RFID market to reach $5.3bn

The worldwide RFID market will exceed $5.3 billion this year, according to a new forecast from ABI Research, reports Market Watch.

Annual revenue growth will increase over the next five years, accelerating over the mid-term, as high-growth, high-volume applications such as supply chain management, ID documents, ticketing and contactless payment drive shipments.

ABI Research believes it is still too early to tell what impact the state of the global economy will have on the RFID market.

HP is collaborating with LaserBand, a provider of laser-printed hospital patient wristbands, to help hospitals accurately print LaserBand's patient identification wristband solutions on the HP printers most commonly used by hospitals in England and Wales, says Market Watch.

The Patient Identification Solution, developed jointly by HP and LaserBand, will enable UK hospitals to efficiently print patients' wristbands that can include bar codes or colour coding, helping to ensure they meet new national guidelines that came into effect earlier this year.

The wristbands are printed using HP LaserJet technology. The bar coding on the wristband can improve patient care as it can be scanned during all procedures such as administering medications and delivering test results.

GAO has developed a cost-effective long-range RFID tag for tracking mobile assets, controlling online inventory, and localising personnel in designated areas, according to Merinews.

The tag uses advanced UHF radio frequency technology to send data to a mobile handheld or fixed reader at distances of up to 100 metres.

Its low power consumption and configurable ping rate enables it to operate effectively for many years without additional maintenance.