AIM issues its Top 5 RFID predictions for 2008

AIM Global, the industry trade association for automatic identification and mobility solutions, says these five components will impact the RFID landscape in 2008 and beyond:

1. Consumer recognition. Broader initiatives and more applications will positively impact consumers in toy manufacturing, food processing, sports, health-care sectors—even the 2008 Summer Olympics—to guarantee product integrity and safety.
2. Mobile-device integration. A greater number of consumer-oriented applications will become available that allow people to use devices to interact with other technologies, service providers, advertisers—and, of course, other people.
3. The wireless wonderland. Ongoing convergence of RFID, RTLS, GPS, sensor, and other wireless technologies will spur a “disappearance” of these acronyms as businesses get accustomed to their benefits.
4. Homeland security. From transportation worker identification and border cards to e-Seals on cargo containers, RFID will facilitate homeland security initiatives without hampering international trade.
5. Feet on the street. International shippers and manufacturers share a focus on item-level tagging of goods, as well as tagging containers at source factories, known as “The First 100 Feet.” In retail, known as “The Last 100 Feet,” RFID advancements will enhance the shopping experience.