Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology electronically captures, stores, and transmits data about assets and materials via radio waves or other nonphysical transmission technology -- digitizing physical objects that can be interpreted transparently by IT systems.

SAP Auto-ID Infrastructure, the key component of SAP NetWeaver that provides RFID capabilities, provides SAP applications with a gateway into RFID data. SAP Auto-ID Infrastructure gives you the capabilities you need to integrate all automated communication and sensing devices -- including RFID readers and printers, Bluetooth devices, embedded systems, and bar-code devices. SAP Auto-ID Infrastructure also integrates intelligent controls such as programmable language controls and Savant technologies, ensuring comprehensive device integration.

SAP Auto-ID Infrastructure senses and controls automated signals in real-time. It connects directly with business processes requiring signal data to drive faster and better business decisions. With SAP Auto-ID Infrastructure, SAP has achieved an important milestone in realizing its vision of an adaptive supply chain network.

One of the first applications of SAP Auto-ID Infrastructure is the integration of RFID technology with supply chain processes. SAP Auto-ID Infrastructure provides out-of-the-box functionality to fulfill requirements for RFID compliance in the logistics applications of the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and large retailers such as Wal-Mart. With SAP Auto-ID Infrastructure, you can meet current market needs and be ready for future automatic identification requirements.

SAP Auto-ID Infrastructure is:

• Comprehensive -- Enables complete integration of RFID readers and printers and other automated sensing devices
• Scalable -- Handles the vast amounts of data generated by scanning millions of RFID and other automatic identification items
• Fast -- Handles multiple tag reads simultaneously, ensuring rapid tag reads and data consolidation
• Connected -- Integrates with existing enterprise applications, including legacy systems, to enable end-to-end synchronization and business process management