Jan 18, 2018The following are news announcements made during the past week by the following organizations:
Nedap Identification Systems;
Fujitsu Frontech North America;
Tyco Retail Solutions;
Ambiq Micro;
STid, ABS Technology, SMARTContactless; and
Atlas RFID Solutions.
Nedap Intros Slim Mobile Access-Control Reader
Nedap Identification Systems has announced MACE Smart, a slim multi-technology reader for mobile access control. This reader is the newest addition to the MACE platform, which enables the use of smartphones in access-control systems. The MACE Smart can read virtual credentials on smartphones, as well as conventional smart cards. The company plans to introduce the device at the Intersec exhibition in Dubai, which will take place on Jan. 21 to 23, 2018.
"We are committed to unlocking the potential of smartphones as identification technology in access control systems," said Maarten Mijwaart, Nedap Identification Systems's general manager, in a prepared statement. "The release of our newest reader is proof of this commitment. In addition, we are also releasing a renewed version of the MACE Admin Portal that is used to distribute and revoke virtual access control cards. This renewed version now also has an API for seamless integration with any access control system. It is our firm belief that these innovations will help our partners to realize future proof access control solutions for their clients, whether it is for buildings, parking facilities or events."
With the introduction of the MACE platform last year, Nedap says it is responding to the global shift of smartphone credentials replacing physical cards. MACE readers support Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC) and QR codes, to identify individuals using virtual credentials, which are then stored in a MACE app. MACE can be used in combination with any access-control system or other system that requires the swift identification of people, such as parking-management or registration systems.
The MACE Smart reader supports Bluetooth, NFC and smart cards and, according to the company, is small enough to be mullion-mounted. It has a slim design, making it suitable for doors that require a combination of security and convenience.
Fujitsu Frontech North America Unveils Biometric Customer-Authentication, RFID Garment-Tracking Solutions
Fujitsu Frontech North America demonstrated its PalmSecure biometrics and washable/wearable RFID solution at booth #3907 during the National Retail Federation's 2018 annual show, held this week at New York City's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
Fujitsu demonstrated its recently announced F-Pro palm vein biometric sensor and STYLISTIC V535 Tablet with an embedded F-Pro sensor for authentication in a fixed or mobile retail environment. The F-Pro features a palm vein biometric sensor. The ruggedized tablet features an 8.3-inch projected capacitive touchscreen display, and is water- and dust-resistant, with more than five hours of runtime.
In addition, Fujitsu demonstrated its washable/wearable WT-A533L UHF RFID fashion tag. Tracking fashion garments, formalwear and accessories is critical to a successful garment rental enterprise. The 7-millimeter-wide fashion tag can be discreetly affixed to high-fashion articles to track their location and combat fraud. With RFID, the company reports, fashion rental providers can reduce workflow by scanning fashion items in bulk to prevent shipping errors, as well as tracking received items as soon as they come off a truck, without the need for manual sorting. The tag is designed to withstand normal washing, dry cleaning and ironing.
"Fujitsu is extremely excited about the release of the V535 with integrated F-Pro. We are currently working with strategic partners who will enable us to grow our PalmSecure suite of solutions," said Randy Fox, Fujitsu Frontech North America's VP of currency handling and identity product solutions, in a prepared statement. "Tracking fashion garments, formalwear, and accessories is critical to a successful garment rental enterprise. Fashion garment designers and manufacturers will benefit from its small, almost imperceptible design allowing them to provide positive identification of their high value items while reducing incidents of loss and return fraud."
Tyco Retail Solutions Collaborates With Google Cloud to Power Store Solutions for Digital Transformation
Tyco Retail Solutions has announced that it is collaborating with Google Cloud to strengthen its market leadership in real-time analytics, store execution and performance solutions. Tyco Retail and Google Cloud will collaborate to deliver use cases marrying real-time edge intelligence and decision-making with core cloud computing.
The initial phase of the partnership will integrate Tyco's real-time data-intelligence and application capabilities across store inventory, loss prevention and traffic on the Google Cloud Platform for fast, consistent, scalable performance and measurable retailer value. This integration will provide retailers with a real-time view into accurate inventory availability for unified commerce fulfillment, the company reports, as well as in-store traffic data and insights for improved customer engagement.
The new Google Cloud-based service for store shrink management enables retailers to enhance productivity, as well as increase reliability and performance of electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems for the purpose of loss prevention. Retailers will be able to incorporate external market, customer and retail data from Google Analytics and Tyco into the new extensible analytics platform.
The Google Cloud platform provides a flexible infrastructure with security and data protection. Tyco Retail will tap into Google Cloud's big-data and machine-learning solutions to build better products and fuel new solutions.
"We are excited to partner with Google Cloud and offer retailers our highly predictive analytics and innovative solutions through leading edge technology with the Google Cloud Platform," said Amin Shahidi, Tyco Retail Solutions' VP of strategy, in a prepared statement. "With best-in-class people, processes and technologies together we can deliver cutting edge insights for strategic retail outcomes."
