Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Launches RFID Software Project
securitas writes "RFID Journal reports on the first Microsoft RFID software pilot project. Microsoft launched the six-month pilot in December with KiMs, Denmark's largest snack food producer. Microsoft plans to bring the new RFID-enabled supply chain management software (Axapta Warehouse Management) to market next year, targeting small- to medium-sized businesses. The news comes after Microsoft announced its Smarter Retailing Initiative, tools based on RFID and .Net Web services. More on this latest development at CNet and InformationWeek."
[Pilot-Project Test Warehouse in Denmark]
PHB: OK, the new MS inventory system automatically ordered 15 semi-trailer loads of Kotex Ultra Thick & Fluffy With Wings. Make sure we have room for that shipment.
GeekSlave: But.. Sir, we sell snack food, not..
PHB: Don't question the system; do you know how much it cost?!
Trolling is a art,
hmmm lets see 2000000 rfd tags at $399.00 for each license comes too ....
"It's so convenient to have a system where everyone is a criminal" - A. Hitler
Microsoft AND RFID bashing all in one thread. Woohoo!
Life in Orange County
You RFID the food itself, not the wrapper, that way you can track its journey through your system and beyond!
[ Don't reply to this ]
well, with walmart and microsoft onside it's pretty much inevitable now...
It's only inevitable if you support the system.
Buy from locally owned stores.
Buy locally produced products.
Support companies owned from within your country.
Don't support the big multinationals. They view consumers as nothing more than cattle at the trough.
It's no suprise that Levi Strauss closed its last US manufacturing plant after getting in bed with WalMart to make cheap jeans so consumers could save a couple of bucks while putting their neighbours out of work.
Trolling is a art,
even if your not using bloatware
pallet #245 has 300 items on it, how many bit is each rfid tag? 32 bits * 300 items (a bit over 1kB) per pallet (big items or small pallet) 64 bits? (over 2kB) what about the pallet of kazzos, 100000 * 64 bits (~800kB per pallet).
how large will the tracking databases have to get?
pallet #245 makes 3 stops before it gets to the final reseller, warehouse 1,2 and 3 then add 2kb per pallet of this product to each of their databases as they track it.
oh well, hard drives are cheap, bandwidth is cheap, heck even privacy is cheap (at the rate we watch it being given up, you'd think we where giving away air)
... That they were going to embed RFIDs into the software CDs.
Having a key in the chip that's required to decode the CD would be an interesting variation of the dongle concept.
If there was a cheap USB RFID reader that shipped with the S/W it might even be practical.
They view consumers as nothing more than cattle at the trough.
Strange thought: perhaps that's because many Americans are cattle at the trough... consider the inevitable stampeding over Friday-After-Thanksgiving sales. The sad thing about modern marketing? It actually works. People are, in general, so apathetic, that they are glad to be treated like cattle, insofar as they get shiny things.
Now, before I get modded flamebait, please consider what I've said, and recall that I am not ranting against any one person, but against the state of the society as a generality. Thanks.
#define DRM chmod 000
Since the biggest retailer on the planet is mandating RFID, it only makes sense that the largest software company will get on board too..
Just good business sence in this case.. noting much to see..move along.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
the real problem is factoring the total cost of the product. not just the price.
ask yourself if the "cheaper" product:
since there are viturally no laws demanding disclosure by manufacturers, calculating the real cost of products is a left to a lot of guessing and assuming.
my general rules: look for the union tag, pay too much, avoid dubious materials (pvc fr instance), dedicate yrself to buying one for the rest of your life when possible.
2 1337 4 u!