At an economic and development meeting held in Paris last week, an executive from Philips Semiconductors says the company is going to push the adoption of RFID technology to government regulators and policymakers worldwide. However, there has been concern that the privacy issues surrounding RFID are too hot for governments to touch, but Philips is going to stress the links to "machines, goods, and people" to help companies understand their customers and their wants and desires. In addition, Philips plans to promote RFID in combination with Bluetooth, WiFi, and Near-Field Communications technologies in hopes of developing capable products incorporating them.

I'm not exactly sure what the significance of this announcement means. Philips certainly is a giant in Europe, but how much weight can they throw around outside of their native country (The Netherlands) will be interesting to see.