RFID Solutions Practice

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RFID Whitepaper Series

Software Solutions for RFID and Enterprise IT Integration May, 2004

Table of Contents

Executive Summary..........................................................................3

Real-Time Enterprise ........................................................................4

Integration Issues ............................................................................6

Reference Architecture Framework .....................................................9

Software Alternatives......................................................................17

Conclusions ...................................................................................20

Appendix A: Corporate Profile and Biography.....................................21

author:

Paul Pocialik Chief Technology Officer

Noblestar

ppocialik@noblestar.com

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Executive Summary

RFID is a key enabler of the real-time enterprise, and offers the potential for significant improvement in both top and bottom line performance. The comprehensive RFID solution addresses the various dimensions of the real-time enterprise in a coherent and extensible fashion, articulating the obvious need for enterprise IT integration. This paper identifies several issues related to the integration of RFID and enterprise application systems, and suggests an analytical framework based on different levels of integration. This framework also serves as the basis for the enumeration of a specific reference architecture and software alternatives at each integration level, providing an integration roadmap. Without enterprise IT integration, RFID becomes just another data collection technology, missing the mark in terms of overall return. A fully integrated RFID and enterprise IT approach complements the real-time visibility afforded by RFID, with business event recognition and response systems, historical data retention and analytics, and information services that implement a closed loop feedback system. The result is a powerful platform for business transformation. Deployment and effective implementation of this platform faces numerous issues and challenges, however. Among these include overall complexity that results from the need to orchestrate lots of technology components with a multiplicity of integration points that are defined by fluid standards. The inherent mismatch between RFID and enterprise application systems at the data level also poses issues that must be addressed in the integration approach. Finally, the organizational challenges and technical constraints that characterize network operations create additional difficulties in tying together RFID on the edge of the network, with the enterprise application systems. Software solutions for integrating RFID with enterprise IT must recognize the different integration levels that are defined by the maturity of the technology itself and standards that govern integration, economic considerations, business influences, and other factors. This serves as the basis for the identification of four integration levels - the first two of which are focused on integration within the four walls of the enterprise, and two additional levels that are focused on the integration challenge across the extended enterprise. Looking internally, the basic integration level is characterized by point-to-point connectivity with enterprise applications, whereas the enhanced integration level is middleware based. On an outward facing basis, the optimized level is characterized by the use of web services to ensure integration across the extended enterprise and finally, the visionary level characterizes the adoption of the EPC Network for external collaboration. Each of these four integration levels can be described by a reference architecture that provides a roadmap for implementation purposes, as well as the enumeration of software alternatives that can be incorporated in that architecture. This framework consists of four separate and distinct reference architectures including hardcoded spaghetti (as a by-product rather than by design), specialized middleware, a service-oriented architecture, and an event-driven architecture. Software alternatives within each reference architecture are numerous, providing several features and functions that must be considered in platform selection. Finally, expert advice is highly recommended, to ensure that the design that you leverage today, provides an architectural foundation for tomorrow.

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Real-Time Enterprise

What it is

The real-time enterprise is a concept that has been given a lot of play recently by research organizations, including Gartner, Forrester, IDC and others. In the view of some, the real-time enterprise refers to an agile operational state, where it is primed and able to instantaneously recognize both internal and external business events, and mobilize resources in rapid fire fashion to respond in an optimal way. Others define the real-time enterprise as a progressive business transformation strategy to gain competitive advantage by using most current and accurate information in dealing with customers, suppliers, employees and other constituencies. Finally, some also have the view that the real-time enterprise refers to a continuous process improvement program, supporting better business results through the recursive automation, integration, and refinement of trading practices.

RFID is a Key Enabler

We recognize that there are some differences of opinion regarding both the formal definition and characteristics of a real-time enterprise. These differences tend to be more a matter of semantics than substance. Regardless, the fundamental concept of a real-time enterprise is a fairly intuitive one, in and of itself. More so, it is clear that RFID is a key enabling technology for the real-time enterprise, providing real-time visibility into business operations that be can be converted to actionable intelligence through effective integration with the enterprise IT environment.

Multiple Dimensions

The real-time enterprise can be described by and analyzed on a number of dimensions that define a closed loop and self-optimizing system, including the following;

visibility event recognition response updates feedback.

