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Dear Tech, What’s RFID? Why is it in my new credit card? And what should I do about it? What’s it all about?
Alfie

Dear Alfie,

RFID is a technology that consists of a small electronic circuit. When this circuit receives a triggering radio wave it replies with a radio signal that contains a small amount of information. This reply usually contains identification data.
 
EZPass is an example of an RFID that transmits your identity when in the presence of a toll booth’s querying radio signal. The security stickers hidden in items in malls that set off the alarms at the doors are another RFID device.
 
In North America, to date more than 2 million credit cards with RFID technology have been distributed to consumers. Chase’s “Blink” credit cards are an example. They allow you to purchase items by just waving your card near an RFID compliant register. The idea is that it is faster than swiping and more secure than passing your card to a stranger.  One statistic states that it reduces purchase time at a fast food drive-thru by 20 seconds as compared to a cash transaction.
 
Your old friend Tech Reporter loves Wikipedia. Click here for their wiki on RFID.
 
Naturally, some people are concerned about privacy (e.g. illicit tracking of your location) and crime/identity theft issues (e.g. an evildoer scanning credit card data of all passersby in a busy street aka “skimming”). Certainly there is cause to worry about identity theft. Click here and here for security rants.
 
What should you do? We say let other people beta test bleeding edge technology. So either don’t use it (ask your bank for a non-RFID version of your credit card), or keep your RFID cards in an RFID shielding wallet.  Yes, that does mean you will have to take it out of your wallet to use it. 
 
In the end, there is no stopping progress. Your next passport, your next Driver’s License and most of your next credit cards will be RFID enabled. Hopefully all the security issues will be resolved by then.

IT Considerations:
Setting up a branch office

Is it time to setup one or perhaps several employees in a branch office? In addition to selecting a site based on the space, location, convenience, amenities and cost you will want to consider some basic IT factors in your decision:

• Choose a location with readily available high speed Internet service.  These days, in the northeast, that typically means Cablevision or Verizon DSL.
• If possible, choose a location with a strong cellular signal.
• Setup a VPN router to maintain a permanent, encrypted, secure VPN connection to the home office.
• Consider WiFi if there is no current cabling.  Although, WiFi is often not a reliable backbone for a business network due to it sensitivity to environmental factors; WiFi may be just right to connect a small 1-4 room office.  You will need to test the environment for WiFi compatibility.  Plan on additional training and support for WiFi use and issues.
• Check the requirements of your line of business applications (e.g. practice or document management software) for remote access. Some will require Terminal Services (the Microsoft version of gotomypc), some have the ability to support a remote client natively, and some just need alternate licensing from the manufacturer.
• Consider desktop computers for the staff that will mostly reside at the new location.
• Consider laptops possibly with cellular wireless PC cards for mobile high speed internet access and / or Windows Mobile 5 PDAs for field staff. 
• Evaluate your line of business applications for compatibility with field operations.

Naturally, your business will have a unique combination of requirements based on your business needs. To ensure a smooth set up and integration of your new branch or satellite location, contact OSI Technologies at info@ositechnologies.com.

OSI Fun: Animal Trivia
The world's smallest mammal is the bumblebee bat of Thailand, weighing less than a penny.
There are 1,600 known species of starfishes in the world.
There are 370 species of sharks. All of the shark species live in water.
There are 600 species of skinks, the largest family of lizards in the world.
There are about 130 species of owl.
There are about 295 species of pigeons and doves in the world.
There are about 300 different species of lantern fish.
There are about 5,000 species of coral known. Only about half of them build reefs.

Articles are edited by Alex Leone, Chaz Popovich and Scott Schafer of OSI Technologies, Inc.