I saw that same ad in the IMJ -- FileTrail RFID on page 3. It intrigued
me and I went to their website for more info. They claim a 12 foot
radius read rate and seem to offer desktop tracking devices of some
sort, so it looks like a fair amount of infrastructure.

Because RFID hardware is a product manufactured by my employer, we have
spent some time thinking about "eating our own dog food", as it were.
In talking to our engineers (who have been more focused on solutions
for retail / wholesale and warehouses), there are limitations to the
technology (like some generations of RFID tags cannot be read through
steel and reading RFID tags from a distance will only tell you that a
tagged item is within range -- i.e. a 12 foot radius in this instance).
Even so, the technology is evolving and seems to be getting on one of
those very rapid product development cycles where this month's
technology breakthrough will be eclipsed by next month's. That's not to
discourage anyone from deploying the technology -- heck, I see a lot of
potential down the road. 

I've considered RFID to be something of a holy grail as well, with the
*potential* to better manage who has stuff, where it is, and when it
walked out the door of the file room -- all in a passive manner. I
figure it will be a lifesaver for law firm RMs. Likewise, RFID tags on
records boxes have the *potential* to allow records centers the ability
to do rapid facility inventories as well as quickly track what is on a
vehicle and what comes in and out of the vehicle. RFID tags on folders
in a box have the *potential* to allow a complete inventory of what is
in a box, simply by passing the closed box under a scanner or antenna.
The primary problem, as I see it, is developing better proximity
scanners that can locate a tagged item to a shelf as well as read
through coats and backpacks and tie the tagged item to an individual.
Right now, getting just the check in / check out functionality appears
to require a fair amount of space redesign, with "cattle chutes",
multiple antennae, and fairly sophisticated Doppler shift detection or
pressure sensitive pads to activate the antennae and indicate whether
the file is entering or leaving. In addition, RFID tags for people (so
you know who has the file) would require new tags for employee IDs or
modifications to existing employee ID cards. And, of course, removing
the tag or wrapping the tagged object in foil would defeat the scanner
completely, so it is not an absolute security measure.

If anyone has a successful RFID implementation for records, I'd like to
have a quick chat offline. And no, I have nothing to do with sales.



Patrick Cunningham, CRM
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"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759

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