EPCglobal 2006: Where Industries Connect
By Eric Van Osten
Since EPCglobal's Atlanta conference in 2005, the EPCglobal community of subscribers has grown to nearly 600 companies in the U.S., with more than 1000 companies actively participating around the world. There were over 80 exhibitors on the showfloor demonstrating their newest offerings, explaining what their companies specialize in, and networking with the attendees and each other. There was an EPCglobal Certification and Accreditation Showcase, showing certified products and providing information about accredited test centers.
Throughout the conference, there were lecture sessions for attendees to learn from the experts from the companies that use RFID solutions and those that provide them. The first day had a series of interactive sessions called EPC Essentials, which provided attendees with the basics of EPC and RFID. The second day, Learnings from the Field Sessions were offered, which featured shared lessons learned from those who have experience with piloting and implementing RFID solutions. The final day of the conference offered Interactive Workshops to help attendees identify opportunities for industry growth, new lines of business, and new services in an EPC-enabled supply chain.
During the General Session, Mike Meranda of EPCglobal US reported that a third of those using EPCglobal's standards are consumer products companies. He expects 2007 to be a productive and fast-paced year. Meranda said: "The single most important thing about EPCglobal is being able to help implementers do so fast, with quality."
The highlight of the General Session, though, was Analyst Reik Read of Robert W. Baird & Co., who reported market progress, risks to adoption, and how he sees the market developing. He covered some of the major advances RFID has made from 2003 to today including: the Gen 2 standard being available for the past two years; readily available equipment; EPCglobal being a recognized industry body; pricing decreasing; mandates progressing; the DOD's DFARS clause; the IP issues being better organized; implementation skills increasing; and evidence of ROI. Risks include high cost of transition from barcode, education, RFID being more complex than many people assume, IP issues still existing, and privacy/legislation issues. Market development included how start-ups have been the driver of the industry, the emergence of Gen 2 generating changes and defining the market (causing incumbents to seek to fill gaps), and expected increases in consolidations to come.
EPCglobal US announced the release of its online tool to help businesses share EPC/RFID data with trading partners. It is called Advisor, Version 1.0, and it is designed to support small to medium sized companies. "We believe that companies — large and small — will realize maximum value from EPC/RFID technology when they begin exchanging EPC data with trading partners," said Bob Celeste, Director, EPCglobal US Adoption Tools. "It is the newest tool in the EPCglobal US portfolio."
EPCglobal announced the first companies to earn software certification for EPC/RFID products. Eleven companies were awarded the EPCglobal Software Compliance Certification Mark for 13 products. The program is a standards-based compliance testing program that provides a neutral and authoritative source for testing software to comply with EPCglobal Gen 2 standards and providing information regarding certified products and the vendors who manufacture them. The aim is to help facilitate and accelerate the start-up phase of EPC/RFID implementations. The testing was conducted by MET Labs, a third party, vendor-neutral lab in Baltimore, MD.
"Choosing the right EPC/RFID software for your business can be a challenging process, with many form factors to consider," said Chris Adcock, President, EPCglobal, Inc. "The new EPCglobal Software Certification Program provides companies with the confidence that the software they implement will work in predictable ways as defined by EPCglobal standards. The program protects the company's investment and helps them implement EPC/RFID programs easier, faster, and for less cost."
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