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RFID World was very well attended. All the usual exhibitors were there. I saw some impressive products and demos. More to the point, the delegate attendance was good with representation from all parts of the value chain including retailers; consumer goods manufacturers; systems integrators; converters; hardware/software OEMs; and strong representation from RFID analysts, consultants and trade media.

Most of my conversations with visitors to our booth covered familiar territory. Nailing the business case for a given implementation. Quantifying the ROI. Integrating RFID with legacy systems. Timing and scoping the roll-out. However, on balance, the consensus I saw and heard was not about whether to implement RFID, but rather about how and when. For the core supply chain applications, currently being driven by retailer mandates, RFID seems to be a foregone conclusion. Volumes are steadily rising as prices are steadily falling. Now it's our job-suppliers like Avery Dennison, our competitors and our partners-to figure out how to deliver real-world RFID solutions that meet customer expectations at a price they can afford.

I was delighted to see all the buzz around Gen 2 at RFID World. The retailers seem to be pushing forward aggressively. Same with key end users like Kimberly-Clark. Most people I spoke to seemed to think Gen 2 would be solidly entrenched by mid-year. Not surprisingly then, all the leading chip, tag, hardware and systems providers had Gen 2 products (in some cases prototypes) on display at RFID World. We rolled out our new Gen 2 portfolio, including some new item-level inlays for apparel and pharmaceutical applications. I expect we'll see a lot more Gen2 product roll-outs over the next few months.

On another encouraging note, there also seems to be a quiet explosion of new applications; especially item-level and closed-loop applications. It's probably too early to tell how the item-level space will evolve. Most analysts seem to think widespread adoption is still many years away. However, indications are that closed-loop applications with highly specialized needs for high-performance tags will probably proliferate over the next couple of years.

George Reynolds
Vice President, Worldwide RFID Sales and Marketing, Avery Dennison RFID

George Reynolds recently joined the Avery Dennison RFID Division to serve in the newly created position of Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Marketing. Recognized as a leading executive in the RFID industry, Mr. Reynolds reports to Mat Mellis, vice president, RFID and Specialty Converting, and is located in the RFID Division's Technical Center in Flowery Branch, GA. In his new role at Avery Dennison RFID, Mr. Reynolds brings a strategic marketing focus to Avery Dennison's growing RFID business. He leads all facets of global RFID sales and is working with the executive management team to define the division's business strategy and plays a personal role in securing RFID business and building strategic relationships. Mr. Reynolds has extensive experience in the areas of technical engineering and marketing. Most recently he was Vice President of RFID implementation in Tyco International's Fire and Security Division. Previously, he was Vice President for Sensormatic Electronics' line of security tags, and has served in engineering and product design positions for Sensormatic, Chrysler, Motorola, and NCR Corporation.