KALAMAZOO ? Michigan may not evolve into the next Silicon Valley, but the state could become a center for RFID Technology in the future, according to Blue-Granite CEO Matthew Mace.
RFID, or Radio Frequency Identification, could become the primary technology used to track goods by vendors. Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, said it will require its top suppliers to put RFID tags carrying Electronic Product Codes on pallets and cases in January and all suppliers by the end of 2006. It?s a wireless technology bandwagon Michigan needs to jump on, Mace said.
?We believe we?re at the same stage with RFID as we were with the Internet in the early 1990s,?? Mace said. ?There?s so much money getting pumped into this now by retailers and the pharmaceutical industry we want to make sure people in West Michigan get on board early.?
Blue-Granite has been the driving force behind the RFID User Group that sprang up in Kalamazoo last summer. Blue-Granite hosts the monthly meetings, which typically attract 25 to 50 RFID enthusiasts. The User Group also is supported by Southwest Michigan First, Kalamazoo Valley Community College?s M-Tec and Western Michigan University, which has set up an RFID lab.
Two RFID Trade Associations also contend there are not enough qualified RFID technicians to meet demand, a point made by Mace in a presentation to GLIMASouthwest in December.
Hundreds of thousands of people knowledgeable in RFID will be needed in the coming years, said David Sommer, vice president of electronic commerce at Computing Technology Industry Association, which is collaborating with the Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility to create RFID certification courses.
“The numbers we’ve heard are that there’s only between 10 and 100 system integrators capable of installing RFID technology, but we’re looking at 60,000 businesses that will be under mandate (to implement RFID),” Sommer said. “We’re looking at 500 to 1,000 system integrator companies that will need to be able to install these systems. The technology is moving faster than there are people.”
Mullen, president of AIM Global, also said the vendor community is looking for ways to differentiate themselves. Blue-Granite hopes to become one of the RFID experts in West Michigan.
Blue-Granite also is in talks with M-Tec to develop an RFID Boot Camp that would bring trainers from around the country to Kalamazoo to teach 25 to 50 students per class the ins and outs of RFID technology. Mace said tuition for the intensive work shop could range from $1,000 to $5,000 per student. Trained Michigan students could then create the RFID companies needed to serve this potential multi-billion dollar market.
?Our ultimate goal is to help create five to 10 start-up companies in West Michigan offering these services over the next two or three years,?? Mace said. ?As markets start opening up, we hope local entrepreneurs will start getting involved in RFID technology.?
