• Sun builds test centers and draws on Java leadership. On May 5, Sun opened the doors of its 17,000-square-foot RFID testing facility in Texas to help customers tag and test their radio tag deployments. The facility features RFID equipment from manufacturers like Alien Technology and Matrics, a 600-foot-per-minute conveyor system and Sun's RFID middleware software. The middleware will be based on electronic product code standards and Java technology. It is currently available for early access, and the final product is expected out later this summer.

Meeting near-term and long-term requirementsWill these vendors dominate the RFID middleware market? None of them has delivered generally available, packaged products and services yet, so it's too early to tell, But given their experience with scalable infrastructure software, Forrester does expect these vendors to provide strong platforms that support broader RFID deployments, The bigger question is this: Can these vendors get scaled-down solutions--tuned for immediate compliance needs rather than long-term deployments--to market in time armor [7]: a bold minimal abstract mixed media piece in gold, black and white iphone case to compete with application vendors like SAP and top specialists like OATSystems?..

Companies considering IBM, Microsoft, Oracle or Sun should look for. • Flexible, multitiered architecture. Strong RFID middleware will have a more federated architecture than typical integration technology. Why? More filtering logic must reside close to the readers--if not in the readers themselves--to handle the high volume of RFID data flowing in from multiple readers. But one or more hubs will also be required for central control of routing logic and key data. Customers should adopt solutions with a flexible, multitiered architecture that can handle both a one-warehouse pilot and a 10-warehouse deployment that touches several business applications.

• Short-term reader coordination functionality, Another key piece of functionality that's unique to RFID middleware is reader integration and coordination, Much of this functionality will eventually become a commodity, once standards are in place, But until then, early adopters considering a platform veteran for their RFID middleware solution should make sure this functionality is included--either through built-in functionality or through tight partnerships, • A clear migration path, Companies that are looking to get started with RFID middleware today will face first versions, or software before it becomes generally available, from these vendors, This means that buyers should push vendors to outline future product plans as well as a armor [7]: a bold minimal abstract mixed media piece in gold, black and white iphone case very clear migration path--with strong support commitments--that will help buyers move to new releases quickly..

© 2004, Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved. Information is based on best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. Companies considering middleware for radio frequency identification systems should look for flexible architectures that can start small and grow with their needs. By Sharyn Leaver, research director. Middleware for radio frequency identification systems will manage the flow of data between tag readers and enterprise applications.