Smartrac Launches New NFC PRO Series - Taking Secure Product Authentication to Higher Levels
Amsterdam (The Netherlands), September 5, 2019 – Smartrac Technology Group, a global leader in RFID technology and IoT solutions, has launched the new PRO series of its market leading portfolio of NFC tags and inlays. The company’s NFC tag CIRCUS PRO, equipped with NXP’s NTAG® 424 DNA IC, will be the first member of the new product series optimized for highly secure product authentication.
By embedding Smartrac’s new CIRCUS PRO – or any other future PRO inlays or tags – into physical products, customers such as brand owners and branded product manufacturers can turn their products into secure digital platforms, delivering unmatched value during the product lifetime from point of manufacture, through the supply chain, distribution channels, point of sales, customer usage phase, to reselling and recycling. Key applications enabled by secure product authentication are counterfeit and diversion protection as well as exclusive content and rewards for consumer engagement and customer loyalty programs.
Protection against “the most sophisticated counterfeiting attempts”
"As the number of connected objects is expected to reach a record 40 billion by 2022, organizations of all sizes are seeking not just feature-rich, connectivity solutions but ones that can securely protect their brand, their products, and their customers,” said Philippe Dubois, Vice President and General Manager of IoT Security, Smart Mobility and Retail at NXP. “Our NTAG 424 DNA sets the bar when it comes to delivering such trusted experiences and Smartrac’s CIRCUS PRO takes full advantage of its cutting-edge security and privacy features to deliver an all new generation of NFC tags that can fight even the most sophisticated of counterfeiting attempts.”
NFC PRO series: secure authentication with tailored security and layers
Smartrac’s new CIRCUS PRO inlays and tags with NXP’s NTAG 424 DNA IC’s work with all NFC-enabled devices and support real-time tag and message authentication based on AES-128 encryption on attack-resistant certified silicon. The Secure Unique NFC (SUN) authentication feature enables authentic, integrity protected and confidential data exchanges between tags and servers. This high-end security IC option offers enhanced privacy features and a sensitive on-chip data storage, protected by a sophisticated three-pass mutual authentication scheme.
Future PRO features and options will also include different security layers, allowing customers to enable secure product authentication for a wide range of needs and applications. Offering a variety of different NFC product designs, form factors and IC options for individual customer demands, Smartrac will soon introduce further PRO versions of its popular NFC inlays and tags such as BULLSEYE and MIDAS.
Fighting counterfeiting and boosting digital consumer engagement
Moreover, the NFC-based secure product authentication can be achieved through a choice of verification services, in order to comply with the greatest possible array of individual customer requirements. As the secret keys cannot be copied or tampered, physical product authenticity can be proven in a highly reliable manner once the PRO inlays and tags are irremovably embedded into or attached to the physical product.
Smartrac’s new PRO series will also allow to fully leverage the company’s IoT solutions portfolio, enabling customers not only to minimize product counterfeiting through secure authentication, but also to deliver exclusive digital content to consumers for enhanced customer loyalty and satisfaction.
“Today’s introduction of the new CIRCUS PRO NFC tag with NXP’s NTAG 424 DNA IC is a milestone for us in two respects: As the forerunner of our innovative PRO series, the new tag enables our customers to effectively fight counterfeiting with a variety of highly secure functionalities, and at the same time provides consumers with exclusive, instant digital content through existing devices and channels. Moreover, CIRCUS PRO NFC tag based on NXP’s superior IC is another confirmation of our proven, long-time partnership with NXP that will reshape the RFID market,” says Hal Hikita, SVP Product Market Development at Smartrac.
Regarding its physical and performance characteristics, the new CIRCUS PRO falls within the highly successful product line that features CIRCUS DURA, CIRCUS FLEX, CIRCUS ON-METAL and CIRCUS TAMPER LOOP NFC inlays and tags, which all combine small size, cost-effectiveness and superior performance.
For regular and demanding physical environments
Smartrac’s CIRCUS PRO NFC inlays and tags with NTAG 424 DNA will become available in large quantities in Q3 2019 as wet inlays, as well as the new CIRCUS PRO FLEX wet inlays, which come with an additional “glop top” protective layer for the IC and antenna connection area for enhanced durability in challenging environments.
About Smartrac:
Smartrac is a global market leader in RFID products and IoT solutions, providing both ready-made and
customized offerings. We make products smart, and enable businesses to digitize, identify, authenticate, track
and complement products and solutions. Our portfolio is used in a wide array of applications such as animal identification, automation, automotive, brand protection, customer experience, industry, library and media management, logistics, retail, supply chain management and many more. Leveraging our global Research & Development Centers, production and sales network, and IoT solutions platform Smart Cosmos®, we embed intelligence into physical products, empowering the ecosystem of connected things. Smartrac received ARC Quality Certification from Auburn University’s RFID Lab for the design and manufacturing of its RFID inlays. Smartrac has its registered headquarters in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.smartrac-group.com, follow Smartrac on Twitter, Linkedin or sign up for a quarterly newsletter.