Densa, the Hitachi Electronics subsidiary quietly launched its radio frequency identification (RFID) based integrated room management security system over the weekend.

I say “quietly” because the launch was in Japan only. But the fact that it represents a logical progression in the development of this wireless technology may be overlooked for the inherent privacy issues that widespread adoption of such systems by corporates is bound to raise.

We are more familiar with examples set by Wal-Mart, Tesco, Marks and Spencer and Germany’s METRO Group of enterprise RFID use behind-the-scenes, in the supply chain. But long since radio frequency tracking has existed in warehouses, they has been tension between workers, their unions and employees about unfair tracking during downtime, when their scanning devices can pinpoint their whereabouts anywhere with an RF coverage area. The European Union has been wrestling with knotty regulatory issues for some years as a result.

It strikes me that the Densa launch will bring this capability to the white collar worker’s doorstep…literally. Access control systems have also been around for some time in offices. And some companies, like BT, are some way to developing integrated single sign-on (SSO) access and control systems to more and more of their facilities. But we’ve all left the dongle on the desk when we nip from our desk on a bathroom break and had to loiter in corridors, waiting for someone else to let us in. (Although, I pity the poor employee stuck between both office and bathroom doors before they even get to go!)

So, the inherent benefits in an active wireless system that can tell it’s you from up to 20 metres away and grant or deny you access based on your role or privileges seem clear. And Densa is aiming it at medical and food-related industries first. But the potential for wider integration with other monitoring technologies, like CCTV on entering a room, as well as network, PC and server-based logging must also be watched closely, so it does not become open to abuse.