Chapter 47. Objects that Communicate: Smart Labels and Electronic Product Codes

We covered radio frequency identification (RFID) when we took a look at the ExxonMobil Speedpass for making easy payments at the gas station and at an increasing number of their partners such as McDonalds. These types of applications can all be thought of as wireless commerce applications, allowing us to make transactions more efficiently with less hassle. The RFID tag, attached to your key chain, becomes a proxy for your credit card or other payment device such as a check card.

In addition to wireless commerce applications, such as paying for gas at the pump, RFID technologies very soon will be reshaping the way you check out from the retail store in the high street. They’ll also be reshaping the way companies manage inventories and track products as they move through the supply chain from manufacturer to distributor to retailer. RFID technologies will also be useful for tracking items within your home or garage, and even to their eventual recycling.