Photos: Inside Big Blue's new RFID centre

IBM recently unveiled an RFID Centre of Excellence at its Dublin technology campus. The centre houses a 20-strong team, on hand to show customers and would-be early adopters how the track and trace technology can be used in a real-life situation.

The Dublin RFID campus is IBM's 20th worldwide and the second in Europe, after its La Gaude centre in France. IBM's Irish centre will be the company's largest dedicated facility, the company said.

IBM has already thrown its weight and a considerable amount of its cash behind RFID - some $250m over five years.

Colm Shorten, manager of the RFID centre, said the facility is designed to take the mystery out of the technology for the tag-curious. "Clients are saying, 'OK, we've heard about it, now we want to see it'," he said. "This is hands-on."

Photo credit: IBM