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RFID skills shortages hamper deployment, says survey

Deployment of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology continues to be hampered by a shortage of individuals skilled in the technology, according to a new survey by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA).

The survey results were released earlier this week in conjunction with the RFID World 2006 conference which took place in Dallas, Texas.

Seventy-five percent of the technology companies participating in the CompTIA survey said they do not believe there is a sufficient "pool of talent" in RFID technology to hire from. That figure is down slightly from a similar survey conducted in 2005, when 80 percent of respondents said there was a shortage of RFID talent.

Among companies that believe there is a talent shortage, 80 percent said the lack of individuals skilled in RFID will impact adoption of the technology. That figure is much higher than a year ago, when 53 percent of responding companies said the shortage of talent would have a negative impact on RFID adoption.

"RFID is a complex and still evolving technology, and expertise is absolutely required for its usage to be a success," said David Sommer, vice president, electronic commerce, CompTIA. "The skill sets and "need-to-knows" related to RFID are many and varied. Clearly there is work to be done in our industry in terms of RFID education, training and professional certification."

Sommer presented the findings of the CompTIA RFID skills survey in a presentation at RFID World 2006.

CompTIA is working with more than 20 organisations in the RFID market, including product manufacturers, distributors, system integrators, education and training providers, and end-user customers, to develop a professional certification of RFID skills for individuals working with the technology.

The certification, CompTIA RFID+, is scheduled for worldwide availability on March 28. CompTIA says it is intended for technology professionals with 6-24 months of experience in RFID or related technologies.

External links

For more information on CompTIA RFID+ certification, visit: http://www.comptia.org/certification/rfid/?nav=quick

More information on the CompTIA RFID skill survey is available at: http://www.comptia.org/sections/research.aspx

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