Radio Frequency Identification History and Development

Abstract

This chapter describes the history and development of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). Key information on RFID such as the ratification of the RFID standards and important regulations on frequency usage is presented. As businesses move towards the convergence of information, RFID technology provides a step closer to the reality of connecting the real world and the digital world seamlessly. This is possible as RFID communication does not require the line of sight as barcodes do. Thus, is the continued existence of the barcodes technology under threat? Before RFID makes its way into the mainstream, there are teething issues to be sorted out. The immediate attention for a global uptake of RFID is the adoption of a frequency standard that is accepted internationally. This chapter provides an understanding of the RFID technology, its background and its origin