Jan 28, 2021Presented here are recent news announcements regarding the following organizations: the U.S. Navy, VOS Systems, Descartes Systems Group, WISeKey PKI, Onset and Pasternack.
U.S. Navy Awards Contract to VOS Systems for BLE Contact Tracing
VOS Systems, which offers a solution known as AlertTrace, has announced a partnership with the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center's Crane Division to safeguard service members from COVID-19. The AlertTrace contact-tracing solution comes with software and uses encrypted, secured anonymous data to protect privacy. "All devices using radio frequency have a difficult time collecting accurate information onboard a naval vessel," said Nir Livay, VOS Systems CIO, in a prepared statement. "We determined that device placement and using the VOS Systems auto-calibration firmware gave AlertTrace a high degree of accuracy that other contact tracing systems could not match."
Slightly larger than a U.S. quarter, the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device actively detects other AlertTrace units within a given range and registers them as contacts. If an individual tests positive for a contagious infection, the system will identify his or her historical anonymized contacts. This enables exposed individuals to be quarantined, the company explains, while the unexposed population can safely continue their essential activities. According to the company, reports from AlertTrace deployments have shown improvements in adherence to COVID-19 guidelines, and a decrease in the amount of time required to conduct contact tracing.
The data-driven support that AlertTrace provides frees up resources, the firm notes, and enables the Navy to provide a secure environment for sailors and other personnel. "We are excited to work with the Navy to help protect service members from COVID-19," added Richard Allen, the firm's managing director, in the prepared statement. "AlertTrace will serve them in this crisis and with other infectious diseases in the future."
Descartes Systems Group Launches Open Network Initiative for BLE Air Cargo Tracking
Descartes Systems Group has announced that to support the growth of its Descartes Core Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) network, it is now offering its Open Network Initiative. The network employs Descartes Core BLE tags and readers to track the movement and status of air cargo throughout the logistics chain. The network provides freight forwarders, airlines, ground-handling agents and express carriers with a Bluetooth-enabled solution that offers real-time visibility of air mail, parcel and cargo shipments, and the assets used to move them. Shipment status can be tracked in the air or on the ground to automate the tracking of freight location and conditions, such as precise temperature, movement, shock, light and humidity.
The Descartes Core BLE network is being deployed at more than 350 airports around the world, the company reports. The Open Network Initiative expands the value of the network to air cargo industry participants by allowing third-party, BLE-compatible devices to communicate over the network. Based on Bluetooth networking standards, the initiative encourages original equipment manufacturers to develop their own BLE tags by lowering the cost of entrance, since they need not build network infrastructure or invest heavily in network technology and staffing; provides a choice of BLE tags to address a range of requirements for diverse applications; and creates an ecosystem to accelerate the digitization of logistics processes in the air-freight industry.
"We've tested the compatibility of the Descartes Core BLE network with our FindMyULD app and a third-party BLE tag and, with minimal development effort, data is flowing seamlessly between the tag and our application servers," said Steve Townes, ACL Airshop LLC's CEO, in a prepared statement. "In addition, we can better control the content, timing and volume of data transmitted by the tag and maintain security over the messages."
"Descartes continues to lead the adoption of advanced electronic tracking technology for the air cargo industry," added Scott Sangster, Descartes' VP of global logistics services providers, in the prepared statement. "The air cargo ecosystem operates as a network and it is to everyone's advantage to maximize coverage and transparency and to improve visibility. Our Open Network Initiative facilitates this and makes participation in the IoT-based solution more accessible and more cost-effective for airlines, GHAs and freight forwarders alike."
WISeKey PKI Enables IoT Manufacturers to Embed Trusted Digital Certificates
WISeKey International Holding, an identity and cybersecurity company, has announced that it has boosted the deployment of its Certificate Management Solution (CMS) dedicated to the Internet of Things (IoT), known as INeS, by adding new functionalities. Public key cryptography and digital certificates are used to implement strong authentication, data encryption and digital signatures, the company reports.
WISeKey's upgraded INeS CMS for the IoT can be used to issue, validate and manage digital identities via a PKI solution, represented as Digital Certificates, in compliance with the X509 ITU (ISO/IEC 9594-8:2001) standards. It supports all major certificate-enrollment protocols, the company reports, such as SCEP, CMP, CMC and EST. INeS integrates device-management capability and can be used through a Web interface and a REST application programming interface, enabling customers and developers to automate device and certificate management.
