Plug and Play RFID, BizTalk style
Microsoft BizTalk RFID with its consistent device experience has the potential to change the game for the reach and ubiquity of RFID & sensor solutions in a manner that no other RFID middleware platform in the market can today. The Microsoft device experience is enabled through a framework, called the Device Service Provider Interface [DSPI]. S3Edge is uniquely positioned to assist device manufacturers in creating high quality implementations of the DSPI. The following information describes the unique value proposition of S3Edge to build and deliver these device providers both for fixed and mobile reader vendors, and our approach to integrating devices with BizTalk RFID.
Philosophy: It just works. BizTalk RFID without providers is like windows without drivers. The driver analogy is actually an accurate way to think about a DSPI provider. It is a system level component that is responsible for the "last mile" interaction with devices. It requires the same attention to detail that a driver does, stability issues at the DSPI layer affect the entire application stack above. "It just works", is the best way to describe great driver implementations, and would apply to the DSPI provider too.
Key tenets
Rich application support: From an application developer perspective, BizTalk RFID supports rich capabilities, including on-demand reads, continuous reads, tag operations across multiple protocols, printing tags, using templates for print operations, to mention just a few. Eventually, every capability exposed to a developer again has to be implemented in the DSPI provider. This involves both understanding the DSPI contract itself, and its interaction model with the underlying platform. The founders of S3 were core contributors to the BizTalk RFID platform and were deeply involved in all aspects of the definition and implementation of the DSPI. This gives them a unique insight into the interplay between the DSPI and the BizTalk RFID platform.
Showcasing Hardware Capabilities: the DSPI is not a checkbox interface, it is intended to support common behaviors in a standard manner, and custom hardware innovations through an extension model . As a device manufacturer, you must showcase device innovations through the DSPI built-in features and extension mechanisms. Readily discoverable and consumable extensions are the best way to differentiate the unique capabilities of your hardware to the entire Microsoft developer community.
Integrated Device Management: Mostly, the windows driver model is about application interaction with the device. The DSPI takes this a step further, and adds support for device management. Managing devices through BizTalk RFID is fundamental to the device experience. From discovery and provisioning through setup, configuration, monitoring and troubleshooting, the RFID Manager has an integrated approach to device management. One-off tools and dozens of knobs have been the bane of RFID devices, and are real blockers for mass-market adoption of RFID technology, especially in the small and mid market enterprise software segment. The vision of "it just works” depends on a great provider implementation that supports all of these features, from discovery to diagnostics to troubleshooting.
Device expertise: Understanding the capabilities of the device, both functionally and from a device management perspective is critical to writing a robust provider. This is usually done in a combination of offline activities [manuals, protocol documents and so on], as well as face to face interactions, with your solutions teams and technical contacts. The better we understand the device, the better we can manage the risk in the entire project.
Time to market: S3Edge has developed utilities and components that can dramatically shorten the provider development cycle, and automate common tasks, including metadata support, protocol translation, command processing, property processing, event filtering, Gen2 protocol support, to mention a few areas.
Out Of the Box Experience: usually the provider is the first component after BizTalk RFID that is installed by a solution partner or customer. Having a trouble-free installation process for the provider itself, and a great experience for discovering devices is the best way to make a great first impression on the customer, and enhances the usability of the entire solution platform. This avoids a number of support and customer satisfaction issues that crop up later from incomplete or failed installations.
Manageability is not an afterthought: in the real world things do go wrong. Surfacing problems with the correct error messages and enabling troubleshooting experiences in a manner that the administrator can resolve the issue themselves without contacting you, Microsoft or us for the vast majority of issues is a deliberate design goal for S3Edge. In many cases, these do involve deep collaboration to identify common issues and provide resolutions for the same. However, we do offer a variety of licensing and support options to fit the needs of your customers in POC and production.
Building the provider is the beginning, not end goal: S3Edge's long-term, primary focus is to deliver packaged software solutions that leverage BizTalk RFID and integrate with your devices in a seamless fashion. We view building the provider as a great way to start the relationship, and gain understanding of the unique capabilities of your hardware. We understand this is a journey, as Microsoft evolves the DSPI to support mobile devices and more, as the customer scenarios evolve, as your hardware innovations continue to evolve, so will the provider.
To summarize, you know your hardware best, we know BizTalk RFID, together, we can make our customers succeed!
