Documenting requirements for RFID data center asset tracking standard

The Financial Services Technology Consortium (FSTC) has published RFID Basic Functional and Numbering Requirements for IT Data Center Assets. Over the last six months, FSTC members and RFID organizations have collaborated to produce functional requirements targeted at IT Asset vendors for pre-tagging data center equipment in a standard method prior to shipments to data centers. The numbering requirements are based on the EPCglobal Electronic Product Code (EPC) and the GS1 Global Individual Asset Identifier (GIAI).

The RFID Basic Functional Requirements and Number Requirements, documented by the FSTC project team are now available on the FSTC web site. This FSTC project had a goal of assisting all data centers, not just within the financial industry, with creating a process that will reduce the time required to inventory IT Assets. The implementation of RFID technology allows the entire inventory process to be automated from end-to-end (ordering, receiving, installation, maintenance, and removal and destruction), thus increasing accuracy, reducing labor and providing real-time location capability.

FSTC and its members who created these functional requirements met in Chicago on December 11, 2008, with the IT Asset suppliers. All agreed that a standard method in tagging the asset for any data center will be of long term value to both the manufacturers and purchasing organizations. Participating vendors readily saw the advantages of providing pre-tagged assets and submitting automated pre-notification as a way of providing greater value to their customers. The Financial Institutions encouraged the suppliers to go beyond the basic functional requirements.