Business Blogs

Blogs are becoming more and more popular nowadays because of its ability to give any person the right to speak whats on their minds. There are two types of blogs, personal blogs and business blogs. Personal blogs are written in more of a diary entry format, discussing personal issues and opinions on different subjects. Business blogs can be used as an important corporate tool for communicating to your organizations clients or employees.

Numerous firms are now picking up the use of blogs because they are an excellent way to share the organizations information, attract new customers, and gain a competitive advantage over other companies. For a small business, blogs would be perfect because they are easy to use and inexpensive. The process is simple, just express your thoughts while linking resources and publish the blog for the world to see. There are many blogging websites that offer easy tools to create your own customized blogs such as Blogger.com, Movable Type, and Typepad.

For small business owners that are just getting started and have no money to spend on web designers or marketers, they can use low-cost blogs. It is the easiest and most inexpensive way to get your companies name out on the internet.

Not only are blogs simple to use, but they are also very fast and efficient, once you have published your blog, you may stumble on some mistakes. Its easy to edit and fix right away without having to waste your time contacting a web designer to do it for you.

The best part about starting your own blog for your business, is that you get the potential to develop stronger relationships and brand loyalty with your customers. Your customers are able to experience your organizations journey along with you. Creating your own company blog can also be a great way to get immediate feedback about what works for your organization and what does not.

Even though blogs are very easy and efficient, there are some disadvantages to creating one for your business. Many organizations cannot update their blogs very often because they don't have much to say that's interesting enough to grab audiences attention. Blogs are easy to start and create however, they are difficult to maintain. It is very time consuming for someone that has a job and works long hours to sit down and take the time to update the blog. This becomes more of a hassle on the organization than anything, because the blog never gets updated and would eventually crash bringing down the organizations reputation with it.

There are in fact some business's that have working blogs and keep them updated for their audiences. For example, Gizmodo, it is a blog about all gadgets and gizmos for those who are interested in keeping up to date with this information.

Blogs can either really help your organization or it can become a burden for the employees working on them. However it would be a good idea for any firm or business to understand how blogs work so that they can branch their company onto the internet.

Sources:

McGoverm, G. (2004, August 23). Blogs and blogging:advantages and disadvantages. Retrieved April 7, 2010, from New Thinking: http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/nt/2004/nt_2004_08_23_blogging.htm

Zahorsky, D. (n.d.). What a Blog Can Do For Your Small Business. Retrieved April 7, 2010, from About.com: Small Business Information: http://sbinformation.about.com/cs/ecommerce/a/bblogs.htm

RFID Disadvantages

Even though the RFID technology could be crucial for most organizations to use, it could be too expensive to install. The smaller organizations with less expenses would find it much too costly to use in their firms which can be a disadvantage.

Other disadvantages include:

• RFID tags work great on products like hard cover books and other material objects, however the tags are hard to read when they are put on liquids and metal products. The reason why the tags have trouble reading through the liquids and metal products is because it reflects the radio wave signals interfering with the communication process. This would be a problem for retail industries using RFID for drinks or any other liquid and metal products.
• Some organizations admit to having problems with the RFID when they come in contact with devices like walkie-talkies, because the presence of these devices can also interfere with the radio wave signals. Wal-Mart for example have had numerous problems with their radio wave signals because they use RFID on all their products.
• Most of the firms that use the RFID technology also have a facility that deactivates the tags after the products have been purchased. However they have received customer complaints about the privacy when they leave the stores. When the RFID tags are installed on the products and are gone from the stores, they can be tracked and personal information of the buyer can be at risk of exposure if they are not properly deactivated.
  

The biggest disadvantage of the RFID technology would be the privacy issues, a lot of individuals are concerned as to what can be retrieved with this device. The RFID tags are small and they can easily be installed into objects or documents without the knowledge of the participants. The radio waves would remain completely unnoticed if they are not looked for, they are silent and travel long distances easily through different materials. Some RFID tags are installed on the tags of products that were purchased like clothing.

Privacy issues also arise with the RFID devices because they can easily track any individuals movements and locations. If the readers are positioned properly, an individual can be tracked with a tag from anywhere possible, even space!

The following link is a video showing the way RFID works and its disadvantages: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNPDgudPmXE&feature=related.

If the RFID technology is used correctly and efficiently, it could be the next newly innovated tool for numerous business's and organizations. More research is needed to improve all the small flaws and limitations, however when they are removed, this device can help improve organizations. It can be extremely useful in different firms such as retail stores, food business, and transportation industries.


Sources:

Stodart,J. (2006, January 23). RFID Technology. Retrieved April 4, 2010, from Privacy Commissioner: http://www.priv.gc.ca/fs-fi/02_05_d_28_e.cfm

Pandey, K. (n.d). Advantages and Disadvantages of RFID Technology. Retrieved April 4, 2010, from Buzzle.com: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-rfid-technology.html

RFID Advantages

Currently numerous public and private organizations are planning on changing their systems and switching to the RFID technology. The devices are becoming more and more popular because of its unique ability to transform any object into a way of communicating. With the RFID device, the potential for use is incredible and way beyond our imaginations.

Radio-Frequency Identification technology has many advantages which is why its emerging into many organizations today.

• The RFID device is simple to use and install, it can be injected into animals in order to keep track of them at all time. This is a great device for poultry farms, slaughter houses and everyday farmers because once the device is installed in the animals, the tags give information about the age and health of all the animals. To learn more about how RFID can improve poultry farms and farming in general, please visit: http://www.idtechex.com/research/articles/rfid_for_animals_food_and_farming_the_largest_market_of_all_00000729.asp.

