ITU examines RFID standards

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) plans to hold a workshop to survey RFID standards in Geneva in February, reports AllAfrica.Com.

The ITU says the workshop has become relevant because even though RFID is expected to play an important role in the realisation of the ubiquitous network society, many RFID applications still lack global standards for data formats, compatibility and interoperability.

The workshop is intended to serve as a survey of the market in terms of standardisation, identify new areas for work, and begin work on a standards roadmap.

The Jimei University Library in Xiamen, China, is installing RFID in its main library to reduce theft of its 300 000 publications.

The RFID system is also aimed at speeding up the sorting process so that publications are returned to shelves quicker and less time is spent taking inventory, reports Information Week

The report says the Jimei University Library will expand the project to libraries on other campuses later this year.

Truck and bus manufacturer Volvo is considering using RFID tagging to track equipment in its warehouses.

VNU Net says Volvo has already worked with Nokia to test RFID tracking of automotive parts through its supply chain, and could now use the technology to track IT assets such as computers.

The Danish manufacturer of children`s building blocks, Lego, has implemented an RFID-enabled data collection system, reports TMC Net.

The system enables Lego to ship and track 10 000 RFID-enabled cases of products each month to global retailers.

The solution includes RFID readers, tags and RFID printers that generate a single RFID enabled shipping label.