A Centralized Approach To Scalable RFID Implementations

This paper discusses the benefits and challenges of deploying centralized, next-generation RFID network infrastructure solutions to support emerging production-scale RFID management, data correlation, and enterprise network integration requirements.

Cutting-edge and on its own is how every successful networking technology begins. RFID was pioneered with an architecture of autonomous readers connected to business applications and underlying infrastructure through middleware. A long list of other technologies started out as autonomous solutions, but the successful ones evolved beyond middleware and became extensions of the corporate network infrastructure. RFID is no different—it would never succeed beyond an interesting niche technology if it remains autonomously anchored in middleware.

Strong technical and economic drivers compel the change from self-defined to centrally managed RFID solutions. As the complexity of standalone reader deployment runs up against real-world scales of production, RFID is gravitating towards the same holistic adaptations that have shaped earlier networking successes.