Scan closes USD 1.7 mln in seed funding

UK-based supplier of hardware technology Scan has closed its USD 1.7 million in seed funding from top venture capital firms and notable angel investors. Scan connects the real world with the digital universe through mobile technologies like QR codes, NFC, image recognition. Scan will use the funding for hiring and product and market development. Scan is taking QR codes to the next level with the introduction of Scan Pages, user-friendly mobile websites accessible via custom QR code or short URL.

Certgate to showcase broad range of solutions for the mobile ecosystem

The latest release of certgate’s patented mobile smartcard technology comes with NFC capabilities and supports all kinds of security apps and tools on a broad variety of mobile devices. Equipped with the capability to use its strong cryptographic functions via a mobile device’s NFC antenna, certgate now allows a much broader range of time and cost saving uses of a smartphone or tablet. Mobile smartcard payment solutions, hardware-based voice encryption, and physical access controlled by a crypto chip combined with user authentication performed with a three-attempts-only smartcard PIN code – these are only a few of an abundance of beneficial use cases made possible in connection with certgate’s patent protected technology.
Mobile wallets - credit or debit cards integrated in a smartphone or tablet -, certificate based logon to a workstation or a network, public transport ticketing or the smartphone serving as the employee ID card – an almost endless number of possibilities are at the user’s fingertips – fingers which only need to enter the correct PIN code to yield the required digital authentication.
Possible communication paths to support the real two factor authentication include the USB bus, Bluetooth and IP cloud and now embrace NFC which is expected to become an omnipresent piece of infrastructure in our work and life environments within a very short timeframe.
The set of mobile devices supporting certgate’s security package includes OSs like Android, BlackBerry™, and Windows, and will be further expanded to all platforms which either provide the comfort and security of hosting microSD™ memory cards or grant access to other forms of secure elements on the device. The ability of making use of the microSD format with an integrated on-card state-of-the-art smartcard processor in a driverless mode - i.e. without any changes to the smartphone’s SD bus communication driver software - is why this well-developed and proven technology already supports a myriad of security solutions from technology and solution partners worldwide. PKI support, workstation logon, and voice encryption are only a few of these powerful solutions bringing better security levels to smartphones, tablets and notebooks.

Psion Launches Neo UHF RFID Version

Psion, a global provider of mobile computing solutions, announced a new version of its Neo light and rugged handheld computer that integrates UHF RFID technology.
Psion has a wide range of RFID-enabled mobile data collection devices that allow users to quickly and effective identify tags. Its technology is also easily integrated with other data capture technologies and can be deployed in a number of different applications including inventory management and retail.
The UHF model is easily mounted to the back of the Neo allowing for faster reading of ID tags and enabling use in dense tag environments. Psion Neo UHF is also one of the smallest UHF industrial readers which makes it perfectly adapted to applications like jewel inventory or item control at points of sale.
"This product is ideal for customers with heavy demands of inventory management, asset tracking, apparel and container tracking. The UHF mount gives it additional flexibility to address the retail market," said Pierre Bonnefoy, Global Director RFID Solutions at Psion. "This new UHF reader is providing a unique combination of light ergonomics and high tag reading capability."
The new RFID capabilities of Psion Neo were developed in collaboration with CAEN RFID, a pioneer in these types of readers. The Psion module can combine linear or circular polarized antennas and it is based on the Quark CAEN RFID reader so that it offers multiregional capabilities. In addition, it supports the EPC C1 G2 and ISO 18000-6C protocols as well as is CE, FCC and IC certified.

G&D Provides NFC-Capable SIM Cards for Italy’s First Mobile Payment Pilot Project

