RFID as a Strategic Tool is one necessary

Imagine you are walking down the street in London and you look down and see an 11-inch-long stick made of holly. You pick it up, and upon inspection, you realize that it has a core of phoenix feathers. You realize you have discovered Harry Potter's magical wand. You immediately say "Expecto patronum," and a wispy shape of a tiger appears, a guardian against Dementors. You put away your new, powerful tool and never bother to figure out what else it can do.

Doesn't make a whole lot of sense, does it?

But that's exactly what I feel a lot of companies are doing with radio frequency identification technology. They need it to track parts containers, or tools or roll cages. They deploy a solution, receive the expected benefits, and that's it. There's nothing terribly wrong with this, of course. But it's sort of like finding Harry Potter's want and using it for just one thing.

RFID should be seen as a strategic tool that can be used to enhance your company's core strategic advantage. If you are a manufacturer that competes by producing goods at the lowest cost, RFID can be used in dozens of ways to take costs out of the system. Processes can be streamlined, capital expenditures in tools and containers can be cut, shipping errors can be slashed, worker productivity can be better tracked and improved, and so on.

If you are a retailer that provides a high-end experience to well-heeled shoppers, RFID can be used, first and foremost, to ensure your product is always available, no matter when, where and how your customer wants to buy it. But it can also be used to create interactive displays on the store floor, where a customer can pick up an item and immediately view a video or a screen containing complimentary items. It can be used to make smart changing rooms, in which shoppers can see information about that item, find out what other colors and sizes are in stock, and call a store associate to bring a different size.

Even these two examples, which few companies have fully implemented, are the tip of the iceberg. RFID allows companies to collect a wealth of data that will allow them to make smarter decisions that further improve their bottom line.

The high-end retailer, for example, might use data about which items were tried on in the fitting room but not purchased to make changes to the cut or fit of a dress. They might use data about where items were picked up in stores to optimize store configurations. And they might compare local demographic data and sales of particular items in stores against other stores, to optimize their products for different customer sets.

The low-cost manufacturer could tag items on various assembly lines producing the same product and compare the amount of time it takes workers at each station to complete a task. That data could then be used to retrain a worker not performing a task quickly enough, or move that employee to a different task to which he or she is better suited. Workers might also be paid extra for assembling pallets of different goods more accurately and more quickly.

The point here is that RFID is like Harry Potter's wand—it does a lot of different things, many of which seem magical (since radio waves are invisible). I will be presenting a complete preconference seminar on Apr. 10 at next month's RFID Journal LIVE! 2018 conference and exhibition, titled "RFID Strategy and Best Practices." During the sessions, I will explain where adoption is today, how to take a strategic approach to adopting RFID, how to develop a step-by-step deployment plan that encompasses that strategic approach and how to manage change.

Much of what I will be presenting has been learned from Airbus, Macy's, Marks & Spencer and other companies that view RFID as a strategic tool. If your firm wants to learn how to use RFID to enhance its competitive advantage and improve its bottom line, join me for this unique seminar. I can't promise you that you'll be able to ward off Dementors or even open locked doors with the Alohomora spell, but I guarantee you'll come away with a clearer idea of how to use RFID in ways that enrich you business.

More info at http://www.asiarfid.com/blog/rfid-as-a-strategic-tool-is-one-necessary.html

IoT Security from the Ground Up

According to a recent study from Ponemon Institute that surveyed 16,450 IT and IT security professionals working in mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) security, only 30 percent of respondents said their organization dedicates an appropriate amount of budget to secure mobile applications and IoT devices. As the number of IoT endpoints skyrockets, this low attention to security is a significant concern. While the data generated by IoT devices can create great value for businesses, it also represents a growing treasure trove for cyber criminals.

You can reduce your exposure to IoT security risks by following the best practices discussed below:

Design Considerations

If security is not prioritized in the initial design, it will be more difficult to integrate later in the process. Identifying potential threats early in the design stages allows you to proactively reduce liabilities and be better prepared if a breach occurs.

As you are building an IoT application, weave security into every aspect of its design. Assign at least one member from the development team to be focused on security, and, if possible, have that person complete an industry-standard security certification. Also, establish protocols for internal security and regular testing, and update future guidelines based on those findings.

