RFID is the abbreviated form of Radio Frequency Identification. RFID is akin to the bar codes but in RFID the electro magnetic coupling is used to transmit signals. The main components of an RFID are silicon chips, an antenna and a transceiver that can be used anytime and anywhere. The passive RFID tags require no power source while active ones with power backup.

RFID is like a tag in which information and instructions are stored. It can be used in a car manufacturing, into a dog collar etc. An RFID system can range up to 90 feet. Unlike barcode technology, RFID does not require line-of-sight reading on which a bar code depends and RFID scanning can be done at greater distances than bar code scanning.

RFID has a plethora of uses. While initially the technology was just confined to tracing or identifying dogs, for a means of permanent identification number, the uses of RFID have simply multiplied over the years. Today RFID technology is seen in almost every field. Be it medicine, education (like library work), shipping, electronic devices automobiles, musical instruments, tracking movements of individuals via their passports etc., everywhere the RFID technology is at work.

RFID is becoming more widespread due to the manufacturing of RFID software. For instance lately technology company Intermec has created a new kind of intelligent RFID reader that can automatically route and manage information from RFID tags from remote locations, by using the IBMs WebSphere Device Infrastructure (WRDI). WRDI is basically an open-standards-based software platform that can be embedded in RFID devices. The software facilitates its users with automatic data collection and reporting from remote sites that do not have their own IT support systems. The software also helps to filter or refine the incoming data on the basis of pre-defined criteria or relevance and send only the requisite info to the application server of the company. WRDI is not just effective in de-cluttering of the data network traffic but it also enables in taking on-board decisions. The software is instrumental in integrating and reconciling the RFID data with information garnered from various business sections.

The IBSS (Integrated Business Service Systems) innovation of Synapse based software has also proved to be a boon for the corporate world. This software named SynTrack Mobile Asset Management keeps a record of costly assets of an enterprise as they move across different locations. The software can locate a hierarchy of zones, tags and tags groups. It provides a real time location of the assets being tracked by continuously updating the user interface.

Besides these big organizations a remarkable attempt has been made by a group of Malaysian. Using the RFID technology the students have invented a software program or a device known as Object Identification Information Network (Odin) to solve the practical problems of people.

The Sun Java System RFID Software has also shown commendable performance in the market. This software is Suns unique RFID middleware platform offering that is based on largely accepted industry standards including those defined by the EPC global. The software provides a foundation for deploying the EPC Network for a company. The design of this software imparts high levels of reliability and scalability for EPC Network while also simplifying the task of integrating with multiple existing back-end enterprise systems.