European RFID Market Development: Current Status and Future Outlook

Standardization is a key catalyst of growth in the RFID market as hardware (reader, terminal, and label) manufacturers clearly stated during the research for this study. The report includes a discussion of standards and highlights harmonization in established RFID frequencies (13.56.MHz and 125 KHz). Emerging standards, in particular that of UHF RFID systems, are also discussed.

On a country-by-country basis, a market review is provided. But it should be noted that the RFID market is international. While a supplier might be based in Finland, it sells its products across Europe. The core of the report is an overview of the European RFID vendors, their alliances, new product developments, and analysis of their positions in the market. The information is mapped in easy to access tables, as well as detailed profiles.

The research shows that a customer-oriented approach is essential in Europe. That is why the hardware and software vendors have introduced development kits, test labs, and demonstration centers. They need to show customers and educate customers on what RFID can and cannot do.

The key milestone for foreign chip manufacturers to watch for is the emergence of solid standards for RFID. In the meantime, the recommendation is to open dialogues between the major players in the market, including other chip manufacturers, to explore alliances, license agreements, and marketing co-operations.