Speaking at the opening of the Global Retail Technology Forum in Düsseldorf, Hans-Joachim Korber, Metro's chairman and CEO, stressed that RFID adoption will help retailers improve their customer service and grow business. However, he warns, without a single global numbering system in place, the technology's uptake will be severely limited.

"[RFID] is the future, and it will make retailers' lives easier," he explains, "but there is one precondition: We have to go for common standards. We have to seize the opportunity today to have one worldwide standard. That's why we push so much, on the EPCglobal board, for one standard that fits pharma, textiles or whatever. It is a single opportunity, and we should not miss it."

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"We have to have the same data on the tag ... what we are looking for is one worldwide numbering system -- say, 28 digits -- that allows us to use RFID in different industries."