- Oloid Offers Self-Install Upgrade for Legacy RFID Badge Readers
- Sewio Intros New RTLS Software Suite
- Identiv Joins NFC Forum Board of Directors
- Senet, CalChip Connect Team Up for LoRaWAN Deployments
- Industry IoT Consortium Launches Test Drive for Marine Industry
Sep 15, 2022Presented here are recent news announcements in the radio frequency identification and Internet of Things industries.
Oloid Offers Self-Install Upgrade for Legacy RFID Badge Readers
Oloid has introduced a product called M-Tag, designed for mobile access and physical security at hybrid workplaces, which can be installed within minutes. The tag provides a retrofit upgrade to existing RFID badge readers, enabling smart and secure mobile access for doors, turnstiles, elevators, parking garages or anywhere else where badge readers may be deployed. The tag can be self-installed on top of legacy readers to allow for wireless communication with Oloid's mobile app, to securely authenticate mobile credentials and eliminate the need for individuals to carry or present an RFID badge or fob. Oloid plans to release new functionality in the future, such as support for Near Field Communication, mobile wallets and environmental sensors.
Once installed, the M-Tag allows authorized users to gain physical access through a variety of unlock modes, ranging from full hands-free (by which a person can use a hand gesture to open a door) to highly secure dual-factor authentication (by which a phone would need to be unlocked via facial recognition or a personal identification number). "Oloid M-Tag simply slides and mounts on top of the existing badge reader with an experience inspired by the ease of how millions of smartphone users install a protection case on their smartphones," said Madhu Madhusudhanan, Oloid's co-founder and CTO, in a prepared statement.
Mounting the tag atop an existing badge reader will not disable badge operation functionality, the company reports. This backwards-compatibility feature is intended to ensure that badge- or fob-based access for non-smartphone users will not be interrupted, and that modernization will not preclude inclusivity. The M-Tag does not store user or company data on the device. Rather, mobile credentials are securely transmitted from the device via an encrypted Bluetooth connection between the M-Tag and a user's smartphone, then are relayed to an RFID badge reader as an RF signal.
Oloid says its survey of more than 100 large employers showed that 58 percent are ready to adopt mobile access but find current solutions cost-prohibitive. The survey revealed that the incidents of lost or left-behind-at-home badges has increased by more than 300 percent among employees that do not go to an office daily. "The nationwide launch of the Oloid M-Tag is very timely for organizations who are adopting and ramping hybrid work," said Mohit Garg, Oloid's co-founder and CEO, in a prepared statement. "As employees move to a more dynamic work environment, provisioning, delivering and managing physical badges is going to be tougher than ever before."
Sewio Intros New RTLS Software Suite
Sewio, a UWB-based real-time location system (RTLS) vendor, has announced the release of its RTLS Studio Version 3.0, designed to shorten real-time location system (RTLS) project deployments, while increasing system performance and boosting usability. The solution's native support of distance-measuring tools, such as laser-measuring devices or total stations, is intended to facilitate RTLS project deployments, Sewio reports.
Companies can precisely measure their anchors' positions using the technology, then export this measurement data via a standard DXF file. The DXF file is imported into RTLS Studio, creating the system layout with a single click. RTLS Studio 3.0 supports Ubuntu 20.04, enabling customers to utilize this open-source operating system's improved security and performance. All underlying frameworks, including PHP and MySQL, have been updated to their latest versions, which the company says provides improved performance, stability and security.
Version 3.0 comes with user-experience improvements as well, according to Sewio, such as more specific iconography for the system layout and direct access to myRTLS Care from inside RTLS Studio. These software enhancements and services are intended to help customers avoid interruptions while minimizing downtime, the company explains. Using the solution, businesses can view system diagnostics and set crucial real-time alerts.
"We understand that for our partners and customers, time is money," said Lubomir Mraz, Sewio's CTO, in a prepared statement. "Therefore, it's important for us to discover new ways to shave crucial time off RTLS deployments and allow users and partners to gain actionable insight into the system. We are proud to announce that the features in 3.0 represent a big leap forward to doing just that."
Identiv Joins NFC Forum Board of Directors
The NFC Forum, a global standards body for Near Field Communications (NFC) technology, has announced that its Board of Directors has approved Identiv to join the board's lineup. Identiv became an Associate Member of the organization in 2017, and it now joins fellow Board of Directors representatives Apple, Google, Huawei, Infineon, NXP Semiconductors, Qualcomm, Sony and STMicroelectronics.
