This week’s RFID Journal has an article describing the new EPC-IS Edge Server from OATSystems. The Edge Server is software that runs on either the Java or .NET platform. It is used to coordinate the operation of up to 100 RFID readers on a local network.
The term EPC-IS stands for Electronic Product Code – Information Service. The Software Action Group (SAG) of EPC Global has been struggling this year to define the next generation of middleware standards for EPC-based RFID. EPC-IS is part of their still-evolving specification and it refers to a centralized repository that can be used to store and retrieve information keyed to unique EPC tag identifiers.
The EPC-IS Edge Server is different. It’s interesting to see OATSystems – a company that is practically a spinout from the original Auto ID Center – embrace the EPC Global terminology but not the standard architecture itself. Products like the Edge Server provide an important function for RFID infrastructure. As RFID adoption increases pace it’s important for vendors to drive innovation and not necessarily wait for EPC Global to catch up.
|
