RFID News Roundup

STMicroelectronics, Kudelski Group partner on IIoT security solution; Janam Technologies intros touch computer with RFID, NFC capabilities; Market Study Report predicts UHF RFID tag inlay market growth; Claroty enhances its industrial cybersecurity platform with IoT monitoring; BehrTech launches LPWAN for Industrial IoT network and device management; Sensera, Arrow Electronics sign global agreement to cooperate on IoT sensor solutions; Avnet offers free IoT security starter kits.
Published: July 25, 2019

Presented here are news announcements made during the past week by the following organizations:
STMicroelectronics, Kudelski Group;
Janam Technologies;
Market Study Report;
Claroty;
BehrTech;
Sensera, Arrow Electronics; and
Avnet.

STMicroelectronics, Kudelski Group Partner on IIoT Security Solution

Kudelski Group, a proider of digital security solutions, has announced that, in collaboration with STMicroelectronics, it has ported its IoT Security Client with Root of Trust to the STM32 32-bit Arm Cortex family of MCUs. The solution enables consumer and industrial device manufacturers using ST’s MCUs to offer secure IoT solutions.

The combined markets of the Internet of Things (IoT) are expected to grow to about $520 billion in 2021. Security and integration with existing technologies are frequently cited as the biggest barriers to IoT adoption in the enterprise. Kudelski’s solution, running on STM32 microcontrollers, provides an MCU/brain that pre-integrates security and functionality in order to create smaller, power-efficient smart objects, according to the company.

“As companies continue to connect a vast variety of different objects to the internet, they need to accelerate time to market and minimize security risks to the ensure long-term success of their investments,” said Jean-Michel Puiatti, Kudelski Group’s senior VP of IoT security, in a prepared statement. “By working with ST to integrate our security with their powerful microcontroller range, we give our customers the ability to speed new IoT products to market while protecting the long-term sustainability of their business model.”

“Working closely with Kudelski to port their IoT Security Client with Root of Trust to the STM32 family is another important step that ST is taking to extend and strengthen the STM32 ecosystem and assure customers of the security of their STM32-based applications,” added Bertrand Denis, STMicroelectronics’ product line manager for 32-bit MCUs, in the prepared statement.

Kudelski’s IoT security platform provides protection from chip to cloud for IoT ecosystems, creating a robust device identity as a secure foundation for protecting the device, data, decisions, commands and actions. The platform can be implemented in different ecosystems with different partners, and has been adopted by telecoms, consumer electronics, medical and industrial IoT partners and clients, the company reports.

Janam Technologies Intros Touch Computer With RFID, NFC Capabilities

Janam Technologies, a provider of rugged mobile computers that capture data and communicate wirelessly, has introduced a touch computer with a 5-inch display and Google’s Android Enterprise Recommended (AER) certification. As part of the AER program, Janam’s XT200 runs Android 8 (Oreo), can be upgraded to Android 9 (Pie) and supports five years of software security patches. The XT200 is built for applications in retail, direct store delivery and field service environments, including inventory tracking, point of sale and proof of delivery.

The XT200 includes Wi-Fi Fast Roaming connectivity, 4G LTE for fast voice and data, and support for instant Push-to-Talk (PTT). With 2D imaging technology, the device offers a long read range and high motion tolerance for barcode scanning, even on poorly printed barcodes. It comes with integrated RFID and NFC reading capabilities, along with 13MP/5MP rear- and front-facing cameras.

The XT200 is built to survive drops on concrete across a wide temperature range and is sealed to IP67 standards for protection against water, dust and more. With a 2900mAh standard battery and optional 5800mAh extended battery, as well as a low-power octa-core processor, it provides extended-shift battery life and comes with a standard two-year warranty. Optional service plans are available.

“Janam has a long history of supporting products and operating systems well past their official end-of-life dates,” said Harry B. Lerner, Janam Technologies’s CEO, in a prepared statement. “We’re thrilled to participate in Google’s AER program with the new XT200, committing to long-term enterprise support that our customers already expect from us, while once again raising the bar for our competitors.”

