Exclusive interview with Mr. Ashish Anand, Technical Director, Linksmart Technologies
A brief Journey of Mr. Ashish Anand at LinkSmart?
Mr. Ashish in capacity of technical director looks after IP portfolio and strategic positioning of various solution verticals. During initial phase
focus was on automated and trackable tamper evidence with multiple successful deployments. Under his able leadership company recently focused on mass market usecase of non clonability wherein industry-at-large was suffering from gimmicks and jargons all around. In short time LINKSMART positioned itself in though leadership position and disrupted the market which was occupied with couple of vendors from other part of globe pushing stop-gap offerings. His initiatives are setting benchmark and disrupting global standards.
General Impact of Covid on brand-protection market situations?
As many industry verticals being realigned with newly identified focus areas under COVID, brand-protection is not going to be different. Subject matter experts across verticals agree that the new norm is “Digital, Contact-less & Truly Automated”.Traditional brand protection is going to be reshaped post-COVID given dependence on the physical market investigation will have to be minimized at-least in short/medium term and more than just traceability, some sectors like food/pharma/agro will be subject to Credible Traceability.
Some of the Innovation solutions being offered at linksmart?
Linksmart is an IP intensive B2B start-up focusing on “Product and Packaging security” leveraging its core technology under the brand name of smartDNA®. smartDNA® is an exclusive solution addressing a broader authentication spectrum in the supply chain, solving the problem of product counterfeit, automated package tamper-evidence, content re-fill, remote warranty validations, credible product recall, credible loyalty distribution and smart tracking in a completely automated manner as a single point solution. smartDNA® threat model not only protects it from outsider's threat but also against insider connivance and un-official production of the ORIGINALS.
Authentication happens in an instant, precise and automated field verification using standard smart-phones with zero human intervention. We have labels, in-line prints (non-additive), metal engravings & Reusable models as well and we command our IP ownership in 22 countries including USA, EUROPE, INDIA, CHINA, JAPAN.
Our latest innovation: Non-Clonable codes extends guaranteed anti-counterfeit solution by direct printing using existing standard digital print lines. For the first time in industry, smartDNA clone-proof Qr-code protects not only from physical duplication of Qrcodes but also extends digital cloning protection (i.e. Even scanning the image of the Qr-code on screen is precisely detected as a digital copy).
Salient Features :
1- Ultra Low cost guaranteed solution for counterfeit use-case by direct in-line prints
2- Exclusive protection from digital duplication along with physcial duplication
3- Protection despite unofficial production of originals
4- Precise authentication despite dust, dirt & wrinkle
5- Supported on Flat/Flexible/curved/dented/wrinkled/Glossy Surfaces.
6- Widest supported range of smartphone supported
7- Fastest scan time of 1-3 seconds
8- 0% False Positives - No false alarms & misleading analytics - No futile ground investigations
9- Support for offline authentication
10-Standard print-line instrumentation- Printers with just 600 dpi support and higher
smartDNA® leveraging its strong IP, outperforms existing stop-gaps technologies in terms of performance and reliability. Where other solutions depend on heavy analytics. smartDNA hard guarantees on piece-by-piece and you can locate your counterfeiters on very 1st scan even if the authentication rate is very low.
What is the future of Non Clonable and Credible traceability solution and its impact on Brand Owners?
Future of credible supply chain is with Non Clonable Codes. Currently industry is passing through vicious cycle. Legal keep asking for ground-investigation, Packaging is busy in stacking overt/covert features to complement Clonable codes in name of multi-layer security, Marketing asks fro promotion to artificially jack-up authentication and customers authentication rate drops in requirement of direct on-spot precise authentication. This is closed loop vicious cycle with no exit. Non-clonable coding facilitate that exit for industry-at-large. Credible traceability of codes establishes the credibility of data. Supply Chain should be able to detect counterfeit on very 1st scan. Several industries such as Retail (food, groceries and beverages), Healthcare (patient safety and pharmaceutical), Agriculture and many more are shifting towards enabling credible traceability of products and associated trusted data through the supply-chain in order to advance sustainability goals and circular traceability. Non-clonability can be seamless as non-intrusive layer around traditional clonables (2Dmatrix/QR/Barcode) and enabling core technology feature such that the original print of the codes should not be duplicated and if duplicated, it should be detected in a truly fully automated scan.