Global Commerce Initiative EPC Roadmap - GlobalScorecard.net

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Global Commerce Initiative EPC Roadmap Radio Frequency Band Benefits, Drawbacks & Applications 13 Frequency Benefits Drawbacks Common Applications Low (9-135 KHz) • Accepted Worldwide • Works Near Metal • In Wide Use Today • 1.5m Read Range • No Commerical Use License in Parts of EU • Complex Systems Development • Access Control (Vehicles) Source: IBM Business Consulting Services At a global level, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is responsible for regulating radio frequency usage worldwide. The diagram on the previous page shows some of the currently allowed and the proposed frequencies around the world. The resolution of the air interface issue is critical to the mass standardised adoption of the EPC network and regulatory and standards bodies are actively engaged in reaching a degree of compatibility worldwide, e.g., UHF tags can be read in the whole range of 860-960 MHz without losing much efficiency, plus over similar distances when using approximately equal power ranges. 3.6 Interoperable Commercial Versions Before it became the Auto-ID Labs, the Auto-ID Center published standard specifications for the savant, ONS, PML, and EPCIS components. Today’s reality is that there is not a complete set of commercial versions of these products that are truly interoperable or “plug and play.” Many vendors have a version of each of these components and these have been used in the trials to-date. Each is in a different stage of evolution at the present time. • It is generally agreed that some form of savant is required to filter data coming from readers to the applications that process it, and allows local and fast data access for key applications. • The Auto-ID Center produced an open source version of savant, which has been modified a number of times by systems integrators, often in conjunction with early adopters to allow pilots. These prove that the technology works and can be used in testing. However, it is still unclear whether these systems are robust enough and scalable to the extent required. • An ONS is an essential component of the EPC vision and is based on the structure of a domain 20 © Copyright November 2003, Global Commerce Initiative/IBM
3. Enabling the Vision name service (DNS). EPCglobal currently has a request for proposal underway to establish an ONS service by the end of 2003. • The EPC information service (EPCIS) and the physical markup language (PML) are standard means of delivering information and important components of the EPC network. The development of open, voluntary standards for both is necessary. • It is important for the PML that it is based on eXtensible markup language (XML) and that it is integrated with the EAN•UCC Global Data Dictionary. • Savant products based on open, voluntary standards are key to the adoption of the EPC network. Savants will make the interfaces to application packages easier and more profitable for industry companies. • Providers of application software need to build links from the savant API into their own systems. 3.7 Internal/External Infrastructure Three main issues relate to data management under EPC network adoption: 1. How do we deal with this much larger volume of data? 2. How do we share this data with our trading partners? 3. What data management policies should we consider? Data Volumes EPC network adoption will drive up the volume of data that companies will find they need to process by a significant amount. The Auto-ID Center did a great deal of work on ways to deal with this increase, and the work continues in the Auto-ID Labs. • The EPC vision states that data about objects — object information and event information — should be stored on a network and accessed as needed rather than being pushed from one party to the next. • The savant is a means of filtering data. As a number of different radio tags are read, a level of data aggregation might be done, and some choices need to be made about what data to store — the raw data or the aggregated amount. • As the level of tagging increases and many more objects are tagged, it must be clear that read and write times need to be managed successfully so that they do not become a process bottleneck. • The volume of data will increase significantly if consumer unit-level tagging is adopted. However, this is still a few years away. Sharing Data With Trading Partners Sharing data with trading partners will continue to be a critical issue and an important part of the EPC vision. The transition to a new way of doing business and a new way of sharing information may not be easy. However, the tremendous benefits promised by the EPC vision and already seen in the pilot tests taking place around the globe are assuring companies that the next generation of partnering is well worth the effort. Under the EPC vision, there are two potential approaches for exchanging data about a tagged object between trading partners: 1. Object and event data are held by each trading partner and a means of information access is provided for trading partners as required. 2. Object and event data are published on a public network and access provided as required (i.e., the true EPC network vision). The first option is the one that many leading adopters have in mind. This relies on having data warehouse capability and capacity, but it is a means of transitioning to the ultimate EPC network vision of accessing data when required. It also provides companies with a means of ensuring data confidentiality and of controlling data access. Organisations in the test and trial stage may be happy with object and event data being stored on the tag itself — the first option — and read where required when the tag flows through the supply chain. Object and event data could also be sent as an additional transmission from one company to its trading partner (analogous to email). Some organisations may have a preference for this approach, since it gives more control and security Copyright November 2003, Global Commerce Initiative/IBM 21
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Page 5 and 6: Contents 1 Introduction to the EPC
Page 7 and 8: 1. Introduction to the EPC Roadmap
Page 9 and 10: 1. Introduction to the EPC Roadmap
Page 11 and 12: 2. The EPC Network 2.1 RFID Introdu
Page 13 and 14: 2. The EPC Network 3 and imagine an
Page 15 and 16: 2. The EPC Network Vision An Exampl
Page 17 and 18: 2. The EPC Network static. Examples
Page 19 and 20: 3. Enabling the Vision 3.1 Introduc
Page 21 and 22: 3. Enabling the Vision and class 1
Page 23: 3. Enabling the Vision Differences
Page 27 and 28: 3. Enabling the Vision 1. Internal
Page 29 and 30: 3. Enabling the Vision 3.10 Conclus
Page 31 and 32: 4. A Company EPC Roadmap 4.1 Introd
Page 33 and 34: 4. A Company EPC Roadmap some 30 bi
Page 35 and 36: 4. A Company EPC Roadmap • Enhanc
Page 37 and 38: 4. A Company EPC Roadmap around cur
Page 39 and 40: 4. A Company EPC Roadmap Minimum De
Page 41 and 42: 4. A Company EPC Roadmap Trial: Dis
Page 43 and 44: 4. A Company EPC Roadmap need to fi
Page 45 and 46: 4. A Company EPC Roadmap Prioritisi
Page 47 and 48: 4. A Company EPC Roadmap Key Questi
Page 49 and 50: 5. Industry Action Plan 5.1 An Indu
Page 51 and 52: 5. Industry Action Plan Industry Ac
Page 53 and 54: 6. Glossary Active Tag: An RFID tag
Page 55 and 56: 7. Appendix Guidelines on EPC for C
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