Study Unveils Critical Role of the Network in the Success of RFID

Andy Lee, RFID Marketing Manager, EMEA, Cisco Systems

If you are wondering what IT’s next Big Thing is going to be then tune into the latest on radio frequency identification (RFID). Recent months have seen a surge in interest in radio tags and their possible applications.

But a study carried out by the research company IDC on behalf of Cisco Systems® suggests that companies embarking on radio tagging projects may need to first ask themselves whether their networks are up to the task of handling the data deluge that can result from RFID.

Radio tagging is a cheap and effective way of collecting data on goods in transit, whether they are luxury cars being transported by a freight company or groceries being snapped off the shelves of a store by shoppers.

However, says IDC (in the white paper Planning for Proliferation: The Impact of RFID on the Network), it is this cost-effectiveness, and the subsequent likelihood of RFID tag proliferation, that can lead to the potential for a major overload of data on the average corporate network.

This may at best lead to problems in processing and interpreting the RFID data coming in and at worst compromise the network’s ability to handle other critical tasks. According to IDC, there are three factors that have an effect on RFID’s impact on network traffic:

• The number of tags in circulation. Clearly, in a warehouse where computers are stacked six at a time on pallets, having a radio tag on every computer will create six times the amount of data as having a tag on every pallet.
• The amount of data generated each time a tag is read. It is possible for tags to call up remote product information IP addresses listing a wide range of details, such as the product’s manufacturer, customer, delivery, price, expiry date and more.
• The number of times a tag is scanned. Each scan generates an automated event, such as a notification or alert. This can be useful, for example, in tracking goods through a supply chain, but which can also lead to masses of data.

In addition, the introduction of RFID-based systems has an impact on network design.

The network needs to be resilient, in order to deliver online information whenever this is requested by a tag. It needs to be secure, given that RFID will ultimately entail the exchange of information between different organisations.

Storage needs to be flexible and scalable. And device management is also an issue, since the network may need to support thousands of radio tag readers. These issues may not be overly evident in many current, small-scale RFID pilots, but are likely to be problematic as the use of the technology is extended.

The white paper’s authors observe: “RFID system expansion is inevitable as proliferation throughout the supply chain is a core premise for the realisation of system benefits” and add “traffic is more likely to increase as RFID is rolled out throughout the supply chain.

“As more and more partners in the supply chain are linked into the system, and more things are tagged, more data is generated and passed through the network.

“The impact of RFID on network traffic requires the network to be capable of handling the demands of RFID in terms of data volume, increased dependence on availability and security requirements.”

IDC recommends that organisations plan to make their networks as scalable as possible before adopting RFID technologies, and then check for bottlenecks as the technology is rolled out.

In addition, the network should incorporate intelligence and storage capabilities at its edge, where the impact of RFID traffic is likely to be greatest, and have integrated management and security at all levels up to the business process layer of the infrastructure.

Cisco has long been working to incorporate such features into its network technologies and earlier this year announced that it was joining the European RFID Centre to collaborate with European businesses in developing radio tag strategies.

The Centre, in Bracknell, UK, is also backed by companies such as Microsoft, Intel and Cable & Wireless. It opened in January 2005 to provide a showcase of RFID applications for European business, with live demonstrations, educational services, networking events and advice.

Cisco has also been working on developing standards with the Electronic Product Code (EPC) industry body EPCglobal Inc.
One of the results of all this activity is the Cisco RFID-Ready Network, a tightly-integrated wired and wireless infrastructure that can classify EPC traffic to prioritise it anywhere in the network.

Cisco’s resilient, end to end, robust networks support the way information is used and directed across an organisation. By making such information available throughout the organisation, Cisco helps facilitate the complete supply chain that is proving so valuable to retailers, government and industry.