Pre-conference Seminar

RFID JOURNAL UNIVERSITY

12:25 pm

Welcome and Introduction
Speaker: Alan Thorne, Associate Director, The Auto-ID Lab at the University of Cambridge

12:30 pm
The Physics Behind RFID (88K)
This session is designed to give attendees a fundamental understanding of RFID hardware. It will cover the different frequency bands used: LF (125 KHz); HF (13.56 MHz); and UHF (860 to 960 MHz and 2.45 GHz). It will explain the nature of RF fields and radio propagation, including the complex areas of null spots, reflections, polarisation and other issues. A lot of the buzzwords common within the RFID community will be explained from the ground up, arming delegates with the terminology they need to understand the technology and to work with systems integrators and other RFID vendors.
Speaker: Alan Thorne, Associate Director, The Auto-ID Lab at the University of Cambridge

1:15 pm
Live Demo: RFID in the Real World (93K)
A live demonstration of a UHF RFID reader with a variety of products will highlight many of the real-world issues that arise when deploying RFID. The effects of antenna polarization, metal and liquid products will be demonstrated, as will various approaches to alleviating the problems which arise.
Demonstrators: Alan Thorne, Associate Director, The Auto-ID Lab at the University of Cambridge John Eckhouse, Contributing Editor, RFID Journal

1:45 pm
Legislation and Standardization In RFID (363K)
Legislation regarding the use of RFID varies around the world, and also is subject of on-going review. The standards, which ensure compliance with legislation and also guarantee interoperability between RFID systems manufactured by different technology providers, also are the subject of on-going development. This session will give an update on the latest developments by the legislative and standardisation bodies around the world.
Speaker: Alan Thorne, Associate Director, The Auto-ID Lab at the University of Cambridge

2:15 pm

Refreshment Break

2:30 pm
Real-World Considerations (838K)
Some of the important practical issues that must be considered when embarking on an RFID deployment will be discussed. These range from the all-important cost of tags and readers to practical approaches to ensuring high operational reliability. Some example application areas will be presented in order to highlight how to apply these insights in the real world.
Speaker: Alan Thorne, Associate Director, The Auto-ID Lab at the University of Cambridge

3:15 pm
Building An RFID Business Case (87K)
Developing an RFID strategy and business case is the first step in understanding how this technology can develop high performance results. Accenture will present various scenarios for RFID strategy and business case development and provide an in-depth look at the components and output including: - Data Gathering and Analysis - Developing a Hypothesis - Examining Current Technical Architecture - Executing Cost Benefit Calculations - Evaluating the Opportunities and Finding the Value - Constructing an Implementation Plan
Speaker: Joseph Tobolski, Associate Partner, Accenture

4:15 pm
Building On RFID With The EPC Network (799K)
RFID is only one part of a solution  it is the means by which the presence of objects can be automatically detected and information about them relayed. Equally important are issues such as the nature of the information to be relayed, how that information is conveyed within an organization and beyond, and how additional information is associated. This session will give a very brief introduction to the EPC Network standards that complement RFID to allow a complete solution to be built.
Speaker: Alan Thorne, Associate Director, The Auto-ID Lab at the University of Cambridge

5:00 pm
Q & A with the Instructor Seminars