RFID Training: RFID Center Continues Its Mission Of Applying RFID For Strategic And Economic Growth
What were executives from a world-renowned hospital, a municipality, a plastics company, an ERP software company, a Fortune 5 business, mobile asset software enterprise, and a Web publishing company doing in one room?
They were attending the RFID Center Of Excellence Corporate Member Meeting At Penn State Behrend. The center's director, Frank DeWolf, and program manager, Chris Wassel, led this year's discussion. Through the course of the meeting, it's evident that the center is positioned to continue its initial mission of conducting RFID applied research and outreach resulting in strategic advantage and economic growth.
Since settling in to its new RFID Lab five short months ago, the center has already achieved some serious milestones. Consider the following:
- Reaching its first year membership target
- More than 530 professionals trained
- More than 347 (or triple) the targeted number of students trained
- Doubling the first year target of RFID technology courses offered
Even more significantly, the RFID Lab has been able to acquire RFID hardware from vendors like Alien, Ekahau, Avery Dennison, Zebra, Symbol, and its latest addition coming in early 2007 — two new portals from Industrial Portals, a division of Jamison Door Company. One of the portals supplied by Industrial Portals is its One-Sided Portal Unit Portal System, that offers:
- GPIO Bridge includes the bridge and wiring
- Standard motion detector, one side
- Premium motion detector, one side
- Photo eye w/ or w/o reflector, w/ cable, one side
- Cisco 1240AG wireless bridge w/ 2 antennas
- Additional 2 antenna for 1240AG
- 4-Wheel Base
As the Corporate Member Meeting progressed, one theme became evident. The next phase of RFID appears to be at its "tipping point." Manufacturers are struggling to see a return on potentially integrating RFID. Applications using RFID continue to flood the market. However, questions are endless surrounding how to integrate RFID hardware with existing or future software applications while on limited budgets. Consensus from the discussion was, "where do we go from here with RFID and how do we get there?"
With the basics of RFID and its principles now mostly understood, the center's objective is to begin transitioning Pennsylvania's information technology companies to world-class RFID integrators that will not only impact the regional economy, but also impact the global economy and adoption of RFID. State and federal grant money allows for training and implementation of RFID technology through the RFID Center Of Excellence.
The center, in conjunction with its members, will begin conducting focus groups, surveys, interviews, and other programs to uncover what needs to be done to continue moving the RFID "acceptance needle." The center allows industry members to view RFID applications within its laboratory, which is a plus for vendors that have hardware and software within the lab. The center has proven to be a valuable resource for RFID adopters who can actually see and touch these solutions in action. Time will tell how RFID acceptance balances out. All forecasts point to RFID adoption emulating the adoption of the Internet, so stay tuned!