IT solutions close for business RFID management

Technology and standards issues for RFID (radio frequency identification) –not jut those around tags and readers, but IT, integration and data management – are nearing resolution, paving the way for easier business adoption. Microsoft, for example, which senses very big demands on the horizon from SME manufacturers, is bringing its considerable R&D resources, and those of its partners to bear in developing device drivers, data management and full RFID solutions. Javed Silkander, global programme manager for RFID at Microsoft, says: “For Microsoft, on a scale of one to 10 importance, this is a 10! It’s on everybody’s Top 10 list. “85% of suppliers are smaller companies, and Microsoft addresses those with solutions out of the box. The goal for Microsoft is big functionality that the big companies get, but for small organisations at a low price.” “Industry needs an infrastructure to enable it to plug-and-play – whereas now different software has to be written for different RFID devices. The Microsoft Framework will provide that interface so you don’t have to worry about different devices.” Challenges he observes include management of devices – reader health, remote updates and the like. “Microsoft has got management software already. In about three months we’ll publish a detailed road map: we’ve done the functional specification. We also know that suppliers [of RFID kit] need it yesterday.” As for data management, Silkander points out that functions like data filtering, smoothing, aggregation, comparison, look-ups and the rest need to be handled automatically. “There’s lots of data and queries at the device, software and infrastructure levels, so how are you going to manage all that? Are you going to spend your entire IT budget on disk drives?” Also, manufacturers, like those in the automotive sector, are unlikely to use EPC supply chain standard RFID if they want to use the technology to automate more processes. “They’re more likely to get benefit from more sophisticated tags that, for example, can record temperature exceptions and audit trails in the food industry,” says Simon Holloway, manufacturing and engineering specialist at Microsoft. Silkander suggests the solution lies in the range of facilities already part of SQL Server and the XML web interoperability standard, while at the ‘solution’ level, he points to Microsoft Biztalk server. “Developers can build on that.” And he adds: “Axapta ERP will be RFID-enabled out of the box. There will be no device layers, middleware etc for the mass market. And we’re talking about releases next year.”