Leading technology group Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) is supplying NFC-capable SIM cards to Nòverca, an MVNO, for Italy’s very first pilot project for mobile payments launched by Banca Intesa Sanpaolo. Six hundred employees and customers of Banca Intesa Sanpaolo can now use their mobile phones to make contactless payments in the northern Italian cities of Milan and Turin at more than 3,000 POS (point of sale) terminals provided by Setefi, the payment institution of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group, for example in supermarkets and cafés.
Thanks to NFC (Near Field Communication) short-range wireless technology, customers can pay their purchases by simply holding their mobile phone close to an appropriate reader. As one of NFC’s development pioneers, G&D has already helped to get more than 40 pilot projects off the ground, providing solutions and services for the secure installation and management of NFC applications on mobile devices.
Giesecke & Devrient’s newly developed Taurus-generation NFC SIM cards are being deployed to guarantee the security of the payment transactions. The technology group is supplying the SIM cards to Italian virtual network operator Noverca, its partner in the pilot project. G&D has also equipped the SIM cards with MasterCard® PayPass™ technology for contactless payment transactions, meaning that mobile payments made with this technology meet the same security standards as conventional card payments.
Banca Intesa Sanpaolo is providing the 600 participants in the pilot project – who include its own employees and customers as well as employees of the universities of Milan and Turin – with NFC-capable Samsung Wave S5780 smartphones, which will enable them to make quick and convenient payment transactions in a wide variety of stores in both cities. Setefi, Intesa Sanpaolo’s exclusive payment processor and card issuer, is the local service provider for the 3,000 contactless-capable POS terminals in use. The network comprises retailers, cafés, and much more besides. Setefi is the leading acquirer in the Italian market, managing some 300,000 POS terminals and more than 10 million payment cards issued by the Intesa Sanpaolo Group across the country. Participants in this project also have the opportunity to broaden their experience of mobile communications by using a wide portfolio of services based on Nòverca’s MVNO technology and G&D’s SIM cards.

RFID Traceability Project in Spain

B.O.S. Better Online Solutions Ltd. ("BOS") announced that its RFID division, has successfully completed a traceability project in Spain at BAMESA corporation. BAMESA is a leading Steel Service Center organization for, among others, the automotive, homeappliances and metal engineering industries, with eight locations in five different countries. The project includes tagging, tracking and managing inventory for metal pallets. The project was executed in cooperation with the Supply Chain Excellence Centre of Everis, a multi-national Spanish consulting company.

moneto brings NFC Mobile Wallet to Six Additional Smartphones

Moneto announced the first line of compatible Android smartphone devices with the moneto mobile wallet. The mobile wallet was launched earlier this year during CES and became the world's first mobile Near Field Communication (NFC) wallet supporting both the iPhone and Android platforms for mobile payments using the In2Pay microSD by DeviceFidelity, Inc. With a General Purpose Reloadable prepaid NFC enabled account personalized in the microSD, 1GB of storage for photos, videos and music, and a compact design so universal it can be used with millions of phones on the market today, consumers can now make in-store purchases with their Android and iPhone at hundreds of thousands of NFC enabled merchants nationwide. The moneto mobile wallet for Android is $29.95 (US) with $10 preloaded onto the account and is available to order online at www.moneto.me.
This multi-platform mobile wallet is now available for use with Android on the Samsung Galaxy S i9000 (international GSM unlocked version), Samsung Vibrant, Samsung Fascinate, Samsung Mesmerize, Samsung Showcase, Samsung Galaxy S 4G and the Samsung Epic 4G devices. The moneto line up of phones now include at least two popular smartphones across all 4 major wireless carriers in the USA (iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S at AT&T; iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and Samsung Fascinate at Verizon; iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and Epic 4G at Sprint; and Samsung Vibrant and Galaxy S 4G at T-Mobile.
The moneto mobile wallet kit for Android requires a simple user installation that enables these smartphones for mobile payments. Unlike other programs where consumers carry specialized devices or devices deformed by applying external contactless payment stickers, moneto users can use their phones discreetly and safely. The moneto wallet PIN is stored safely on the secure chip inside the microSD making it safe and secure for consumers. moneto is safe from unauthorized use if the handset is left with screen unlocked as moneto users are required to consciously launch the moneto application and enter their PIN before payment can be activated. If moneto users want to upgrade their phone to another supported model, they can simply remove the microSD and take it with them to their new device, eliminating the risk of their balance or private data left behind on the old phone. Account credentials are encrypted within the microSD for ultimate security. With credentials securely stored on the microSD, users can make mobile payments regardless of cell reception, offering unparalleled purchase transaction reliability.
Every mobile wallet kit comes with a moneto microSD, a patented NFC antenna sticker applicator, a prepaid magnetic stripe plastic card allowing users to access ATM's nationwide, and $10 preloaded onto the account. The moneto app can be downloaded from the Android Market and comes complete with a reload feature to add funds to moneto, a locator that lists merchants that accept NFC payments by zip code or current location, and will soon include card to card transfers as well as integrated cash back offers.
The moneto mobile wallet is available for order online at www.moneto.me today. The moneto mobile wallet is available on two platforms, a microSD and iCaisse combination for iPhone with a retail price of $79.95 (US) including $10 preloaded, and for Android models a microSD with 1GB storage combined with a booster sticker for $29.95 (US) including $10 preloaded.