Market Study Report Predicts UHF RFID Tag Inlay Market Growth

The “UHF RFID Tag Inlays Market” research study, from Market Study Report, has analyzed the latest trends prevalent in that sector. The report provides statistics regarding market size, participant share and consumption data in key regions, and offers a detailed synopsis of the business spectrum, with a focus on industry size, product types, application bifurcation and new opportunities in the business space.

The report discusses such companies as Smartrac, Xindeco IOT, Invengo, Shang Yang RFID Technology, Avery Dennison, Inlaylink, D&H SmartID, Alien Technology, Junmp Technology, Nethom, Identiv and Sense Technology. It details distribution and sales, and also provides such information as company profile, product details and vendors, as well as sales, accumulated profits, cost prototypes and revenue margins. The study covers the drivers and restraints influencing the commercialization landscape of UHF RFID tag inlays, highlighting the challenges that this industry faces, along with the impact they may have on overall market trends.

The report splits the market into several segments: the United States, Europe, Japan, China, India and South East Asia. With regard to the product landscape, the market is bifurcated into UHF dry inlays and UHF wet inlays. Details about the market share procured by each product type segment, in conjunction with the forecast valuation of the product type segment, are elaborated on.

In addition, the report discusses product consumption and sales in such industries as retail, financial, industry, logistics and medical. The study provides the market share accrued by each application, as well as the estimated proceeds of each segment.

Claroty Enhances Its Industrial Cybersecurity Platform With IoT Monitoring

Claroty, a provider of industrial cybersecurity solutions, has introduced several enhancements to its Continuous Threat Detection (CTD) operational technology (OT) security system. This latest release enables enterprises to monitor their Internet of Things (IoT) devices, provides greater network visibility, reduces deployment times and eliminates the noise of non-critical alerts, according to the company. The firm has also announced that it has joined the Industrial Internet Consortium.

The latest update to CTD (version 3.5) features Claroty’s deep-packet inspection technology across both IoT and OT devices. The solution automatically discovers IoT devices on a network and classifies each based on both its static and behavioral attributes. It then identifies known vulnerabilities and risks associated with those assets and continuously monitors the environment for threats and policy violations. The new IoT functionality is part of a broader update to the Claroty CTD product.

Other enhancements include the following: Machine Learning Alert Algorithm optimizes signal-to-noise ratio by correlating all events on a network with online patterns and communication behaviors, prioritizing high-fidelity alerts. Root Cause Analytics features contextual data and visualization tools to illustrate the precise chain of events that trigger alarms, and to improve the speed, efficiency and accuracy of incident response and threat hunting. Claroty Threat Intelligence provides highly curated and multi-source feeds to enrich CTD’s analytics with proprietary research of zero-day vulnerabilities and IoT- and OT-specific indicators of compromises linked to threat actors’ tactics, techniques and procedures.

In addition, Virtual Zones+ automatically groups together network assets with similar behaviors and attributes. CTD identifies the relationship between logical groups and automatically generates granular communication policies. These policies assign permission levels to each zone, along with a specific level of trust to help end users understand the risks posed by logical connections between the zones.

BehrTech Launches LPWAN for Industrial IoT Network and Device Management

BehrTech, a disruptive enabler of wireless connectivity for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), has announced the release of MYTHINGS Central, a low-power wide area network (LPWAN) and device-management software platform for on- and off-boarding, cloud and backend integration, data monitoring, and network troubleshooting. MYTHINGS Central supports IIoT networks powered by the ETSI-standardized MIOTYTMLPWAN technology.

With an open API-driven approach, MYTHINGS Central enables customers to connect, configure and manage thousands of sensors for innumerable Industrial IoT applications, such as environmental monitoring, worker safety, infrastructure and facility management. MYTHINGS Central can be deployed in any environment, whether on the base station, at a customer’s premises or in the cloud.

“MYTHINGS Central provides the flexible integration needed to streamline the costs and complexities of massive scale IoT network deployments and management,” said Wolfgang Thieme, BehrTech’s chief product officer, in a prepared statement. “Its modular, scalable and secure design allows customers to easily transition from proofs-of-concept to full-scale IoT deployments.”