This closed concept is illustrated in Figure 1, which also provides the RFID technology overlay on each dimension. A close examination of this illustration shows that enterprise IT integration is instrumental in implementing RFID to meet the needs of the real-time enterprise. Without enterprise IT integration, RFID is limited to being another data collection system, that fails to deliver on the promise of this exciting technology and the potential ROI.

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Visibility (RFID data collection)

Event recognition (RFID event mgmt)rules basedexception driven

Response (RFID task management)system directedinstant notification (wireless)

Updates (RFID data management)tagenterprise applicationsexternal databases

ente

rpri

se I

T inte

gra

tion

(RFI

D info

rmat

ion s

ervi

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Real-Time Enterprise – Multiple DimensionsReal-Time Enterprise – Multiple Dimensions

Figure 1 This may represent the ideal marriage of RFID with enterprise application systems. The reality however, is far different from this, with most of the current activity in terms of RFID deployment being characterized as pilot level stand-alone type experiments, limited point-to-point support for a single or small set of enterprise applications, or specialized solutions not requiring significant enterprise IT integration. So, the integration of RFID with enterprise IT can be viewed as a new area to test the mettle of those that are determined to realize the full value of this technology platform. Under this concept, RFID helps us to answer “what, where, and when”. In other words, the unique identifier emitted by the tag precisely identifies the object being tracked and traced (the “what”). The specific reader and the physical location of the interrogator device can be used to identify the location in which the object was observed (the “where”), and the date/time stamp of the read event can tell us the time the object was observed (the “when”). Unfortunately, without any context, this information is meaningless - just raw data. However, this raw data can be supplemented with data resident in the enterprise application systems to answer “the why”, which becomes actionable intelligence. For example, the warehouse receiving function can use RFID to positively identify that a specific amount of a particular item just arrived at the dock door, but the warehouse management system hosted in the enterprise IT environment can be tapped to identify “why” – i.e., in response to an expedited order request to address an out-of-stock condition. This becomes actionable intelligence when the receipt is immediately routed cross-dock, and loaded onto an outbound truck headed for the deficient store.

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Integration Issues

Current State of RFID Deployments

Most of the deployment activity in the RFID arena can be characterized as early-stage implementations, with a marginal degree of enterprise IT integration. This includes the stand-alone system, the single enterprise application with minimal integration, or specialized solutions not commonly integrated into the enterprise systems.

Scope of Enterprise IT

When we speak of the need to integrate RFID with enterprise IT, just what exactly are we referring to? Well, enterprise IT in this context refers to enterprise application systems that typically reside behind the firewall, and comprise what is known as the intranet or extranet environment. These are hosted and supported by the IT organization within the enterprise, and accessible via the network for data access, inquiry, update, reporting and information analysis. The traditional integration candidates in this arena include, but are not limited to the following kinds of enterprise application systems;

SCM ERP CRM Financial HRMS Legacy.

These kinds of systems are distinctly different than RFID, which resides on the edge of the network and takes on more of a “scout” function, with the ability to quickly recognize and respond to developing business events when effectively integrated with enterprise IT. These differences in turn become integration challenges which must be understood and accommodated in any integration solution.

Plethora of Integration Challenges

Effective integration of RFID with enterprise application systems is fraught with many challenges, only some of which we will describe in this brief discussion. Integration challenges occur on a number of levels and take on many forms – technical, organizational, and economic in nature. We limit the scope here to the more technical integration issues including (1) complexity attributed to lots of integration components or “moving parts”, (2) a fundamental mismatch between RFID and enterprise data, and (3) rigidity within the core network.

Lots of Moving Parts

This issue refers to the overall complexity involved in the comprehensive integration of RFID with enterprise IT. This can be taken both figuratively and literally, noting that RFID tagging is targeted to tracking and tracing moving items, trade units, animals, assets and generally, things of all sorts. But the real issue is not the

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complexity of achieving visibility of things in motion, but the issue of effectively tying together multiple layers in a computing and communications architecture, that itself can be described as fluid. The nature of this issue is depicted in Figure 2, and is characterized by the need to deal with many different architectural layers and technology components, and the evolving state of integration standards.

