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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2005 12:41 am Post Subject: RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID) an emerging technology
SO WHAT IS RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID)?
RFID stands for radio frequency identification. It is a technology that has existed for decades. At a simple level, it is a technology that involves tags that emit radio signals and devices called readers that pick up the signal. RFID technology is a fundamental element of the EPCglobal network.
RFID tags are tiny microchips with memory and an antenna coil, thinner than paper and some only 0.3mm across! RFID tags listen for a radio signal sent by a RFID reader (also called a transceiver). When a RFID tag receives a query, it responds by transmitting its unique ID code and other data back to the reader. There are two types of RFID tags:
Passive RFID tags. Passive RFID tags can be as small as 0.3mm and don't require batteries. Rather, they are powered by the radio signal of a RFID reader, which "wakes them up" to request a reply. Passive RFID tags can be read from a distance of about 20 feet. Semi-passive RFID tags contain a small battery that boosts the range. Passive tags are generally read-only, meaning the data they contain cannot be altered or written over.
Active RFID tags. Active RFID tags, also called transponders because they contain a transmitter that is always "on", are powered by a battery, about the size of a coin, and are designed for communications up to 100 feet from the RFID reader. They are larger and more expensive than passive RFID tags, but can hold more data about the product and are commonly used for high-value asset tracking. Active RFID tags may be read-write, meaning data they contain can be written over and changed.
In theory an RFID tag can be attached to just about anything that moves. If you have an item that needs to be tracked or monitored - whether it’s a tray of apples, an animal, a vehicle or a person – there is an RFID tag to suit the application.
In many ways RFID tags take up where bar codes leave off. Unlike bar codes, RFID tags can be scanned without requiring line-of-sight and they can store more data than a bar code. Much more significantly, all RFID tags can store unique identifiers and the data on some types of tags can be modified as well as read.
According to IBM Asia Pacific RFID leader Will Duckworth the early adopters of RFID will be the in the manufacturing, retail, logistics, security and asset management sectors, but this technology has the power to fundamentally alter almost every area of business.
Asia is the highest growth area in the world for RFID, Duckworth says, partly because governments in the region are pouring money into RFID projects such as traffic control schemes.
ERP company SSAGlobal plans to set up a “centre of excellence” in radio-frequency identification (RFID) in New Zealand, with Hamilton as a probable site. The centre, designed to provide expertise and information-sharing for organisations to implement RFID effectively, is expected to open about mid-year.
It seems that within 5-10 years virtually every item on the planet will have a unique identification code by way of RFID chip. These tags are designed to store, transmit and receive information and in some cases even track the movements of people and vehicles now. As technology improves, and we all know how fast that happens, these RFID chips will become far more powerful and capable of far greater storage than the 128bit capacities of now. I am not opposed to new technology but as is the case with many new technologies it is and will be open to abuse and I shudder to think of the consequences if such abuses were carried out by the State, it's enforcement, intelligence or military organisations etc.
Here is a RFID chip activism site, there is much information on this site and is worthy of a visit.
A top executive with Mastercard said today the company expected to have 4 million so-called "pay pass" cards in circulation by year's end.
Ruth Ann Marshall, Americas president for MasterCard, said Citibank, HSBC and Key Bank had all begun offering the cards, which are equipped with a radio-frequency chip that allows customers to pay for purchases by simply waving their cards at readers posted near cash registers or fuel pumps.
Marshall said the pay-pass cards were "easier to use than cash" and were one of the products MasterCard was counting on to increase revenue and profits as it faces a variety of challenges in the marketplace, including new rivals and regulatory scrutiny.
"It's just one of the breakthroughs in technology that we're pursuing in order to increase convenience and boost usage," Marshall said at an industry conference in Memphis, Tennessee.
MasterCard, owned by more than 1000 banks and the world's No.2 credit-card association, formally revealed its plans last week to go public early next year in an initial public offering.
In addition, to raising money to bolster its balance sheet, MasterCard said it believed the IPO would help quell criticism from merchants and others, who charge that its current structure -- which foes characterise as a cartel of competing banks setting transaction fees in concert -- represents a violation of US antitrust laws.
Marshall said MasterCard was also working with US cellular phone providers to turn mobile phones into "a high-powered payment and sales device." The programme was still in the "pre-launch stage" here in the United States, she said, but added its success overseas suggested it would appeal to "young, active consumers."
She acknowledged that the internet and other technologies were creating "substantial ripples in the personal finance industry".
"Take PayPal, for example," she said. "Ten years ago entering the payment industry from a standing start was nearly impossible. But by providing eBay customers with a convenient way to move money PayPal quickly became a player in the payments industry and an acquisition target for eBay."
