Microsoft has long talked about its RFID strategy but has had little in the way of actual products.

That's about to change with a small point release of BizTalk Server 2006 that will be available to users the first half of 2007.

At the U Connect 2006 Conference for supply chain management in Nashville from June 6 to 8, Microsoft announced June 6 BizTalk Server 2006 R2—a relatively speedy release given BizTalk upgrades usually come around once every two years and BizTalk 2006 was released in March.

The R2 version's biggest upgrade: RFID capabilities that include a new set of services for developing and managing RFID software.

"The RFID technology that Microsoft has said it's building—this is the first time we're announcing it from the product perspective," said Burley Kawasaki, group product manager for BizTalk Server, in Redmond, Wash.

"It's how you take real-time events…and link those back to business processes."

In 2004 Microsoft announced the development of an RFID Partner Council that included 60 vendors from the RFID software, hardware and services sector.

The council's goal: to look at Microsoft's options for building out RFID-based software.

On Feb. 17, 2005, Microsoft announced its "momentum" around RFID, discussing an RFID middleware platform in the works, but without nailing down details.

Continue At Source