by Thomas Wailgum

Technology Showdown: The Bar Code Versus RFID

Feature
Jul 24, 20072 mins
Internet of ThingsRFID

The much-hyped RFID challenges the UPC bar code, for decades the tried-and-true, black-striped workhorse of businesses everywhere. Putting them head to head, let's see who wins.

In this technology battle, the much-hyped Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags goes head to head with the UPC bar code.

Geek Quotient

BAR CODE

EDGE

RFID

Print out label, stick on object, scan. Not rocket science.
tape_winner_left.gif
Hmmm…do we know anyone who studied radio waves?

Do You See Me?

BAR CODE

EDGE

RFID

Line-of-sight on item is necessary.
tape_winner_right.gif
Even if you don’t see the tag, the RFID reader will.

The Money, Honey

BAR CODE

EDGE

RFID

A label costs fractions of a penny.
tape_winner_left.gif
Tag costs vary from 20 cents to a couple of dollars (for specialized tags).

You’re How Old?

BAR CODE

EDGE

RFID

First commercial use 33 years ago, at a Marsh’s supermarket in Troy, Ohio. First item scanned: a pack of gum.
tape_winner_right.gif
British forces used RFID-like technology to identify friendly airplanes in World War II.

UPS and FedEx Factor

BAR CODE

EDGE

RFID

They can’t run their businesses without it.
tape_winner_left.gif
Lots of pilot testing and problems with read rates of tags.

Immutable Laws of Physics

BAR CODE

EDGE

RFID

Scanner reads bar code—if nothing is in the way, no problem.
tape_winner_left.gif
Metals and liquids don’t play nicely with wireless waves.

Storage Appetite

BAR CODE

EDGE

RFID

POS (point-of-sale) data volumes are growing, but the number of gigabytes is manageable.
tape_winner_left.gif
RFID-enabled supply chains can generate 10 to 100 times more information than traditional bar code technology.

Toll Booth Suitability

BAR CODE

EDGE

RFID

Not on this highway.
tape_winner_right.gif
Turns your toll experience into the Indy 500, if you’re willing to risk a speeding ticket.

The Wal-Mart Promise

BAR CODE

EDGE

RFID

The boys from Arkansas have been riding this horse for decades to manage shipping and POS data.
tape_winner_left.gif
The tantalizing future of retail supply chain—after all of Wal-Mart’s suppliers figure out how to actually get it to work.

Pharmaceutical Power

BAR CODE

EDGE

RFID

Works great for manually tracking product.
tape_winner_right.gif
Security and tamper-proof features make for safer medicine.

Privacy, Please

BAR CODE

EDGE

RFID

Printed bar code labels can’t tell anyone much.
tape_winner_left.gif
Passive and active RFID tags can tell anyone a whole lot.

Hospital Hotshot

BAR CODE

EDGE

RFID

Often found on patients’ wristbands and stuck on diagnostic equipment, but needs to be seen to be located.
tape_winner_right.gif
Can be attached to or implanted in patients and affixed to equipment; can be located anywhere inside the building.

WINNER: BAR CODE!

SOURCES: CIO.com; About.com; Computerworld; ESJ.com; Informatica.com; RFIDJournal.com.