As a result, she said it was conceivable that others would eventually become players in the industry, including Google, which has signalled it may be interested in getting into payments.
Marshall said MasterCard was taking Google's threat seriously.
"Certainly any company that can develop complex search algorithms has the technological capacity to enter the payments business. And Google certainly has the capital."
She said that Google and others, however, lacked the customer history data that MasterCard and its bank owners have -- and said that that data gave existing industry players a competitive advantage.
"Google, PayPal and other newcomers don't have years' worth of data to draw on to structure offerings to particular market segments," Marshall said. "Banks do."
- REUTERS
Joined: 05 Nov 2003
Posts: 814
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 4:58 pm Post Subject:
Wow. Those things ARE tiny!
Azimuth, re the Mastercard scenario, can your card be accidentally debited as you walk past a reader, say if another shopper nearby is making a purchase?
can your card be accidentally debited as you walk past a reader, say if another shopper nearby is making a purchase?
All in good time I'll wager Mel.
These cards will be pushed on the public by all financial organizations/banks etc with various offers, benefits and preferential treatment until they are exclusively used by all as cheques were in the passed. Your normal bank cards will be useless, a thing of the passed and you will not be able to access any credit without one of these micro-chipped beauties. In fact employers will probably demand you have one just to be paid.
Then I believe these cards will become vulnerable to theft, fraud, errors etc. The next level of course, to counter these thefts and frauds will be the ultimate, the insertion of the micro-chip into the body. Indeed this has already been voluntarily happening in various parts of the world. Here is one example:
Quote:
MEXICO CITY (AP) -
Security has reached the subcutaneous level for Mexico's attorney general and at least 160 people in his office - they have been implanted with microchips that get them access to secure areas of their headquarters.
It's a pioneering application of a technology that is widely used in animals but not in humans.
Mexico's top federal prosecutors and investigators began receiving chip implants in their arms in November in order to get access to restricted areas inside the attorney general's headquarters, said Antonio Aceves, general director of Solusat, the company that distributes the microchips in Mexico.
Attorney General Rafael Macedo de la Concha and 160 of his employees were implanted at a cost to taxpayers of $150 for each rice grain-sized chip.
More are scheduled to get "tagged" in coming months, and key members of the Mexican military, the police and the office of President Vicente Fox might follow suit, Aceves said. Fox's office did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
A spokeswoman for Macedo de la Concha's office said she could not comment on Aceves' statements, citing security concerns. But Macedo himself mentioned the chip program to reporters Monday, saying he had received an implant in his arm. He said the chips were required to enter a new federal anti-crime information center. "It's only for access, for security," he said.
The chips also could provide more certainty about who accessed sensitive data at any given time. In the past, the biggest security problem for Mexican law enforcement has been corruption by officials themselves.
Aceves said his company eventually hopes to provide Mexican officials with implantable devices that can track their physical location at any given time, but that technology is still under development.
The chips that have been implanted are manufactured by VeriChip Corp., a subsidiary of Applied Digital Solutions Inc. (ADSX) of Palm Beach, Fla.
They lie dormant under the skin until read by an electromagnetic scanner, which uses a technology known as radio frequency identification, or RFID, that's now getting hot in the inventory and supply chain businesses.
Scott Silverman, Applied Digital Solutions' chief executive, said each of his company's implantable chips has a special identification number that would foil an impostor.
"The technology is out there to duplicate (a chip)," he said. "What can't be stolen is the unique identification number and the information that is tied to that number."
Erik Michielsen, director of RFID analysis at ABI Research Inc., said that in theory the chips could be as secure as existing RFID-based access control systems such as the contactless employee badges widely used in corporate and government facilities.
However, while those systems often employ encryption, Applied Digital's implantable chips do not as yet. Silverman said his company's system is nevertheless save because its chips can only be read by the company's proprietary scanners.
In addition to the chips sold to the Mexican government, more than 1,000 Mexicans have implanted them for medical reasons, Aceves said. Hospital officials can use a scanning device to download a chip's serial number, which they then use to access a patient's blood type, name and other information on a computer.
The Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve microchips as medical devices in the United States.
Still, Silverman said that his company has sold 7,000 chips to distributors across the United States and that more than 1,000 of those had likely been inserted into U.S. customers, mostly for security or identification reasons.
In 2002, a Florida couple and their teenage son had Applied Digital Solutions chips implanted in their arms. The family hoped to someday be able to automatically relay their medical information to emergency room staffers.
The chip originally was developed to track livestock and wildlife and to let pet owners identify runaway animals. The technology was created by Digital Angel Corp. (DOC), which was acquired by Applied Digital Solutions in 1999.
