Few IT professionals and only a handful of systems integrators have significant RFID implementation experience. AIM and CompTIA hope to remedy that situation as demand for skilled professionals increases in the next few years.

"AIM members can play a critical role in the RFID certification development process through our work with CompTIA," said Dan Mullen, president of AIM Global. "This collaborative effort is in line with our ongoing work to develop educational materials that help business and industry better manage the collection and integration of data with information management systems."

"From the physics of the hardware installation to the challenges of integrating RFID-generated data with existing business processes, a broad base of expertise is required for successful implementation," said David Sommer, vice president, electronic commerce, CompTIA. "Working with AIM and other organizations we can structure a vendor-neutral certification to address the hardware, software and business process needs created by RFID."

On Dec. 8 and 9, representatives from more than a dozen companies and government agencies will meet with AIM and CompTIA executives at CompTIA headquarters in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., to discuss the RFID certification initiative. Issues the group intends to address include the business need for RFID skills development, and the scope and structure of an industry accepted RFID certification.