• RFID device is more advanced than bar codes because it cannot be easily replicated which boosts up the product security and retailer.
• One of the leading RFID users are in supply chain management, because this technology can help update on stocks and information about different products.
• RFID are nowadays installed inside products for retailers such as expensive objects in case of theft (for example jewelery). Once the object crosses the exit doors, it enables an alarm to go off notifying employees that the object is being taken away.
• The RFID tags can hold up to 2 KB of data which is a lot more than the bar codes. The extra data is better to store more information about each product. Bar codes can only hold up to 10-12 digits.
  

• Pharmaceutical companies could really use RFID devices to ensure that all their medications have not been altered or are getting close to the expiration date.
• RFID technology can be used for security purposes at airports in order to verify if the traveler documentation and ID information are genuine. They can also use this technology as a means of tracking baggage to make sure none of them get lost in different countries. RFID devices would be able to tell the owner where their luggage was loaded and where it arrived.

The advantages and uses for the RFID technology are endless and could majorly improve the way many organizations run for the better.


Sources:

Stodart,J. (2006, January 23). RFID Technology. Retrieved April 4, 2010, from Privacy Commissioner: http://www.priv.gc.ca/fs-fi/02_05_d_28_e.cfm

Pandey, K. (n.d). Advantages and Disadvantages of RFID Technology. Retrieved April 4, 2010, from Buzzle.com: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-rfid-technology.html

Replacing Bar Codes?

The RFID device is changing technology in front of our eyes by making it easier and more efficient for customers to shop and buy products. Some people may say that this device is improving the bar code technology and may eventually replace the whole system. Not only is RFID replacing them, but its also innovating the system and making it a lot better and more efficient for numerous organizations.

The old UPC, or bar code can only read one tag at a time, making the process a lot longer. The picture to the left is a UPC or bar code that is used a lot today in retail stores. If you click on the image it will bring you to another web page that elaborates more on UPC and bar codes. The RFID device can now read more than one tag and they do not require direct face to face communication, they are easily read on their own through the wireless radio wave signals. They can be read through hard materials such as book covers or difficult packaging material, which is a great advantage for the workers using RFID in retail stores or organizations.

The RFID technology is so advanced that it enables each tag to uniquely identify which object it is attached to. These devices also include other software in addition to their tags and radio wave signals. The RFID-specific software is able to translate all the data from the object it is connected to, it is able to communicate back all the information and orders about the individual product. This information can then be transmitted to another database or application in order to further process the data.




Sources:

Nelson,M. What is RFID? Retrieved April 4, 2010, from the Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility: http://www.aimglobal.org/technologies/rfid/what_is_rfid.asp

Stodart,J. (2006, January 23). RFID Technology. Retrieved April 4, 2010, from Privacy Commissioner: http://www.priv.gc.ca/fs-fi/02_05_d_28_e.cfm

Barlas, S. (2007, June). Pharma RFID Rolls Out. Retrieved April 4 2010, from Contract Pharma: http://www.contractpharma.com/articles/2007/06/pharma-rfid-8200rolls-out

What is RFID Technology?

RFID stands for Radio-Frequency Identification, which is a device used to transmit the identity of any object or human being via radio waves. The RFID device is made in the form of a unique serial number small enough to fit on the tip of a human finger.

It is important to understand what an RFID is because it is used around us everyday in places some people would not even think of. The device is used for pets given ID tags, the EZPass express lanes via toll booth, and even using the SpeedPass at your local gas station. More and more organizations are getting used to this technology and using it for security purposes along with biometric technologies.

RFID is much more convenient than a normal UPC bar-code device, because the RFID technology does not require face to face contact of any kind, everything is done through wireless communications. This device can be easily read and communicated with through almost anything. Some organizations use the RFID device in order to read through human bodies, or clothing and non-metallic materials.

This device sounds fairly new however, its been around for quite sometime but not in the same shape or form. RFID was originally used for the identification of air-crafts during the Second World War. The reason why many of us are only hearing about it now is because the device was always too expensive for organizations to use.
Due to the technology advancements and reduced cost, numerous organizations are deciding to use RFID technology. For example organizations such as Wal-Mart and the US Defense Department, have made it part of their jobs to use the RFID through out their whole organization.

An RFID device consists of 3 parts: a tag, a reader, and an infrastructure. The reader is the part that is used in order to communicate with the RFID tag. The tag receives a radio wave signal coming from the reader which enables it to do its job.

Some readers are either portable devices or stationary ones that organizations might keep in their transport trucks or shipping bays. The tag component is usually a small piece of material that has an antenna, and a microchip unit with memory storage.
The reason why the RFID uses tags is because its the most efficient way to transmit information to a portable device. The data that is transmitted to the RFID device might hold an identification or information about the product such as price, color, and even the date it was p u rchased. It is able to provide all of the specifics needed to know about the product. The RFID device is becoming more and more popular because of its unique ability to track moving objects.

Currently, many retailers such as Best Buy, Metro, Target, and Tesco have adapted to the RFID technology; just to name a few other organizations. Numerous organizations today are growing more concerned with improving their supply chain efficiency and security. The RFID device would make sure their products are stored safely on the shelves where their customers can purchase them.



In order to further understand how the technology works for the RFID device, please visit http://docs.sun.com/source/819-4684/RFID-intro.html.

Sources:

Nelson,M. What is RFID? Retrieved April 4, 2010, from the Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility: http://www.aimglobal.org/technologies/rfid/what_is_rfid.asp

Stodart,J. (2006, January 23). RFID Technology. Retrieved April 4, 2010, from Privacy Commissioner: http://www.priv.gc.ca/fs-fi/02_05_d_28_e.cfm