Mobile NFC Metro Tickets to be used by 1 in 8 Mobile Users

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A new report from Juniper Research has found that 1 in 8 (13%) of North American and Western European mobile users will use their NFC-enabled mobile phone as a metro rail or bus ticket by 2016, compared with less than 1% today. Worldwide, mobile users are now beginning to adopt mobile tickets as an integrated part of their mobile lifestyle, whether for airline, road or rail transport, sporting or entertainment event access.
The report found that, while mobile tickets of all types are growing in popularity, the ability to "tap" an NFC phone containing a mobile ticket against an entrance gate has tremendous user appeal. For operators, a mobile phone ticket also provides new marketing and sales opportunities previously not available using paper or contactless smartcard tickets.
The report warns, however, that NFC Ticketing must be thoroughly tested before being launched to the public.   For metro and bus tickets in particular, speed of passenger processing is of the essence and queues must not be allowed to build up as a result of ticket processing delays either in mobile phones, gating or back office systems.
According to report author David Snow, "NFC mobile ticketing is still in its early stages, but it holds great promise across the entire mobile ticketing market.  Metro ticketing is leading the way as an NFC ticket is a natural evolution from a contactless transport card and can leverage the existing infrastructure.  Add to this the option of simultaneous payment and you have created a compelling user experience."

 

ActivIdentity’s Card Management System Recertified

ActivIdentity, part of HID Global, trusted leader in solutions for the delivery of secure identity, today announced that its ActivID Card Management System (CMS) has completed a Service Pack 2 (SP2) update and has been recertified by the FIPS-201 Evaluation Program to be compliant with NIST SP800-73-3. These updates will enable users to store their key history along with up to 24 certificates on their smart cards. This will allow customers to read older encrypted emails and documents even after a credential has been updated or replaced. These updates also include optional storage of the Iris Images Object and Discovery Object.
"ActivIdentity's CMS users, leaders of government, commerce and large enterprise, understand the critical nature of IT and physical security and are accustomed to having access to the most trusted and up-to-date solutions in the marketplace," said Yves Massard, director, product line management at ActivIdentity." This update ensures that CMS easily integrates with the most current platforms and continues to offer the simplest upgrade path available even for the largest and most complex of deployments."
Among the solution's new features, CMS now simplifies the process of applying future upgrades for customers with the most stringent security policies. The user environment for CMS has also been updated and refreshed to ensure a simplified and familiar user experience that easily integrates and adapts to all common platforms, including those that are most current.
The ActivID Card Management System was also recertified to ensure FIPS-201 compliance in accordance with HSPD 12, a Homeland Security Presidential Directive, which established policy for common identification standards for federal employees and contractors in 2004. The ActivID Card Management System is listed on the FIPS-201 Evaluation Program Approved Products List as item 451. U.S. Federal Government customers managing over a million PIV cardholders have already upgraded to Service Pack 2.