Because the Applied Digital chips cannot be easily removed - and are housed in glass capsules designed to break and be unusable if taken out - they could be even more popular someday if they eventually can incorporate locator capabilities. Already, global positioning system chips have become common accoutrements on jewellery or clothing in Mexico.
In fact, in March, Mexican authorities broke up a ring of used-car salesmen turned kidnappers who were known as "Los Chips" because they searched their victims to detect whether they were carrying the chips to help them be located.
Joined: 05 Nov 2003
Posts: 814
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 10:11 pm Post Subject:
Azimuth wrote:
Then I believe these cards will become vulnerable to theft, fraud, errors etc. The next level of course, to counter these thefts and frauds will be the ultimate, the insertion of the micro-chip into the body. Indeed this has already been voluntarily happening in various parts of the world. Here is one example:
Hmmm. Yes. With all the talk of identity theft and so on, it would seem that introducing something that could be naturally flawed, or open to exploitation, would be somewhat counteractive. UNLESS, as you suggest, it is a means to a more invasive end and a necessary step in the passage toward public acceptance of extreme forms of the technology.
Do you really think there is still that much trust in the banking institutions? In recent times, I feel people have lost a lot of loyalty toward such organisations, particularly with many of them so blatantly uncaring about that customer loyalty... I was in our bank the other week and a guy in there was swearing at the teller because although he was the director of the company who held the account he was trying to get money out of, they seemed to be demanding unsatisfactory (at least unsatisfactory to him) degrees of identification before they would release any funds... I don't know the full story, but I could clearly see his frustration.
Every time I see the ANZ billboards with the phrase ' the more we get to know you, the more we can do", I am tempted to complete the phrase in my mind with -"to you". I don't think I am naturally cynical, but I just don't buy their friendly smiling 'we're here to help you' line...
Every time I see the ANZ billboards with the phrase ' the more we get to know you, the more we can do", I am tempted to complete the phrase in my mind with -"to you".
The aerosol paint can is in the post to you as we speak :lol: :lol:
Despite the Privacy Act 1993 and the various individual banks information privacy policies..................information gleaned about us from our FTPOS/credit cards, concerning our shopping trends, what we eat, where and when we travel to what we watch on TV or the net is a valuable commodity in today’s information driven world. One would be naive to believe the institutions concerned do not share this information for a suitable price with the likes of advertising companies, manufacturers etc.
I do not mind paying fare fees for good service when it comes to banking....but cripes some banks charge like the proverbial wounded bull. Jeeze, they charge deposit fees, withdrawal fee, cheque fees, statement fees, maintenance fees, FTPOS transaction fees, internet banking fees, phone fees not to mention tax on interest for the inconvenience of "us" placing “our” hard earned cash in “their” banks to be loaned to some other poor sod at exorbitant interest rates.
One institution I formerly banked with whom shall remain nameless but starts with a “W” and ends in “PAC” attempted to extort $2.00 from me for alleged service at their counter a few years back. I requested to see the manager about the fee but was refused so immediately closed my accounts and transferred my business to another less greedy(!) bank, if indeed there is such an animal.
The Master Cards talked about in my earlier post are really smart cards capable of storing and transmitting all manner of private and personal information.
Imagine in the foreseeable future being electronically denied entry to supermarkets, shops etc by way of RFID micro-chipped “Smartcards” because you may in their eyes have insufficient funds in your account or perhaps you are not the ideal customer i.e. only a window shopper or perhaps unemployed.
Maybe you, or at least your micro-chipped card is recognized as being a “preferred customer” and automatically given preferential treatment such as discounts and other inducements as you fill your trolley with RFID tagged goods. Upon leaving, your goods and card are automatically scanned and debited as you walk out the door and all without the inconvenience of having to stop at a checkout or even take your card out of your pocket.
Load your goods into your micro-chipped vehicle for the trip home along the satellite scanned “ toll roads”, again you are automatically debited for the trip.
The technology for this scenario is available now but believe the biggest hurdle is the international standardisation of the power and frequency ranges of these RFID tags which are very cheap to produce and will be required on every single commodity world wide.
As for public acceptance of this technology being implemented……………….I recon there’ll be more broken limbs in the rush to the bank (or where ever) to sign up than in any protests against it’s introduction.
Security has reached the subcutaneous level for Mexico's attorney general and at least 160 people in his office - they have been implanted with microchips..........
Apparently someone overstated the figures of those chipped!
Quote:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 29, 2004
VeriChip RFID Implants in Mexican Attorney General's Office Overstated
Dozens of news outlets unwittingly repeated overblown figure, says CASPIAN
News reports earlier this year indicated 160 employees in the Mexican Attorney General's Office had been implanted with Verichip RFID devices. New information indicates that only 18 individuals received the device, said Katherine Albrecht, Founder and Director of CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering).