Microsoft‘s Azure cloud connector is natively embedded in the MYTHINGS Central software design. Through Azure resources, such as the IoT Hub, customers can collect large amounts of data from thousands of devices for real-time analysis and visualization.

Sensera, Arrow Electronics Sign Global Agreement to Cooperate on IoT Sensor Solutions

Sensera Ltd., an Internet of Things (IoT) solution provider, has announced that it has signed a global agreement with Arrow Electronics to distribute its real-time location and location-aware smart wireless sensor solutions. Sensera is a designer and manufacturer of sensor solutions and services for the IoT market, which combines precise proximity detection and tracking in real time with smart IoT sensors.

Under the terms of the agreement, Arrow’s IoT group will provide consultancy and assist with designing and delivering solutions based on Sensera’s products, including system integration and deployment. The agreement covers Sensera’s IoT Solutions and MicroDevices divisions.

Prior to the current agreement, Arrow distributed Nanotron Technologies, Sensera’s IoT Solutions division, in limited geographies. Arrow will now provide Sensera’s entire product portfolio to its worldwide customer base, enabling the delivery of IoT solutions for mission-critical applications. Its technical sales teams and field application engineers will provide customers with design-in and product support.

“Arrow is a global leader in IoT solutions and we are delighted to work together with them to bring our IoT sensor technology to a broader base of customers around the world,” said Ralph Schmitt, Sensera’s CEO, in a prepared statement. “Their extensive team of sales and applications professionals will allow us to deliver our mission-critical sensor technology to significantly more customers. The agreement was founded on a history of successful cooperation in a few countries, and we have already engaged in a set of new customers in the expanded geographic footprint which will provide near term revenue. “

Avnet Offers Free IoT Security Starter Kits

To help developers create secure IoT solutions, global technology solutions provider Avnet is giving away 20,000 free Azure Sphere starter kits. Developers will have access to a series of resources, including webinars, lectures, road tests and design contests hosted by Avnet, as part of the company’s relationship with Microsoft‘s Azure Sphere Ecosystem.

Developed by Avnet and announced earlier this year, the Avnet Azure Sphere MT3620 Starter Kit equips IoT endpoint devices to be highly secure. The starter kit leverages the Avnet-developed Azure Sphere module that is based on Microsoft’s Azure Sphere operating system and Azure Sphere Security Service, hosted on a MediaTek MT3620 secure MCU. The kits will be offered through Avnet’s Hackster.io and element14communities with kits and contest submissions open until Sept. 30, 2019.

Additionally, developers will be able to participate in two design challenges based on the Azure Sphere starter kit, with the opportunity to win a range of prizes totaling more than $70,000:

“Sensing the World”: Participants are challenged to develop an IoT device that demonstrates the potential of Azure Sphere. They can utilize their choice of peripherals, complementing the on-board connectivity, sensors and expansion possibilities, as well as choose their own application. Submitted projects will be judged on ingenuity and how well they achieve their stated purpose.

“Secure Everything Challenge”: Focusing on the increasing need for security, participants are challenged to create a highly secured, connected MCU-powered device using Azure Sphere. Projects should satisfy one of a number of defined themes, including building and home automation, smart retail, and energy and renewables solutions.

“The rapid expansion of IoT has brought forward a new set of security challenges for developers, putting even more projects at risk of getting lost in ‘proof of concept purgatory,'” said Lou Lutostanski, Avnet’s VP for the Internet of Things, in a prepared statement. “By working with Microsoft, we’ve combined the superior security benefits of Azure Sphere with Avnet’s hardware and software capabilities. As a result, we’re delivering secure IoT support that designers need to take their concepts from the back of a napkin all the way to production, faster than before.”

The MT3620 Starter Kit utilizes Microsoft’s secure Azure Sphere OS and Azure Sphere Security Service. By uniting hardware, software and cloud in a single solution, Azure Sphere secures the seven critical properties of an IoT device: hardware root of trust, defense in depth, small trusted computing base, dynamic compartments, certificate-based authentication, failure reporting and renewable security.