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Integration Issue – Lots of Moving PartsIntegration Issue – Lots of Moving Parts

source: webMethods

Figure 2 The challenge here is the need to orchestrate many permutations and combinations of the technology components, including different tag types, tag data formats, frequencies, air link interfaces/protocols, hardware (readers, antennae, host controllers), and software. On the standards front, the integration issue is compounded by the fact that there are several standards bodies involved, including EPCglobal (successor to Auto-ID Center), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Department of Defense (DOD), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – just to name a few in the U.S. alone. Factor in the influence of large retailers (Wal-Mart, Target) in a situation where the standards are loose and still emerging, and you have difficulty in defining and maintaining consistency in how things interoperate with each other.

Enterprise Systems Mismatch

This integration issue recognizes the distinct differences between RFID and enterprise IT at the data level. These differences are summarized in Figure 3, and clearly indicate the need for a software solution to mitigate the issues and ensure integration and interoperability. The important thing to remember here, is that successful negotiation of these differences is required to supply the context around

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the RFID tag read event activity. This context helps us to recognize business events as they occur in real-time, and can provide a powerful competitive advantage to the enterprise that successfully merges both sides of the issue at the data level.

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Varies; manageableLarge volumes; tidal wave?

Data volume

SequentialBursty (cluster reads)Data presentment

Long-termTemporalData retention

Sanitized, entity levelfine-grained, low-level (raw)

Data composition

Enterprise AppsRFID

Integration Issue – Enterprise System MismatchIntegration Issue – Enterprise System Mismatch

Figure 3 The data mismatch can be defined in terms of difference in data composition, volumes, presentment, and retention requirements. Again, this points out the need for a software solution to bridge the gap and accommodate the unique characteristics of each layer in the computing architecture, while providing an efficient and effective interface required for successful integration.

Rigidity in the Core Network

This final issue is part infrastructure and part organizationally related. We recognize that RFID will reside at the edge of the network, posing difficult integration challenges with enterprise application systems. RFID needs to play nicely in this context, which is typically the domain of the network operations and administration group, and governed by policies and guidelines that require it to be “network friendly”. This group tends to be resistant to change in the core network, which is characterized by a plethora of complexities and issues of its own. The desire is to maintain a stable and efficient network infrastructure to keep the business running – a daily challenge, especially in light of the external threats and vulnerabilities on the security front. A key consideration for RFID or any new technology component in the context of the core network, is that it can be incorporated into the existing network infrastructure without “forklift upgrades” or substantial change to the equipment and software. Additionally, any potential impact of the component must be isolated so as not to affect the other uses of the network infrastructure to conduct business.

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Reference Architecture Framework

Four Integration Levels

Any discussion about how to integrate RFID with enterprise application systems needs to consider the maturity of the technology and the standards guiding deployment, adoption patterns, economics, business factors, and several other issues. This drives the need to define an integration framework that recognizes different levels of integration, as opposed to a “one-size-fits-all” approach. We propose an integration framework consisting of four levels of integration, which can be enumerated in terms of a specific reference architecture and software alternatives that provide an integration roadmap at each level. The four integration levels in our integration framework are defined as follows;

Basic – point-to-point connectivity to enterprise applications Enhanced – middleware gateway to enterprise applications Optimized – web services to the extended enterprise Visionary – EPC Network based collaboration.

It is important to recognize that both the basic and enhanced integration levels are inward facing and focused on the integration of RFID within the four walls of the enterprise. The optimized and visionary integration levels, on the other hand, are outward facing and focus on the sharing of RFID data and integration with the enterprise application systems of trading partners (the extended enterprise) as well as global economic partners.

Reference Architectures

Given the four integration levels outlined above, the next step is to identify a reference architecture at each level, to serve as a guide or roadmap for the comprehensive RFID and enterprise IT integration solution, and related software alternatives at each level. The mapping of the four integration levels into an integration architecture framework includes the following reference architectures;

Basic architecture = hardcoded spaghetti Enhanced architecture = specialized middleware Optimized architecture = service-oriented architecture (SOA) Visionary architecture = event-driven architecture (EDA)

These reference architectures provide context for the specification of technology components at each level. As with the integration levels that these reference architectures address, both hardcoded spaghetti and specialized middleware are inward facing architectures that apply to RFID integration within the four walls of the enterprise. Both the service-oriented architecture and the event-driven architecture, on the other hand, are outward facing and accommodate RFID integration with the enterprise application systems of the “extended enterprise”, including customers, suppliers, other trading partners, and other participants in the global economy. Please note that with the exception of hardcoded spaghetti at the most basic level, these reference architectures can be complementary and are not mutually exclusive.