New RFID Web Based Weapons Management Solution

SkyRFID Inc. recently announced the availability of their new Multi Site Web Based Weapons Management Solution. This new solution uses RFID cards to access the facility and RFID tags to track weapons, parts and tactical gear. Since all armouries are different the solution has numerous security features and levels that range from static weapons monitoring to full RTLS with CCTV.
The Internet based software uses Secured Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol for communication security over the internet so authorized internet users can view reports and full details on all weapons in the system wherever they are. Locally at the armoury “Check in” “Check out” workstations are used for inbound and outbound weapons and gear management. Weapons, parts and tactical gear can be stored in traditional steel racking and safes. Control can be limited to just monitoring of the actual checking in and out of weapons or enhanced to full blown RTLS for all racks and safes activated by motion sensors strategically located in the armoury.
SkyRFID uses super small shelf antennas with powered antenna splitters (MUX) to provide the capability of multiple antennas on a single fixed reader port. With several MUX designs available you can monitor as many as 256 locations with a single port of a 4 port reader. Sensors are used to activate Zones automatically minimizing power and bandwidth requirements.
The software uses a graphical interface that is easily tailored to each armoury physical setting providing visual data that can be drilled down to the lowest possible granularity at any time.
All armouries have different requirements and the software is capable of meeting or exceeding those requirements through a set of Administrative Tools that support Notification Lists, Escalation Paths, Rules and Targets, Classifications, SMTP Configuration, Screen Configurations and Unlimited Reporting on Screen and Hardcopy.

Virtual Piggy Announces New Mobile E-Commerce Application for Apple iOS Devices and NFC Plans

Virtual Piggy, Inc. announced the release of its mobile iOS application, which allows parents and kids to manage their Virtual Piggy accounts on their Apple phones and tablets. Virtual Piggy offers a secure, COPPA compliant, e-commerce solution to enable kids under 18 to make online purchases.
Kids between the ages of 8 and 18 have more than $50 billion in annual spending power and yet when it comes to online purchases they either have no ability to spend or they have their parent's credit card. Virtual Piggy provides technology that gives kids the ability to shop online in a controlled environment that parents can feel comfortable about.
"Kids are very comfortable with e-commerce and over a third of kids 8-11 now have their own mobile device and that number is rising," said Virtual Piggy Executive, Catherine Williams. "The Virtual Piggy app brings our secure online payment method to the platforms where kids spend the majority of their time."
The introduction of the Virtual Piggy mobile application is an integral part of the company's plans to bring their family approved e-commerce solution to the global U18 market, whether they are shopping online using mobile devices or PC's, or in-store with the integration of NFC technology.
The application is available for download at VirtualPiggy.com and in the iTunes store for no charge.

Odawa Casino Resort Installs Uniform Tracking System

InvoTech Systems, Inc. announced the Odawa Casino Resort (OCR) upgraded its GIMS Uniform System inventory software with UHF-RFID technology to automate the inventory tracking and control of thousands of valuable uniforms worn by Team Members at the property. GIMS was initially installed at OCR in 2007 with barcode labels attached to the uniforms which were manually scanned for real-time tracking of inventory. Uniforms now have UHF-RFID tags attached that automate the inventory process. The Odawa Casino Resort, owned and operated by the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, realizes the cost saving benefits provided by GIMS with less labor required.

Playing RFID tag with sheets of paper

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are an essential component of modern shopping, logistics, warehouse, and stock control for toll roads, casino chips and much more. They provide a simple way to track the item to which the tag is attached. Now, researchers in France have developed a way to deposit a thin aluminum RFID tag on to paper that not only reduces the amount of metal needed for the tag, and so the cost, but could open up RFID tagging to many more systems, even allowing a single printed sheet or flyer to be tagged.
RFID tags are an alternative technology to printed barcodes, which provide an automatic means of delivering product data without direct contact between the tag, or transponder, and the reader device. Indeed, unlike barcodes there is no requirement for the tag to be in the line of sight of the reader. RFID tags are, unfortunately, relatively expensive compared to barcodes and their uses are not as widespread. The ability to produce RFID tags at a fraction of the present cost could change that.
There are several techniques used to deposit an antenna on PET: etching, electroplating; and on paper: screen printing, flexography and offset lithography. Now, Camille Ramade and colleagues at the University of Montpellier have demonstrated how a simple thermal evaporation process can deposit an aluminum coil antenna on to paper for use as an RFID tag. Aluminum is a lot less expensive than copper or silver, which are used in some types of RFID tag. The researchers suggest that the approach would reduce the cost of RFID tagging to a fifth of current prices, which could represent significant savings for inventory users operating millions of RFID tags in their systems.
"Prototypes are functional and easily detected by the reader; the next step is to optimize the design for each family of RFID chips. This will significantly improve performance while maintaining the same low-cost technology on paper," the team says.

