No technology exists in a vacuum, or in any kind of isolation. For any technology to be worth considering these days, it must be ubiquitous. We are entering an era where technologies must be able to seamlessly interact across networks and market sectors. In order for RFID to meet its potential as a new growth engine, it must have this kind of integration into today's ubiquitous world. RFID is currently being employed in various ways, and this variance can only increase. There is a movement within the post and courier industries to have each individual item carry an RFID tag. If this materializes, over one trillion items will be sent and received with tags each year, which would result in mail being the second largest application for RFID, following behind the retail supply industry.
The system presently in place relies on barcodes, meaning that human staff is needed at each stop to manually scan each item into the system. This opens the door to inevitable human error and slows the path mail takes from point A to point B. A large scale shift to RFID would usher in a more efficient system with a slimmer likelihood of error. When perfected, Real-time information automation, impossible with the existing system, will become reality. The medical profession is embracing ubiquitous technology, leading to the often heard u-health buzzword. RFID in healthcare and pharmaceuticals is an especially delicate matter, as health is a business of saving lives. Any contribution to that end must be welcomed. RFID is poised to bring healthcare and pharmaceuticals into the wonderland of technology thanks to the new tagging of drugs, real time location of staff and patients and automated error prevention. The market for RFID tags and systems in healthcare will rise rapidly from $120.9 million in 2008 to $2.03 billion in 2018. While making healthcare more effective, RFID can be expected to help more patients be cared for at lower costs.
Wal-Mart has grown to dominate the world's retail industry through its astoundingly efficient distribution system. Competitors have since been scrambling to find a leg up, or simply to keep pace with the competition. RFID will become an essential part of how retailers do business. Many retailers believe that tagging incoming pallets and cases will substantially reduce their costs and improve their service to customers. Suppliers are now being ordered fit their projects to this new standard. Retail suppliers are following suit, simply due to the need to conform to RFID in order to survive in a world where ubiquitous technology is inescapable. The benefits of RFID have not been lost on governments. In a campaign of national registration similar to China's ID card program, Korea is considering featuring RFID capabilities in all Korean passports. America is in the same boat. The technologically advanced American military is also an important source for the RFID market.
In the military, concepts like identification and security are crucial, so RFID is a welcome addition to the military's activities. Korea's ubiquitous society in the near future predicts a huge RFID market in the military section. Currently, drivers on the highway are frequently asked to pay tolls of a dollar or two while driving. These stations can create bottle-necks as drivers rout through their pockets for the right amount of change. RFID can speed this process up and benefit labor productivity, as people will need to spend less time on the way to work. The future of RFID is expected to be bright, full of growth and improvement. As long as it focuses on becoming part of today's ubiquitous society, those lofty dreams will certainly come true.