"Our concern is that dozens of news outlets have repeated the inflated number, which has reached the level of an urban legend," Albrecht observed. "I myself have repeated the erroneous figure in several media interviews, and I want to set the record straight."
Albrecht stumbled upon the discrepancy while following up on the story this fall. "I contacted the Attorney General's office to get some additional information on the chipping. A foreign press official sent me a transcript of a Televisa Mexican television interview with an IT executive from the Attorney General's office. In the interview, he clearly states that only 18 employees were chipped."
Albrecht, fluent in Spanish, transcribed the interview and later followed up to verify its accuracy. Since her discovery, several reporters have independently verified that the Attorney General's office places the official figure at 18. Albrecht's translation of the interview is posted at the organization's www.spychips.com website.
"Even Applied Digital Solutions, the creator of the VeriChip, cites the incorrect figure on their website. We have tried to contact the company to alert them to this situation, but they have not returned our calls," said Albrecht.
Joined: 05 Nov 2003
Posts: 814
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 12:03 pm Post Subject:
Azimuth wrote:
Imagine in the foreseeable future being electronically denied entry to supermarkets, shops etc by way of RFID micro-chipped “Smartcards” because you may in their eyes have insufficient funds in your account or perhaps you are not the ideal customer i.e. only a window shopper or perhaps unemployed.
Maybe you, or at least your micro-chipped card is recognized as being a “preferred customer” and automatically given preferential treatment such as discounts and other inducements as you fill your trolley with RFID tagged goods. Upon leaving, your goods and card are automatically scanned and debited as you walk out the door and all without the inconvenience of having to stop at a checkout or even take your card out of your pocket.
Load your goods into your micro-chipped vehicle for the trip home along the satellite scanned “ toll roads”, again you are automatically debited for the trip.
Yeah - that is the scary side of it. And I don't imagine that those who are keen on this technology haven't thought about it this way...
The 'humble' (wolf in sheep's clothing) rewards cards and supermarket loyalty cards are a definite cog in the machine here. Your basic Foodtown/Woolworths ID card is not so much a reward system as a punishment system for those who don't have a card. I really object to these schemes and although they deny it, I wouldn't be surprised if the consumer behaviour information is sold on to other organisations as well...
The Foodtown cards are now known as the 'One Card'. I always refer to them as the 'one world order' card... :D On occasion, I've even referred to it this way to a checkout assistant 'oh, you want my one world order card?'. Nobody has ever laughed though :?
Some days it seems the whole community has been replaced by "trifids", few seem to smile any more, they pass you in the streets like "dumbed down" clones rarely pausing to exchanging pleasantries.
Quote:
Your basic Foodtown/Woolworths ID card is not so much a reward system as a punishment system for those who don't have a card.
Totally agree with your sentiments. This is exactly how they will sell these micro-chipped smart
Cards to the masses, through inducements, incentives and other ……bribes.
Quote:
The Foodtown cards are now known as the 'One Card'. I always refer to them as the 'one world order' card... On occasion, I've even referred to it this way to a checkout assistant 'oh, you want my one world order card?'
At least for the meantime we have the choice whether or not to accept and use these “one Cards.
Once I swore I’d never use a credit or FPOS card…….oh how misguided I turned out to be. I would suggest that it would be very difficult if not impossible to get by with out one (them) now.
On the topic of RFID technology I came across this article: Yakka Apparel in NZ RFID first
Quote:
Name, rank and…RFID tag. Looking for tangible examples of RFID in action locally? Then look no further than Yakka Apparel, the company that kits out New Zealand Defence Force, for an innovative RFID-based ordering system that’s kitting out recruits in double time...
All sounds very efficient and effective for business but as indicated in the thread above, these things are creeping into areas of life a bit too insidiously for my liking.
Great find. I wonder how many other NZ companies, organisations etc are currently using RFID.
I must confess I am intrigued by this technology and can see how big business will benefit from its use.
I found this article whilst doing some research. It appears Richmond Meats in conjunction with Global Technologies may be leading the charge in the use of RFID technology. Carus, you alluded to this in your post in the General Medical and Health Issues Forum:
New Zealand consumers may have seen RFID technology at work in apparel security tags and vehicle tracking; however few will have given the technology much thought.
One company that has, its Hastings-based Richmond Meats, which exports 97 percent of its produce and has 11 processing plants across New Zealand. Richmond Meats has been evaluating RFID technology for animal tracking, a move which would make sense given the importance the meat export industry places on being able to track livestock.
The website of Richmond Meats has this to say: “As an added assurance to customers Richmond has developed a unique traceability system which enables the company to identify not only where and when a particular product was processed, but where it was grown.” In New Zealand, as well as the world, RFID technology is obviously tracking.