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Hardcoded Spaghetti

The basic integration level describes the point-to-point integration of RFID with enterprise application systems. The reference architecture at this level is referred to as hardcoded spaghetti. It may be counter-intuitive to label this a reference architecture, and it certainly does not represent anything that you would desire as an end state of the integration exercise. It probably makes most sense to view this architecture as a by-product of a series of disjoint business decisions, and not necessarily a model or guide to follow. This architecture is depicted in Figure 4, in a way that highlights the point-to-point connectivity of RFID with the enterprise application systems which it supports.

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Direct interfaceRPC, API function callsflat file exchange

Costly to implementFragile and brittleHigh maintenanceLacks flexibility

Basic Architecture – Hardcoded SpaghettiBasic Architecture – Hardcoded Spaghetti

RFID

Figure 4 Clearly, this is a sub-optimal situation created when the integration of RFID is accomplished via direct RPC or API function calls to services in the target enterprise application system. Alternatively, some kind of flat file exchange via FTP or import/export facilities has the same result. This approach becomes increasingly costly to implement with each additional enterprise application to support. It is also a high-maintenance issue, recognizing the fragility of the situation where a change to either side of the interface often breaks something which was not intended. Therefore, it tends to lack the necessary flexibility to accommodate change. But why this, and how can it come to be? In reality, this is quite common and a by-product of a number of factors including myopic decision making, the need for expedience at the expense of elegance, the purchase of pre-integrated point-to-point RFID enabled applications, short term expense deferral, or the result of M&A activity.

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Specialized Middleware

The second integration level, the enhanced level that includes the use of specialized middleware as the gateway to enterprise applications, is clearly a better and more elegant solution to the problem at hand. The enhanced reference architecture is referred to as specialized middleware, and is detailed in Figure 5.

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Enhanced Architecture – Specialized MiddlewareEnhanced Architecture – Specialized Middleware

RFID

source: webMethods

SimplicityFlexibilitySupport

Figure 5 This is a much better approach to the integration of RFID with enterprise application systems. It affords simplicity and flexibility in comparison to the prior approach, but also supports the unique requirements of both sides of the integration equation – the RFID side on the edge of the network, and the enterprise application side behind the firewall. RFID introduces its own set of unique middleware requirements that must be effectively merged with general enterprise application integration (EAI) requirements in a form of “super middleware”, which we refer to in this reference architecture as specialized middleware. The specialized middleware solution refactors the many-to-many relationship between RFID and the enterprise application systems as characterized in the hardcoded spaghetti scenario, into to two more distinct and manageable parts; a many-to-one relationship on the reader device side, and a one-to-many relationship on the enterprise application side. A close examination of Figure 5 illustrates how this approach can be applied to address the requirements within the four walls of the enterprise.

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At a high level, any good enterprise IT integration solution provides four levels of transparency;

location transparency transport protocol transparency platform transparency language transparency.

Location transparency refers to the ability to invoke remote methods without regard for the host location. Transport protocol transparency describes the ability to route request and reply communications over any transport protocol. Platform transparency masks heterogeneity to enable exchange and interoperability between disparate platforms. Finally, language transparency allows the developer community to utilize the programming language of choice, without restriction. So, general enterprise IT integration middleware functions support a multiplicity of devices interacting with a multiplicity of enterprise application systems. General functions of middleware are enumerated below;

initiate processes on difference computers session management directory services for clients to locate servers remote data access concurrency control over multiple clients security and integrity monitoring termination of local and remote processes.

Keep in mind that a good integration solution for RFID and enterprise application systems extends these more general functions to include more RFID specific functions as well. The total package needs to address the integration issues and challenges discussed earlier, and provide a viable solution to bridging two different universes. The RFID centric middleware functions that need to be added to the general purpose middleware functions enumerated above include the following;

reader/writer device support tag read event data management buffering I/O activity EPC handling business event recognition task management.

