RFID Market Size: It Is All in How You Define RFID

Filed in archive Market Size on February 8, 2006

Here's more about the market size for RFID. Glyn Holland of IDTechEx explains what's behind the conflicting analyst reports about the RFID market size:

"Several analysts, including IDTechEx, have recently released market research reports covering growth in the RFID industry. To sum up some of the figures, press releases from several different analysts published in the last few weeks put the total RFID market in 2010 to be either $1.5 Billion, $3 Billion, $6.1 Billion or $30 Billion. At IDTechEx, we think it will be $12.35 Billion. The lowest to the highest quoted figures are a magnitude different.

So why the difference?

We believe that much of this difference comes down to what one includes as being RFID. For example, we include everything that operates over radio frequencies and which provides identification as one of its primary functions - whether they are cards, tickets, labels or fobs; or passive or active (with battery)."

This is probably the most important thing you will read about the RFID market size this year -- because it hardly matters what one analyst says over another, if all they do is leave you in befuddlement because the reports sound conflicting.

Glyn puts it in perspective, something sorely missing when you read a press release here and a press release there.

Read also my earlier article from last week giving my quick 4-point primer for reconciling conflicting analyst reports.