Radio-frequency identification

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is a technology that uses radio waves to transfer data from an electronic tag, called RFID tag or label, attached to an object, through a reader for the purpose of identifying and tracking the object. Some RFID tags can be read from several meters away and beyond the line of sight of the reader. The application of bulk reading enables an almost-parallel reading of tags. A number of organizations have set standards for RFID, including the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), ASTM International, the DASH7 Alliance and EPCglobal. (Refer to Regulation and standardizationbelow.)There are also several specific industries that have set guidelines including the Financial Services Technology Consortium (FSTC) has set a standard for tracking IT Assets with RFID, the Computer Technology Industry Association CompTIA has set a standard for certifying RFID engineers and the International Airlines Transport Association IATA set tagging guidelines for luggage in airports. RFID can be used in many applications. A tag can be affixed to any object and used to track and manage inventory, assets, people, etc. For example, it can be affixed to cars, computer equipment, books, mobile phones, etc. The Healthcare industry has used RFID to reduce counting, looking for things and auditing items. Many financial institutions use RFID to track key assets and automate compliance. Also with recent advances in social media RFID is being used to tie the physical world with the virtual world. RFID in Social Media first came to light in 2010 with Facebook's annual conference. RFID is a superior and more efficient way of identifying objects than manual system or use of bar code systems that have been in use since the 1970s. Furthermore, passive RFID tags (those without a battery) can be read if passed within close enough proximity to an RFID reader. It is not necessary to "show" the tag to the reader device, as with a bar code. In other words it does not require line of sight to "see" an RFID tag, the tag can be read inside a case, carton, box or other container, and unlike barcodes RFID tags can be read hundreds at a time. Bar codes can only be read one at a time. In 2011, the cost of passive tags started at $0.05 each and special tags, meant to be mounted on metal or withstand gamma sterilization, can go up to $5. Active tags for tracking containers, medical assets, or monitoring environmental conditions in data centers all start at $50 and can go up over $100 each. Battery Assisted Passive (BAP) tags are in the $310 range and also have sensor capability like temperature and humidity.

Current uses
In 2010 three key factors drove a significant increase in RFID usage: decreased cost of equipment and tags, increased performance to a reliability of 99.9% and a stable international standard around UHF passive{{RFID. The adoption of these standards were driven by EPCglobal, a joint venture between GS1 and GS1 US, which were responsible for driving global adoption of the barcode in the 1970s and 1980s. The EPCglobal Network was developed by the Auto-ID Center, an academic research project headquartered at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with labs at five leading research universities around the globe: Cambridge, Adelaide, Keio, Shanghai, Fudan, St. Gallen.}}.[13] At RFID Journal Live 2010 in Orlando, Airbus detailed 16 active projects, IBM andmost recently added to the teamCSC. The two other areas of significant use are financial services for IT asset tracking and healthcare with more than 60% of the top medical device companies using passive UHF RFID in 2010. RFID is becoming increasingly prevalent as the price of the technology decreases. The Japanese HIBIKI initiative aims to reduce the price to 5 Yen (4 eurocents). In January 2009 Envego announced a 5.9 cent tag,[citation needed]and in March 2010 a Korean laboratory successfully created a printed chip using carbon nanotubes that would halve the price of a passive UHF RFID tag to about three cents by late 2011.

Electronic vehicle registration

With security of cars being a major concern in many countries, some countries are using RFID technology for vehicle registration and enforcement. FID can help detect and retrieve stolen cars.

Payment by mobile phones

Nokia's 2008 device, the 6212, has RFID capabilities also. Credit card information can be stored, and bank accounts can be directly accessed using the enabled handset. The phone, if used as a vector for mobile payment, has added security in that users would be required to enter a passcode or PIN before payment is authorized.

Transportation payments
Governments use RFID applications for traffic management, while automotive companies use various RFID tracking solutions for product management. Many of these solutions may work together in the future, though privacy regulations prevent many initiatives from moving forward at the same pace that technology allows.
Car-sharing

The Zipcar car-sharing service uses RFID cards for locking and unlocking cars and for member identification.

Season parking tickets

Following a successful pilot, Housing & Development Board (HDB) Singapore called two tenders in 2006 to implement RFID to replace the paper Season Parking Ticket (SPT). The successful tenders have distributed RFID tags to SPT holders since March 2007.[23]

Toll roads Public transit (bus, rail, subway)