Now that we're six years into the third millennium, it's time that some 21st-century technology is coming of age. It's a slow process, but it's inexorable, so if you're not familiar with it, here's a short overview of what it is and what to expect from it. RFID is Radio Frequency Identification. It uses microprocessors to create electronic ID tags and short-wave radio signals to transmit the information to a reader and thence to a control system. Some applications have been in use for years, others have been targeted to industries quite recently, and still others are in development - or in the minds of engineers, designers, marketers, and corporate leaders. Most pet owners are familiar with RFID in a vague way. Many veterinarians routinely implant RFID chips in dogs and cats when they vaccinate and neuter or spay them. Those chips are typically encoded with the animal's name, sex, date of birth, and vaccination records and the owner's name and contact information. The implants are useful for only two purposes - to check or confirm immunization records and to identify a pet that has been lost, found by a stranger, and taken to a vet or shelter and, it's hoped, enable its return. But because RFID chips can be encoded in millions of different ways (for example, a 64-bit microprocessor can accommodate 100 million numeric combinations), they offer potentially unlimited versatility. That makes them ideal for product tracking, inventory flow, and, of course, access control. Decades ago, businesses ranging from chemical manufacturers to Hollywood studios typically paid security guards to monitor company entrances, usually relying on an ID card and visual identification. Then the guard raised the gate to the parking lot or buzzed the door to the factory. Those IDs have widely been replaced with encoded proximity card readers; employees drive or walk up, hold their card a few inches from the electronic reader, and the gate or door opens. With RFID technology, there's no need for the employee even to take the access card out of a pocket. The range of the signal can be as much as 16 feet (5 meters), so that even from a car the signal can be transmitted automatically. In cases of interior access, such as a corporate office, retailer, or manufacturing facility with restricted section access, RFID can be especially helpful. An employee whose hands are occupied with a briefcase, product sample, or replacement parts, for example, and whose card is in a wallet in an inside pocket, can pass right through. Similarly, a handicapped employee who needs both hands for crutches, a walker, or wheelchair (or who has limited use of hands), doesn't need to fumble with a purse or wallet to have the same access as fully abled people. According to one manufacturer, ActiveWave, many of their models also connect to the central access control computer through wireless communication, eliminating the need for extensive wiring installations and "allowing a reader to be easily re-positioned or moved as needs change." Another benefit, similar to the warnings issued by bar code, magnetic stripe, and proximity readers, is that the reader can alert host software (and security personnel) to unauthorized access. It can also "trigger cameras and video recorders . . . to capture unauthorized access in real-time." Similarly, software is easily coded to link each employee with company assets. A laptop computer assigned to Employee A can't be borrowed and taken out of the office by Employee B - the system will immediately report the inappropriate linkage. Systems can also be designed so that a computer's software will not operate off-site: unless the RFID chip in the laptop is within radio range of the host computer (at the office), it simply won't turn on. Industrial espionage, a growing concern among many companies, is diminished by preventing an employee - even one with authorization to use the laptop at work - from accessing and sharing proprietary information outside the office. Last summer Addison-Wesley Professional Publishers released a book by Simson Garfinkel and Beth Rosenberg that addresses many of the applications and concerns related to Radio Frequency Identification developments. Called RFID: Applications, Security, and Privacy, it's a long read (608 pages) and thoroughly covers wide-ranging questions about the future uses and implications of the new technology. I found it on Amazon.com for $31 (used); for anyone interested in deeper knowledge of the subject, it's probably a good investment to make. The next column will discuss other uses of RFID that are already being implemented in the private and public sector. Users include libraries, school systems, manufacturers, retailers, and airports. |
