IT Asset Tracking Benchmark - September 2008

The IT Asset Tracking Benchmark is the industry’s first scientific evaluation of passive RFID technology focused on IT asset tracking. The IT Asset Tracking Benchmark reveals passive RFID technology, including components only just available in the last few weeks, shows breakthrough performance on IT devices like servers, laptops, blades, and other high-value IT assets. Through RFID, companies are able to better track and secure sensitive and costly IT hardware with superior operational efficiency.

The benchmark is designed to answer common end user questions, such as:

• How to implement RFID successfully
• Which tagging solutions work and which leads to failure
• How the technology is used to solve problems
• How to build a business case

Through scientific tests comparing tag performance and analyzing common IT asset tracking use cases, the benchmark equips IT asset managers to make the best decisions for their organizations. ODIN engineers selected seven metal mount tags from four vendors. Tag selection was based on a number of factors including physical dimensions, performance and commercial availability.

Tag size and form factor is an importa nt consideration because many tags are too large or do not have the appropriate dimensions to fit on the front of a narrow blade server or other IT equipment. Multiple readers were also used during testing. A clear lesson is that no one tag or reader is appropriate for all use environments.

The benchmark contains results from a total of ten tests, including:

• Sensitivity - Will tags still respond if reader power is decreased?
• Orientation sensitivity - Which tags require a handheld reader to be at a particular angle?
• Distance - What is the optimal range to read tags with a handheld reader?
• Material dependency - Which tags work on both metal and plastic equipment cases?
• Blade server inventory - Which tags perform best when placed on blade servers?
• Rack inventory - How does distance, power settings, or reader equipment affect inventory of a rack full of servers?
• RAM inventory - Can individual sticks of RAM be inventoried with RFID technology?
• Cubical inventory - Can a handheld reader inventory a variety of IT assets spread throughout a cubical?
• Cubical speed comparison - How does RFID compare with manual inventory?
• Control point inventory - How easily can a stack of IT assets be read passing through a doorway?

IT Asset Tracking Benchmark 2008 - Enterprise Edition $1,500.00

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