Amir Khoshniyati, the VP and general manager of Identiv's Transponder Business, will join the NFC Forum Board as its director. "We have a long-standing relationship with the NFC Forum through participation in special interest groups evangelizing the most innovative specialty applications across all segments," Khoshniyati said in a prepared statement. "As an NFC Forum board member, we have an exciting opportunity to further lead innovation and drive standards within the consortium."
Identiv provides digital security and identification solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT), and it is the second new Sponsor-level member the Forum has added in a year. Sponsor level, the top tier of NFC Forum membership, entitles a company to be seated on the consortium's governing body. Sponsor members may designate individuals to run for leadership positions and may appoint one voting representative to each of the Forum's committees and working groups.
"Over the last five years, Identiv demonstrated creativity and willingness to work within the NFC Forum to move projects forward for the betterment of the entire NFC ecosystem," added Mike McCamon, the NFC Forum's executive director, in the prepared statement. "As a leading designer, developer and manufacturer of high frequency/NFC products, we look forward to Identiv's unique expertise toward growing the adoption of NFC technology."
Senet, CalChip Connect Team Up for LoRaWAN Deployments
Senet, a provider of cloud-based software and services platforms enabling connectivity and on-demand network build-outs for the Internet of Things (IoT), has partnered with IoT hardware distributor CalChip Connect. Under the partnership, the companies will bring Senet-compatible LoRaWAN gateways and sensor-enabled end devices to market through CalChip Connect's e-commerce platform. LoRaWAN is one of the fastest-growing technology standards being adopted for highly scalable IoT solution deployments.
The distribution agreement allows Senet Radio Access Network (RAN) partners, vertical market solution providers and end customers to shorten deployment times, using LoRaWAN hardware and network connectivity pre-qualified to be interoperable. Senet-compatible LoRaWAN gateways and end devices will now be available for purchase in volume, with CalChip Connect managing inventory levels, warehousing and shipping on behalf of the original equipment manufacturers. CalChip will also offer customized, pre-provisioned solution bundles and direct shipping to end customers.
"With fewer steps required to deploy an end-to-end solution and value-added services built into the procurement processes, this announcement is an example of how the LoRaWAN ecosystem has matured to provide tangible cost and time-saving benefits to customers ready to deploy solutions today," said Bruce Chatterley, Senet's CEO, in a prepared statement. "Partnering with CalChip Connect provides our customers with state-of-the-art e-commerce and logistics services designed specifically for the needs of the IoT industry, delivering value throughout the purchasing and fulfillment process."
The partnership supports LoRaWAN solution demand globally, with CalChip Connect providing e-commerce and distribution services worldwide and Senet providing LoRaWAN network coverage and connectivity readiness in more than 180 countries. "LoRaWAN is specifically designed for a new generation of long-range networks and low-cost, low-power devices that are becoming ubiquitous in enterprise, utility, and smart city applications," added Jason Giuliano, CalChip Connect's CEO, in the statement. "We are excited to be partnering with Senet to provide the products and solutions connected to one of the largest and fastest-growing IoT networks in the world."
Industry IoT Consortium Launches Test Drive for Marine Industry
The Industry IoT Consortium (IIC) has announced its Marine Management Test Drive to build a peer-to-peer network for the marine industry. The test drive includes boat-to-dock payment, maintenance scheduling and asset management. IIC members leading the test drive include infrastructure company Ahoy, as well as IoTeX, which offers blockchain-based solutions designed to let humans and machines interact with trust and privacy. Basset Yacht & Boat is participating in the test drive as well.
Ahoy is building a solution to decentralize the utilization, management, ownership, renting, docking, financing and user experience of marine-based assets. The solution, based on IoTeX's MachineFi system, includes a Web3 infrastructure, a non-fungible token marketplace, a utility token, dApps, and digital twin and IoT implementation. "We're helping to drive the management of marine assets into the IoT ownership economy, where users are the owner and beneficiary of their data, privacy and money," said Raullen Chai, IoTeX's CEO and co-founder, in a prepared statement. "Boat owners can now monetize their marine and associated digital assets globally."
Test drives, IIC explains, are short-term, rapid-engagement pilots for technology end users to employ and adopt Industrial IoT technologies, which stimulate IoT adoption via accelerated implementation. IIC's neutral collaboration platform fosters partnering to address IoT use cases in three- to six-month projects, based on technology end users' problems. As John Paul Zable, Ahoy's CEO and founder, explained in the statement, "With the Marine Management Test Drive, we're showing boaters and marina owners how, thanks to MachineFi Lab technology, they can turn underutilized resources, stagnant occupancies, and user data into reliable sources of revenue."