Reader/writer support refers to neutralizing the diversity on the device side and providing a management capability to support the activity of numerous concurrent devices on the edge of the network. The tag read event data management requirement characterizes the need to filter, smooth, and cleanse the RFID data to and massage it in a way that it can be used to recognize and respond to business

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events. Buffering of I/O activity recognizes the potential tidal wave of tag read event data and the need to present this sequentially for enterprise processing, as well as the need to update RFID data stores with staged enterprise data. EPC handling supports the provisioning of unique serial numbers and format negotiation across a number of tag data formats. Business event recognition is differentiated from tag read events and speaks to the ability to correlate enterprise data with raw tag read event data to provide actionable context around a business situation that needs to be addressed. Finally, task management provides the ability to host light business logic using rules and exception based techniques that can handle business events at the edge of the network as opposed to a more centralized approach.

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Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA)

The third integration level is an optimized level, and is outward facing. RFID and enterprise IT integration at this level includes the sharing of RFID data with trusted trading partners such as customers, suppliers, and other value chain participants. The reference architecture at the optimized level is a services-oriented architecture and is based on a “light-weight” web services model. This architecture is illustrated in Figure 6, which identifies the use of web services standards to support interoperability across the extended enterprise.

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Optimized – Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA)Optimized – Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA)

Share data with trusted trading partnersWeb services model (light)Standards basedIntegrate disparate systemsAlternative to EDI, proprietary communications

applicationinterface schemas

RFID host processingmodules

XML parser

SOAP RPC overHTTP(S) messaging

RFID host

trading partner ntrading partner 2

trading partner 1

application processingmodules

XML parser

SOAP RPC overHTTP(S) messaging

enterprise applications

applicationinterface schemas

SOAP RPCXML

messages

Internet

Figure 6 This architecture defines a standards based approach to supporting the exchange of RFID related data with enterprise application systems across all entities in the extended enterprise. It provides an alternative to proprietary communications such as EDI. Since it is a service-oriented architecture, the emphasis is on the loose coupling of cooperating systems, ensuring more flexibility to accommodate heterogeneous platforms and the diversity that can be expected as the rule across trading partner participants. The service-oriented architecture is a light version of the web services model. The emphasis is placed on the components of the web services stack and the corresponding standards that are oriented to supporting interoperability among disparate systems, as opposed to dynamic e-business. The prior includes the use of XML and the exchange of XML document types using SOAP based RPC calls over HTTP(S). In this scenario, RFID and enterprise application data is cast as an XML message for data exchange and integration purposes. Again, the dynamic e-business elements of web services, such as UDDI, are inconsequential at this level.

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Event-Driven Architecture (EDA)

The visionary integration level is the ultimate in outward facing scenarios, including not only the RFID and enterprise IT integration between trusted trading partners that comprise the extended enterprise, but with participants in the global economy as well. The reference architecture at the visionary integration level is an event-driven architecture, as depicted in Figure 7.

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Visionary – Event-Driven Architecture (EDA)Visionary – Event-Driven Architecture (EDA)

AKA “edge computing”

Distributed peer-to-peer

Based on EPCglobal & Auto-ID Center specifications

Savant (server)EPC NetworkEPC Information ServiceObject Name Service (ONS)Physical Markup Language (PML)

“an Internet of things”

Figure 7 The event-driven architecture in its purest form is a distributed, peer-to-peer architecture, and supports the “edge computing” paradigm. This recognizes the need to handle the tsunami of RFID data at the edge of the network, to alleviate the potential stress on network bandwidth and data storage that characterize a more centralized approach. The event-driven architecture that is most commonly referenced in the RFID world, represents the contribution of the Auto-ID Center and its successor organization, EPCglobal. These organizations were chartered to develop the specifications and standards for a global “Internet of things”, that supports the tagging of discrete objects using RFID and the automated identification, collection, massaging, dissemination, and correlation of RFID data across a global, distributed network. The specifications that comprise this visionary architecture are published by EPCglobal and include the following;

• Savant server • EPC Network • EPC Information Service

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• Object Name Service (ONS) • Physical Markup Language (PML).

