RFID and Databases

VeriSign was selected to operate an EPC network on behalf of EPCglobal, a non-profit organization that is a joint venture between EAN International and the Uniform Code Council.  The EPC network consists of an EPC Information Service (EPC IS), EPC discovery service and an Object Name Service (ONS).  The three databases communicate with one another in a hierchial fashion as a means of sharing information.  A query regarding an EPC will initially go to the root level ONS, which determines the manufacturer’s ONS, which in turn determines the location of the EPC IS by way of the EPC discovery service.

The ONS will run on the same infrastructure as the Internet’s Domain Name System (DNS). The ONS will thus look up the EPC information in the same manner in which DNS looks up a web page address.

RFID and Intelligent Agents

Being that RFID enables autonomous communication, they are a perfect complement to intelligent agent data acquisition.  RFID systems provide information to intelligent agent-based post processing systems to ad value to both real-time applications as well as asynchronous applications.  For example, information provided by RFID systems can be used for real-time information and decision systems through an alert/decision loop as well as automate decision- making processes such as inventory replenishment.