Typical RTLS deployments occur in all aspects of the supply chain in industrial manufacturing, transportation and logistics, retail, healthcare, government, process industries and professional services.

"RFID is no longer considered an emerging technology. It is a proven solution with high value-add and an increasingly attractive ROI," said Michael Liard, director, AutoID for VDC Research Group. "While its use and the value it delivers is growing in most verticals, there is still a learning curve that we are hoping to accelerate as we've found that having an understanding of concepts and value that RTLS delivers is crucial in selecting and deploying the right technology and gaining the most business return from the solutions."

In VDC's most recent survey of enterprise end users with RTLS deployments, more than 50 percent of respondents noted it took less than a year to realize a return on investment. While RTLS can provide asset tracking and management capabilities, it is only one of a growing list of ways the technology is being used. According to VDC, other business benefits companies are realizing include enhanced security, improved visibility and operational efficiency gains across all aspects of their physical supply chains.

VDS and Zebra Technologies Corporation, which sponsored the survey, are providing a free white paper entitled "Understanding RTLS: What It Is, How It's Used and What You Need to Know before Deploying.

Source: Zebra Technologies