HID Global Mobile Access Pilot at Arizona State University

Scottish government awards £2.2m smartcard contract to Novacard Read more: http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2143603/scottish-government-awards-gbp22m-smartcard-contract-novacard#ixzz1lIcD5oU2 Computing - Insight for IT leaders Claim your free subscription today.

The Scottish government has awarded German company Novacard a £2.2m contract to supply three million smartcards over the next four years to local authorities. The Scottish public sector has implemented a National Entitlement Card (NEC) scheme, which allows Scottish citizens to have a multi-application smartcard as a means of accessing public services. According to an online award notice, Novacard has been chosen to supply the Scottish government with the smartcards for this service, following a successful tender process.

RFID e-purse to help cruise through toll plazas

The Union Government will soon start a pilot project of electronic toll collection (ETC) using the radio-frequency identification device (RFID) on National Highway 1 between Delhi and Amritsar. The pilot project is taken up before the pan-India launch of the unified ETC across national highways maintained by the National Highways Authority of India, said C. Kandasamy, Director-General (Road Development) and Special Secretary to Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, here on Thursday. The ETC, if found successful and is embraced by most of the vehicle users, is bound to ease long queues at toll plazas across national highways in the country.

Neww handheld RFID Reader/Mobile Computer

GAO RFID Asset Tracking has launched a new handheld RFID reader/mobile computer. Using advanced encryption and authentication techniques, this RFID reader is able to read and write tag IDs and data blocks as well as protect the data on compatible transponders for privacy and security purposes. It is an ideal solution for a number of vertical markets such as asset tracking and inventory management, event attendance or personnel access control, fleet maintenance, in the warehouse or on the hospital floor.
This rugged handheld RFID reader/mobile computer, model 243004, offers two unique and innovative features of great benefit to the user. Its exceptional antenna allows for the reading of tags in practically any orientation, overcoming problems associated with tag orientation in supply chain applications. As well, it contains a hardware/software scheme, "Software Defined Radio" (SDR) architecture, which enables the RFID reader to support future tags and protocols via software upgrade while maintain existing hardware.

Precision Dynamics Corporation Enters Into Agreement With Intellitix

Precision Dynamics Corporation (PDC), the global leader in identification solutions, and Intellitix, the global leader in RFID solutions for live events, have announced a non-exclusive, multi-year marketing agreement to deliver next generation RFID solutions to the events, festival, and live entertainment industries.
PDC and Intellitix will combine their unique experience, resources, products, and services to deliver customized event management solutions. Intellitix brings more than 40 years of experience in event and festival promotion, and PDC has a 55-year history in identification and access control solutions. Both companies will act as preferred partners for RFID credentials designed to work seamlessly with the access control, brand activation, and audience profiling solutions developed by Intellitix.
Robin Barber, Ph.D., vice president leisure & entertainment, PDC, stated, "PDC and Intellitix are joining efforts to offer a best-in-class event management solution that eliminates counterfeit ticketing, streamlines processes, and creates new revenue opportunities. PDC's wristband technology combined with Intellitix's event management solutions expertise is a great synergy that provides value-added benefits to our clients and their customers."
"This agreement marks a new era of integrated event management solutions for the events industry as we offer innovative access control solutions, similar to those we deployed at festivals all across America last year," remarked Serge Grimaux, Intellitix co-founder. "RFID is a game-changing technology for live entertainment, whether that's through access control, cashless payment systems or social media integration, and this is another fantastic step in continuing to make Intellitix a ubiquitous platform that all like-minded innovators can build on."
PDC and Intellitix will showcase their RFID Event Management Solutions at the Event Live Expo, February 1-2, at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA. Event Live attendees will experience real-world access control and social media applications, as well as the new PDC Smart(R) Wristband Kiosk via live demonstrations. PDC and Intellitix will be located at Booth #3030.
For additional information regarding PDC's RFID Solutions please call 866.403.6526 or visit www.pdcorp.com/rfid . For additional information about Intellitix, please visit www.intellitix.com or contact company CIO Greg Parmley at +44 7740 868 956 or greg.parmley@intellitix.com