This is the first time that IBM has used RFID technology at this conference and the company is not making a secret of it. There are signs at the registration desk offering attendees the option of getting a name tag without the chip.
Of the 6,500 people here, approximately 2 percent didn't want a name tag with an RFID chip in it, said Mary Ann Alberry, IBM's conference manager.
From a simple unique identifier on the chip, begins what could be a long tail of data analysis.
The chip's 24-character identifier includes the name, title and company of the person wearing it. There is no other personal information on the chip. As a person walks through the door leading into a conference session, an RFID receiver logs the chip's data. The system, by AllianceTech in Austin, Texas, is networked and the data is received in real-time by its on-site systems at the conference. The data is organized in a DB2 database. ... IBM Uses RFID to Track Conference Attendees