Data Encryption

Many IoT devices transmit some degree of confidential or personal information. Some examples include patient information (in the health-care industry), credit card numbers (for retailers) or Social Security information (with financial services organizations). Data encryption changes information so that it is unreadable to threat actors that may be eavesdropping on the connection.

To sufficiently protect data in transit, at a minimum it is critical to deploy a site-to-site VPN tunnel from the IoT operator network to the back-end server's network. Doing so enables encrypted data transmission across the most vulnerable segment of the network path. That said, even under the assumption that the VPN tunnel is between two trusted networks, it is still important to use controls for strong authentication on the endpoints should a device or the channel be compromised.

Partner Integrity

Your network is only as secure as your weakest partner or link, so make sure each link meets or exceeds your security standards. A vast number of IoT applications rely on cellular connectivity, and this often involves three network connection partners:

• The mobile network operator (MNO)

• The IoT network operator

• The internet service provider (ISP)

If any of these third-party network providers do not meet security requirements, your data is at risk. It is crucial to vet partners to ensure they employ the most up-to-date protocols and technology, so be sure to conduct due diligence regarding proficiencies in the following areas:

• Intrusion prevention systems (IPS)

• Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) defense systems

• Security patch and update processes

• Firewall models

• Real-time network operations monitoring

• Incident response

Access Control

Who can access your data and systems? In some instances, confidentiality is far less important than access control. An example use-case is an IoT application that locks or unlocks your car door; no confidential information is being shared, but you would not want unauthorized parties to access this system.

Understanding who has access to your data or systems is not always as easy as it seems. Employees may leave the company, be promoted or transfer to other divisions, but often retain access rights that should be changed or discontinued. It is critical to make sure privileges are up-to-date to avoid unauthorized access, whether unintentional or otherwise.

Monitoring

Do you know when a security breach has occurred on your network or IoT device? If so, how soon will you be notified? Even the strongest preventive security systems aren't foolproof. Statistically, every organization will likely experience a security breach of some degree, regardless of precautions. The key is shrinking potential damage to its least liability. Early detection of an event allows for a quicker response, thus reducing the risk of malicious use.

When a breach occurs, time is of the essence. As soon as something goes wrong, you should know about it—every minute that passes can be costly. Make sure that back-end applications have the ability to log abnormalities. Partnering with an IoT network operator that provides alerting tools for fraud detection and prevention can give you more rapid insight into potential problems. Your internal teams should also monitor data logs and create automatic alerts for signs of compromise for an extra layer of 

security. 

More at  http://www.asiarfid.com/blog/iot-security-from-the-ground-up.html

Several Lessons for IoT and Data Teams to Remember in 2018

Data and connected products and services are two sides of the same coin.

Lesson 1: Start from the problem or need you want to solve, not with the solution, by simply aiming to make your product connected.

Analogy with data analysis: The same is true for data analysts, who may start analyzing huge amounts of data without knowing first what they are looking for. What is the big question you are trying to answer? The advice here is, again, to start from the problem you want to solve, not from the data.

Lesson 2: Prioritize the implementation of IoT projects based on the impact on your bottom line in both the short and long terms.

Analogy with data analysis: It is the same for data analysts. Which question is worthy to solve first? Where should you focus your time and energy?

Lesson 3: Think big, start small, fail quickly (learn) and scale fast.

We need miniature versions of our grand idea so we can validate its parts, and then iterate and tweak constantly. We see quite often that big corporates think big, but then plan and prepare for years until they launch the first product in scale. This approach can have several risks since the technology and trends change quicker and the competition (especially from startups) is moving faster. Disruption is coming from many sides and it is quick. Besides, if we don't start small, we will not be able to receive the valuable feedback of the market, adjust our products and decide which we will finally scale. The "start small" tactic helps also in engaging with internal stakeholders and keeps their interest and commitment high.

Analogy with data analysis: In the beginning, you need to test samples of your data quickly, without affecting the whole datasets. You need to fail and learn quickly, try again, leverage old lessons and finally find the answer to the question you are looking for.

Lesson 4: Break the silos of the company's departments and data.

Analogy with data analysis: We need the same approach regarding the data. Each department ideally needs to have the data in the same format and provide it easily and in a secure way to the analysts, so they can integrate it and play with it. Integrating data from different departments and data sources could create insights of which the company had no idea. In some cases, it can be even a game changer.

