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...emented in different ways by different manufacturers; global standards are still being worked on. It should be noted that some RFID devices are never meant to leave their network (as in the case of RFID tags used for inventory control within a company). This can cause problems for companies. Consumers may also have problems with RFID standards. RFID systems can be easily disrupted Since RFID systems make use of the electromagnetic spectrum (like WiFi networks or cellphones), they are relatively easy to jam using energy at the right frequency. Although this would only be an inconvenience for consumers in stores (longer waits at the checkout). Also, active RFID tags (those that use a battery to increase the range of the system) can be repeatedly interrogated to wear the battery down, disrupting the system. RFID Reader Collision Reader collision occurs when the signals from two or more readers overlap. The tag is unable to respond to simultaneous queries. Systems must be carefully set up to avoid this problem; many systems use an anti-collision protocol (also called a singulation protocol. Anti-collision protocols enable the tags to take turns in transmitting to a reader. RFID Tag Collision Tag collision occurs when many tags are present in a small area; but since the read time is very fast, it is easier for vendors to develop systems that ensure that tags respond one at a time. Security, privacy and ethics problems with RFID The contents of an RFID tag can be read after the item leaves the supply chain An RFID tag cannot tell the difference between one reader and another. RFID scanners are very portable; RFID tags can be read from a distance, from a few inches to a few yards. This allows anyone to see the contents of your purse or pocket as you walk down the street. Some tags can be turned off when the item has left the supply chain. RFID tags are difficult to remove RFID tags are difficult to for consumers to remove; some are very small (less than a half-millimeter square, and as thin as a sheet of paper) - others may be hidden or embedded inside a product where consumers cannot see them. New technologies allow RFID tags to be "printed" right on a product and may not be removable at all. RFID tags can be read without your knowledge Since the tags can be read without being swiped or obviously scanned (as is the case with magnetic strips or barcodes), anyone with an RFID tag reader can read the tags embedded in your clothes and other consumer products without your knowledge. RFID tags can be read a greater distances with a high-gain antenna For various reasons, RFID reader/tag systems are designed so that distance between the tag and the reader is kept to a minimum (see the material on tag collision above). However, a high-gain antenna can be used to read the tags from much further away, leading to privacy problems. The HKSAR Government has decided to combine all 8 local universities to form the Joint University of Hong Kong (JUHK). What problems do you foresee in IT Management? Are there any solutions? The need for an interoperability framework for IT management in Joint university project The development of the joint university of Hong Kong initiative is an on-going process of improving productivity, enabled by technology. A key business objective of current Joint university of Hong Kong initiatives is to requires the Joint university to be presented as a single university with the seamless flow of information, within legal bounds, across individual universities as necessary. An IF is essential to support the flow of information and to improve the coherence of information systems maintained by individual universities. The IF aims to define the set of specifications to facilitate individual universities systems to communicate and interoperate with other systems, both within Joint university and external to Joint University, efficiently and effectively. In addition, the IF promotes and fosters the adoption of eXtensible Markup Language (XML) to enable the exchange of data between applications. The first step to pursue interoperability among a community of collaborating universities is to work out a collaboration contract. Based on this collaboration contract, together with the business rules internal to an organization, The collaboration contract needs to address: Process Interoperability: agreement on how the business activities of one party interact with those of its partners, and the legal consequences of such interactions; Data Interoperability: agreement on what information has to be transmitted from one party to another, and the definition and representation of such information; and Technical Interoperability: agreement on what communication protocol and message format is to be used when one party sends information to another. Problems in IT management in Joint University Project Some of the data interoperability problems will be faced including: Incompatible Data Definitions: e.g. the shipment delivery date could be interpreted as the date on which a customer obtains the product or the date on which a product is unloaded at the intended destination, which could be diffe...