Posted to News on 28th Nov 2006, 00:01
Falling costs signal future success of RFID
It is the high cost of RFID technology, rather than the considerable technical challenges, that is the biggest obstacle for industry-wide adoption. This is the key finding of a report recently published by the Electronics Enabled Products Knowledge Transfer Network (EEP KTN). However, signs are encouraging, as costs have fallen by a quarter over the past five years and they look set to fall further still.
The free report, available for download at www.electronicproductsktn.org.uk, features case studies from companies such as Coca-Cola, IBM and Wal-Mart. It discusses the opportunities available within industry and identifies the steps that need to be taken by the RFID industry in order for the market to take off.
Dr Kathryn Walsh, Director of the EEP KTN, comments: "RFID is very much a technology of the future as its advantages and increasing potential is being recognised across every sector. If the cost of RFID devices continues to fall, then they may well be able to challenge barcodes and become the new standard for inventory management."
About the Electronics Enabled Products Knowledge Transfer Network
The EEP KTN is a partnership designed to benefit a large section of UK industry including the automotive, defence and aerospace sectors.
It has evolved from the PRIME Faraday Partnership, which operated successfully for over eight years. For further details, see www.electronicproductsktn.org.uk.
The Knowledge Transfer Network is part of the DTI Technology Programme (www.dti.gov.uk).
The EEP KTN harnesses the academic strengths of both Loughborough University and the University of Nottingham and the industrial and technology transfer expertise of Pera. It addresses the needs of companies active in the design and manufacture of complex engineered products. The Network has also extended its European links by encompassing the internationally renowned TEG Fraunhofer Institute as an associate partner.
