Repeating the barcode market trend, where the market grew then declined, the study predicts that the value of the RFID market will initially peak before the annual numbers of tags sold peak.

As technical problems are slowly being overcome with the previously little-used UHF frequency (to the tune of 30 billion pallets and cases a year), the market for item-level RFID tagging of medicines, baggage, animals, books, and tickets is growing strongly in value. In 2008, 6.8 billion tags will be sold for these applications, as well as 15.3 billion tags for pallets and cases.

The market for RFID interrogators is also analyzed in the study. It is predicted to reach $1.14 billion in 2008 for EPC interrogators and $0.75 billion in the same year for other interrogators, such as those for near-field communication.

Forecasts by territorial region show that by 2010, 48% of RFID tags by volume will be sold in East Asia, followed by 32% in North America.

This report also includes growth and market forecasts for chipless RFID tags - tags containing no silicon chip. These tags come in the form of smart tickets and cards, as well as semi-passive and active tags. In 2010, 15% of all tags will be chipless, such as printed thin-film transistor circuits and surface acoustic wave devices, which will rise to 55% in 2013 as sub-five-cent tags become ubiquitous.

Ten-year forecasts are analyzed in over 100 tables and figures, with detailed explanations of trends, disruptions, and year-by-year roadmaps. RFID markets are examined in the study in many ways, including by geographical region, application, format, location, and by tag, reader, and software value. The emergence of new products, legal and demand pressures, and impediments over the next 10 years are also covered.

IDTechEx, Cambridge, U.K., provides independent consulting and market research on RFID, smart packaging and printed electronics. For more information, see the market research publication RFID Forecasts, Players & Opportunities 2005-2015 at www.idtechex.com.