Rapid Traceability
PPCS has a 50 percent economic stake in biotechnology company Global Technologies. The company is co-owned by leading scientist Professor Diana Hill, who is also director.
The rapid traceability project is an exciting development for farmers and PPCS. When commercially viable, it will confirm the origin of New Zealand meat and verify its free-range and non-genetically-engineered status.
Here is an interesting development of Global Technologies:
Quote:
New Zealand biotechnology makes it possible for a happy customer in any restaurant in the world to pass on his or her compliments to the farmer.
Global Technologies Ltd (GTL) has prototyped a pen-like, bio-electronic DNA and protein testing and tracing device that could retail for a few dollars a unit. It has potential applications to test food for:
Country, farm or even carcase of origin
Food safety, allergens and microbial content
The genetic and nutritional composition of food and any additives that it may contain
The genetic compatibility between food and the person destined to eat it.
Joined: 05 Nov 2003
Posts: 814
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 1:46 pm Post Subject:
The Mad Butcher shops have an anti-theft system (at least one of the branches we have been in). When you go through the checkout, they swipe the meat packs across a tape on a specific section of the counter. Yesterday, a shop assistant commented that jackets from Kathmandu set off their shop alarms, both on entry to the store and on exit. The Kathmandu tags seem to be sewn into the clothing (I have a pair of their gloves that had tags in them).
Don't know if this is RFID or something else but they obviously get the Mad Butcher alarm systems excited.
Whoooaa…..holy taste buds, whatever happened to taking your chances eating a bit of pork!!!!!
:lol: :lol:
The whole food thing is becoming so complex...a lot of it driven by international demand it would seem for verification of its ligitimacy to be this, that and the other thing. Like no one trusts the label anymore. Also I wonder if any of this technology gets lost in the animal and we end up eating it?
This quote taken from the PPCS website (link given by Azimuth above)
Quote:
MAAC is a research project being undertaken by PPCS and Lincoln University. It aims to identify the correlation between weight, yield and pH resulting in the best tasting and eating qualities of lamb. The criteria are then related back to the genetic make up of the stock so farmers can pinpoint specifically what aspects of the final product they want to influence.
I can understand this type of approach with regards to wine (achieving a particular taste etc). I wonder how farmers 'influence' the final product with animals :?:
I have seen a few doco's over the years about people farming, in one case sheep and another goats. Two gay men were farming sheep. They would actually pamper them in their home by washing and combing their wool just like being in a hairdresser's salon. The sheep look so contented and relaxed it was hilarious. The surprising result (although not so surprising when you consider it) was that their wool was of superior quality to others being sold in the area.
Another example was of a farm in Western Australia where a woman cared for goats using organic methods and personal attention. Again the quality of the cheeses etc. was apparently better than those from traditional farming methods.
Nothing like a bit of care and human involvement to bring out the best in nature I reckon.
I have seen a few doco's over the years about people farming, in one case sheep and another goats. Two gay men were farming sheep. They would actually pamper them in their home by washing and combing their wool just like being in a hairdresser's salon. The sheep look so contented and relaxed it was hilarious. The surprising result (although not so surprising when you consider it) was that their wool was of superior quality to others being sold in the area.
An interesting read Carus. Did they have a big house........................... :?:
The Global Technologies pen-like, prototype bio-electronic DNA and protein testing and tracing device alluded to in my previous post looks very interesting................It has potential applications to test food.
I wonder if it will eventually have applications in the human DNA testing field?
Here is another example of RFID technology at work in New Zealand:
Quote:
Botany Library Scoops IT Award With RFID Project
Tuesday, 2 August 2005, 4:55 pm
Press Release: Checkpoint Meto
Botany Library Scoops Top IT Award With RFID Project
Manukau City has scooped the "Excellence in the use of IT in Government" Computerworld award for its deployment of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in the new Botany library.
Botany was the first public library in New Zealand to implement an RFID-based intelligent library system when it opened last October.
The technology supplied by Checkpoint Meto uses programmable intelligent chips which provide sophisticated item identification and usage information. Deployment of the RFID system has given Botany an estimated 20 percent process efficiency, resulting in longer opening hours and enhanced customer service.................
Joined: 05 Nov 2003
Posts: 814
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 12:45 pm Post Subject:
Here is the web site of the company who set up the system for Botany Library.
Their web site wrote:
RFID Solutions
The ultimate identification solution
It is an evolving market for demanding consumers. Every day, the consumer demands more: more choice; more product rotation; more speed; and more quality. In order to respond to
these needs, manufacturers and retailers have to develop efficient ways to maximise sales, while minimising transaction costs...
See... It's us customers who are driving this invasive technology. :?
