Today at the National Retail Federation Convention, Sun Microsystems announced an entry-level RFID solution for retailers based on the company's Java System. Sun also unveiled what it calls "Industry Solution Architectures" for more complex RFID management such as integration with back-end enterprise systems.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are small transmitters placed on products, which are often used for tracking or inventory purposes. According to the company, Sun's Java System RFID software "enables customers to process RFID tagged cases or pallets at the rate of approximately one to two seconds per unit and is designed to help customers meet retail mandates in approximately one week."