The Savant server consists of middleware that is focused on the device management, filtering and event data management requirements that are unique to RFID. It also defines a standard interface to enterprise application systems as well as other Savants and RFID information services that are available in the global “Internet of things”. The EPC Network will operate on the back of the Internet infrastructure and will support the distribution of RFID related information services for inquiry and update across this global network. These information services are referred to as EPC Information Services and can be accessed using the unique EPC that automatically identifies a specific instance of an object or “thing”, and provide relevant information that can be correlated with other RFID and enterprise application data to facilitate business event recognition. Object Naming Services (ONS) provides DNS like translation to locate the EPC Information Service in a distributed environment, using the unique EPC as a pointer. Finally, the RFID information is published in XML format, using Physical Markup Language (PML) to describe the item and information that characterizes it.

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Software Alternatives

The software alternatives are discussed in the context of the reference architecture framework, and specific reference models therein. This includes that identification of software vendors and products at each integration level and reference architecture.

Level 1 – Basic Level Software Alternatives

The reference architecture at the basic level is defined as hardcoded spaghetti, and is characterized by point-to-point connectivity of RFID with enterprise application systems. Again, this architecture is focused on integration within the four walls of the enterprise. There are several software products that fall in this category. Many vendors of RFID platforms include host interface customizer utilities that are commonly designed to support J2EE or .NET integration to enterprise applications. Another approach has been to use a “data pump” that supports data exchange between source and target systems. Two vendors in this area include Information Builders (ETL Manager) and Sybase (Convoy/DM). This architecture also characterizes the near term efforts of a number of SCM and ERP package application vendors in the form of RFID add-ons. This vendor list includes SAP, PeopleSoft, Microsoft, Oracle and others. Finally, a few vendors have substantially enhanced RFID support within their warehouse and transportation management application packages, and should now be recognized as pure play or new breed platforms, including RedPrairie, Manhattan Associates, Provia Software and others.

Level 2 – Enhanced Level Software Alternatives

The enhanced integration level is also inward facing, and is characterized by the use of a robust middleware gateway to tie RFID with enterprise applications. This reference architecture is referred to as specialized middleware, and presents a more elegant solution than hardcoded spaghetti, described above. There are two classes of vendors and products that play in this space. The first class is represented by the traditional enterprise application integration (EAI) vendors that historically have focused more on the integration requirement between and among enterprise application suites, including SCM, ERP, CRM, HRMS, Financials, and legacy systems. Vendors and software products in this area include webMethods (Integration Platform), Tibco (BusinessWorks) and others. The strength of the products marketed by the EAI vendors is machine-to-machine level integration as opposed to device level integration. The second class of middleware is focused on device integration challenges, providing device agnostic, multi-client support as well as a device side management platform. The RFID integration challenge creates a new and unique set of client side middleware requirements, as previously enumerated. Vendors and products in this space can be characterized as new breed or pure play solutions, and have tended to be early and active participants in the definition of industry standards for RFID. The list includes OATSystems (EPC-IS Edge Server), ConnecTerra (RFTagAware), GlobeRanger (iMotion), CapTech (TagsWare), and others.

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The enhanced level of integration calls for a specialized middleware architecture that merges the best of EAI middleware and RFID centric middleware. The market for this software solution is still very much in its infancy, and is currently being addressed by traditional EAI vendors offering RFID bolt-ons or extensions to their integration platform through adroit technology, sales and marketing partnerships with the new breed vendors. One recently announced partnership between webMethods and OATSystems, in the form of a bundled software solution that covers both sides of the RFID and enterprise IT integration requirement is a good example of this.