And - dig a little deeper into the information about their Library system and you find this list of advantages:
- 1 trillion+ unique codes eliminate the risk of duplicate cards
- Slim, credit card size fits easily into wallet or purse for patron convenience
- Patron recognition at the doorway when used with Checkpoint Meto's Intelligent Sensors lets you identify both the patron and the item in the event that a cardholder has not properly checked out materials.
- Compatibility with Checkpoint Meto's Intelligent Library System and line of access control products enables the use of a single card for both building access and library privileges - as well as integration with cashless payment systems.
Joined: 05 Nov 2003
Posts: 814
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 12:50 pm Post Subject:
And this about Patron Self Checkout:
Quote:
Checkpoint Meto's Intelligent Library System® (ILS) Self-Checkout Station provides a powerful, flexible package that allows library patrons to manage their own transactions easily and efficiently. It simplifies the checkout process, helps eliminate waiting lines, ensures privacy and increases patron satisfaction.
But what about the 'patron recognition at the doorway' thing??
Joined: 05 Nov 2003
Posts: 814
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 1:07 pm Post Subject:
With Homeland Security USA's interest in readers' library habits (the patriot act permits federal agents to seize citizens' library records), no doubt this technology would make it very much easier to track, monitor and analyse reader behaviours and reading patterns etc... With the mentioned integration with cashless payment systems, I imagine that sooner or later similar integration with some sort of national database would be possible - adding your reading history and library movements to the master file.
The Warehouse Partners IBM
Friday, 7 October 2005, 9:55 am
Press Release: IBM
The Warehouse Limited partners with IBM to investigate the use of RFID to improve stock availability for customers
The Warehouse Group Limited has selected IBM as its lead partner to undertake a proof of concept to explore how Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) can be used to improve stock availability for customers through enhancing its supply chain processes, particularly in-store stock management. This is believed to be the first significant retailer-led initiative of its kind in Australasia…………………..
They don't say however, how they plan to allay the privacy fears:
NZ Herald wrote:
...In the United States, privacy advocates have warned RFID could allow corporations and governments to track people's movements and purchases, he said.
People who scanned shoppers leaving a department store or entering an apartment building could track what books they bought, what liquor they took home, or, potentially what kind of underwear they had on.
RFID chips can be as small as a pinhead and placed on anything from currency notes to cans and clothing.
The technology offered huge potential advantages for businesses that needed to accurately track products along a lengthy supply chain.
It could also eventually mean the end of supermarket queues, because a scanner could instantly read every tagged item in a shopping trolley as it went past the checkout...
They don't say however, how they plan to allay the privacy fears:
Mel, a fair observation and one that needs answering. RFID Technology has been around for years in a crude form but it is rapidly evolving, in fact I read somewhere that it will make the internet revolution look sick. RFID is a multi billion dollar industry already. In America it is to a large extent driven by the military and Wal-Mart. In Britain, by Gillette and Tesco. Obviously in New Zealand there will be major players vying for the market edge such as Richmond’s and the Warehouse to name a couple.
RFID is here and its’ not going to go away. As I see it there are a couple of major hurdles for the global RFID industry to overcome during their rampage, RFID standards and more importantly privacy issues.
In America, Wal-Mart has been forced to a large extent to relegate RFID technology from “customer” focus back to the “supply chain” because of a massive customer backlash.
In Britain Gillette, who purchased 50 million RFID tags for their Mach3 razor products were caught covertly photographing customers by way of RFID activated covert cameras in supermarket display stands. They were caught doing the same in Australia in December 2003.
In April 2003 a Metro Extra store “of the future” dubbed a "life-sized Petri dish" by the press was opened in Germany. IBM, a partner in the project, has publicly referred to the store's customers as "guinea pigs." The store has been rocked by scandals over privacy, inappropriate use of technology, inadequate customer disclosures, and misleading claims. Many believe that the RFID trial has gotten out of control and should be halted.
The Gillette scandal was how I first become interested in RFID technology, as Mrs Azimuth can testify to on shopping days watching me strip search the Gillette display in Woollies, much to her amusement.
Here are a few links covering the above incidents and protests:
After reading the Herald article yesterday in relation to the Warehouse RFID plan I contacted Saito Group (Smart Labels) and they forwarded me some information about their RFID products which I would like to share. All the information Saito provided is copyrighted but can be used as follows:
Editors and Users Note; the contents of this book may be reproduced as part of Saito's commitment to wider education on the application of RFID technology. This permission is conditional on source of material being acknowledged.
ThanksSAITO Group
I have reproduced verbatim, the sections relating to standards and privacy concerns here:
KEY PLAYERS INVOLVED IN RFID TAG AND PROTOCOL STANDARISATION
Who is EPCglobal?
