Microsoft To Develop Radio Tag Software
SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. says it will develop software and services that will help retailers, manufacturers and distributors use radio tags to track and manage goods within stores and factories, reports Reuters.
Radio frequency identification, or RFID, technology continues to gain traction as a better way to label items since the tags -- unlike bar codes, which must be visible to be read by laser scanners -- can be tracked by remote radio receivers.
The news comes on the heels of last week's announcement by Wal-Mart, which told its top suppliers to have all their products "chipped" or tagged with RFID modules.
Microsoft said that it would work to make its desktop, server and applications software work with RFID and also develop programs specifically designed to use the new retail tagging technology.
Radio frequency identification, or RFID, technology continues to gain traction as a better way to label items since the tags -- unlike bar codes, which must be visible to be read by laser scanners -- can be tracked by remote radio receivers.
The news comes on the heels of last week's announcement by Wal-Mart, which told its top suppliers to have all their products "chipped" or tagged with RFID modules.
Microsoft said that it would work to make its desktop, server and applications software work with RFID and also develop programs specifically designed to use the new retail tagging technology.