delays and Uncertainty Challenge RFID Standards in China

ABI: Silence from the national government and aggressive marketing by EPCglobal are combining to create a climate of uncertainty around the issue of RFID standards in China. While official efforts toward setting a Chinese RFID standard remain in limbo, the challenge for the near future will be the rapidly changing conditions on the ground. In July 2006, EPCglobal's UHF Generation 2 air interface protocol was incorporated into the ISO/IEC 18000 6 Amendment 1, as Type C. But As the RFID standard issue enters a new stage aimed at speeding up the adoption of RFID tags globally, the Chinese government remains silent about where the national RFID standard is heading. One month previously, a Chinese RFID technology policy whitepaper was published, in which the national standard issue wasn't even discussed. Meanwhile, EPCglobal is seizing the initiative. In April 2006, EPCglobal Hong Kong launched its EPCglobal Industry Support Program (EISP), to lend financial, technological and implementation support for EPC adoption in enterprises across Hong Kong and Southern China. The Chinese government is now facing at least three challenges to setting up its own standard. First, Chinese manufacturers' partners in the supply chain will require them to use RFID tags complying with international standard, EPCglobal UHF G2. At the same time, foreign clients of Chinese manufacturers, who are planning to adopt RFID, will request that shipments carry tags complying with the EPC UHF G2 standard. Finally, EPCglobal's aggressive move in the heartland of Chinese manufacturing is now turning the EPCglobal UHF G2 standard into a de facto standard on the mainland. The reality is that for the Chinese government, it is no long important when the national standard will be released. It is late already. More urgent problems are to decide how the government should cooperate or negotiate with EPCglobal; to establish policies to protect the development of the domestic RFID industry; and to secure the benefits of RFID for Chinese tag users in the coming RFID era. The RFID Market in China: Assessment of Chinese RFID Market Opportunities and Regulatory Issues

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