The RFID skills shortage is receding, but the lack of IT pros skilled in RFID technology hampers deployment. Those are the findings of a survey from the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), which offers a vendor-neutral RFID+ certification to validate techies’ skills in that area.
According to the results, 68.8% of organizations polled believe there is an insufficient pool of available RFID talent. Compare that to 2006, when 75% had the same concern, or 2005, when 80% did.
The number of respondents who believe the RFID skills shortage will impact implementation of the technology is also slightly down. This year, 68% agreed with that assessment, compared to 80% in 2006.
“The skills shortage is not the most significant factor in the relatively slow adoption of RFID, but it is a contributing factor,” says David Sommer, vice president of e-business and software solutions for CompTIA. “Had RFID adoption taken hold at a higher level, the skills shortage would be even more pronounced.”
He notes that RFID pilots, tests and deployments continue to grow at a modest, steady pace. The technology is typically seen as being deployed in retailers, manufacturers, healthcare providers and federal agencies.
If RFID is on your radar, you’d be wise to focus on security. A new report from the Department of Commerce’s National Institutes of Standards and Technologies recently pointed out that RFID poses special security concerns because the tags are handled by multiple organizations. The report includes recommendations for securing RFID traffic.
Copyright © 2007 IDG Communications, Inc.
