Should you RFID ASAP?
The promise of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) for IT asset tracking is finally being fulfilled. After years of “hurry up and wait,” the technology has advanced sufficiently in terms of reliability and cost-effectiveness to make it an option well worth the consideration of most Data Center Managers.
RFID tags from companies such as Confidex are available in a number of configurations that lend themselves to tracking IT assets. Prices have dropped significantly for tags that work on metal surfaces. Correspondingly, RFID readers have advanced to take full advantage of RFID.
By far the most cost-effective method is to employ a combination of fixed and mobile scanning devices
One of the most appealing aspects of RFID is its wide range of implementation options. For example, you could employ a single fixed portal reader to track only inventory entering or exiting a data center. Taken to its extreme, you could track asset location down to the rack level automatically, by placing fixed reader in every rack.
Mobile scanning devices with RFID capability can make much shorter work of receiving assets and tracking their locations than manual entry and even bar code scanning. When taking physical inventory with bar codes, for example, it’s commonly necessary to crawl under desks and behind racks so the reader can make visual contact with the barcode. RFID tags eliminate this hassle.
By far the most cost-effective method employs a combination of fixed portal readers positioned in doorways along with personnel using mobile scanning devices for rack-by-rack data gathering.
Used in conjunction with AssetTrack® software, either or both RFID systems can instantly alert Asset Managers of discrepancies, greatly increasing accuracy and efficiency.
AMI fully embraces this new technology and can design and deploy a comprehensive RFID solution for you. Contact us today for more information on RFID options.
Author: Tom Watson
Tom Watson is AMI’s President and CEO. He began his career in high tech in 1996, as a software engineer for his own software company. After a subsequent stint at IT Asset Management firm Micropath as senior architect for that company’s asset tracking system, he founded AMI to develop hardware asset tracking technology solutions for enterprise IT Asset Management customers.