While Airbus and other aircraft manufacturers have been taking a leading role in deploying radio frequency identification for the management of airplane parts, one aviation company has leveraged Airbus' knowledge to create its own solution. Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT) - a third-party provider of maintenance, repair and overhaul services - has deployed an RFID system at its facility to manage work-in-progress for the parts it services for its customers, which include Airbus and other aircraft manufacturers. The system has helped ADAT reduce turnaround times, and has provided information that the firm can employ to further improve efficiency.

Are we to add the Internet of Things to the pantheon of top strategic technology priorities for the decade? That's the question increasingly in front of IT decision makers these days as tech vendors add the buzzphrase to their marketing and practitioners evaluate the rapidly growing array of related tools and technologies.

Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corp. (TTL) has deployed a radio frequency identification solution to ensure its products' authenticity, and to track the goods through its supply chain.

Fujitsu UK & Ireland (UK&I), the IT systems arm of global electronics firm Fujitsu, has acquired Texas RFID software and solutions provider GlobeRanger.

The RFID Research Center, currently part of the University of Arkansas, is moving to an Alabama site near Auburn University, with which it will now be affiliated.

Zebra Technologies Corp. has agreed to acquire the Enterprise business of Motorola Solutions Inc.

Checkpoint Systems Inc. has developed a new Zephyr 2 radio frequency identification (RFID) label, certified by the University of Arkansas' ARC Center for item-level tagging of all apparel categories in the U.S. and Europe.