Microsoft is hoping that lower-cost RFID options will prompt more companies to find ways to integrate RFID earlier in the supply chain. SAP, meanwhile, announced Wednesday that it is teaming with Intermec in an alliance aimed at helping small businesses meet partner requirements.
,p> Renz said one of the primary benefits of the software Microsoft plans to bring out next year is that it will be able to talk to all the different varieties of RFID hardware that are coming onto the market. In addition to offering the RFID middleware product on its own, Renz said Microsoft will build it into three of its business applications next year. The first product to get the RFID technology included will be Axapta 4.0, which is slated for the first half of next year. Two other products slated for the second half of next year--Navision 5.0 and Great Plains 9.0--will also get the RFID technology added.Microsoft said it has also signed up two other companies to use its underlying technology in their products: GlobeRanger and ConnecTerra.
Microsoft also has a couple early customers, including Jack Link Snacks, a maker of beef jerky.
Renz said smaller companies such as Jack Link actually have an advantage when it comes to making RFID investments pay off. Larger companies have typically already invested heavily in bar codes to track products within their operations. Though RFID might shave some additional personnel costs and improve efficiency modestly for those makers, it can make a more dramatic impact at companies that lack bar code systems entirely.
"There is really an opportunity for them to leap frog the bar code era," he said.
Play video
There are currently no comments for this post.