# Identity

> What the thing is, read by a machine rather than typed by a person.

- **Page** - https://iotready.com/academy/traceability-foundations/identity
- **Course** - [Traceability Foundations](https://iotready.com/academy/traceability-foundations.md)
- **Lesson** - 1 of 3
- **Level** - Foundation
- **Time** - 12 min

## Two ways to carry identity

QR is cheap and needs line of sight. RFID reads in bulk and reads through
packaging. Most real installations use both, at different stages.

## Choosing between them

| QR                     | RFID                    |
| ---------------------- | ----------------------- |
| One item at a time     | A pallet at a time      |
| Printed with the label | Tag has a cost          |
| Needs to be visible    | Reads through packaging |

- [Platform](https://iotready.com/docs/platform.md): IoTReady Engine is our software layer with deep AI and IoT integration, and the Engineer is the AI builder inside it. What each does and what it connects to.