Industry addresses item-level use of RFID

AIM Global, the industry trade association and worldwide authority on automatic identification and mobility technologies, has published its position on ‘Item-level RFID Tag Frequency,’ which is the latest in an ongoing series of ‘Position Statements’ about major issues facing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies and solutions.

AIM Global's RFID Position Statement on item-level tagging emphasizes that ‘AIM Global supports the appropriate use of RFID for item-level identification by providing supply chain efficiencies, a safe and secure food chain, pharmaceutical authentication and e-pedigree, and accurate product recalls.’

In its entirety, the position statement reads:

‘The ability to use either high frequency (HF) or ultra-high frequency (UHF) technology has led to the question of which one is ‘better’ for item-level tagging for different regulatory environments, applications, and classes of products.

It is AIM Global’s position that both high frequency (HF) and ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID technologies can be used effectively for item-level applications. Each has specific advantages and disadvantages depending on the size, type of item and the deployment environment.

It is also AIM Global’s position that the marketplace will, as it has with all automatic identification and mobility products, evaluate the options and select the technology standard that best meets its needs and application environments.

•        AIM will fund and support efforts to remove the artificial regulatory barriers to international deployment of RFID.
•        AIM will expand its support of education on choices of technology selection.
•        AIM will support efforts to understand the dynamics of overlapping RFID technologies on items in supply chains.

AIM Global and its members are primary contributors to the development of technical standards for RFID within ISO and EPCglobal. To connect with these experts, please contact AIM Global at itemlevel@aimglobal.org.’

The complete position paper, that also includes position statements on other important RFID issues, can be downloaded, at no cost, from the AIM Store from the following link: https://www.aimglobal.org/estore/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=306.

As the professional association representing the community of automatic identification and mobility vendors, AIM Global is uniquely positioned to deliver clear, unbiased, and accurate information on RFID.

AIM Global president Dan Mullen said, ‘The RFID Position Statements developed by AIM Global have been crafted, reviewed and approved by a group of industry leaders that are manufacturers, integrators and resellers of RFID technology systems. These industry experts have captured the issues and suggested credible ways to foster the growth of the technology without interfering with the privacy of global citizens.’