EPCglobal, a global RFID organisation, is in charge of establishing Electronic Product Code™ (EPC) standards. The organisation is a joint venture between EAN International and the Uniform Code Council (UCC). The two bodies’ implementation partners have many years of experience in administering global standards. The EPCglobal Network employs EPC and RFID technologies. These standards offer the potential for increased efficiency and accuracy through automation, tracking and security through improved visibility, and collaboration by providing a globally standard framework for information exchange.
What are the key goals of EPCglobal?
The EPCglobal Network aims to enable trading partners to minimise shrinkage and shortages, accelerate order processing and increase responsiveness to consumer demand by enabling the flow of real-time information about goods within the supply chain. Efficiency in handling physical goods during processes such as receiving, counting, sorting, and shipping is improved. Below is one of many examples of a 96-bit EPC data structure. It consists of the Header, in which the first 2 bits must contain zeros, the EPC Manager (manufacturer number), the Object Class (identifies the product), and the factory- or end-user- programmable Serial Number (a uniquely assigned number for each individual item).
Does RFID conform to EPCglobal specifications and will it meet Wal-Mart and U.S. Department of Defense requirements?
Wal-Mart and the U.S. Department of Defense are major factors in determining the standard for the technical specifications that are to be used in RFID tags. RFID technology conforms to EPCglobal specifications. Currently, International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and EPC protocols are incompatible, as ISO standards have yet to be finalised. However, developers of Class-1 Generation 2 RFID technology are in the process of merging these two protocols to gain approval from the ISO.
What is the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)?
The ISO is a non-governmental organisation that is linked to a network of national standards institutes from over 140 countries. One member per country is represented at the ISO. The Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, coordinates the system. ISO holds a special position between the public and private sectors. Some of its member institutes are part of the government structure of their countries or are mandated by their government, while other members are from the private sector, having been set up by national partnerships of industry associations.
What is ISO’s role in regards to RFID?
ISO has its own standards for UHF RFID. ISO and EPCglobal (previously known as Auto-ID) are collaborating to produce a de facto standard for UHF. Matrics and Alien Technology are already selling RFID tags that conform to EPCglobal’s Class-0 and Class-1 specifications respectively.
What types of regulatory requirements must RFID systems comply with?
Specifications, standards and terminology are continually being updated. RFID systems must comply with all relevant regulatory requirements determined by local governments, such as permissible frequencies, power output and emissions. RFID standards created by the ISO attempt to unify worldwide regulatory requirements, so users can be assured their systems will work anywhere in the world. However, ISO currently has no control or jurisdiction over local compliance requirements, especially of the air waves. Regulatory and emissions requirements are beyond ISO’s control. An example would be UHF RFID systems that are configured to work under North America’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations, and which are illegal in European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)-governed regions.
Will the tags work globally?
EPCglobal is in the process of establishing a global standard for the immediate, automatic identification of any RFID item in the supply chain of any company, in any industry, anywhere in the world. Different regions of the world have designated different frequencies for RFID; thus, tags that are able to handle a wider range of frequencies would have more global coverage. Additionally, UHF tags, despite the target design frequency, can be read at alternative UHF frequencies (i.e. a 915MHz tag can be read by an 868MHz reader and vice versa) given that the reader can support multiple frequencies. However, a degradation of performance can be expected when using mismatched components.
CHALLENGES TOWARDS SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTING RFID LOBALLY
What are the primary challenges of successfully implementing RFID in a global marketplace?
The primary challenges of successfully implementing RFID in the global marketplace include elements such as cost factors, consumer privacy concerns and security factors. As mentioned earlier, costs are slowly becoming affordable, and it is only a matter of time before costs drop more rapidly as companies begin to adopt the technology.
Why are anti-RFID protesters against RFID implementation? Privacy and security issues are major challenges to RFID implementation. Anti-RFID protestors assert that RFID violates the privacy act in various countries, since RFID chips can be embedded into products and can be read without our knowledge. For example, a small tag embedded into an article of clothing or a pair of shoes could be activated every time the customer enters or leaves the store where the item was bought. Privacy advocates also fear that tags could be left active after the sale, with data on the tag remaining accessible to anyone with an RF reader. Nevertheless, it is possible deactivate tags either by using the ’kill’ command or by writing zeros to the tag in order to clear all relevant data and protect privacy.
Are there any benefits for the consumer if the tags are left ‘active’?
The advantage of leaving RFID tags active after a purchase is that consumers could return their goods without a receipt, or send an item back to the manufacturer without filling a warranty card as the product and serial information would have already been stored in the product’s tag. This eliminates the need for paper proof of purchase and translates into lower overheads.
Do privacy activists want RFID technology to disappear altogether?
