Arphid Watch: IDTechEx surveys the RFID industry

http://www.idtechex.com/products/en/articles/00000484.aspRFID Case Studies Reveal SurprisesThe IDTechEx RFID Knowledgebase, the world's largest searchable database of RFID in action, has reached 2000 cases, revealing surprising trends. In this article Dr Peter Harrop analyses lessons, global trends and statistics from 2000 RFID implementations.Jul 18, 2006(...)RFID cards are appearing in millions yearly trimmed down as key fobs. RFID passports are a derivative of RFID card technology with the ICAO specifications based on ISO 14443. With legal push, these passports are suddenly a profitable business for many. The insert costs around four dollars because of its sophistication, there are 50 countries involved and many trials of interoperability and other features going on so this is a hive of activity. E-passport demand is rising to a lucrative and sustainable 40 million or so units yearly, with 25 million passports being tagged in 2006. Truly a global market that came from nowhere.(...)IDTechEx has found RFID in action in 76 countries, up from 49 countries eighteen months ago when there were only 1000 case studies. The big initiatives come from many sectors, some of them neglected by the press. The largest RFID project remains the China ID card but the largest single RFID order that has ever been landed, by value, is now the recent order given to Savi Technology for Military applications at $425 million. Savi Technology has been recently acquired by Lockheed Martin.(...)breakthroughs continue to come from unexpected places, such as the lowest power, lowest cost WiFi RFID chip being designed in Australia (now the tenth biggest user in the world by number of cases - tagging cows is law out there). (...)the disruptive new Parasitic WiFi RFID invention (no need to send out your own emissions) has entered over 50 locations in the last year, with US hospitals as eager adopters for both asset and people tagging.(((People tagged by parasitic wifi... yeah, this is 2006 all right!)))