Predicted Move to Active RFID Developing

Aberdeen Group reported in January 2006 that while only 8% of manufacturers had adopted active RFID at that time, 48% planned to do so. Most were foregoing experience with passive RFID to leap right into the active technology.

Right on cue, says Dr. Harrop, 2007 has seen huge orders for active RFID. Navis, for instance, has a $15 million management project to install active RFID on over 7,500 trucks at Georgia Port Authority’s Garden City Terminal. And, in item and conveyance tagging, Unisys recently landed an extension order from the US Department of Defense (DOD) for $28 million per year (and a further $112 million if three other planned extensions are granted).

A $425 million military order placed with Savi Technologies for active RFID in 2006 was followed by other large military orders in 2007.

Adding to the active growth in active RFID, Real Time Location Systems (RTLS) have been installed in 100 hospitals and forecasts indicate 40%-per-year growth in RTLS to 2010.