The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 3 (of 5)

Thoughts on RFID?

The last few dayas I've been looking at RFID as a possible business avenue.

Aside from the national inventory / stock / supply chain implementations, what might be the opportunities for small-scale, niche solutions - as an example: an RFID screw for tracking trees in a national forest - and the FMS (Forest Management System) to go along with it?

Starter kits look expensive but I've seen a few around $500 - with VB / .NET / Java / C APIs - worth the plunge?

Sassy
Wednesday, January 28, 2004

This is exactly the same situation with Portals, bloggers, online bookstores, and so on forth. Always selling you possibilities, then the cream rise to the top with the rest either languishing or folding shop.

You definitely need to research the companies making RFID units. You definitely need to research the API tools. You definitely need to research the federal laws related to radio interface units. You definitely need to do some environmental study (is this RFID unit going to stay alive if submerged in water?) You definitely need to find a client NOW.

But if you got the salesman soul within yourself, ability to sell big, and ability to find a good team of staff to throw together a working prototype, and some type of a test plan that is taylor made to put your company in the best light...

Well, go for it. Just don't be too cheap.

T.J.
Wednesday, January 28, 2004

Sassy,
Can you provide the links for those startter kits you found?
Thanks.

Krish
Wednesday, January 28, 2004

marketing database. You will know exactly what people have.

Tom Vu
Wednesday, January 28, 2004

Surveillance database. You'll know exactly where people are.

Thursday, January 29, 2004