Lesson 5: Explain the data with storytelling.

Merely collecting data from sensors or internal systems and later integrating all these datasets is not enough. The data needs to be analyzed and then presented in a simple way, in the right context and in an attractive format. The best way to achieve this is by using the effective method of storytelling, combined with proper visualization.

Lesson 6: Empower, train and give exciting problems to your IoT star employees so you can keep them during 2018.

The IoT is quite new, so companies pursuing Internet of Things and big-data strategies are finding it challenging to recruit the right talents with a comprehensive understanding of data, telecoms, software, commercials, strategy, etc. For this reason, it is important that a company invest continuously in the training of its employees, especially in the areas of data, business and technology, so they can have a broad understanding of IoT applications and their implications. Otherwise, not only will the company continue hiring workers who lack the modern skills a competitive business environment requires, but it will lose also its best talents. Both results for the company are enough to forecast a future with limited potential for success.

Lesson 7: Continuously apply all of the above six lessons.

The above lessons need to be remembered for a long time, since IoT and data projects are long and evolve gradually. If we apply these tactics in the beginning, but forget these lessons after six or 18 months, it is very easy to end up making some big mistakes or losing good opportunities.

More info to visit, http://www.asiarfid.com/blog/several-lessons-for-iot-and-data-teams-to-remember-in-2018.html

Unmanned logistics is imperative, and the logistics AI era is really coming?

The demand for the labor force is great. The shortage of labor at the grass-roots level is not the beginning, but a bigger gap. More and more companies are trying to choose AI than people. The concept of "no one" is not a new topic.

In February 23rd, Jingdong officially announced that the world's first self intelligent distribution station developed by Jingdong was completed and put into operation at the national civil aerospace industrial base of Xi'an, Shanxi. According to the introduction, Jingdong's intelligent distribution station can realize self service, replacement, transceiver and other services, and can store 1 terminal unmanned vehicles and provide charging function. Moreover, it can also achieve real unmanned delivery. Jingdong claims that the unmanned flow of logistics will become more common in the future. Once unmanned distribution stations are put into use, millions of couriers may be unemployed.

Jingdong "Asian first" just appeared in the closing ceremony of the Pingchang Winter Olympic Games "Beijing 8 minutes". The domestic industry's first class full process automatic warehouse has achieved the whole process of warehousing, storage, packaging and sorting, and the whole system is intelligent and unmanned.

In the Jingdong warehouse, hundreds of thousands of single units are produced every day for 24 hours, which rely on the participation of robot and AI. The speed of inventory turnover is expected to be reduced to 30 days, or even 20 days, depending on the technology.

What can AI do now? In addition to the unmanned distribution station, UAV and driverless vehicle, the application of AI in the logistics industry has many other works to replace people.

AI allows all the parks to be perceived. More than 300 sensors, covering about 600000 cars, and more than two thousand or three thousand warehouses, including many chiller, freezer, central kitchen and so on, can be perceived at the speed of seconds. AI also allows security to be controlled. A safe robot can help employees to supervise vehicles and operation sites.

The biggest advantage of AI is that can help us to deal with a lot more than the load information, which not only can understand the structured data, can understand the unstructured data, including images, video and voice; by generating hypotheses, dialectical evaluation, and suggest that artificial intelligence can be used to reason for the mass of information.

At most 30 years, AI will take over most of the work. Not only is the logistics base employment, but the whole industry and even the whole society will face the impact of AI. AI technology is affecting the labor market in the logistics industry.

It is impossible to determine whether AI is a better choice, but it is sure that the use of AI has a positive effect on the development of the industry. AI technology is developing rapidly, and the scene that can be used will be more and more extensive.

But the final result of the development of AI is not to replace people, but to liberate people. As people invented the computer, a large number of complicated computing tasks can be handed over to the computer. So, whether it's a robot or a AI product, it's essentially a tool that human beings have invented to serve themselves.　

More Info to visit, http://www.asiarfid.com/blog/unmanned-logistics-is-imperative-and-the-logistics-ai-era-is-really-coming.html

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What does the 2 seconds in Pingchang Winter Olympics Games mean?

