Microsoft Forms RFID Council 2Microsoft Forms RFID Council 2

Microsoft has signaled its intentions to focus on the RFID market, with the formation of the Microsoft Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Council. The new group, which will meet for the first time in April, will review RFID requirements and focus on ways in which retailers and manufacturer can make better use of the technology. Accenture, GlobeRanger Corp., HighJump Software, Intermec Technologies Corp., Manhattan Associates Inc. and Provia Software Inc., will all participate.

Microsoft believes that the RFID market is a posed for growth, and the establishment of the council is a way to establish its stake. "With RFID in the early stages of adoption, we are continuing to expand and evolve our partner-driven strategy," explained Javed Sikander, program manager for RFID strategy at Microsoft in a prepared statement.

A variety of Microsoft technologies are used for RFID, including Windows CE, SQL Server and BizTalk Server for collecting, managing, integrating RFID data, and .NET for creating Web services-based RFID solutions. Microsoft Business Solutions also works with partners to bring RFID technology to small and midsize businesses

In a related move, Microsoft also announced that it has joined EPCglobal, an organization that is leading the development of industry-driven standards for the Electronic Product Code (EPC) Network to support the use of RFID.