IBM takes radio tag testing to Europe

IBM on Friday opened a radio frequency identification (RFID) facility in La Gaude, France, for its European clients. The testing and solution center, the third to open after similar facilities in Gaithersburg, Md., and Tokyo, can be used by manufacturers and retailers to test RFID technology in customer environments.

An emerging technology, RFID enables businesses to use tags that combine chips carrying carry descriptive information and radio frequency technology to track inventory of raw materials and products, which could significantly reduce their operating costs.