When Wal-Mart decreed that its top suppliers would have to install Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips in pallet and case-sized loads, a lot of potential RFID users celebrated. It meant Wal-Mart and its cronies would be doing a lot of the work to get RFID working.
Fast forward a couple of years and Wal-Mart's cronies still don't have it working very well, and everyone else who's interested in it is having problems, too.
Installing RFID networks would be great business for network and data integrators, analysts say. Vendors are putting all the effort they can into making RFID work, but so far, customers aren't biting.
Below are links to recent developments in RFID that can help you get up to speed on RFID, even if no one can really predict when you'll be able to get to work on it.
RFID-Ready (or Not)
Issues
Homeland Security Denies it's Using RFID for RFID-like Application
SAP Plans RFID Roadmap for SMBs
Group Aims to End VAR Ignorance on RFID
HP, Microsoft Launch RFID Development
Costs: Analysis from CIOInsight:
RFID: The Cost of Being Smart
Planner: Calculating Costs of Tracking Individual Items with RFID
Calculator: RFID Set-Up Costs
Channel News and Analysis 
