Sep 07, 2005
RFID has been a hot topic for several years, both in the electronics industry as well as in other market segments. Some organizations (e.g. Wal*Mart, DoD) are making significant investments to implement RFID. However, skeptics argue that RFID is analogous to an expensive barcode and may never reach the promised return on investment and, therefore, never achieve broad deployment. Still others believe that RFID will continue to struggle until a "killer application" is demonstrated. All agree that significant work is needed to improve the technology (including cost reduction) and to build the infrastructure required to make RFID ubiquitous.
The iNEMI forum is intended to assess the current "state of the industry" and understand the potential of RFID; identify key barriers limiting adoption; and develop an action plan for addressing those barriers. Speakers will include RFID practitioners from AMR Research, EDS, Intel, Motorola, Sun Microsystems, ThingMagic and VeriSign.
"RFID technology has an appeal that transcends the entire supply chain, but the first proof of its wide-ranging promise lies in the success it achieves in addressing the issues facing the manufacturing industry. Sun Microsystems is committed to driving adoption of this technology across various industry verticals," says Vivek Khandelwal, RFID solutions principal, Sun Microsystems.
The forum is targeting key decision-makers for deployment of RFID technology, industry thought-leaders representing both the technology and application points of view, and early adopters of RFID.
"iNEMI has a proven methodology for bringing together users and suppliers of emerging technologies to accelerate adoption through collaborative projects. We are confident that this forum will help us construct a solid picture of today's RFID landscape so that we can fashion the appropriate collaborative efforts to close any remaining infrastructure gaps." says Jim McElroy, CEO of iNEMI.
McElroy says that meeting participants will gain a greater understanding of the current capabilities of RFID and share the experiences of early adopters. "Participants will have the opportunity to interact with key RFID thought-leaders and gain insights into the likely future impact of this important technology. They will also help shape industry activities to close identified business and technical gaps, all of which can influence their companies' strategies and investments as they consider future plans for RFID."
REGISTRATION & LOGISTICS
The forum is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, October 4, at Sun Microsystems, 7777 Gateway Blvd., Building 16, Newark, CA. 94560. Registration fee is $150 (which is waived for iNEMI members and forum speakers). To register, or for additional information, visit http://www.inemi.org/cms/calendar/RFID_Forum.html or contact Jim McElroy, iNEMI, at 703-834-2082; jmcelroy@inemi.org or Dan Blount, Sun Microsystems, at 916-265-5673; Dan.Blount@Sun.com.
ABOUT iNEMI
The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative's mission is to assure leadership of the global electronics manufacturing supply chain. Based in Herndon, Va., the industry-led consortium is made up of approximately 70 manufacturers, suppliers, industry associations and consortia, government agencies and universities. iNEMI roadmaps the needs of the electronics industry, identifies gaps in the technology infrastructure, establishes implementation projects to eliminate these gaps (both business and technical), and stimulates standards activities to speed the introduction of new technologies. The consortium also works with government, universities and other funding agencies to set priorities for future industry needs and R&D initiatives. For additional information about iNEMI, visit http://www.inemi.org.
