Xerox has introduced two printed electronic labels (also known as "printed memory") that can collect and store information about the authenticity and condition of products.
Xerox Printed Memory is a highly secure, printed label containing up to 36 bits of rewritable memory which can store up to 68 billion points of data. The labels, for example, can be used to determine if a product is genuine and to track how it’s been handled during distribution.
Xerox Printed Memory with Cryptographic Security includes a unique, encrypted printed code (such as a QR bar code) to the memory. It can only be read by authorised personnel using a reader which interfaces with a secure smartphone application. This combination of printed memory with an encrypted printed code, creates one of the most secure anti-counterfeit solutions on the market. It is ideal for use in applications as wide ranging as tracking and ensuring the safety of pharmaceutical products to securing tax or duty stamps for government agencies. The cryptographic security feature was developed at PARC and is an added feature in the printed memory labels.
According to the announcement traditional anti-counterfeiting methods such as invisible ink, holograms and RFID tags can be easily copied and hacked, and are often expensive to implement. In contrast Xerox Printed Memory with Cryptographic Security offers brand owners a solution that is inexpensive and difficult to counterfeit because every label is uniquely encrypted
Rewritable data within each tag can identify if a medication refill has been authorised, a shipping tax has been paid, or whether a package passed through an authorised distributor. Using a smartphone-based reader, printed memory tax stamps can be used for tracking and tracing the location of packages, authentication and verification of a product's information.
In December 2014, Xerox licensed proprietary printed memory technology, from Thin Film Electronics ASA, a Norwegian company and a leader in the development and commercialisation of printed electronics. Under this licensing agreement, Xerox plans to produce printed memory at its plant in Webster, N.Y.
For the past few years, PARC - a Xerox Company - and ThinFilm have been working together on enabling smart labels based on Thinfilm’s Addressable MemoryTM.
Steve Simpson, vice president, responsible for Xerox printed labels, said, "This makes it possible to ensure the integrity of a product from the time it leaves the factory to the time it gets into the hands of a customer." Steve added, "By building upon Thinfilm's printed memory technology, we were able to develop an innovative, anti-counterfeiting solution and launch the next phase of the project, which will bring the solution to the market."
Davor Sutija, Thinfilm's chief executive officer, said, "Keeping ahead of counterfeiters is a complex challenge that requires an unprecedented level of security in a growing global market.", Davor added, "We are pleased to provide Xerox and its customers with another layer of defense to combat counterfeiting across multiple industries. Xerox has a history of innovation in this market, and its advanced solution expands the use of printed memory technologies for security and authentication."
Tax or revenue stamps are issued on behalf of international, national or local governments, their licensees or agents, and indicate that a tax or duty has been paid. Tax stamp security and authentication systems enable governments to protect revenues generated by tax stamps, estimated to be in the billions of dollars.
The printed memory products will be showcased at Pharma Expo, a pharmaceutical processing and packaging conference and tradeshow in Las Vegas Sept. 28-30.
