Taiwan hosts RFID expo

The Taiwan External Trade Development Council and the Taiwan Electric and Electronic Manufacturers' Association hosted the second Taiwan International RFID Application Show at the new Nangang Exhibition Hall, reports Market Watch.

The event runs in conjunction with the Taipei International Electronics Show, the procurement hub of much of the world's supply of electronics.

According to forecasts by Allied Business Intelligence, the authoritative US market survey company, the market value of RFID for 2008 is $3.8 billion and its average annual growth rate is 22%.

Sensormatic Electronics, a Tyco International company, has acquired Vue Technology, a provider of item-level RFID software and infrastructure solutions, says Market Watch.

The acquisition builds on Sensormatic's strategy to offer integrated technology solutions for its retail customers.

Vue's item-level RFID technology includes a full software platform, RFID readpoints and RF networking devices to track inventory on a real-time basis.

The US Army awarded six contracts worth a total value of $75 million for RFID in an effort to integrate the technology into the defence department global supply network, says Next Gov.

The Army Programme Manager Joint-Automated Information Technology office awarded three-year contracts to purchase passive RFID products and services, followed by three years of maintenance.

To better identify the supplies on a pallet, the defence department requires its suppliers to attach passive RFID tags to cases containing their products. This helps track billions of dollars' worth of supplies globally.