Johnny, don't forget your lunch … or your RFID tags

AT&T recently rolled out RFID-based products and services that will allow schools to track assets, students, visitors, and staff, a move that will surely draw fire from privacy advocates.

By John R. Johnson

Are parents ready to send their kids off to school with RFID tags attached to their ID cards, backpacks, and books? The folks at AT&T should get a reading on that very soon. Last month, the company rolled out RFID-based products and services that will allow schools to track assets, students, visitors, and staff, a move that will surely draw fire from privacy advocates. The application— marketed specifically to K-12 facilities—works in conjunction with GPS-based mobile resource management services as well as the carrier's wireless data network and hosted applications.

The use of RFID and GPS technology to keep tabs on expensive machinery and laptop computers is becoming increasingly common, especially in the medical field. But U.S. consumers have been slow to accept the technology, especially when it is used to monitor the whereabouts of individuals. RFID for people-tracking applications is becoming more widely accepted in Europe, where some schools already use the technology for that purpose. However, a test of a similar application in California two years ago was halted when parents and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) objected on privacy grounds.

AT&T maintains that school districts can benefit enormously from using RFID and GPS to track school buses. The technology would allow them to monitor the buses' locations, speed, and condition while on the road as well as to report on events occurring inside the vehicles. RFID could also enable school districts to improve student safety and save money by routing their school buses more efficiently and by cutting down on fuel, maintenance, and labor expenses.

Efficiency and cost are not the only potential benefits of deploying such a system, says one analyst. "In today's world of K through 12 education, enhanced visibility regarding the location of students, teachers, and valuable assets is crucial," says Bill Hughes, principal analyst for In- Stat, a research group that analyzes the wireless systems market. "By introducing mobile technology such as RFID … school districts can … enhance student and teacher safety."

Albatross, a subsidiary of Singapore-based Pearl Informatics Pvt. Ltd., is marketing a similar service for students in India. The company notes that RFID can be used to record crucial data like medical records, school attendance, and report cards. Data could be obtained from cell phones equipped with near-field communication devices. In a published report, R. Shanker, CEO of Albatross, said that RFID could fill the same functions as Social Security numbers.

John Johnson joined the DC Velocity team in March 2004. A veteran business journalist, John has over a dozen years of experience covering the supply chain field, including time as chief editor of Warehousing Management. In addition, he has covered the venture capital community and previously was a sports reporter covering professional and collegiate sports in the Boston area. John served as senior editor and chief editor of DC Velocity until April 2008.
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