On behalf of Martin County Coal, we're extremely pleased to have been able to settle the case for the actual damages these people suffered.

Supply-chain applications are in a trough of disillusionment. CEOs signed off on supply-chain packages a couple years ago and now are beating their heads against the wall, wondering what they bought.

For the most part, bar codes are better at collecting data in highly structured and engineered processes, such as warehouses, and this will likely continue for the next five to seven years. However, RFID tags will be used for data collection of mobile assets and in largely chaotic or unstructured business processes, ranging from retail environments to hospitals, enabling these environments that lack sophisticated process engineering or controls to be systematically managed.

There is a significant focus on using RFID in pharmaceutical manufacturing because of the FDA's interest in using RFID tags to help combat diverting and counterfeiting.

There are a number of retailers that are pushing their suppliers to expand the use of RFID. Additionally, the military's use of active RFID tags on containers continues to expand. There are hundreds of other pilot projects taking place, too.

Just because bar codes are used extensively in distribution centers does not mean RFID will be. Businesses are beginning to discover value in places where they cannot use bar coding, which will be the force that moves RFID forward.