INeS can remotely identify credentials and control activation, deactivation, revocation, renewal and provisioning for IoT edge devices and business applications. WISeKey offers the INeS platform as a managed service out of its secure datacenters in Switzerland, but on-premises and hybrid deployments are also available, depending on customer needs and security policies. The platform supports multitenancy, which means customers can use the same software instance to implement parallel, independent solutions or projects.
"PKI and digital certificates provide a scalable and versatile solution to secure the IoT with strong authentication and transaction protection of connected devices," said Pedro Fuentes, WISeKey's trust services manager, in a prepared statement. "WISeKey's certificate-management solution for the IoT, INeS, leverages our 20-year experience of supplying trust services to protect people, applications, and now connected objects. INeS has an amazing track-record proven by the numerous organizations that utilize it to enable trusted identities."
The system allows users to utilize identity-based certificates without deploying a complex infrastructure, the firm reports. It is designed to eliminate certificate-related outages with certificate lifecycle, and to reduce cyber-risks and improve security. "Our clients understand the value of having their devices' identity protected in a tamper-resistant secure element," added Gweltas Radenac, WISeKey's IoT BU director, in the prepared statement, "as provided within the seamless integration of the INeS platform combined with WISeKey's Semiconductors."
WISeKey's secure semiconductors are certified for Evaluation Assurance Level 4+ (EAL4+), according to the international standard Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation (CC). Secure microcontrollers from other vendors are also supported.
Onset Unveils BLE Datalogger for Vaccine Storage, Transportation
Onset, a manufacturer of dataloggers, has released an ultra-low-temperature unit designed for vaccine and pharmaceutical monitoring in storage and transportation environments, known as the InTemp CX405-RTD Dry Ice Data Logger. The device leverages Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology for wireless communication with Onset's InTemp mobile application and InTemp CX5000 gateway.
Users can configure loggers, read data and automatically upload reports to Onset's InTempConnect cloud platform for command-center control over all logger deployments throughout a user's global supply chain. With a built-in 1.5-meter external probe that measures temperatures as low as -95 degrees Celsius (-139 degrees Fahrenheit) and up to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) with high accuracy, the CX405 provides monitoring throughout the cold chain, from dry ice to freezer and refrigerator conditions.
Equipped with an anti-cut sheath to prevent damage to the probe cable, the datalogger features a built-in LCD screen that displays the current temperature, along with visual alarms, battery level, and minimum and maximum readings. The CX405 is built to FDA, USP, EU and WHO standards, the company reports, and is NIST-calibrated, with a two-year NIST calibration certificate (probe only).
"The InTemp CX405 combines highly accurate measurements at ultra-low temperatures with an LCD screen that displays temperature data to ensure vaccine and pharmaceutical efficacy throughout the storage and transportation process," said Jamie Pearce, Onset InTemp's VP and general manager, in a prepared statement. "And when the logger is coupled with the CX5000 Gateway, users can receive real-time email and/or text notifications of temperature excursions, so they can act quickly to ensure the integrity of products passing through a stopover location or stored at their facility."
Pasternack Intros Yagi Antennas for RFID Inventory Tracking
Pasternack, a provider of RF, microwave and millimeter-wave products, has launched a new line of Yagi antennas intended for use in utilities, energy, SCADA, LoRa and RFID inventory-tracking applications. The antennas, which include five new models designed for customers deploying wireless networks in rugged, outdoor conditions, are in stock now and are available for immediate shipping, with no minimum order quantity required.
The antennas operate at either 400 MHz or 900 MHz, with gain ranging from 7 dBi to 13 dBi, and are constructed of aircraft-quality aluminum, according to the company. They feature a ruggedized, fully welded, black powder-coated construction and are built to sustain high winds up to 200 miles per hour, as well as icing conditions.
"Our new Yagi antennas were designed for use in demanding, outdoor wireless networks where lower frequencies are typically used, such as SCADA, RFID, wastewater, and oil and gas installations," said Kevin Hietpas, the company's product line manager, in a prepared statement. "These antennas are also ruggedized with a fully welded design and powder coating to withstand the harshest conditions."
