US govt sidelines RFID report

The US government is pressing ahead with plans for RFID tags in passports and a host of other applications, despite advice against using the technology for government documents from the Department of Homeland Security, reports The Register.

The advice is contained in a draft report, which says that RFID chips are useful in inventory management, but are not suitable for human identification, where privacy issues remain a concern. The report also says RFID offers little advantage, while creating the possibility that data held on RFID chips might be intercepted.

RFID opponents say they are hopeful that the draft report will be published before it can influence an RFID-based system designed to act as an alternative to passports for US citizens returning from neighbouring countries such as Mexico and Canada from 2008.

Dutch beer manufacturer Heineken is testing a system to track its cargo shipments to the UK, opting for cellular (GSM) and satellite (GPS) instead of RFID, says TUV Product Service.

Heineken says satellite tracking can report a container's location wherever it is, whereas RFID can only be observed when the container is near a reader. Satellites offer real-time observation as an alternative to RFID, which is ideally suited to in-house logistics.

Satellite tracking is said to have undergone a huge expansion in recent months with many companies choosing it as a means of tracking product movement.

Symbol Technologies has announced a new switch, based on its wireless next-generation (WiNG) architecture, which will enable centralised management of RFID readers and a WiFi network infrastructure.

The Channel Insider says Symbol's new switch bridges the gap between WiFi, RFID and other radio frequency-based technologies like 802.11n, mesh, voice over wireless LAN and WiMax, by enabling users to manage wireless voice, data and infrastructure devices all in the same place.

Symbol says business needs are driving the convergence of voice, video and data, effectively pushing the new mobile edge from the wired to the wireless touch point, requiring the network to adapt to the changing needs of new mobile devices and applications. The company says its new RF Switch provides the platform to integrate and manage current and future mobile devices and wireless technologies.