, 2003. http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/business/5989916.htm

3 Nokia Mobile RFID Kit. http://www.nokia.com/nokia/0,,55738,00.html (accessed

July 27, 2004).4 Feder, Barnaby J. "Delta to Invest in Radio Tags for Luggage at Airports." The New

York Times, July 1, 2004.

5 "RFID Connections." The Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility.

http://www.aimglobal.org/technologies/rfid/resources/articles/jan04/0401-

bagtag.htm (accessed July 27, 2004).

6 Feder, Barnaby J. "Delta to Invest in Radio Tags for Luggage at Airports." The New

York Times, July 1, 2004.

7 "Merloni: Household appliances that can think and talk to other things." Merloni.

[Press release.] April 4, 2003. http://www.merloni.com/eng/media/key_documents/

press_kit_completo_eng.pdf (accessed July 27, 2004).8 "Your Turn: The Global CEO Study 2004." IBM Corporation, 2004.

9 IBM Business Consulting Services client experience.

10 Cooper, J., D. Greenberg, and J. Zuk. "Reshaping the funnel: Making innovation

more profitable for high-tech manufacturers." IBM, 2003.

11 Royal Philips Electronics. "Philips and IBM Join Forces in the RFID and Smart Card

Marketplace." [Press release.] January 26, 2004. http://www.semiconductors.philips.

com/news/content/file_1030.html (accessed August 9, 2004).

12 Ibid.

13

"Cheaper radio tags incorporating radio frequency." MIT Technology Review, July/August, 2004. http://www.technologyreview.com/ar ticles/prototype40704.asp

14 Wynne, Michael, Acting Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology

and Logistics. Speech at the CSFB Aerospace/Defense Finance Conference, New

York. May 17th, 2004.

15 EPCglobal Inc. http://www.epcglobalinc.org (accessed July 27, 2004).


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Electron Rfid