The majority of privacy activists do not believe in abandoning RFID technology. These activists hope that companies that implement this technology will at least adopt rules of conduct. Activists suggest an absolute ban on hidden tags and covert readers, and that the presence of RFID tags or readers should be visible or declared.Additionally, they contend that technology should not be used to secretly unmask the identity of people who choose to remain anonymous.
I’m really still none the wiser on the privacy issue!
Joined: 05 Nov 2003
Posts: 814
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 8:30 am Post Subject:
Excellent research on this issue Azimuth (now I just wish Google thought so too - perhaps more people would find the information on these forums). Thanks for all your work on this.
Azimuth wrote:
I’m really still none the wiser on the privacy issue!
Yes, very vague isn't it? Might, could etc... They certainly do not make any committed statements about protecting the customer's privacy. Any mention of leaving the tags active just talks about the benefits (and as usual, how the customer can benefit - eg. easier refunds etc).
RFID is here, it is being used now and it is here to stay. With tens of millions of dollars in potential profits and saving to be had through increased productivity and sales by those who embrace this technology up for grabs. All good stuff so far, but what about the poor consumer, where do we slot into all of this. Perhaps we may benefit from these profits through price reductions! Somehow I doubt it, in fact it would be fare to say that implementation and compliance costs of RFID technology will be passed onto the consumer through good old fashioned “user pays” charges.
How will our privacy be safeguarded from this potentially invasive technology once it moved from the “supply chain” into the retail consumer domain? What recourse will we have if our privacies are violated by RFID and who is going to police it, the Government, civil liberties, an independent watchdog group, who?
What laws are in place to protect our rights? Only one that I can find, The Privacy Act 1993, where “personal information” is broadly defined as “information about an identifiable individual”.
Briefly, this is what the Office of the Privacy Commissioner had to say about RFID. Should New Zealanders be concerned about RFID (radio frequency identification)? “Absolutely,” says Assistant Privacy Commissioner Blair Stewart. “The public should not be alarmed, but I’d encourage people to continue a healthy level of concern.” http://www.privacy.org.nz/privword/PW54.pdf
It is clear that organizations with a vested interest in RFID technology, with input from several other entities, have developed a code of conduct, to “protect” our rights as consumers against RFID abuse. Some of the major players instrumental in writing the code of conduct were mentioned as mentioned in a previous post they are;
GS1New Zealand
GS1 New Zealand is the local affiliate of GS1, a non-profit organisation that provides a common language for international trade and commerce.
GS1 technologies apply to virtually every sector of the economy and are used by over a million companies world-wide, including more than 4,000 in New Zealand. The GS1 system is currently used in industries including grocery, pharmaceutical, healthcare, transport, finance, textiles, construction, packaging, retail, publishing and public administration.
GS1's best-known product is the bar code and now EPC/RFID.
With the growth of electronic commerce, these tools are used increasingly to manage the whole supply chain, from raw materials to the checkout stand.
GS1 manages the system in 120 countries around the world in collaboration with 99 local organisations, including GS1 New Zealand.
http://www.gs1nz.org/aboutGS1/
STANDARDS NEW ZEALAND
Today Standards New Zealand is the trading arm of the Standards Council, a crown entity operating under the Standards Act 1988. The Standards Council, an appointed body with representatives from a wide range of community sectors, is the governing body for Standards NZ.
Standards New Zealand specialises in developing and marketing national, regional and international Standards - offering an independent, efficient and cost-effective service to a wide range of organisations. The majority of Standards are developed in partnership with Standards Australia. And, as New Zealand’s representative in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), Standards New Zealand ensures that New Zealand’s voice is heard worldwide.
http://www.standards.co.nz/about/default.htm
GS1 New Zealand engaged Standards New Zealand to manage a process to produce an Electronic Product Code (EPC)/ Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in Retail Consumer Code of Practice.
To this end an expert committee was formed from organisations that had a vested interest in EPC/RFID technology within the retail consumer sector. The committee was charged with producing a voluntary Code of Practice that can be offered to retailers who will stock products that may contain RFID tags.
The EPC/RFID Consumer Protection Code of Practice has been developed to ensure the interests of consumers are protected in the operation of the EPCglobal Network and, as far as practicable, other radio frequency identification (RFID) applications.
Under the Code, stores shall ensure the privacy of consumers is respected by:
• Giving consumers clear notice at the point of sale of the presence of RFID tags on products;
• Providing details of the retention, use and protection of specific data gathered by the use of the RFID technology for purchased items;
• Allowing ready access to information to educate consumers about the technology and its capabilities within the scope of the retailers’ operations;
• Providing options for consumers at the point of sale of RFID labelled products. Choices may involve the option of disabling or removing the tag.
