RFID smart labels are on the horizon of opportunity for package printers.

By Tom Polischuk

Gerald Steinwasser, general manager, Muhlbauer—There’s been an incorrect discussion about the “5-cent label” instead of the advantages of RFID; also, it is missing infrastructure and software to make use of the data.

Jan Svoboda, sales and marketing director, UPM Raflatac, RFID Business Area—We need to keep in mind what have been the primary drivers in the supply chain, and they are mandates. While many retailers (and the DoD) have had a head start in learning and identifying benefits of RFID, many companies mandated to actually use and implement the technology have not. So as the world learns about the technology, more expertise is being built and solutions are more readily available; we are getting to the point where the “hype” thought we were going to be two years ago.