Andy‘s blog has a reference to this
article entitles: “Microsoft’s RFID ‘Momentum’ Includes
Middleware Platform, Apps”. It’s interesting to see their direction, though most of
the detail is covered by their NDA, so I can’t discuss it here. I haven’t done much
in the RFID space, but Microsoft’s proposed platform architecture seems
to make lots of sense and seems to address most of the issues I’ve heard mention when
people speak about RFID. The biggest problems are centered around the huge amounts
of data pumping through the system, and the ability to “elevate” interesting events
to a level where they make sense to any agents listening out for “interesting” events.
Different vendors have dealt with the problem in different ways and it’s interesting
to start seeing trends
emerging from prototypes out there.
I am concerned however, with some of the comments in the
article, like “Microsoft plans to RFID-enable the 4.0 version of its Axapta ERP
suite” which to me sounds like the right combination of buzzwords, with
very little substance. On the same lines, Oracle plan
to RFID-enable “all its database and application products” in this
article. I wonder who coined the term “RFID-enable” with respect to software?
Anyway, while on the topic of RFID, here are some interesting
links I’ve collected in my bookmarks around the subject:
-
RFID Journal –
Interesting collection of news and features -
ObjectStore’s
RFID Resouce Center – Lots of reading, both about ObjectStore’s offering but also
more generic articles -
Bitpipe –
Have a collection of Vendor reports on RFID -
UsingRFID – Have
some interesting articles and links to different sources -
RFID Gazette –
RFID portal which looks as if it’s updated regularly
As usual .. more reading material than I have disposable
time .. *sigh*