I'm enclosing the text of a forwarded e-mail from
Microsoft - it looks like they're starting an RFID project in
Hyderabad. I'm not aware of an Open-Source RFID project, although
Symbol Technologies (the market leader in Point-of-Sale and RFID)
has dabbled with both Windows CE and Linux platforms.
Those who're looking for a Greenfield FLOSS project with excellent
potential for the future should look at trying to implement an
RFID/POS platform on Linux. That way, we'll at least get a say
in the standardization process before that is hijacked by Micros~1
and others.
*********************** Begin text of forwarded mail ******************
Information on RFID
-------------------
Microsoft has a new initiative to develop state-of-the-art RFID
(Radio Frequency Identification) software capabilities for the
Windows platform. RFID technology is being rapidly adopted by large
and mid sized businesses alike, initially to automatically detect
and track goods in supply chains, where the technology promises
unprecedented real-time visibility and significant efficiencies over
existing technology. By integrating such real-time information with
their existing applications and processes, business can determine
the number, status and location of their goods right from production
through distribution until such time they are sold by a retailer..
RFID technology is also being applied in wide-ranging applications
outside the supply chain too, e.g. asset tracking systems, automated
payment systems, rental equipment tracking, and so forth. Because of
its innumerable applications for tracking real world objects, RFID
is referred to as the enabler of an "Internet of physical things".
Our team will develop a comprehensive set of RFID software services
to enable Microsoft's ISV partners to create real-time track and
trace capabilities into their business applications. We will support
multi-vendor RFID hardware (incl. RFID readers/writers, tags, tag
printers), including the discovery and management of such devices on
a network. Our software will allow efficient capture and
manipulation of RFID tag data, allow customers to flexibly integrate
business-relevant RFID data and events into their existing back-end
business applications. Our vision is to create hardware-agnostic and
application-agnostic RFID services for the Windows platform, which
customers can use to easily define, test and deploy rich, robust,
easy to manage RFID solutions.
************************ End text of forwarded e-mail *****************
-Siva
