Mobile smart tags – RFID in cellular

Imagine that you approach the subway ticket gate and the gates opens without you having to do anything, Science Fiction? No, its here already. Smart tags, or RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), identify users or trace goods and the technology has been around for many years, but the tags have however been large and expensive and the usage has been mainly in sophisticated security systems and large-scale logistic systems to follow containers etc. Lately the tags have become smaller and cheaper and are now used in ticket systems like subways road-tolls and ski passes. Combining a mobile terminal with a smart tag opens up numerous possibilities and new user behaviors. In this white paper, Northstream addresses the opportunities and issues with smart tags in the wireless world.