This lecture provides an introduction to Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), a technology enabling automatic identification of objects at a distance without requiring line-of-sight. Electronic tagging can be divided into technologies that have a power source (active tags), and those that are powered by the tag interrogation signal (passive tags); the focus here is on passive tags. An overview of the principles of the technology divides passive tags into devices that use either near field or far field coupling to communicate with a tag reader. The strengths and weaknesses of the approaches are considered, along with the standards that have been put in place by ISO and EPCGlobal to promote interoperability and the ubiquitous adoption of the technology. A section of the lecture has been dedicated to the principles of reading co-located tags, as this represents a significant challenge for a technology that may one day be able to automatically identify all of the items in your shopping cart in a just few seconds. In fact, RFID applications are already quite extensive and this lecture classifies the primary uses. Some variants of modern RFID can also be integrated with sensors enabling the technology to be extended to measure parameters in the local environment, such as temperature & pressure. The uses and applications of RFID sensors are further described and classified. Later we examine important lessons surrounding the deployment of RFID for the Wal-Mart and the Metro AG store experiences, along with deployments in some more exploratory settings. Extensions of RFID that make use of read/write memory integrated with the tag are also discussed, in particular looking at novel near term opportunities. Privacy and social implications surrounding the use of RFID inspire recurring debates whenever there is discussion of large scale deployment; we examine the pros and cons of the issues and approaches for mitigating the problems. Finally, the remaining challenges of RFID are considered and we look to the future possibilities for the technology. Table of Contents: Introduction / Principles of Radio Frequency Identification / RFID Industry Standards / Reading Collected RFID Tags / Applications of RFID Tagging / RFID Incorporating Sensing / Deployment and Experience with RFID Systems / Privacy, Kill Switches, and Blocker Tags / Opportunities for RFID Integrated with Memory / Challenges, Future Technology, and Conclusion

Introduction -- Principles of radio frequency identification -- RFID industry standards -- Reading collected RFID tags -- Applications of RFID tagging -- RFID incorporating sensing -- Deployment and experience with RFID systems -- Privacy, kill switches, and blocker tags -- Opportunities for RFID integrated with memory -- Challenges, future technology, and conclusion.

Radio frequency identification or RFID is a broad-based technology that impacts business and society. With the rapid expansion of the use of this technology in everything from consumer purchases to security ID tags, to tracking bird migration, there is very little information available in book form that targets the widest range of the potential market. But this book is different! Where most of the books available cover specific technical underpinnings of RFID or specific segments of the market, this co-authored book by both academic and industry professionals, provides a broad background on the technology and the various applications of RFID around the world. Coverage is mainly non-technical, more business related for the broadest user base, however there are sections that step into the technical aspects for advanced, more technical readers.

RFID technology presents a great potential for creating competitive advantage. By automating and simplifying data collection, it lets users more accurately track assets and monitor key indicators, which in turn gives greater visibility to the operations. However, the benefits received from this technology will be determined by how well it is integrated with the business processes and overall information flow. Because of the fact that the decision to deploy RFID technology in an enterprise is a business decision instead of a technology decision, cost-benefit analysis is a key component of this decision. If an RFID deployment cannot be justified in terms of its economic value to the company, it is not likely to help the company; and consequently, it is not likely to remain a viable deployment over the long term. The Value of RFID describes the business value of RFID and explains the costs and benefits of this technology comprehensively. Different investment evaluation models are proposed to use in various application areas. Techniques to guide the selection of appropriate implementation levels and to handle uncertainty and risk in RFID are explained. Written for researchers, undergraduate and graduate students, and lecturers working in the field of RFID and supply chain management, readers will learn evaluation practices for RFID investment for different application areas. The book also guides managers in making to accurate decisions on RFID investment to maximize the return.

"Expert guides to library systems and services."

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-worksop proceedings of the 7th International Workshop Radio Frequency Identification: Security and Privacy Issues. RFIDSec 2011, held in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA, in June 2011. The 12 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 21 initial submissions for inclusion in the book. The papers focus on minimalism in cryptography, on-tag cryptography, securing RFID with physics, and protocol-level security in RFID.

The definitive guide to understanding RFID technology's benefits and implementation.