On the evening of February 25, 2018 local time, the twenty-third Winter Olympic Games held a closing ceremony in Pingchang, South Korea. As the host city of the next Winter Olympic Games, mayor Chen Jining took the Olympic five ring banner from International Olympic Committee chairman Bach, which represents the Winter Olympic Games entering Beijing time.

Beijing shows the perfect combination of ancient Chinese culture and modern science and technology through a 8 - minute live performance. It is worth noting that the performance is directed by Zhang Yimou, which is also a major stroke following the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. He said the performance was different from the last time.

"Beijing 8 minutes", using a large number of scientific and technological means to present a new generation of intelligent robot,including the world's biggest and most light panda puppets.These new technologies contain the power of "Chinese Wisdom" and "Made In China", which is stunning in the world.

At the seventh minute, the screen appeared in the Jingdong logistics red "intelligent handling robot" as the representative of the intelligent logistics elements. The unmanned warehouse has realized the whole process of storage, packaging and sorting, the intelligent and unmanned system of the whole system. Although the lens only has a short 2 seconds, it has revealed a significant change in China's logistics industry. It hints that the future direction of intelligent logistics operation and intelligent operation in China, which will be milestone in the whole logistics field.

In fact, we can feel that from last year's "618" to "double 11", the time to receive parcels was much faster than ever. Behind the logistics speed, after the one hand thanks to the whole network of large data capacity through reasonable scheduling of large-scale application, on the other hand due to the on-line sorting robot.

It is not only Jing Dong, currently covering a relatively wide range of rookie network, Su Ning, SF, Shen Tong, China postal and other electricity supplier logistics companies have established intelligent warehouse, by sorting robot sorting packages, can achieve more than 20 thousand hours, saving more than 8 labor costs.

More info visit http://www.asiarfid.com/rfid-news/what-does-the-2-seconds-in-pingchang-winter-olympics-games-mean.html

Key-Printing Kiosks Automate RFID Card Copying

Self-service key-copy technology company KeyMe has implemented RFID card duplicating capability at 111 of its kiosk, mostly in urban areas across the United States. The kiosks enable users with low-frequency (LF) 125 kHZ RFID keys—such as access cards for offices, parking lots or apartment buildings—to create copies of their RFID cards. Once a card is read at the kiosk, KeyMe will separately create a duplicate using the collected card data. The duplicate will then be shipped to the individual's home within two or three business days.

"KeyMe is changing the way people make and manage their keys," says Greg Marsh, the kiosk company's CEO. In that effort, he adds, "We believe there's a massive demand to copy RFID cards," primarily for access in the residential market. The company was launched five years ago to provide a convenient technology for copying spare keys, and now has at least one key-copying kiosk throughout 40 states, for a total of 1,500 kiosks deployed around the country.

A customer can first download the KeyMe app that is used to save key information. For very basic keys, he or she can simply insert the key into a slot in the front of the kiosk, which will capture details regarding the key's shape, store that information digitally so it can be copied again if necessary, and then create a duplicate within approximately 30 seconds. The duplicate is provided to that customer on the spot.

The user can then create a "digital key chain" in the app with any of his or her keys, which is stored on the cloud-based server in case a key is ever lost and needs to be printed, or if that person ends up in a lock-out scenario. The key data is stored along with a fingerprint for security purposes.

More sophisticated keys, such as automotive keys with transponder data, can be copied, but this would take a few more days. Once such a key is inserted into the kiosk, the transponder data is captured and stored along with the key's shape, and the duplicate is then shipped to the key holder's address. In the meantime, Marsh says, "Our customers are aggressively asking for more opportunities," including RFID key printing. "We think dense, urban areas will have the earliest demand."

According to Marsh, the company has retrofitted 111 kiosks throughout urban areas (the majority of which are in New York City) with an RFID reader and antennas built from a combination of off-the-shelf and customized reader components. When someone with an RFID card arrives at a kiosk, he or she can touch the screen on the front of the machine to select copying for an RFID ley. The customer is then prompted to place the RFID-enabled card or key fob within contact of the RFID reader sensor. The built-in reader then captures the tag's ID number.

More info visit http://www.asiarfid.com/blog/key-printing-kiosks-automate-rfid-card-copying.html

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