Germany's METRO Group, the world's fourth largest retailer, has set November as the month when 20 consumer products suppliers will begin to place RFID tags on pallets of goods. Another 80 suppliers are scheduled to follow in 2005. And by January 2006, the company says it will have 300 suppliers using RFID.

In addition, METRO (www.metrogroup.de) has announced that IBM will provide the software to integrate the RFID rollout. That solution will provide "an instant virtual view of the complete shipping process and the exact location of goods at any stage," says IBM.

Meanwhile, METRO has opened its RFID Innovation Center in Neuss, Germany. There, suppliers will be able to test and prepare their RFID systems. "With the opening of the center, we are fulfilling our promise to intensively support our partners in the rollout," says Zygmunt Mierdorf, CIO of METRO.