RFID in Japan

On August 28, 2006, NEC announced their integrated solution packages using UHF RFID (based on EPCglobal standard). The packages include hardware, middleware, business applications, and consulting services. The entire NEC group will work together to provide these solution packages. In this context, they will open so-called "Ubiquitous Solution House" in Tokyo - a test center for RFID systems - in October.

350 employees will be working for this solution business and the company aims at selling the packages to 500 companies (with the sales of 200B Japanese Yen, approx. 2B USD).

via nikkei

Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) is starting mass production of UHF RFID tags. They are currently making hundreds of thousands of tags a month and are planning to increase their production capacity (of UHF RFID tags) to a hundred million a year. The tags are based on EPCglobal's standard and cost about 40 Japanese Yen (about 35 cents) or less. DNP's competitor, Toppan Printing is also planning to start UHF RFID mass production.

via nikkei shimbun, june 8

Some numbers on China's RFID Market Growth in 2005.

In the foreseeable near future, China's RFID market will be mainly driven by the manufacturing industry. "China is a big manufacturing country. There are huge stock and logistics systems in manufacturing processes. RFID applications can help firms to obtain accurate logistics information and achieve differentiated production, so as to reduce costs and increase efficiency," says Zhao Yazhou, an analyst from Analysys International.

via english.analysis.com.cn

NTT DoCoMo announced on January 26 that the number of wallet phone users (i.e., DoCoMo subscribers with i-mode FeliCa phones) exceeded 10 million.

DoCoMo's wallet phones debuted in July, 2004 and the company was aiming at having over 10 million users by the end of 2005. Tiny a bit late but close enough.

via Keitai Watch
via NTT DoCoMo Press Release

Digience@u-City recommends four websites that look highly useful for understanding what's going on with RFID in Korea. The websites have some information in English.

Following websites provide RFID Market development in Korea... [read on]

thanks to regine!

About a year ago NEC introduced an RFID-based system at their personal computer factory in order to make the process of building PCs efficient. The productivity increased by 10%.

Now they are planning to expand the project. By the end of December, one of NEC's business institutions will use RFID tags for tracking manuals and CDs (those that come with PCs). The data captured through the RFID system is transmitted to their suppliers in real time. The suppliers will ship manuals and CDs based on the data they receive.

The company expects to reduce the stocks by 50% and reduce the space for keeping stocks (about 300 square meters).

via Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun, October 25

Media Seek announced that they started offering thier QR Code reader technology to Taiwan Mobile Co., Ltd. The technology is offered for Taiwan Mobile's latest mobile phones.

via QR Code Blog

The number of RFID-chipped wallet phones sold in Japan: 6M

Users need to turn on digital money functinality if they actually want to use the RFID-chipped phones as digital wallets - 20% of them (1.2M) turned on that functionality.

12.4M Edy (RFID prepaid card) cards issued so far. Edy can now be used at 23K stores across the nation.

13.15M SUICA (RFID train passes) cards issued so far. 8M of them has digital payment functionality. However, there are only 1.2K stores that accepts SUICA payment.

via Nikkei Ryutsu Shimbun MJ, Sept 21, in Japanese