The speed of success
As a New Jersey native, it's been tough to handle the endless barrage of jokes about big hair, shopping malls and the bizarre odors that perpetually cling to the Turnpike like a bad case of head lice. How do I cope? I take solace in the fact that New Jersey is the "Garden State", home to gargantuan tomatoes, The Sopranos and E-ZPass. Sure, New Jersey has its traffic challenges like other overpopulated states, however, E-ZPass -- an automated toll paying system, powered by Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) -- is a stroke of pure traffic-busting genius. Stick a removable tag to the inside of your windshield, cruise through the scanner/toll at a respectable speed and your credit card gets billed. No hassle trying to find coins and best of all, no lines. What"s not to like?
I recently passed through a new, high-speed E-ZPass toll that allows motorists to maintain highway speed. A sense of Gosh darn, what will they think of next? washed over me as I zipped past an impossibly long line of cars waiting for a chance to chuck a few coins at a basket. Why don"t these people have E-ZPass?, I thought to myself. What are they afraid of? For some, the idea of automatic billing is still a risky proposition. Others feel that if they succumb to E-ZPass, they"ll give up their right to privacy and be tracked around the tri-state area like some sort of endangered species. While both concerns are valid, I fail to see the risk.
E-ZPass is a small milestone in the very long history of RFID, but its key benefits -- speed, accuracy and higher customer satisfaction -- are a sign of things to come for manufacturers who believe in the technology. This issue contains 25 individuals who are firm believers, not only in the promise of RFID, but also in the wonderful benefits that change, inspiration and risk can bring. They are today"s movers and shakers of the consumer goods industry on the fast track to success. After reviewing their unique stories, drop me a line at [email protected] and let me know your thoughts.