Level 3 – Optimized Level Software Alternatives

The focus of the integration effort at the optimized level shifts from internal systems to the extended enterprise, including customers, suppliers, and other trading partners. RFID and enterprise IT integration at this level crosses organizational boundaries. The reference architecture at this level is characterized as a services-oriented architecture (SOA). This architecture defines a loosely coupled approach that has a particularly good fit to the integration requirement across organizations where there is a need to support interoperability across disparate systems. This reference architecture is based on a “light version” of the web services model, that provides a standards based approach and is increasingly being used by trusted trading partners today, to share data and integrate business system activity across the extended enterprise. In summary, only a portion of the web services software stack applies, including those technology components that support interoperability with trusted trading partners, and excluding those that are focused on the dynamic e-business paradigm. The software alternatives under this reference architecture are platform based, and fall either in the J2EE camp of Sun Microsystems, IBM, Oracle and several others, or the .NET camp which is aligned to Microsoft. It is important to note that under the web services model, the particular platform choice (J2EE or .NET) is not a major integration issue, since the standards support interoperability between systems on both platforms. Many toolkits are available under both platforms to develop web services interfaces and enable data exchange between loosely coupled systems in the service-oriented reference architecture. The most common tool is the integrated development environment (IDE), which allows the developer to construct and deploy these integration solutions on a customized basis. This includes IBM (VisualAge), Borland (JBuilder), and others on the J2EE side, and Microsoft (Visual Studio) on the .NET side. Several middleware vendors also offer a web services integration platform, including webMethods (Integration Platform) and others.

Level 4 – Visionary Level Software Alternatives

The final integration level that represents the ultimate in outward facing, cross-enterprise integration is the visionary level, best supported by an event-driven architecture (EDA). This architecture is based largely on the standards work of EPCglobal and its successor in this endeavor, the Auto-ID Center. The software vendors at this level for the most part, have been active participants in these organizations and initiatives, or have quickly incorporated the specifications in early release products in an effort to establish a market presence.

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Software vendors and products that fit within the event-driven architecture that supports global integration over the EPC Network include Sun Microsystems (EPC Network Architecture), OATSystems (EPC-IS Edge Server), ConnecTerra (RFTagAware), Edge Network Computer, and several other vendors just starting to release products into the marketplace at this level.

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Conclusions

It is inherently clear that RFID by itself is useless with enterprise IT integration - nothing more than a new and eccentric data collection technology. The real benefit and ROI can be unlocked by integrating the real-time visibility that RFID affords with enterprise data locked in the enterprise IT environment, to support all of the dimensions of the real-time enterprise – event recognition, response, updates, and feedback. In summary, we have proposed an integration framework that recognizes four levels of integration between RFID and enterprise application systems. This is particularly useful in the identification of a reference architecture at each integration level, including the software solutions that are relevant. Given the integration issues and challenges, this framework can serve as a valuable roadmap and help ensure that you make the right decisions and choices in the implementation and deployment of RFID today. Essentially, the goal is to avoid painting yourself into a corner and the technological obsolescence that can result from a “seat-of-the-pants” approach. First and foremost, you need to design it for today, but architect it for tomorrow. Expert assistance is highly recommended!

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Appendix A: Corporate Profile and Biography

Noblestar Corporate Profile

Noblestar is an innovative professional services firm known for effectively applying strong business and technological expertise, as well as process and architectural rigor to promising digital technologies, to solve challenging business problems and enable sustainable advantage. The company, which has a reputation for “doing the hard stuff”, has also successfully applied this mix on its own accord - having incubated some high profile start-ups including Riverbed Technologies, a mobile middleware company which was sold to Aether Systems in 2000 for more than $1 billion. Pioneering emerging technologies for nearly 16 years, Noblestar elegantly engineers successful digital business today, to power the classic businesses of tomorrow. The company, which specializes in high-end custom software engineering, enterprise package solutions, and mobile/ wireless strategy and development, is headquartered in Reston, Virginia, and has branch offices including Austin, Boston, Houston, London, New York, and Warsaw. Information about Noblestar can be found at www.noblestar.com .

Paul Pocialik, Co-Founder & CTO, Noblestar

Paul is Noblestar's digital business and wireless visionary, driving the firm’s strategic technology direction and guiding Noblestar teams across the United States and Europe in delivering high-end system solutions to clients. Paul’s mantra is “digital business in NOT a destination or an end state – it’s a process.” He believes that there is a constant wave of next generation technologies that have the potential to radically change existing ways of conducting business. Through his guidance, Noblestar has successfully capitalized on these opportunities and established itself as a leader in technology enabled business transformation. Prior to co-founding Noblestar in 1987, Paul worked as a principal for Cap Gemini America in their National Management Consulting Group, where he provided strategic information technology consulting services to major corporations throughout North America. Before joining Cap Gemini, Paul held senior positions at Science Management Corporation, Price Waterhouse and IBM. Paul holds a BS in Business Administration and an MBA, both from the University of Illinois.

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