Ambiq Micro Releases Bluetooth 5 Low Energy Microcrontrollers
Ambiq Micro, a provider of ultra-low-power solutions, has announced the release of its Apollo Blue microcontroller family. This new product line integrates Bluetooth 5 Low Energy radio connectivity with Ambiq Micro's patented Subthreshold Power Optimized Technology (SPOT) architecture.
Apollo Blue microcontrollers integrate an energy-efficient Bluetooth 5 Low Energy radio with improved communication features. The Apollo Blue family of products includes a second core dedicated to running the Bluetooth stack. This architecture allows the ARM Cortex-M4F main processor to focus on managing applications like voice control, keyword detection and sensor processing.
"Customers have been delighted to use Ambiq Micro's Real-Time-Clock and Microcontroller products to drive new levels of power efficiency in their designs," said Aaron Grassian, Ambiq Micro's VP of marketing and business development, in a prepared statement. "We are excited to introduce the Apollo Blue family of products with integrated Bluetooth low energy to offer our customers even more choices to develop always-on, always-aware, and always-connected products without sacrificing battery life."
The first product in the Blue family is Ambiq Micro's Apollo2 Blue, which is in full production and is available now. Ambiq demonstrated SPOT-enabled ultra-low-power Apollo Blue products at the recent Consumer Electronics Show 2018 (CES) event in Las Vegas.
INIT Innovation in Transportation Secures HQ With STid, ABS Technology, SMARTContactless Solutions
SmartContactless, a distributor of contactless solutions, as well as ABS Technology and STid, have been selected by INIT Innovation in Transportation, a provider of intelligent transportation systems for public transit, to create a new mobile access-control experience for its employees and visitors.
STid's Mobile ID system supports such credential technologies as MIFARE, MIFARE DESFire EV1/EV2, Near Field Communication (NFC) and STid's mobile credentials, using a smartphone and Bluetooth for communications. The solution includes a free mobile app, multi-technologies Architect Blue readers, and offline and online programming tools.
INIT Innovation in Transportation has installed Architect Blue readers at the doors and entrances of its new corporate headquarters to provide security. Employees and visitors use STid's patented identification mode features and can access the building or other sensitive entrances within the offices without taking their smartphones out of their pocket or bag. "This Bluetooth reader has so much technology built into it," said Jamie Thomas, ABS Technology's systems engineer, in a prepared statement regarding the Mobile ID solution. "It's future-proof, and easy to install and program."
Feedback on the mobile-access solution has been positive, the company reports, and INIT is exploring the Mobile ID's options to remotely assign and revoke mobile credentials to employees and visitors over the air. "As a provider of innovative technology to our public transit customers, INIT desired an access control solution which mirrored our innovative technology solutions, matched our company culture and was simple to install and administer," said David Page, INIT's director of IT, in the prepared statement. "In addition, we wanted the ability to start with a small proof of concept and eventually grow it as this type of technology inevitably transitions to a fundamental employee expectation instead of a bleeding edge innovation."
"STid is really leading the market with innovative RFID reader solutions for security-minded professionals and end users," said Robert Gailing, SmartContactless's president, in the prepared statement. "The new STid Mobile ID reader solution, with its 5 methods of mobile credential presentation using the smartphone and customizable distance to 60 feet, there is virtually nowhere the reader cannot be utilized throughout any access control deployment."
"We are pleased that both INIT USA Inc. employees and managers are enjoying the experience," said Vincent Dupart, STid's CEO, in the prepared statement. "We are also proud to work with strategic partners like SmartContactless, offering high-quality customer support to promote our mobile access solution. The ability to use smartphones for high-security access control is becoming increasingly important, as these devices are part of our everyday lives in the business workplace."
Atlas RFID Solutions Adds Bar-Code Scanning to Mobile Devices
Atlas RFID Solutions has announced its latest product release, which allows users to utilize built-in mobile camera to scan bar codes. This means users of the software no longer require additional scanning hardware for bar codes, frees up a hand to position bar codes or adjust materials as needed, and keeps a user's focus on the application, thereby providing a safer, more reliable and convenient work environment, according to the company.
Mobile scan via native camera is now available at the following steps within supplier staging: primary/default screen, filter screen and quick filter, primary workflow (scan RFID tag) and shipping unit options (scan RFID tag and search for existing shipping unit). In addition, mobile scan via native camera is available at the following steps within track and trace: material lookup, search, find with bar-code scan, named location with bar-code scan and item update by scan.
"Increasing features in our mobile application aligns with the construction industry's newly evolving tech scene," said Jon Chesser, Atlas RFID's chief revenue officer, in a prepared statement. "We need simple products that increase workforce productivity and time on tools."
